Links on this page may be affiliate links – the price stays the same for you. How affiliate links work
My account
My account

daily cashback / Guides

Guides

EconomyBookings vs Rentalcars: Which Fits You, Where Is Cashback?

· 2026-09-21

EconomyBookings vs Rentalcars: for a hire car with cashback, take EconomyBookings, the one of the two that is listed at daily cashback. Rentalcars is not one of our shops, so a rental booked there pays nothing from us. Rates change with place, date and supplier, which is why we explain the route to cashback and not a price winner. Status October 2026.

Booking a hire car: the steps

  1. Fix your dates and pick-up place first. A booking made within 48 hours of pick-up cannot be refunded at EconomyBookings, so leave some time.
  2. Open the EconomyBookings shop page (US site, in English). It advises you to compare the supplier, the pick-up point and what the quoted price includes.
  3. Turn off your ad blocker, close other comparison and voucher tabs, then press the button on the shop page.
  4. Pick your car and check the total, the supplier terms and the deposit rule before you book. You pay exactly what you would pay anyway.
  5. The booking appears in your free account as pending.
  6. Collect the car and return it. After EconomyBookings has confirmed the rental, the cashback is credited, and PayPal payout follows once your balance has reached the minimum shown on the shop page.

Voucher and booking details reach you shortly before pick-up, so keep the confirmation email from EconomyBookings. It is your proof if an entry is ever missing from your account.

When the cashback lapses

  • You cancel: A cancellation made at least 48 hours before pick-up is refunded; a later one is not. Either way, refunded money earns no cashback.
  • You cancel at the desk: a request made straight to the rental firm falls outside the EconomyBookings policy. Use the Bookings area of your profile instead.
  • You cannot pick up the car: paying online by debit card works, yet the supplier wants a physical credit card for the main driver at the counter.
  • Changes behind EconomyBookings back: extensions or extras agreed only with the rental firm are outside the booking agreement.
  • You booked on Rentalcars: the sale never passed through our EconomyBookings button.
  • A detour or an ad blocker: clicking through a voucher site after our shop page, or blocking the click, can stop the booking from showing as pending.

Changes need a similar lead time. EconomyBookings accepts change requests only up to 48 hours before pick-up, and it does not process later ones. A changed booking stays your booking, so do the change through your account, check the new total and keep the updated confirmation email next to the first one.

What the rate is based on

Cashback is calculated on the rental price you booked and complete, not on the number of cars shown in a list. Our shop page says the booked rental price is what counts, and that refunded amounts are not included. Because EconomyBookings compares many suppliers, the same car can come with different inclusions, so read the offer line by line.

Money paid at the desk to the rental firm for extras, such as a child seat, is arranged with the supplier and is not part of what you book online. The exact basis and the rate of the day are set out on the shop page. A figure is left out here because the page is updated whenever the offer changes. A refund first lands in your EconomyBookings E-Wallet as BookingCredit, which you can send back to your payment method or keep for another rental.

EconomyBookings or Rentalcars: the differences

  • EconomyBookings lists over 175,000 vehicles at 20,000 pick-up points. Its help centre spells out the 48-hour refund rule, the rule that rentals of two days or less are not refundable, and the E-Wallet.
  • Rentalcars is a broker as well, and it shows the terms of each offer to you in the booking step. Read deposit, cancellation and inclusions there before you pay.
  • Deposit: at EconomyBookings the supplier holds the deposit on a credit card at pick-up. Rentalcars shows its deposit next to the offer.
  • Short trips: if you need a car for a weekend, the rule on rentals of two days or less matters more than a small difference in the daily rate.
  • Our pick for cashback is EconomyBookings; Rentalcars is a fair place to look at offers, nothing more from our side.
EconomyBookingsRentalcars
Shop at daily cashbackyesnot part of our shops
Free cancellationfull refund with 48 hours of noticeterms shown with each offer
Cashback confirmedafter the rental is confirmednot applicable

Frequently asked questions

Does Rentalcars give cashback?
Rentalcars is not one of our shops, so bookings there earn no cashback from us. EconomyBookings is the one listed at daily cashback.
Is EconomyBookings cheaper than Rentalcars?
Compare the total for the same car, place and dates on both sites. The price depends on the supplier and moves with demand, so there is no fixed winner.
When is EconomyBookings cashback confirmed?
The booking shows as pending first. It is credited once EconomyBookings has confirmed the rental, not on the day you book.
What happens to cashback if I cancel an EconomyBookings rental?
A cancelled rental is not a completed one. Cancelling more than two days ahead brings a full refund, and refunded money earns no cashback.
Can I rent with a debit card?
For the online payment a debit card works. For the deposit, the station wants a physical credit card issued to the main driver.
Why is my short rental not refundable?
EconomyBookings states in its policy that bookings of two days or less and bookings made within 48 hours of pick-up are non-refundable. Check this before you pay.
Where is the EconomyBookings page for readers outside the US?
It sits on our US site, written in English. The link in this guide leads there for every market.