Car rental deskWhat are All Those Taxes and Fees on My Reservation?

When you view the rates on our website, you’re seeing the basic rates we’ve negotiated with our national rental car partners in each location.

Reviewing Rental Car Contract Fees and Taxes: We never add extra charges to your vehicle’s base rate. However, local and state governments might. These mandatory fees differ across islands, but every rental company includes them in your rental car’s total cost.

Every vehicle, whether rented from an airport or an off-site location (resort, city), incurs these fees. For our international visitors, especially from Europe and Australia, these fees might be familiar as the Value-Added Tax (VAT).

Here’s a breakdown of an 18-day reservation we recently provided to a customer, with a daily charge of $23.95 U.S. dollars (USD):

  • Your Base Rate for a Compact rental:
    • 2 Week @ $ 96.57 USD = $ 193.14 USD
    • 4 Day @ $ 13.80 USD = $ 55.20 USD
  • Drop Charge: $ 0.00 USD
  • Customer Facility Charge (4.50/DAY): $ 81.00 USD
  • Concession Recovery Fee (11.11%): $ 28.29 USD
  • Rental Motor Vehicle Surcharge (3.00 USD/DAY): $ 54.00 USD
  • Vehicle Registration Fee / Weight Tax: $ 6.30 USD
  • State Tax: $ 13.33 USD
  • Total Charges: $ 431.26 USD

Understanding Your Reservation Taxes and Fees:

  • Your Base Rate: This is a combination of Monthly, Weekly and Daily rates.
  • Drop Charge: This might apply if you return the vehicle to a location different from where you rented it. Often, our partners waive this fee.
  • Customer Facility Charge: Used by Hawaii to fund the statewide rental car facilities development program.
  • Concession Recovery Fee: An industry-standard 11.11% charge by rental car companies to cover the costs of their rental kiosks.
  • Rental Motor Vehicle Surcharge: Funds from this charge enhance and maintain rental car facilities at state airports. This surcharge applies to all rental locations, whether at the airport or off-site. Note: This surcharge was removed in the summer of 2012.
  • Vehicle Registration Fee / Weight Tax: Every vehicle in Hawaii is charged an annual registration fee plus a weight tax. As these charges vary, they’re invoiced individually in each reservation.
  • State Tax: Hawaii’s version of a sales tax, known as the General Excise Tax, includes state, local, and sometimes additional surcharges. The rate varies by location.