National vs Enterprise: Which Is Better For You? [2024]

National vs Enterprise: It is pretty much simple to search for the best car rental company currently working in the market, however, will all the data tell you which one is the best for you and can work mostly in your favor? Will it be all you need to make a big decision or rent a car?

National car rental company and Enterprise are two of the leading car rental companies in the United States. So, which one is the best for you? Which one has fewer requirements for the drivers? Which is a cheaper and better experience for you?

To help you get all the answers to the above-mentioned, in the article below, we have given a National vs Enterprise comparison which also contains all the important data you need to know about them.

National vs Enterprise: Introduction 

Just knowing the name and the motive of the company does not make it an ideal company for you. To give you a good idea of what both National and Enterprise do and how they work, we are going to introduce you to them below.

National 

National Agency is a Private car rental entity which is based in the United States. It is one of the renowned subsidiary companies working under enterprise holdings. The company was established 70 years ago and has experience in providing the best car rental services.

National car rental agency works along with the new trends and technology. Dealing with National has gotten easier while it keeps on adopting new technologies to make everything easy for its customers. 

Not only does it have a great number of cars in its fleet collection, its action of providing amazing deals and cheaper prices has gotten customers attracted towards it unbelievably fast.

Moreover, it allows you to modify your order after booking. So, either alter your bookings or cancel them with an easy cancellation policy. It offers free cancellation most of the time.

National Emerald is a club service offered by National for those customers who would like to join their community and receive additional benefits. Compulsory discount percentage on every order, easier bookings, and many additional perks get added.

Enterprise 

Enterprise Holdings, also known as Enterprise, is a famous name in the car rental industry. If one wants to know which is the best option he or she has for car renting, Enterprise has to be at the top of the list.

It offers car rentals at local, regional, National, and also International levels and has expanded its branches in a good set of countries across the world. Let it be a family trip or a full business trip, enterprise holdings are one of the most professional car rental companies out there.

And since it offers promotions all time, you'll get to have these offers mostly when you are spending a good sum. The company is stable and trustworthy, said to its previous and current customers.

National vs Enterprise: How do they work?

Most of the companies work similarly to any other car rental company in the market, including National and Enterprise. The professional process of working starts when a customer approaches them by visiting their official website.

If you are new to this topic, we would suggest you have a tour of the website and see how things work. You can always look at the frequently asked questions section to clear your basic doubts.

To have a look at what cars they offer, you can tap on the icon in the main menu and travel to the fleet section on the website. There you can see all types of models and car types they offer, SUVs, convertibles, luxury cars, and more.

After making a decision, you can come back to the homepage and a white box will be visible in the center which will contain a few blanks that ask for common information from you. Fill in all the blanks and it will show all the available results and cars.

Before going all the way to booking, first, you are required to be eligible for all the requirements put forth by firms. These requirements are only for drivers and the driver has to comply with at least the main requirements of each company. We are going to mention the requirements for drivers put forth by National and Enterprise companies below. 

National 

• Must be 25 or older.
• Carry your driver's license while you leave to pick up the car.
• Have your own debit card or credit card while picking up the car. Your cards will only be seen as valid if they contain enough credit.
• Your credit card or debit card must be eligible for deposit based on the company’s credit card or debit card requirements.

Enterprise 

• Must be 25 or older.
• Carry along your photo ID. Your driver's license and passport can be helpful.
• Have your debit card or credit card.
• You must bring along your driving license which has to be valid with no mistakes found in the photo stuck.

Although customers of enterprise holdings are allowed to rent a car if they are below the age of 25 or older, they are required to pay a fee called a surcharge at the time of billing. The amount of surcharge depends and can fluctuate depending on the time of renting and your location.

National vs Enterprise: Pricing

The pricing of cars totally depends on which season you are booking. You might have already witnessed that prices may seem to fluctuate when it comes to seasons like Christmas Eve and summer holidays, prices rise and fall pretty fast. 

They rise when you are at the peak of the seasons. Similarly, National and enterprise holdings have their prices rising and falling accordingly. 

National 

According to the reviews of its past and current customers, National car rental has offered fast and convenient car rental services at market value. Though prices are not cheaper compared to other companies, they are not expensive or higher. So, you could say, National is good at offering average prices.

Moreover, if you want to save, your order has to be a bit bigger and if you have joined the National Emerald Club, you'll compulsorily save on the total amount required to be paid.

Enterprise 

As it is an international company, working professionally and giving you an amazing collection of cars to order from, the prices may not appear to be cheaper but they are reasonable for a middle-class person.

At enterprise, paying from prepaid options will cost you $70-$200 for only renting a car. Apart from these, additional charges like a surcharge if you aren’t the age of 25 will apply, convenience fee, payment processing fee and more charges can be added accordingly.

It also offers short-term and long-term services which allow you to keep the car with you for a short while and for a longer period respectively. 

However, the main catch with long-term services, compared to short-term services is that you are required to apply with more requirements and take complete responsibility for the car until you return it.

National vs Enterprise: Fleet

National

As you already know the National Emerald club members are offered additional services, one of the services will give them more options in cars to select from compared to the regular consumers. You will get a total of 29 options to choose from. 

National car rental company offers all the cars in good condition which are stable and capable of running great distances. The fleet collection of National changes according to the new trends and technologies in the care sector. 

A few of the cars presented in options in the fleet collection at National include Mazda Miata RF, VW Jetta, Chevrolet Malibu, Gran Coupe, Audi A5 sport back, Dodge Challenger, Toyota Corolla, Chevrolet Impala, Chrysler 300, Toyota Prius, Mitsubishi Mirage, Nissan Maxima, BMW 228i. 

It also includes the Ford Fusion Hybrid, BMW5 series, Nissan Versa, VW Beetle Convertible, Ford Mustang Convertible, Infiniti Q 50, and Nissan Leaf.

Enterprise 

Enterprise Holdings is a famous part of the international car market. Thus, it offers a good list of options, including luxury cars to comfortable SUV journeys, enterprise holding can help you on every trip you want.

A few of the models in the fleet list at Enterprise holding includes Tesla Model S, Opel Insignia, Toyota Camry, Chevrolet Temple, Audi A7, The new Chevrolet Spark, Mitsubishi Mirage, Jeep Wrangler four-door, Volkswagen Jetta, Hyundai Elantra, cars Ireland. 

Not only that, it also includes Compact SUV, Nissan Versa, performance sport, Nissan Maxima, mini countryman, exotic sport, BMWX3, Chrysler 300, Kia forte, and BMW series. 

National vs Enterprise: Which is better?

National car rental companies and enterprise rent a car, are the best car rental companies. But, there are things that make them appear with flaws.

While National offers good services, it is unlikely the prices will lower for renting even when it is off-season. Also, it has less capability of offering frequent promotional offers to save you a sum on all your orders.

As for Enterprise, it is professional and has fluctuated prices accordingly, but the prices are still set High. If the trip is planned and money is saved according to the rising in prices, then Enterprise can be a good choice. 

However, if you are choosing it for last-minute deals, it may have many options but prices will rise automatically and the number of offers it has will be less compared to normal times.  

	National	Enterprise
Car hiring locations	Available in over 1,500 locations including Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East	Has branches in over 7,600 locations, including Australia, the Caribbean, Latin America, the Middle East, Asia, Canada, Europe, the United States
Types of cars available	SUV/minivans Utility vehicles Compact cars Hybrid vehicles Vans 4WD Sedan Premium/luxury vehicles High-performance vehicles	Vans 4X4 vehicles Premium sedan SUV/minivan Sedan
Type of insurance included	Third-party liability protection is included in all rentals	Standard cover is included with damage liability or loss liability. Extra insurance can also be purchased
Fueling agreement	Three options – refuel the vehicle to the same level you received, pay at the time of rental or return the vehicle with a full tank of gas	You can refuel the vehicle to the same fuel level upon picking up the vehicle or you’ll be charged the local Enterprise rate which is usually above the local pump price. Or you can also prepay for fuel.
Can I smoke or carry a pet in the car?	You cannot smoke but you can carry pets and remember to clean the car before returning it	You cannot smoke but you can carry pets and are required to clean the car before returning it
Can I drive out of state?	Although most vehicles are allowed throughout US and Canada, some vehicles classes like Large Passenger, Exotics or Cargo Vans and other specialty vehicles may not be allowed to travel outside of the US	Yes
Do I require a deposit?	No	No
What are the car rental requirements?	Drivers must be at least 21 years old Have a valid driver’s license for at least 12 months Driver’s license must be in English or accompanied by an IDP	Driver should be at least 21 years old Have a valid driver’s license held for at least 12 months Overseas license might need an International Driving Permit
Can I pay in cash?	No	No
Will they pick me up?	No	Yes, during normal business hours from non-airport locations
Does it allow reservation cancellation?	You can cancel online before the rental period begins. But remember that fees may apply.	You can make cancellations online before you pick up your vehicle. In many cases, a complete refund will be given minus cancellation fees.
Can I add extra driver?	Yes, with a daily fee. Nonetheless, this fee is waived for spouses/ partners, employers and employees on corporate rentals and for surrogate drivers for disabled renters.	Yes, additional drivers should meet the age and license requirements and present their licenses while collecting the car. A fee might apply outside of Australia.

Conclusion: National vs Enterprise

Both the car rental companies mentioned in this article are at good levels. They are famous and still working because of their sincerity and performance in the market for their beloved customers. 

Moreover, they let you book from your comfort zone and everything happens online without needing to step out of the house and visit their physical store. 

So, try both companies one after the other. And if you want to choose one and set it for at least a good year, we suggest you read our article again and gather all the points which are highlighted. We are sure you can say which is the better option for you and which suits your taste perfectly.

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