Quick Summary:
- Ask for the itemised rate breakdown before you initial anything.
- Ensure every optional extra shows “Declined” or a zero price.
- Strike through unwanted lines, write “Declined”, then initial beside edits.
- Keep photos of the signed contract, checkout screen, and receipts.
At a US car hire counter, the contract is where unwanted extras can quietly become expensive. Add-ons like fuel purchase options, toll products, roadside assistance, extra driver fees, and supplementary insurance can appear as pre-ticked selections or as line items that default to “Accepted” unless actively changed. The safest approach is to treat the paperwork as a checklist: find the lines that authorise extras, ensure the ones you declined are clearly marked, and only then initial and sign.
This matters even more if you are tired after a flight, picking up late, or collecting at a busy airport location where staff are moving quickly. A careful two minute review can prevent post-rental disputes and “I never agreed to that” conversations. For general guidance on arranging a car hire in the United Estates, including vehicle categories and supplier options, see car hire in the United States.
Know what you are actually signing
US rental paperwork can be printed, digital, or a mix of both. In all cases, you are typically signing or initialling to confirm two things: the base rental terms and any selected products. The risk is that the products section can be bundled into the same signature box as the base agreement, or displayed on a tablet where the “accepted” state is not obvious. Your goal is simple: make the contract show, in plain text, that the extra is declined and priced at $0.00 if it is optional.
Before the agent finalises anything, ask for an itemised summary that shows: base rate, taxes and fees, and each add-on with its daily and total price. Do not rely on a verbal quote. If the agent cannot print it, ask them to turn the screen towards you and slow down while you read each line.
The exact places extras hide on a US car hire contract
Different suppliers format their agreements differently, but most contracts include recognisable areas where extras appear. When you review, look specifically for these sections and confirm the status of each line item:
1) “Optional Products” or “Optional Services” section. This is the main list. Each product should have a clear “Accept/Decline” indicator and price. If it only shows a price, ask where the acceptance is recorded.
2) “Protection Products” or “Coverages” section. This is where you may see items such as Loss Damage Waiver (LDW/CDW), Supplemental Liability Insurance (SLI/LIS), Personal Accident Insurance (PAI), and Personal Effects Coverage (PEC). If you declined any of these, the contract should show “Declined” next to each. If you accepted some and declined others, confirm each one individually. For supplier-specific wording, it can help to review typical documentation expectations for major brands like Hertz car hire in the United States or Avis car hire in the United States before you travel.
3) “Fuel” or “Refuelling” options. Watch for “Fuel Service Option” (prepay), “Fuel Purchase Option”, or “Refuelling Charge”. If you plan to return full, ensure prepay is declined and no prepaid amount is included in the estimated total.
4) “Toll” products. These may appear as TollPass, PlatePass, Toll-by-Plate, or an administrative toll programme. Some programmes are optional daily products, others are pay-per-use with admin fees. If you decline an optional toll product, the contract must show it as declined, and you should understand what happens if you still use toll roads.
5) “Roadside Assistance” or “Emergency Assistance” products. Often offered as a daily charge. If declined, it should show “Declined” or $0.00. If it is included in the base price, it should state “Included” rather than appearing as an extra charge.
6) “Additional Driver” and “Young Driver” fees. These are not always presented as “extras”, but they are add-ons. If you will not add a driver, make sure no additional driver fee appears. If you are adding a driver, confirm the number of additional drivers and the per-day amount.
7) “Upgrades” and vehicle class changes. An upgrade may be recorded as a different rate code or class. If you did not agree to an upgrade, confirm the car class on the agreement matches what you expected. If you need a larger vehicle, you can compare typical categories like SUV hire in the United States to spot when a class change is being charged.
The lines to check, and what “correct” looks like
When the contract is in front of you, do a structured pass. This reduces mistakes and keeps the conversation factual rather than emotional.
Step 1: Confirm the estimated total and daily rate lines. Many agreements show “Estimated Charges” with a total. Ask the agent to point to where each component is listed. If the total looks higher than expected, do not sign until you see why.
Step 2: Scan for anything with a daily rate. Optional extras often show as “$X.XX/day”. If you see a daily charge you did not expect, trace it to the product name and status.
Step 3: Find the “Accepted” indicators. On paper, it might be a tick box, “Y”/“N”, or “A”/“D”. On a tablet, it might be a toggle, a highlighted button, or a pre-selected option. The correct result for a declined product is not just unticked, it is explicitly recorded as declined.
Step 4: Check for bundled wording. Sometimes a signature line says you accept “all charges shown above”. If any unwanted line remains, your signature may be interpreted as acceptance. That is why removing or marking the line is essential.
Step 5: Verify that declined extras have no price in the totals. Even if an item says “Declined”, make sure its cost is not included elsewhere. Look for a separate “Optional Charges Total” line, then check it matches the extras you actually accepted.
How to get declined extras marked correctly, in real time
Counter staff are used to adjustments, so be calm and specific. Use clear language like: “I am declining that option, please mark it as declined on the contract and update the total.” Then wait while they make the change and reprint or refresh the document.
If the contract is paper and an unwanted extra is printed on it, ask for a corrected reprint first. If the location cannot reprint quickly and you must amend the paper copy, use a conservative approach:
Strike through the unwanted line item so it cannot be read as accepted later.
Write “Declined” clearly next to the product name, plus “$0.00”.
Initial and date next to the change and ask the agent to initial as well. If the agent will not initial, request a clean reprint. The goal is to avoid an argument about who altered the document.
For digital agreements, insist on seeing the final summary screen before you sign. If the tablet only shows terms, ask to scroll to the pricing and products pages. If the agent is holding the device, request to hold it yourself while you review. Your signature should be the last step, not the first.
Common extras that cause disputes, and what to do about each
Fuel prepay: If you declined, the contract should not show a prepaid fuel amount. If it shows a “Fuel Service Option” charge, ask for it to be removed and confirm the return condition is “Full to Full”.
Toll products: If you declined a daily toll product, check that no daily toll fee is listed. Separately, ask how tolls will be handled if you drive through toll lanes anyway, as some states use plate billing and admin fees may apply.
Roadside assistance: If you declined, make sure there is no daily roadside charge. If you want it included, ensure it is clearly listed with its cost, so you can recognise it later on your receipt.
Insurance and waivers: If you declined, insist each line reads “Declined”. If you accepted one product, ensure that acceptance does not automatically mark others as accepted. If the agent says something is mandatory, ask them to show where it is required on the written terms and whether it is already included in the base rate.
Upgrades: If you were offered an upgrade, confirm the new class and the new rate, and ensure the original class is not also being charged. If you did not request an upgrade, ask to revert to the booked class.
Evidence to collect before you leave the desk
The best time to document the agreement is before you drive away. Keep evidence that shows what you accepted and what you declined.
Take photos of the full signed contract, especially the optional products page and totals page. If digital, photograph the summary screen with the product list and total, plus any emailed receipt you receive at pick-up.
Keep the printed copies and do not discard them during the trip. If the agent gives you multiple pages, confirm you have all of them, including the page listing optional products.
Check the first email receipt if one is sent immediately. If you spot an unwanted line, return to the counter straight away while they can still adjust the open rental.
When arranging car hire, it helps to choose a vehicle type that matches your trip so you are not pressured into upgrades at the desk. If you are travelling with a larger group or luggage, reviewing typical options like van hire in the United States can reduce last-minute changes that complicate the contract.
What if the agent says “it will drop off later”?
If an extra is on the contract at pick-up, treat it as chargeable unless the contract explicitly shows it as declined or $0.00. Some systems display “pending” items or default selections that staff say will be removed at close-out, but that leaves you exposed if the rental is closed differently than promised. Ask for the corrected contract now, with the totals updated, and keep a copy.
After pick-up, do a quick double-check
Once you have the vehicle and you are parked safely, review the paperwork again. Confirm the daily rate, rental period, vehicle class, and that the declined extras are still marked as declined. If something is wrong, go back immediately. It is far easier to correct before you leave the airport or city location than after you have driven for an hour.
If you are comparing suppliers and contract formats for your trip, you can review provider pages such as National car hire in the United States to understand what to expect at the counter, while still focusing on the same rule: declined extras must be clearly recorded on the agreement you sign.
FAQ
Which exact words should a declined extra show on the contract? Look for “Declined”, “No”, or “Not Accepted”, and confirm the price is $0.00 and not included in totals.
What if the contract is on a tablet and I cannot see the add-ons clearly? Ask the agent to scroll to the optional products list and pricing summary. Do not sign until you can read each add-on and its status.
Is striking through an add-on line and initialling it acceptable? It can be, but a clean reprint is best. If you must amend, strike through, write “Declined $0.00”, and initial beside the change.
Are toll programmes always optional in the United Estates? Not always. Some are optional daily products, others are automatic toll billing with admin fees if you use tolls. Ask how tolls are handled if you decline the daily option.
What evidence should I keep in case I am billed later? Keep photos of the signed contract pages showing optional products and totals, plus any pick-up receipt emails and the final drop-off invoice.
