National Rental Car Discounts

LAST UPDATE: 5/15/13

Looking for a National car rental coupon or National discount? On this page I’ve compiled National rental car discounts, codes and coupons that can potentially save you a hundred dollars or more on a one-week National car rental!

To see codes and coupons for other rental car companies, plus general advice about renting a car, click here.

National used to be the “official” rental car company of Walt Disney World and Disneyland. In late 2002 its sister company Alamo (they are owned by the same parent company) became the “official” Disney car rental company.

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Locations for Disney World, Disneyland and Aulani

Walt Disney World (Orlando, Florida)

National is located on airport property in Orlando. You can just walk right out to the garage to pick up your car.

National also has locations on the Walt Disney World property at the Car Care Center, Dolphin Hotel near Disney’s BoardWalk, Shades of Green (military only) and Buena Vista Palace near Downtown Disney.

Disneyland (Anaheim, California)

National is located on airport property in Orange County, CA (SNA).

National has a regular shuttle at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

Disney’s Aulani Resort (Oahu, Hawaii)

National is located on property at the Honolulu airport (HNL). You’ll take a short shuttle ride to the rental car lot.

Emerald Club, Emerald Aisle, Emerald Reserve & QuickRent

Emerald Club

National offers the unique Emerald Club program that allows you to bypass the check-in line by preregistering your personal information with National — this can save you a lot of time. Instead of waiting in line, you go straight out to the garage or car lot, choose your car, and drive to the gate. There you present your driver’s license, Emerald Club card and any coupons, and you’ll be on your way in a few minutes.

MouseSavers.com reader Rebecca G notes that the rates for “young drivers” (under 25) seem to be lower for Emerald Club members.

Also, reader Gail H reports that once you are an Emerald Club member, “any family member living in your home, with a clean driver’s license, major credit card and a license with the same address can drive a National car without an additional driver’s fee being charged to them. They are automatically authorized.”

It is FREE to join the Emerald Club by clicking here. (Then click on the “Enroll Now” button on the left side.)

Emerald Aisle and Emerald Reserve

National‘s Emerald Club members have two options when reserving a car: Emerald Aisle Service and Emerald Reserve Service.

National‘s Emerald Aisle/Emerald Reserve service is available at all of the major airports serving Walt Disney World and Disneyland, except Long Beach.

QuickRent

National also offers the QuickRent feature, which will allow anyone (not just Emerald Club members) to bypass the line and go straight to the car. You must provide a valid credit card number when booking online to take advantage of this feature, and there are a number of restrictions – one of them is that you can’t use a coupon! QuickRent is available at 50 major airports in the US, including Orlando, Los Angeles and Orange County.

National Discounts, Codes and Coupons

National is unusual among rental car companies in allowing you to “stack” multiple discounts when you book online. It offers discounts associated with Contract IDs and coupons. Learn how to combine these discounts by clicking here.

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National Contract IDs

National Contract IDs are numbers issued to various businesses and organizations that offer a standard discount to their employees/members. National has many Contract IDs out there, some of which will give you a discount of up to 20% (5%-10% is more usual). Some of the National Contract IDs that are worth trying out are listed below.

Be sure to try your dates first using no Contract ID so that you know what the base rate would be, and then try any Contract IDs below for which you qualify, to see if that gives you a better discount. Occasionally the best rate is the plain old “web rate” without any codes at all.

For even more savings, a Contract ID can sometimes be combined with a coupon. Click here to learn how to combine them.

To use these Contract IDs, go to the National website and under “Reserve Now,” enter your location, date and time, and type a Contract ID into the Contract ID box. Note: National’s site displays Contract ID discounts in Step 3 of the reservation, as a line item. Be sure to continue the reservation process to Step 3 for each Contract ID you try, in order to see the discount amount that will be applied, if any.

Contract IDs Open to Anyone

National Contract IDs That Require Membership

National Coupons

National‘s coupons for “weekly” rentals generally apply only if you stay for at least 5 days, which must include a Saturday night. National’s “weekend” coupons usually apply only if you stay over a Friday and Saturday for less than 3 or 4 days. For all coupons, blackout dates may apply and availability is limited.

Most coupons issued by National are electronic and do not require a physical coupon. If a coupon listed below will require a printout or paper coupon, that is noted. Be sure to take it with you when renting the car.

For even more savings, a coupon code can sometimes be combined with a Contract ID. Click here to learn how to combine them. Many coupons will list a specific Contract ID to be used along with the coupon code, but dozens of readers report using their coupons with IDs other than the ones specified, and I have done this myself many times.

To use these coupon codes, go to the National website and under “Reserve Now,” enter your location, date and time, and type a coupon code into the Coupon ID box.

National Coupon Codes Open to Anyone

National Coupon Codes That Require Membership

Here’s how to combine the National discounts and perks:

  1. Go through the National website.
  2. If you are an Emerald Club member, use the Emerald Club link at the top of the National home page to make your reservation. Otherwise, just use the “Reserve Now” form that’s right there on the home page.
  3. Type in your location, date, time and car type information.
  4. Type a Contract ID in the correct space. (If you belong to Emerald Club or joined through another organization, a Contract ID may already be in that space. You may want to try other Contract IDs because some give better discounts than others.)
  5. Type ONE coupon code (if available) in the Coupon ID space.

You should receive up to two discounts — the Contract ID and Coupon ID discounts — plus Emerald Aisle or Emerald Reserve service, if you are an Emerald Club member.

Most coupons will list a specific Contract ID to be used along with the coupon code, but dozens of readers report using their coupons with Contract IDs other than the ones specified. I myself have successfully combined discounts from different sources (such as a coupon code from an airline frequent flyer program and a Contract ID from AAA) dozens of times without any problems.

Be aware that codes are subject to capacity controls. If too many other people have already reserved cars during the time you’re traveling, you may not be able to use your codes.