Help with a car rental booked through Expedia

How these bookings usually work

• Expedia holds the booking, the rental company supplies the car

  At the counter, the rental company's own rules on deposits, drivers and fuel apply, whatever the booking says.

• Changing usually means cancelling and rebooking

  Car bookings made on Expedia generally can't be edited. The new booking is priced at today's rates, so the new total matters.

• Car and flight or hotel packages work differently

  When the car is part of a package, changes may have to go through Expedia rather than the rental company.

• Timing decides your refund

  Many prepaid car bookings on Expedia can be cancelled for a full refund if you do it at least a few hours before pickup. Leave it too late and the money may not come back.

Every booking has its own terms. Your agent checks yours before anything is changed.

Can I change an Expedia car rental?

Not directly. Expedia's help centre says that to change any details of a car rental you cancel the existing booking and make a new one. The new booking is priced at today's rates, so check the new total before cancelling. If the car is part of a bundle with a flight or hotel, Expedia says to contact it to change or cancel.

Order matters: make the new booking first, then cancel the old one, so you're never left without a car.

What problems do people run into with Expedia car rentals?

• The counter won't honour the price. Usually it's a rate rule, a missing extra or a deposit, not the price itself. Ask exactly what's different from your confirmation.
• The company on the booking isn't at the airport. Some brands are off-airport and need a shuttle. Check the pickup address on your itinerary, not just the airport code.
• "Confirmed" but no car. A reservation holds a class of car, not a specific car. See no car at the counter.
• A delayed flight and a prepaid booking. Add your flight number and tell the rental location before your original pickup time. See flight delayed.
• The card is in someone else's name. Expedia's terms say the driver must present a valid credit card in their own name. See picking up a car someone else booked.

What should I say when I call Expedia?

• "My itinerary number is … Is this car prepaid or pay at pickup?"
• "What would I get back if I cancel now, and is there a fee?"
• "Is this booking part of a bundle?"
• "Can you note on my itinerary that the counter refused the rental, and why?"

What your agent does

• Works out who controls your booking and what their terms say
• Tells you what a change or cancellation should cost before you commit
• Tells you exactly who to contact and what to ask for
• Follows up with you until it's confirmed

Questions people ask

Checked by the OneCall Rental team on 23 October 2026, on the booking site's own help pages and terms. Terms change, so check your own itinerary too.

OneCall Rental is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Expedia. To contact Expedia directly, use the details on Expedia's official website.