The Enterprise cancellation policy is pretty straightforward but it’s also not as potentially generous as some other rental car companies. In this article, I’ll break down everything you need to know about the Enterprise cancellation policy including all of the fees and what you need to know about the different rates.
What is the Enterprise cancellation policy?
The cancellation policy for Enterprise depends on the type of rental that you booked (pre-paid vs pay later) and also on your location. As long as you cancel more than 24 hours before your pick up, you will be charged a $50 cancellation fee for pre-paid bookings made in the US.
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Here are all of the cancellation policy details:
“Pay Later” reservations
If you did not pre-pay for your rental car reservation, you will not be responsible for a cancellation fee, regardless of the location that you booked your car rental in. This is even the case if you are a no-show although you should give notice to the rental car location as a matter of courtesy.
Prepaid bookings in North America
If you prepaid for your booking made in North America through the Enterprise website or through the app, you’ll be subject to the following cancellation fees:
Over 24 hours prior to pick up
- If you cancel your booking more than 1 day (24 Hours) before your specified pick-up time, you will receive a full refund minus a cancellation fee of USD $50 / CAD $65.
There is no mention of limiting the cancellation fee to the value of the daily rate for your rental.
So if your daily rental rate was $39, your cancellation fee will still be $50 based on the language found above. This is in contrast to other rental car companies that may limit your cancellation fee to the amount of the daily rate.
The other interesting thing about Enterprise is that it does not state anything about canceling within 24 hours of booking for a full refund and no fee. For example, Hertz allows you to cancel for a full refund and no cancellation fee as long as you do so within 24 hours of booking.
Less than one day before pick up
- If you cancel your booking less than 1 day (24 Hours) before your specified pick-up time, you will receive a full refund minus a cancellation fee of USD $100 / CAD $135.
If you end up purchasing a prepaid booking, I would highly recommend that you put it on a great travel credit card that has solid travel insurance. That way, if something comes up and you are unable to make the trip, you can get refunded any potential cancellation fees.
Prepaid bookings in Europe
If you pre-paid for your booking made in Europe through the Enterprise website or through the app, you’ll be subject to the following cancellation policies:
Canceling seven days ahead of time
- If you cancel your reservation seven days ahead of time, you will not be charged a cancellation fee.
Canceling less than seven days but 24 hours prior to pick-up
- If you cancel your booking less than seven days ahead of time but at least 24 hours prior to your scheduled pick up time, you will be refunded the booking amount minus a “small cancellation fee.” You can call 1(855) 266-9289 to find out the exact cancellation fee.
Canceling less than 24 hours prior to pick up
- If you fail to cancel your booking less than 24 hours prior to your pick up time, you will not be able to collect a refund.
Related: How to Get an International Driving Permit.
Enterprise no show policy
If you simply failed to show up to pick up your rental car, you will receive a full refund minus a no show fee of USD $100 / CAD $135. So basically, the no-show policy is the same as the failure to cancel within 24 hours fee.
I would always verify what the no-show policy fee is prior to just assuming it is $100 in every location around the world. Fees like this tend to change in different countries over time and you don’t want to be caught off guard.
How do I know which cancellation policy applies to my booking?
As you search for rental cars on the Enterprise website or app, you will clearly see what type of booking you are making. By default, you will probably see “Pay Later” options.
But the easiest way to know if you booked a prepaid or pay later option is if it asks you to input credit card details. If you are able to complete your booking without being forced to input credit card details, then you just booked a pay later option.
By the way, you may want to make your booking with a credit card that has primary rental car insurance so that you can avoid paying extra to the rental car companies for a collision damage waiver (CDW).
Enterprise temporarily changed the cancellation policy for prepaid rentals due to coronavirus. Customers will now be able to cancel prepaid bookings for no fee. This temporary policy is still in effect as of the fall of 2020.
This only applies to prepaid rentals booked directly through Enterprise. If you booked through a third-party then you will be subject to the third party’s policy. They might still be lenient due to the impact of coronavirus but you will need to go through them to sort it out.
Enterprise is also changing up how they handle car rentals and the cleaning process. For example, they have implemented curbside rentals and even delivery at select car rental locations. Also, they upgraded and enhanced their cleaning procedures for points of high contact. You can find out more details here.
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How to cancel an Enterprise rental
To cancel or modify your Enterprise rental, go to this page.
In order to retrieve your rental, you will need to input information including:
- Confirmation number
- First name
- Last name
You can easily find your confirmation number by searching through your emails. You should have an email from “[email protected]” and you can also search for the text “YOUR RESERVATION IS CONFIRMED.”
You will see your confirmation at the top of the email.
Once you have your confirmation number, simply enter it into the link above along with your name.
You then we’ll see a screen with your rental car itinerary details. Find the particular reservation you need to cancel and then click on “VIEW DETAILS, MODIFY OR CANCEL.”
On the next screen, you’ll clearly see the button to cancel your reservation and all you have to do is click that and confirm and your booking will be canceled.
Enterprise cancellation policy FAQ
Yes, Enterprise will allow you to extend your rental. However you need to contact the location where you picked up the rental car first. Alternatively, you can call customer service at 1-855-266-9565 to extend your reservation.
If you made your Enterprise Rent-A-Car booking through a third-party, such as an online travel agency like Expedia, you will likely need to contact that third-party to process your cancellation.
Final word
Enterprise has a pretty straightforward cancellation policy.
Unlike some other rental car companies that base the cancellation fee in part on the cost of your vehicle, the fees are flat with Enterprise which makes it much easier to understand.
The drawback is that if your rental car price is under $100 and you have to cancel within 24 hours, your cancellation fees with Enterprise will be higher than they would be with a program like Hertz.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio.
The Enterprise cancellation policy is pretty straightforward but it’s also not as potentially generous as some other rental car companies.