Dollar Car Hire
in San Francisco

Hola Car Rentals is the only premium partner of the top car hire brands operating in San Francisco, 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 San Francisco.

No. With Hola Car Rentals, all costs and charges for your booking in San Francisco 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 San Francisco 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)

At San Francisco International Airport (SFO), the Dollar hire desk is located inside the Rental Car Centre (RCC), a consolidated facility shared by all major hire brands.

To reach it from any terminal, follow these steps:

• Follow signs to the AirTrain inside your arrival terminal.
• Board the Blue Line towards the Rental Car Centre station.
• The AirTrain journey takes approximately 5 to 10 minutes and is free of charge.
• Exit at the Rental Car Centre station and follow signs to the Dollar desk inside the building.

The Dollar location at SFO operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so it accommodates all arrival times. Once your documents are verified at the desk, vehicles are available for self-collection in the underground garage. For your return, set your satnav to Access Road 8, San Francisco, CA 94128, follow Car Hire Return signs, and take the AirTrain back to your terminal after dropping off the vehicle.

To collect a Dollar hire car in San Francisco, you must bring the following physical documents to the desk:

• A valid, original driving licence in the main driver’s name (not expired, not damaged).
• A passport or valid government-issued photo ID.
• Your booking confirmation or printed voucher.
• A physical major credit card printed with the main driver’s name, with sufficient available credit for the excess hold.
• Round-trip flight or cruise tickets (required for visitors from outside the United States).

If your driving licence uses a non-Latin alphabet (for example, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, or Cyrillic), an International Driving Permit (IDP) is mandatory. Even if your licence is in a Latin alphabet but not in English, an IDP is strongly recommended for Dollar locations in San Francisco. The IDP must be the original document and must be carried alongside your original licence, not as a replacement.

All documents must be physical. Digital copies or photos on your phone are not accepted at the Dollar desk in San Francisco.

It depends on your licence. For Dollar hires in San Francisco, an International Driving Permit (IDP) is mandatory if your driving licence uses a non-Latin alphabet, such as Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, or Cyrillic script. In that case, you must present both your original licence and the IDP at the desk.

If your licence is in a Latin alphabet but not in English, an IDP is strongly recommended, though not always strictly required. Research specific to the Dollar SFO location confirms that foreign renters should present their original licence together with an original IDP.

Key points to remember:

• The IDP is a translation document only. It is not a standalone licence and will not be accepted without your original licence.
• You must obtain the IDP in your home country before travelling. It cannot be issued abroad.
• Only the original IDP is accepted. Photocopies are not valid at the Dollar desk in San Francisco.

San Francisco and the wider Bay Area use the FasTrak electronic toll system. All major bridges, including the Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge, are fully cashless. There are no cash toll booths, so every Dollar hire car in San Francisco is equipped with an electronic toll device or a plate-based billing system.

At the Dollar desk in San Francisco, you will typically be offered two options:

• Unlimited toll package: a fixed daily rate of approximately US$11 to US$25 per day, covering all tolls during your hire period.
• Pay per use: if you decline the package, the hire company charges you the actual toll amounts plus daily or administrative processing fees after the hire ends. These charges can appear on your card days or even weeks after you return the vehicle.

Approximate toll costs in the San Francisco Bay Area:

• Bay Bridge (westbound, 2-axle car): approximately US$8.50 with FasTrak.
• Golden Gate Bridge (southbound, 2-axle car): approximately US$9.75 with FasTrak, or US$10.75 by invoice.

You may also opt out and pay tolls directly through the toll agency's website or app, but you must inform the Dollar desk agent so they can deactivate the vehicle's default device and prevent duplicate charges.

Yes, a young driver surcharge applies to Dollar hires in San Francisco for drivers under 25 years old.

In the United States, the standard minimum age to hire without additional fees is 25. Drivers aged 21 to 24 can hire but are subject to a daily young-driver surcharge. For Dollar (part of the Hertz group) in San Francisco, this fee is approximately US$13.50 per hire day, with a maximum cap of US$189 per hire period, plus applicable taxes.

Additional restrictions to be aware of:

• Certain vehicle classes are restricted to drivers aged 25 and older, including full-size, SUV, premium, luxury, convertible, minivan, and van categories.
• Drivers aged 21 to 24 are generally limited to economy, compact, intermediate, and compact SUV categories at the Dollar San Francisco locations.
• The young-driver surcharge is paid at the desk and is not included in your prepaid rate.

If you are under 21, Dollar locations in San Francisco will not be able to complete the hire, as California does not have the same exceptions as New York or Michigan for drivers aged 18 to 20.

Yes, all bookings made through Hola Car Rentals, including Dollar hires in San Francisco, include Tolls Cashback of up to 5% of your total booking value for tolls paid during your hire.

Given that the San Francisco Bay Area has some of the most active toll infrastructure in California, including the Bay Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge, and FasTrak express lanes, this benefit can provide meaningful savings.

To claim your cashback after returning your Dollar hire in San Francisco:

• Email [email protected] within 30 days of returning the vehicle.
• Use the subject line: Tolls Cashback, followed by your reservation confirmation number.
• Attach your Hola Car Rentals booking confirmation, the signed hire agreement from the Dollar desk, and a toll invoice or statement showing the charges paid.

Example: if your Dollar booking total in San Francisco was US$600, the maximum cashback is US$30. If you paid US$18 in tolls, you receive US$18 back. If you paid US$50, you receive US$30 (the cap). Refunds are issued to your original payment method and typically process within 7 to 10 working days after approval.

You must present a physical major credit card printed with the main driver’s name at the Dollar desk in San Francisco. The card must have sufficient available credit to cover the excess hold, which is typically US$300 to US$400 for standard vehicles in the United States, though the exact amount is set by Dollar at the time of collection.

Important rules to keep in mind:

• The card must be a major credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, etc.) with a line of credit, not a debit card or prepaid card.
• The name printed on the card must match the main driver’s name on the hire agreement.
• Digital wallets, virtual card numbers, and mobile payment apps are not accepted for the deposit at the Dollar San Francisco desk.
• Even if you prepaid your booking in full, a physical credit card is still required at collection for the hold.

The hold is a temporary authorisation, not a charge. It reduces your available credit until Dollar releases it after you return the vehicle. Your bank controls how quickly the hold disappears, which can take up to 15 working days. Bringing a backup credit card in your name is always a good precaution when collecting a Dollar hire in San Francisco.

Yes, you can add an additional driver to your Dollar hire in San Francisco, but the extra driver must be physically present at the desk during collection.

Requirements for adding an additional driver at the Dollar San Francisco desk:

• The additional driver must bring their original, valid driving licence.
• If their licence uses a non-Latin alphabet, they must also present an original IDP.
• They must sign the hire agreement at the desk. If they do not sign, they are not covered by any protections on the booking.
• They must meet the minimum age requirements. For Dollar (Hertz group) in San Francisco, additional drivers must generally be at least 25 years old. If they are aged 21 to 24, a young-driver surcharge may apply or they may not be accepted.

If your booking confirmation states that an additional driver is included at no extra cost, confirm this with the Dollar agent in San Francisco before signing. If it is not included, the fee for Dollar is approximately US$13.50 per hire day, capped at US$189 per hire period, plus taxes. Only drivers listed on the hire agreement are covered by the booking's protections.

Most bookings made through Hola Car Rentals, including Dollar hires in San Francisco, include travel assistance coverage provided by Terrawind Global Protection. This benefit is particularly useful if you experience a medical emergency, a flight cancellation, or baggage loss during your trip.

Coverage typically includes:

• Travel and medical insurance for up to 5 passengers per event.
• Legal assistance in the event of a road accident, for example on Bay Area highways or bridges.
• Compensation for baggage lost by the airline.
• Flight cancellation insurance.

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

Important: this travel assistance benefit does not apply to residents of the United States or Canada. It is designed for international visitors hiring a Dollar in San Francisco who are travelling from outside North America. It also does not cover damage to the hire vehicle itself (that is handled by CDW/LDW) or third-party liability (covered by LIS/SLI).

Dollar hires in San Francisco follow a Full-to-Full fuel policy. You receive the vehicle with a full tank and must return it full to avoid additional charges.

Steps to follow to avoid fuel charges:

• At collection, check the fuel gauge with the Dollar agent and confirm the starting level is recorded on the hire agreement.
• Take a photo of the dashboard showing the odometer and fuel gauge before leaving the San Francisco lot.
• Refuel within approximately 10 miles of the return location before heading back to the Dollar facility at SFO or the downtown San Francisco location.
• Keep your final fuel receipt showing the date, time, and station address.

If you return the vehicle below the recorded starting level, Dollar may charge you for the fuel shortfall at their own refuelling rate, which is typically higher than retail pump prices, plus a service fee. For after-hours returns at the San Francisco airport location, leave your fuel receipt in the return envelope and keep a photo of the full gauge on your phone as evidence.

Yes, one-way hires are possible with Dollar in San Francisco, but a drop-off fee may apply depending on your return location.

How it works:

• If you return the Dollar vehicle to a different city or airport from where you collected it in San Francisco, a one-way drop-off fee is typically added to your reservation.
• This fee is route-specific and varies by destination, vehicle class, and season.
• The fee is shown during the booking process under the To Pay at Destination section on the Hola Car Rentals checkout page.
• It cannot be prepaid and is paid directly to Dollar at the desk or upon return.

Some routes, such as returning to another Bay Area location close to San Francisco, may not incur a drop-off fee, while long-distance one-ways to cities in other states typically do. Cross-border one-ways (for example, from San Francisco to Canada or Mexico) are often restricted or carry significantly higher fees. Always check your booking confirmation for the exact drop-off fee before finalising your Dollar hire in San Francisco.

The insurance cover included in your Dollar hire in San Francisco depends on the rate plan selected at the time of booking. It is important to review your booking confirmation carefully before arriving at the San Francisco desk.

Common cover types and what they mean:

• Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) or Loss Damage Waiver (LDW): reduces your financial liability for damage to the Dollar hire vehicle itself. A deductible may still apply unless your confirmation explicitly states zero deductible.
• Third-Party Liability (LIS/SLI/ALI): covers bodily injury and property damage you may cause to other people or vehicles while driving in San Francisco. Some U.S. states require a minimum level of liability, but not all do. Adding supplementary liability cover is strongly recommended.

What CDW/LDW does not cover:

• Damage to tyres, wheels, undercarriage, or the roof of the vehicle.
• Incidents involving unauthorised drivers not listed on the Dollar hire agreement.
• Damage resulting from prohibited use such as off-road driving or driving under the influence.

At the Dollar desk in San Francisco, review the hire agreement carefully and confirm which coverages are active before accepting the keys.

If you return your Dollar hire car in San Francisco after the agreed drop-off time, additional charges may apply once the grace period has passed.

Key points to note:

• The standard grace period at most Dollar locations, including San Francisco, is approximately 30 minutes after the scheduled return time. This grace period is not guaranteed and may vary.
• If you exceed the grace period, Dollar may charge for additional hours or an extra hire day, plus any applicable late fees.
• If you know in advance that you need more time, contact Dollar or reach out through your booking to request an extension before the original return time passes.

For returns at the San Francisco airport, set your satnav to Access Road 8, San Francisco, CA 94128, and follow Car Hire Return signs to the Dollar return area. After dropping off the vehicle, take the AirTrain Blue Line back to your terminal. The typical drop-off process at San Francisco airport takes 0 to 10 minutes, so allow extra time if your flight is close.

If you need to return the vehicle earlier than planned, note that early returns on prepaid Dollar bookings in San Francisco do not automatically generate a refund for unused days.