Quick Summary:
- Airport concession fees are percentage surcharges for operating at airports.
- Facility fees fund rental centres, shuttles, and airport transport infrastructure.
- Compare totals by matching dates, taxes, add-ons, and payment timing.
- Off-airport pickup can cut fees, but add transfers and time costs.
When you search for United Estates car hire, the headline daily rate is rarely the final number. In the United States, airport pickups often attract two extra charges that look similar but work differently, an airport concession fee and an airport facility fee. They are legitimate, common, and frequently non-negotiable, but you can reduce surprises by knowing how they are calculated and by comparing on-airport and off-airport options like-for-like.
This guide breaks down the most common add-on fees line-by-line, explains why they appear, and gives practical steps to compare locations and quotes. For general market comparisons and inclusions, you can also start with Hola Car Rentals’ United States overview at car hire United States.
What is an airport concession fee?
An airport concession fee (sometimes shown as “concession recovery fee”, “airport concession recovery”, or similar wording) is a surcharge charged by the rental company to recover what it pays the airport for the right to operate there. Airports charge rental brands for counter space, access, and the commercial “concession” to serve arriving passengers. Rather than build those costs into the base rate, many suppliers itemise them.
How it is usually calculated: most often as a percentage of the rental charges, sometimes including some taxes and surcharges, and sometimes excluding optional extras. The percentage varies by airport and by supplier contract. Because it is percentage-based, a higher base rate or longer rental can increase the absolute amount.
Can you avoid it? If you collect your vehicle at an airport location, you usually cannot remove it. The practical “avoidance” is to choose an off-airport pickup location that is not governed by airport concession rules. However, off-airport locations can introduce other costs such as transfers, rideshares, and time.
What is an airport facility fee?
An airport facility fee (often labelled “customer facility charge”, “CFC”, “facility fee”, or “airport facility charge”) is typically a fixed amount per day, sometimes with a cap. The money is commonly used to fund and maintain rental car centres, shuttle buses, signage, road access, and related airport ground transport infrastructure.
How it is usually calculated: frequently as a flat daily charge, for example a set amount per rental day up to a maximum number of days. In some places it may be a single fixed charge per rental instead. Because it is not percentage-based, it can hit short rentals relatively harder.
Can you avoid it? As with concession fees, it is generally tied to airport pickup. Picking up away from the airport can reduce or remove it, but check whether the off-airport branch has its own facility or access fees.
Other common add-on fees you will see on US car hire quotes
Airport concession and facility fees are the headline “airport” items, but they are not the only additions. The challenge is that different suppliers group charges differently. One quote may show a low base rate with several line items, while another shows a higher base rate with fewer line items, yet the final total is similar.
Here are the most common fees and what they normally mean.
Taxes and government charges
State and local sales tax: A percentage tax applied to the rental charges, and sometimes to certain surcharges. Rates vary widely by state, county, and city. This is not something the rental company controls.
Tourism or rental tax: Some areas add specific taxes on vehicle rentals. These may appear as “rental tax”, “tourism assessment”, or “stadium tax”. Again, they are location-specific.
Vehicle licensing fee / registration recovery: This can appear as a daily amount, used by suppliers to recover costs related to vehicle registration, licensing, and sometimes property tax on fleets. It is usually not avoidable, but it can differ by supplier.
Location-based surcharges (not always airports)
Energy surcharge or environmental recovery fee: Sometimes a small percentage or daily fee intended to offset operational costs. Naming varies, and the amount is typically modest, but it can still affect comparisons.
Downtown or premium location surcharge: Busy city branches, train stations, and hotel desk locations can have their own concession agreements and facility costs. If you avoid the airport but pick up at a rail station, you might still face location charges.
Optional extras that change the total significantly
Additional driver: Often charged per day. Some states restrict or mandate inclusion for spouses or domestic partners, but rules vary. If you know you will share driving, ensure the quote includes it in the same way across comparisons.
Young driver surcharge: Usually applies to drivers under a certain age, often under 25. This can be a large daily fee and may come with restrictions on vehicle categories.
One-way fee (drop-off charge): Applied when you return the vehicle to a different location. It can be low for some city pairs and very high for others, especially across state lines. A quote that looks cheap can jump once the one-way fee is added.
Prepaid fuel option and refuelling service: Some suppliers sell a full tank upfront, others charge a premium per gallon or litre if you return the car not full. For clean comparisons, assume you will return full unless your itinerary makes that impractical.
Roadside assistance packages: Optional coverage that can be included by default in some quotes. Check whether it is truly optional and whether you already have cover through another product.
Child seats, GPS, toll packages: These can add a meaningful amount, particularly on longer rentals. If you know you need them, include them in every comparison rather than adding later.
If you are weighing vehicle types, use category pages to keep assumptions consistent, for example SUV hire United States for larger vehicles, or van hire United States for people carriers and cargo options.
How to compare on-airport vs off-airport pick-ups without surprises
There is no universal rule that off-airport is always cheaper. The only reliable method is to compare totals on the same basis, then add your transfer time and out-of-pocket travel costs.
1) Start with the “total payable” and confirm what it includes
Some quotes display an estimated total that excludes taxes and airport charges until late in the process. Others show a fully inclusive total upfront. When comparing, look for the final payable amount and check whether it includes taxes, concession fees, and facility charges.
A useful tactic is to write down the total, then scan the price breakdown for the two airport items by name. If you do not see them and you are collecting at an airport, assume they may appear later and seek a clearer breakdown before deciding.
2) Match pick-up time, return time, and rental length precisely
Daily charges and facility fees are often based on 24-hour periods, and going one hour over can trigger an additional day on some rate plans. When you compare on-airport and off-airport branches, align times as closely as possible and be realistic about travel time between terminals and the branch.
3) Compare identical policy terms, especially mileage and cancellation
Unlimited mileage is common but not universal. Cancellation and amendment rules can also differ between prepaid and pay-later options. A cheaper total is not necessarily better if the policy is restrictive for your trip.
4) Add the cost of getting to the off-airport location
Off-airport branches may offer a shuttle, but not always, and the frequency may be limited outside business hours. Add the likely cost of a taxi, rideshare, or public transport for your whole party, plus luggage handling. Also consider that after a long flight, a simple on-airport walk to the rental centre may be worth paying for.
5) Consider your first and last driving miles
If your trip begins with a long drive out of the city, an airport pickup can be efficient. If you are staying downtown first, collecting from a city branch later can avoid paying airport surcharges for days when the car is parked.
6) Watch for “off-airport” locations that are still airport-affiliated
Some branches are technically off terminal grounds but still within the airport concession area, which can mean airport fees apply anyway. The address and the fee line items are the tell, not just the label “off-airport”.
To understand how different brands present these costs, it can help to compare supplier pages that aggregate common terms, such as Hertz car hire United States and Payless car hire United States. For price-led comparisons across suppliers, see budget car rental United States.
Can you actually avoid airport concession and facility fees?
You can often reduce them, but “avoid” depends on your itinerary. If you must collect at the airport, expect both charges and treat them as part of the true airport price. If you can collect elsewhere, you may avoid one or both, but only if the branch is outside the airport concession zone and does not add its own location surcharge that erodes the savings.
In practice, the best approach is to decide how much you value convenience. Airport pickup is usually the simplest after a flight, and fees are the price of that convenience. Off-airport pickup can be better value when you have time, are staying locally first, or when airport facility charges are high for short rentals.
Checklist for a clean, like-for-like comparison
Use this quick checklist before you decide:
Pick-up location: Is it truly non-airport, based on the fee breakdown?
All-in total: Does the displayed total include concession, facility fees, and taxes?
Rental length rules: Are times aligned to avoid an extra day?
Driver and age fees: Are additional driver and young driver charges included consistently?
One-way and fuel: Are drop-off and refuelling assumptions the same?
Transfer cost: Have you added shuttle, taxi, or public transport costs?
FAQ
What is the difference between an airport concession fee and a facility fee? A concession fee is usually a percentage surcharge tied to the airport’s commercial agreement. A facility fee is often a fixed daily charge that funds rental centres and transport infrastructure.
Are airport fees included in the advertised car hire price? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Always check the price breakdown for airport concession and facility charges, plus taxes, and compare using the final payable total.
If I pick up off-airport, will I definitely pay less? Not always. You may save on airport surcharges, but you could pay a city location surcharge and you must add transfer time and travel costs to get there.
Do airport facility fees have a maximum cap? Many are charged per day with a maximum number of days, but it varies by airport. The breakdown should show the daily rate and any cap if applied.
How can I avoid surprises at the counter? Confirm the all-in total, ensure driver details and add-ons are consistent, and review the fee lines for concession, facility, taxes, and any location surcharges before you travel.
