Budget Car Hire
in South Carolina

Hola Car Rentals is the only premium partner of the top car hire brands operating in South Carolina, giving you exclusive access to our All Inclusive+ rate. This rate includes benefits that no other company can match:

• Free liability coverage starting at US$ 300,000 in case of an accident (applies only to certain rates and itineraries)
• Toll cashback: recover up to 5% of the reservation's total value for toll charges incurred during your hire period
• Premium travel medical assistance providing up to US$ 150,000 in coverage for a maximum of 5 passengers in case of a medical emergency, excluding pre-existing conditions
• No Extra Charges© guarantee: if the counter charges you for something not listed on your confirmation and not an optional add-on you accepted, Hola Car Rentals will work to remove or reimburse the charge after verification

All of this comes at no extra cost, ensuring a fully protected car hire experience and peace of mind throughout your trip in South Carolina.

No. With Hola Car Rentals, all costs and charges for your booking in South Carolina are clearly shown at the time of reservation and in your confirmation email, so you know exactly what you are paying before you arrive at the counter.

On top of that, every Hola Car Rentals booking includes the No Extra Charges© guarantee. This is a pricing guarantee (not insurance) that protects you if the counter in South Carolina charges you for something that was not listed on your confirmation and was not an optional add-on you accepted. If that happens, Hola Car Rentals will work with the hire partner to remove or reimburse the charge after verification.

The only costs outside this guarantee are:

• Optional add-ons you choose at the counter (GPS, child seats, prepaid fuel)
• Usage-based charges (tolls, fuel shortfall, traffic fines)

Yes, Budget operates across South Carolina with approximately 18 locations statewide, covering both airport and off-airport sites.

Key Budget locations in South Carolina include:

• Charleston Airport (CHS): 5500 International Blvd
• Charleston Downtown: 390 Meeting St (near the cruise port)
• Charleston Citadel Mall: 2070 Sam Rittenberg Blvd
• Greenville: 458 Woodruff Rd
• North Charleston: Northwoods Blvd
• Rock Hill: 515 N Anderson Rd
• Spartanburg: WestGate Crossing
• Columbia and Myrtle Beach: additional locations available

Airport Budget locations in South Carolina add concession recovery fees and customer facility charges that off-airport locations do not, so picking up at a city location can reduce your total cost if the airport is not required for your itinerary.

Budget counter hours in South Carolina vary by location, so always confirm your specific branch before travel.

Typical hours at key South Carolina Budget locations are:

• Charleston Downtown (390 Meeting St): Monday to Friday 8AM to 6PM, Saturday 8AM to 2PM, Sunday 10AM to 2PM
• Greenville (458 Woodruff Rd): Monday to Friday 8AM to 6PM, Saturday 8AM to 2PM, Sunday 1PM to 5PM
• Rock Hill (515 N Anderson Rd): Monday to Friday 8AM to 6PM, Saturday 8AM to 2PM, Sunday 10AM to 2PM

Hours may change on public holidays. If your flight or cruise arrives outside these windows, confirm whether your chosen Budget location in South Carolina offers an after-hours key drop. At Charleston Downtown, a key drop box is available, but you remain responsible for the vehicle and any damage until the next business day check-in.

Yes, some Budget locations in South Carolina offer an after-hours key drop, but availability is not guaranteed at every branch.

At the Charleston Downtown location (390 Meeting St), a key drop box is available for after-hours returns. However, if you use it, you remain responsible for the vehicle, any damage, and any theft until a Budget agent inspects the car the next business day.

If no key drop is available at your South Carolina Budget location, do not leave the vehicle unattended or hand keys to anyone. Instead, return the car during staffed hours or contact the branch in advance to arrange an alternative. Leaving the vehicle without authorisation can make you liable for locksmith fees, damage, or theft charges.

Always confirm after-hours options directly with your specific Budget branch in South Carolina when you pick up the car, and keep a photo of the dashboard and fuel gauge if you do use a key drop.

Yes, South Carolina has one primary toll road: the Southern Connector on Interstate 185, a 16-mile route near Greenville connecting I-185 to I-385.

The Southern Connector uses the PalPass (also called Palmetto Pass) electronic system, but also accepts cash (exact change required at some ramps) and credit or debit cards at mainline plazas. PIN debit cards, checks, and money orders are not accepted. Typical car tolls range from US$0.075 to US$3.00 for the full 16-mile stretch.

For your Budget hire in South Carolina, you have two main options at the counter:

• Enroll in Budget's toll programme (such as PlatePass), which typically costs US$3.95 to US$4.95 per day, capped at around US$19.75 per hire, plus actual toll charges
• Opt out and pay tolls manually at cash or card lanes

If you drive through a cashless toll lane without enrolling, Budget will bill the toll at the highest undiscounted rate plus an administrative fee, which can reach US$15 per toll event. To avoid surprise charges, decide at pickup whether the toll programme makes sense for your South Carolina itinerary.

To collect your Budget hire in South Carolina, you must bring the following physical documents to the counter:

• Your original, unexpired driver's licence in the main driver's name
• A major credit card with the driver's name printed on the card (debit and prepaid cards are not accepted for the security deposit)
• Your passport or valid government photo ID
• Your booking confirmation or printed voucher
• Round-trip flight or cruise tickets if you are visiting from abroad

If your driver's licence uses a non-Latin alphabet (for example, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, or Cyrillic), an International Driving Permit (IDP) is mandatory alongside your original licence. For licences in other non-English scripts, an IDP is strongly recommended. The IDP is a translation only and cannot be used without the original licence.

All documents must be physical originals. Digital copies shown on a phone are not accepted at the Budget counter in South Carolina. Name mismatches between your licence, passport, and credit card are a common cause of problems at pickup, so verify they all match before you travel.

Yes, South Carolina imposes several state-mandated fees on top of the base hire rate that apply to all Budget hires picked up in the state.

Key fees to be aware of include:

• Hire Surcharge Fee: 2.5% applied to the hire price for any Budget pickup originating in South Carolina. This fee is also subject to state sales tax.
• Vehicle Licence Fee: a state fee on motor vehicle hires of 90 days or fewer, passed on separately by Budget and taxable like the hire price
• Airport Concession Recovery Fee: applies at airport Budget locations such as Charleston (CHS), recovering the fees Budget pays to operate on airport property
• Customer Facility Charge: an airport-specific fee that varies by location
• Energy Recovery Fee: charged at all Budget locations regardless of whether the pickup is at an airport or off-airport

Off-airport Budget locations in South Carolina (such as Greenville on Woodruff Rd or Rock Hill on N Anderson Rd) avoid the airport concession and customer facility charges, which can meaningfully reduce the total cost compared to picking up at Charleston Airport. Always review the itemised breakdown on your hire agreement at the counter.

Yes, all bookings made through Hola Car Rentals include Tolls Cashback, which reimburses up to 5% of your total booking value for tolls paid during your Budget hire in South Carolina.

The main toll road in South Carolina is the Southern Connector near Greenville, where tolls for a standard car range from US$0.075 to US$3.00. If you drive to neighbouring states such as North Carolina or Georgia, additional toll roads may apply and those charges are also eligible for the cashback.

To claim your Tolls Cashback after returning your Budget hire in South Carolina:

• Email [email protected] within 30 days of vehicle return
• Use the subject line: Tolls Cashback - Reservation [Your Confirmation Number]
• Attach your Hola Car Rentals confirmation, the signed hire agreement, and a toll receipt or statement showing charges paid

Refunds are issued to the original payment method and typically process within 7 to 10 business days after approval. Submissions received after 30 days are not accepted, so file your claim promptly after returning the car.

The minimum age to hire a Budget in South Carolina without a young-renter surcharge is 25. Drivers aged 21 to 24 can hire but will be charged an additional daily underage fee.

For Budget hires in South Carolina, the underage fee is US$13 per hire day plus taxes, capped at US$65 plus taxes for the hire period. Drivers under 25 are also restricted from hiring certain vehicle classes, including full-size sedans, SUVs, minivans, luxury, premium, and convertible categories.

One important exception: if you are a citizen or resident of Latin America or the Caribbean aged 21 to 24, some Hola Car Rentals rates with Budget waive the underage fee entirely. This waiver must appear explicitly on your booking confirmation and applies only to eligible vehicle categories such as economy, compact, medium sedan, standard sedan, compact SUV, and medium SUV.

Regardless of age, all drivers must present a valid driver's licence, a major credit card in their name for the security deposit, and any required International Driving Permit. South Carolina does not have a state law requiring Budget to hire to drivers under 21, so the minimum age at most locations is 21 with the applicable surcharge.

Yes, you can add an additional driver to your Budget hire in South Carolina, but a fee applies unless your booking confirmation explicitly states the additional driver is included at no charge.

For Budget in South Carolina, the additional driver fee is US$13 per hire day plus taxes, capped at US$65 plus taxes for the hire period. The additional driver must be present at the Budget counter at pickup with a valid driver's licence and must sign the hire agreement. Drivers who are not listed on the agreement are not covered by the hire protections, including CDW and liability coverage.

For Budget hires in South Carolina, additional drivers must generally be at least 25 years old. Drivers aged 21 to 24 may be denied as additional drivers or charged a separate underage fee depending on the location.

If your Hola Car Rentals confirmation shows the additional driver as included, verify this on the hire agreement at the Budget counter before signing. If you are charged despite the inclusion being shown on your confirmation, keep all paperwork and contact support after the hire is complete.

Yes, a physical major credit card in the main driver's name with the driver's name printed on the card is required for the security deposit at any Budget location in South Carolina. Debit cards, prepaid cards, and virtual or digital wallet cards are not accepted for the deposit hold.

At pickup, Budget will place a temporary authorisation hold on your card, typically around US$300 to US$400 for a standard vehicle in the United States. This hold reduces your available credit until it is released after you return the car. Your bank controls how quickly the hold disappears, which can take up to 15 business days.

Before arriving at your South Carolina Budget counter:

• Confirm your card is enabled for in-person transactions and has sufficient available credit to cover the hold plus any expected charges
• Set a travel notice with your bank to prevent fraud blocks on the authorisation
• Bring a backup credit card in your name in case your primary card is declined

Even if you prepaid your Budget booking in South Carolina online, you must still present a physical credit card at the counter for the deposit hold.

Yes, one-way hires are available through Budget in South Carolina, allowing you to pick up at one location and return at a different one within the state's network of approximately 18 locations.

A drop-off fee may apply depending on the route. This fee is route-specific and varies by the cities involved, the vehicle class, and the season. When booking, the drop-off fee will appear under the "To pay at destination" section of the checkout if it applies to your route. Some short or same-region routes may carry no drop-off fee at all.

Cross-state one-way hires (for example, picking up in South Carolina and returning in North Carolina or Georgia) are also possible with Budget, but these typically carry higher drop-off fees and may have availability restrictions depending on the vehicle class. Always confirm cross-border driving permissions on your hire agreement, as some restrictions may apply.

If you change your return location after booking, the hire will be re-priced and the drop-off fee may increase. Confirm any route changes directly with the Budget location in South Carolina before modifying your reservation.

Budget hires in South Carolina follow a Full-to-Full fuel policy by default. You receive the car with a full tank and must return it full to avoid fuel charges.

At pickup, check the fuel gauge with the Budget agent and confirm the starting level is recorded on the hire agreement. Take a photo of the dashboard showing the odometer and gauge. If the car is not full at pickup, the recorded starting level becomes your return target.

To avoid fuel charges when returning your Budget hire in South Carolina:

• Refuel within approximately 10 miles of the return location so the gauge does not drop before you arrive
• Keep the fuel receipt showing the date, time, and station address
• Take a photo of the full gauge before handing over the keys

If you return the car below the recorded level, Budget will charge for the fuel shortfall at their refuelling rate, which is typically higher than retail pump prices, plus a refuelling service fee. For after-hours returns at South Carolina Budget locations with a key drop, leave the receipt in the envelope and keep a photo of the full gauge for your records.

Yes, most bookings made through Hola Car Rentals include Travel Assistance provided by Terrawind Global Protection, and this benefit applies to your Budget hire in South Carolina. However, this cover is available only to non-North American customers. Residents of the United States and Canada do not qualify for this benefit.

If you are eligible, Travel Assistance covers situations such as a medical emergency on a South Carolina highway, a breakdown in a remote area of the state, or issues arising from your travel to or from South Carolina. Core benefits typically include:

• Travel insurance with medical cover for up to 5 passengers
• Legal assistance in the event of an accident
• Compensation for luggage lost by the airline
• Flight cancellation insurance

This cover does not apply to damage to your Budget hire vehicle (that is handled by CDW/LDW) or to third-party liability (covered by LIS/SLI).

To reach assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, call +1 888 980 9992 (toll-free) or contact WhatsApp at +1 208 910 1001. Have your Hola Car Rentals confirmation number ready when you call.