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Turo is an online peer-to-peer car sharing service that empowers private car owners. Users can customize their trips on Turo's website, from the actual vehicle to additional add-ons. However, the selections you make during this process will impact Turo's trip fee, which many users find pretty expensive.
When a trip fee on Turo is quite high, it is due to certain factors. Firstly, the higher the value of the rental car, the higher the trip fee will be. Shorter bookings on Turo also result in higher trip fees for users. Finally, last-minute bookings have higher trip fees than those made in advance.
If you’re wondering why Turo’s trip fee can get so high, we’ll explain everything you need to know. Ultimately, the reason for this comes down to how this fee is calculated. Once we’ve broken the trip fee down, we’ll look at how you can effectively reduce this fee when renting a vehicle through Turo.
Why Is Turo Trip Fee So Expensive?
Turo is a service that allows private car owners to easily rent their vehicles. Rentals and bookings are managed through Turo's online platform. When making a booking on Turo, users will notice one of the charges is a trip fee.
The first important fact to note about Turo’s trip fee is that it’s applied to all rentals. A trip fee will be charged regardless of which car you book or how long you rent the vehicle. Essentially, this is a percentage of the overall Turo trip price, which is the total cost of your rental.
However, many Turo users have asked themselves why this trip fee is so high! The reason for this actually depends on the booking process itself. Let us explain! When you’re selecting a vehicle to rent, Turo guides you through a process where you’ll be asked to make specific selections.
For instance, there are core selections you need to make, like the vehicle you want to rent and the duration of your rental. There are also additional options, such as pet or smoking fees. While a trip fee is applied to all rentals, the amount of this fee depends on certain selections you made.
By understanding the factors that influence Turo’s trip fee, you will better understand why this fee can seem relatively high. However, it may even reveal ways to reduce this trip fee when making a booking through Turo’s platform.
How Does Turo Calculate Your Trip Fee?
Earlier, we explained that your trip fee on Turo is only a percentage of the total price. The fee is charged for all bookings made through Turo, but the amount varies between bookings depending on certain factors.
By considering these aspects, you’ll gain a better understanding of why Turo’s trip fee may seem quite high for certain bookings! Overall, there are three main factors that affect your Turo trip fee. Read on as we take a look at these!
#1: Which Vehicle You’re Booking on Turo
You can choose from many different car brands when you visit the official Turo website to make a booking. You can even search for your ideal rental car by brand. However, Turo users should be aware that their choice of vehicle impacts the trip fee that is charged.
Ultimately, the higher the value of the rental car, the higher the trip fee will be. If you notice that the quoted trip fee seems rather expensive, it could be because the vehicle that you've selected to rent has a high estimated value.
#2: The Duration Of Your Booking On Turo
Turo trip fees are also affected by the indicated duration of your trip. Of course, the period of your rental is one of the core selections made when booking through Turo. Many Turo users are under the impression that shorter trips cost less overall. However, this is not true.
As a golden rule when booking on Turo: the shorter your booking on Turo is, the higher your trip fee will be. If you're trying to book a vehicle for a few days and you're wondering why the calculated trip fee is so high, this is likely the reason behind it. Of course, this factor works alongside the others discussed here.
#3: When You Make Your Booking On Turo
Last but not least, the lead time of your rental influences how your trip fee is calculated on Turo. The lead time, of course, refers to how far in advance you made your reservation on Turo. As a general rule of thumb, bookings that are made well in advance have lower trip fees on Turo.
This means that if you're planning a last-minute trip and want to book a vehicle through Turo, you should expect a higher trip fee. Often when Turo users are surprised by a high trip fee, it comes down to exactly when they made their booking.
How You Can Reduce Your Turo Trip Fee
If you want to reduce your trip fee when booking a vehicle on Turo, this is what you need to know!
#1: Book A Cheaper Vehicle On Turo
To reduce the trip fee of your Turo booking, you can select a cheaper vehicle to rent. With countless vehicles to choose from, there might be a similar vehicle available with a lower trip fee. By choosing a vehicle with a lower value, you can drastically reduce your trip fee and overall rental price.
#2: Book For Longer Periods On Turo
If you’re looking to reduce your trip fee on Turo, you should consider booking the vehicle for an extended period of time. Turo users are often shocked by how much they can save on their trip fee when they book a vehicle for a few extra days!
#3: Make Your Turo Booking In Advance
To lower their Turo booking fee, users should always aim to make their bookings as far in advance as possible. This will ensure they get the lowest trip fee possible. Of course, for bookings made at the last minute, users shouldn’t be surprised to find an increased trip fee.
Conclusion
When booking a vehicle through Turo, a trip fee will be calculated based on certain selections. Ultimately, this fee is just a percentage of your total quote. However, many users find this fee quite expensive. Understanding how this fee is calculated reveals why this fee can be higher for certain Turo bookings.
