Quick Summary:
- Match voucher inclusions to the agreement, one line item at a time.
- Ask to remove optional extras, especially insurance add-ons you declined.
- Confirm mandatory Florida taxes and airport fees are correctly calculated.
- Get any correction written on the contract, before you initial.
It is common for the total on a Florida car hire agreement to look higher than the price on your voucher. That does not automatically mean you are being overcharged, but it does mean you should slow down and compare the paperwork before you sign. The rental desk system often adds items by default, shows a larger “estimated total” including deposits, or uses different names for the same fees that were already included in your prepaid voucher.
This guide gives a step-by-step checklist of the exact line items to compare, what you can usually remove, what you cannot remove, and how to get corrections written onto the contract before you accept the keys.
Step 1: Put your voucher and agreement side by side
Before discussing numbers, identify the same basics on both documents. If these do not match, the total can change even without any add-ons.
Check these first: pick-up and return location, dates and times, car group, driver age category, and currency. A one-hour later return can trigger an extra day, and a different location can change facility fees and local surcharges. If you are collecting at an airport branch, confirm the agreement is actually coded to that airport location, because Florida airport concessions and facility charges can be significant.
If you are collecting in South Florida, the exact branch matters. For example, agreements at Miami Airport may carry different mandatory charges than a downtown location like Brickell.
Step 2: Separate three totals, not one
Rental contracts often show multiple “totals” that get confused. Ask the agent to point to each figure on screen or on the printout.
1) Prepaid voucher price: what you have already paid (or agreed to pay) for the hire itself, often including core insurances and taxes depending on the deal.
2) Amount due at counter: any additional authorised charges you are paying now, such as optional extras you accept, or a local fee not included in the voucher.
3) Security deposit (authorisation hold): a temporary hold on your card, usually higher if you decline certain coverages. This is not a charge unless there is a valid reason later (damage, missing fuel, tolls, etc.).
If your concern is the “total” number, ask whether it includes the deposit authorisation. Many drivers see a much higher figure because the deposit is bundled into an “estimated charges” line.
Step 3: Check the base rate and any prepaid credit
On the agreement, find the lines describing the rental time and mileage, often called “Time and Mileage”, “Rental Charges”, or “Base Rate”. The daily rate multiplied by the number of days should match the voucher’s rental price, unless your voucher clearly states that some items will be paid locally.
If you prepaid, look for a line that shows a credit, such as “Prepaid”, “Voucher”, or “Paid in Advance”. If the agreement shows the full rental price without a prepaid deduction, the total will look inflated. Ask the agent to apply the voucher correctly and reprint the contract, rather than relying on verbal reassurance.
Step 4: Compare insurances and protection products line by line
Most “higher than voucher” surprises come from protection products being added at the desk. Some are optional, some are required by your chosen payment method, and some are already included in your voucher under different names.
A. Identify what your voucher includes: look for terms such as CDW, LDW, Collision Damage Waiver, Loss Damage Waiver, Theft Protection, TPL, ALI, LIS, SLI, or “Third Party Liability”. Vouchers can also include “Excess Refund” or “Zero Excess”, which is different from the rental company’s own waiver.
B. Match to the agreement descriptions: on the contract, these can appear as separate line items with daily prices, even if your voucher includes them. Ask, “Is this already included in my voucher rate?” and request removal if it is duplicated.
C. Common optional add-ons you can usually remove:
Extra coverages (for example, “roadside plus” packages), personal accident insurance, personal effects coverage, or windscreen and tyre bundles, unless you explicitly want them. If you decline, make sure the line item is removed and the new total is recalculated.
D. When removal may change the deposit: declining the rental company’s waivers often increases the security deposit, and can increase the excess you are responsible for. That can still be fine, but you should decide knowingly. Ask for the deposit amount with and without the added product, and have the agent confirm it on the agreement.
Step 5: Review extras, these are the easiest to accidentally accept
Optional extras can appear as “Accepted” by default in some systems. Check each one carefully, especially if you are tired after a flight.
Typical removable extras if you did not request them: GPS or navigation devices, WiFi hotspots, additional driver fees (if you are the only driver), child seats, booster seats, prepaid fuel options, toll devices, and premium roadside assistance.
If you genuinely need more space, check whether your agreement was upgraded into a larger vehicle class with a higher daily rate. A minivan or passenger van will almost always cost more than a standard car group. If you planned for a larger vehicle, compare the expected category against the agreement, such as minivan hire in Miami or van rental in Miami.
Step 6: Understand Florida taxes and mandatory fees
Some charges are genuinely mandatory and may be shown differently on the voucher versus the agreement. In Florida, it is common to see a mix of state sales tax, county surtaxes, and location surcharges.
Look for these categories and verify they are not duplicated:
Taxes: sales tax and local taxes may be shown as one combined tax line, or split across multiple lines. If your voucher says “tax included”, the agreement should not add tax again to the same base amount.
Airport and facility charges: if picking up at an airport, you may see concession recovery fees and facility charges. These can be legitimate and still appear confusing if your voucher bundles them into a single “taxes and fees” figure. If you are not at an airport, question any airport-specific fee.
Tourism or rental surcharges: some locations add a local “vehicle licence fee”, “customer facility charge”, or similar. These are not normally removable, but they should be calculated on the correct rental days and correct base.
Step 7: Check fuel policy and refuelling fees
Fuel is one of the most common causes of unexpected totals because it can be presented as an “option” that changes the amount due today.
Common fuel setups you might see:
Full to full: you return the car with a full tank. The agreement may still list a refuelling service fee that applies only if you return short. That is normal. What you should avoid is an added prepaid fuel purchase if you did not choose it.
Prepaid fuel: you pay for a tank up front and can return empty. If you did not ask for this, request it removed and confirm the contract shows full to full.
Refuelling charge schedule: if printed, it will show a per-gallon price plus service fee. You cannot usually remove the schedule, but you can avoid triggering it by returning full.
Step 8: Tolls, plate pass programmes, and admin fees
Florida has extensive toll roads, especially around Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Orlando. Rental companies may offer a toll device or toll programme, often billed daily plus tolls, or they may charge an admin fee per toll if you do not opt in.
What to do at the desk: ask for the exact name of the toll option on the agreement, the daily cost, and whether tolls are extra. If you do not want the programme, ask to remove it and confirm how tolls will be handled instead. Keep in mind that “remove” can mean you are agreeing to admin fees later if you use toll roads.
This is not about picking the cheapest option blindly, it is about making sure the option you choose is the one you actually want, written clearly on the agreement.
Step 9: Additional driver rules and Florida-specific expectations
Additional driver fees can be legitimate, but they should match what you asked for. If you did not request an extra driver, there should be no daily charge. If you did, confirm the name is added and the fee matches the voucher terms.
If you are hiring in the Orlando area, policies can vary by brand and location. It helps to know your pick-up branch details in advance, such as the terms you will see at Thrifty at Orlando Airport.
Step 10: Make sure the car class and upgrade pricing are clear
Sometimes the desk offers an upgrade with a verbal price, but the agreement reflects a different daily rate or category. If you accept an upgrade, ask the agent to show the new daily rate and total in writing, and confirm that any included coverages on the voucher still apply to the new class.
If you did not accept any upgrade, ensure the “Vehicle Class” or “Rate Code” is consistent with your voucher. A mismatch is a valid reason to pause and ask for correction.
Step 11: How to get corrections written onto the contract before signing
Verbal promises do not help if the printed or emailed agreement shows charges you did not agree to. Use this simple approach to make sure changes stick.
1) Point to the line item and state the reason: “My voucher includes LDW, please remove this duplicate line.” Keep it factual and specific.
2) Ask for an updated agreement, not a note: the cleanest outcome is a reprinted contract showing the corrected total and removed items.
3) If a reprint is not possible, ask for written notation: request that the agent writes the correction on the agreement, includes the revised amount, and initials it. You should initial too. Only accept this if the company’s process supports it and you receive a copy.
4) Check the “Accepted” boxes: many agreements list optional items with accepted or declined status. Ensure anything you do not want is marked declined and priced at zero.
5) Take photos of the final pages: capture the pricing page, accepted/declined items, fuel policy, and deposit amount. This is helpful if your final charge differs later.
Step 12: A final desk checklist before you take the keys
Use this quick checklist to decide whether the higher total is legitimate or correctable.
Confirm: prepaid voucher credit is applied, rental dates and location are correct, optional extras are removed unless requested, coverages are not duplicated, taxes and facility fees are consistent with the pick-up location, deposit is understood, fuel policy is the one you want, and toll option is clearly chosen.
If something still does not add up, do not sign “to fix later”. Ask for the corrected agreement first. This is especially important at busy airport desks, for example if you are picking up near Fort Lauderdale, where different brands can present fees in slightly different ways, such as Dollar at Fort Lauderdale Airport.
FAQ
Why does my agreement show a higher total even if I prepaid? Many agreements display an estimated total including the security deposit, or they list the full rental charges before applying the prepaid voucher credit. Ask to see the “amount due” today and whether the voucher has been applied.
Which items can I usually remove before signing? You can usually remove optional extras such as additional protection products, GPS, WiFi, child seats you do not need, additional driver fees you did not request, prepaid fuel, and some toll programmes. Mandatory taxes and airport facility charges are normally not removable.
What Florida fees are typically non-negotiable? State and local taxes, and location-based charges such as airport concession or facility fees (when applicable) are generally mandatory. The key is ensuring they are correctly calculated for your rental days and location.
What should I do if the agent says an extra is “required”? Ask what rule makes it required, and whether it is required for all customers or only when declining certain coverages. If it is genuinely required for your situation, ask for it to be shown clearly on the agreement with the exact price.
Is the security deposit the same as a charge? No. A deposit is usually an authorisation hold, temporarily reducing your available credit. It can be larger if you decline the rental company’s waiver products, so confirm the deposit amount and conditions before you sign.
