Booking Direct vs Broker: Which Really Saves You Money?

Booking a hire car online can be confusing, especially when deciding between booking directly with a rental company or using a car hire broker. There are so many different suppliers with thousands of vehicles at their disposal – and they often have different prices across different websites.

Sometimes, prices can be lower on a broker’s site than on an official supplier’s website, which can just add to the confusion.

However, at Enjoy Travel, we compare prices from multiple rental companies in the same place, which ultimately helps travellers find the very best deal for their trip.

In this guide, we’ll explain the differences between booking with a broker and booking direct, and which might suit you best.

How Car Hire Prices Really Work

Car hire pricing is dynamic, similar to how flights and hotels work. The prices often fluctuate with demand, seasonality and availability.

Suppliers Set Base Rates

Car hire companies decide their base prices depending on demand, season and fleet size. These are influenced by several factors, including seasonality, demand and the size of their fleet.

For example, hiring a car in Spain in the middle of August is likely going to be much more expensive than hiring a car in the same location in February, because more people visit Spain in August than in February, so the demand is naturally higher.

Prices Change Daily

Because car hire prices are generally managed using dynamic yield pricing algorithms, similar to those used by airlines and hotels.

This means that if you spotted a deal yesterday, the price may have increased or decreased today because of demand alone. 

As such, because prices can change so quickly, the same car can appear at different prices on different sites.

Why Two Sites Show Different Prices

Not every car hire platform receives the same pricing agreement from suppliers, which is another reason why it is common for the same vehicle to appear on different sites at vastly different prices.

Brokers often negotiate discounted rates based on the booking volume, which means that prices are often lower when compared to booking through official suppliers.

Why Brokers Like Enjoy Travel Are Often Cheaper

Instead of selling vehicles from just one supplier, car hire brokers instead compare offers from many companies, meaning that competitive pricing is part of the strategy.

We Buy Car Hire in Volume

At Enjoy Travel, we send thousands of bookings to over 190 suppliers around the world, and as such, many of these providers offer discounted rates for booking through us.

These volume discounts allow brokers like us to offer prices which are typically lower than the suppliers’ own website.

Suppliers Compete for Bookings

Competition is one of the biggest advantages of booking through a comparison platform or a broker.

Enjoy Travel works with over 190 suppliers, so you may see the same car appearing side by side from different companies. For example, Sixt, Hertz and National may all offer a Vauxhall Corsa at the same location for three different prices.

As such, as a traveller, you can choose the price and option which suits you best.

Smaller Local Companies Offer Lower Rates Through Brokers

Not all car hire companies have the luxury of a huge marketing budget to spend to reach potential customers.

As such, many smaller, local companies rely on brokers to reach an international audience on their behalf. By opting to list their vehicles on comparison sites, they can compete with bigger names in the industry.

As such, these smaller companies typically offer lower rates through brokers to attract more customers seeking a bargain.

Major global rental companies such as Hertz, Sixt and National Car Rental often distribute their vehicles through broker platforms as well as their own websites.

Exclusive Newsletter Deals

Some suppliers run exclusive deals and discounts, and all of these can be found via brokers. Some suppliers also offer limited-time discounts through newsletters and partner platforms.

When Booking Direct Might Make Sense

Occasionally, there are times when booking direct with a supplier rather than through a broker might make sense.

Loyalty Points or Corporate Deals

If individual suppliers offer loyalty schemes such as ‘stamps’ for each time you hire a car from them (or other similar schemes), then this can be beneficial in order to save money and be rewarded for your loyalty after a certain number of times with exclusive discounts or freebies.

Last-Minute Local Offers

Sometimes, car hire companies showcase last-minute offers on their own websites.

However, these are not very common, and most of the time, these offers are listed on brokers’ websites regardless.

Very Small Rental Companies Without Brokers

Some very small local car hire companies may not partner with brokers at all, and only take walk-ins. These are often found in developing countries or in very rural areas with small commercial airports.

As such, travellers may find the best discounts by contacting these brokers directly. However, with the sheer amount of car hire suppliers listed on sites such as Enjoy Travel, these very small businesses are few and far between.

What You Get When Booking Through Enjoy Travel

One Search Across 190+ Suppliers

Instead of having to trawl through dozens of individual car hire suppliers’ websites, with our platform, you can instantly search over 190 suppliers at once.

More suppliers means more competition, which, for you as the customer, often means more discounts and good deals on car hire.

Clear Pricing Before You Book

Listings show key information before you book, such as the supplier name, the vehicle type and its transmission, different types of insurance cover and most importantly, the price for your duration of the car hire (including the daily price) – all in one place, making it convenient and easy for you.

Free Cancellation on Most Bookings

The majority of bookings via Enjoy Travel include free cancellation, with the policy typically offering free cancellation up to 48 hours before your booking is due to start.

However, you should always check the specific cancellation policy before booking to ensure that it is suitable for you.

Real Customer Reviews

With an average of 4.7/5 from over 1,500 Feefo reviews and a multitude of Trustpilot reviews too, Enjoy Travel has the advantage of showcasing real-life customer reviews, so that you can make your decision based on others’ past experiences.

Don’t just take our word for it – see what others have to say before committing to your booking.

Real Example – Same Car, Different Prices

For example, imagine this scenario between two different car hire suppliers. We’ll call them Supplier A and Supplier B for simplicity. And let’s say that both are offering either the same car, or a very similar car, such as a three-door, five-seater compact hatchback like a Vauxhall Corsa.

Supplier A: £300 per week

Supplier B: £265 per week

Supplier B may be cheaper because brokers often negotiate discounted rates based on high booking volumes, allowing them to pass some of those savings on to customers.

Because multiple suppliers are all compared at once, Enjoy Travel can showcase which companies offer the most competitive prices, saving you money on your car hire.

So…Should You Book Direct or Through a Broker?

Comparing prices before you book is an essential part of saving money on car hire.

Due to the volume of suppliers, brokers are often cheaper than booking directly with a car hire supplier because of bulk booking discounts and healthy competition between suppliers.

Booking directly with a supplier can occasionally make sense, in scenarios when you may have access to loyalty schemes or an exclusive discount from booking through the supplier, but generally, you will save more money on car hire when booking through a broker.