What happened to rentalcars.com and why you pay more now
The rentalcars.com Marketplace closed for local suppliers. Here is an inside look at why your choices shrank, why prices jumped, and how to find the right car now.
Here is an inside look from an independent supplier who worked through the rentalcars.com Marketplace for years. We explain why the choices suddenly shrank after summer 2025, why prices went up, and what you can do about it.
On August 31, 2025, suppliers received notices: the Marketplace is closed to independent companies. Only the global networks stay. To the user, it looks simple: fewer cars, higher prices, and everything looks the same. But behind that simplicity is a massive shift in how the platform makes money.
That anchor is gone. Now, the average price goes up, while the class of car you get for that money goes down.
When the aggregator cuts options, the price goes up. But the cars are still here. You just need to know where to look.