A 2.8 Trustpilot average sits beside an A+ BBB letter grade in the September 2026 records
St. Louis, MO – September 10, 2026 – National Car Rental reviews sit across two public records that do not agree. The Better Business Bureau lists the company at its top letter grade, while the average score on Trustpilot is below three out of five. Renters can compare prices on CarRentalMatch before they book.
For this report we read the public national car rental reviews on Trustpilot and BBB in September 2026, and set them beside the rental rules National publishes itself.
What is National Car Rental
National is the business travel brand inside the Enterprise group. Its terms of use page names EAN Services, LLC as the operator of nationalcar.com, gives a corporate address at 600 Corporate Park Drive in St. Louis, Missouri, and carries a 2026 Enterprise Holdings copyright line, so the brand sits alongside Enterprise and Alamo.
Fleet, locations and rental policies
Much of the final total is fixed by the posted rules. National states that “the minimum age to rent a vehicle is 21 years of age.” Drivers aged 21 to 24 pay a youthful surcharge averaging about 25 dollars a day, and some states are printed higher. New York lists 33.25 dollars a day for that age band, and Michigan lists 15.50 dollars. Charged per day, a week in New York adds more than 230 dollars for a renter of 22.
Extra drivers cost 15 dollars a day. A spouse or domestic partner drives at no extra charge if they meet the same age and licence rules as the renter. Emerald Club is the loyalty side. Members bypass the counter at more than 50 major airports in the United States and Canada, and National’s benefits page says a member can “choose any car (Midsize and above) on the Emerald Aisle and only pay the reserved Midsize rate in US and Canada.” Credits build toward free days at seven credits each.
What national car rental reviews say about counters and charges
On Trustpilot, read September 10, 2026, National held 2.8 out of 5 from 94 reviews, with 59 percent at one star and 32 percent at five. That is a small file next to the size of the brand. Critical reviewers describe recurring themes: charges that appear after the car goes back, late return and mileage fees larger than expected, disputed damage assessments, and bookings that were not ready on arrival. National publishes the fees it charges and the conditions on each rate, and the BBB file records how the company responds to complaints.
The favourable reviews are specific in a different way. They name branch staff who fixed a problem on the spot, cars in good order, and pickups that took a few minutes.
The BBB record holds both readings in one place. National’s St. Louis file carries an A+ letter grade and shows the business is not BBB accredited, while the customer reviews on that same file average 1.06 out of 5 across 16 posts. BBB states plainly that “Customer Reviews are not used in the calculation of the BBB Letter Grade Rating.” The letter grade measures complaint handling, and the star average measures how the rental felt to the people who posted.
How to get the best price
Comparing the quoted total rather than the daily rate, with the same pickup and drop times at every supplier, is the starting point. A free tool such as CarRentalMatch checks offers across suppliers for one trip, which shows whether National is cheapest on those dates.
Enrolling in Emerald Club before travel puts the Aisle rate and the counter bypass in reach at the airports where they operate. Adding a spouse rather than a friend avoids the 15 dollar daily driver fee. Photographs at pickup and return, plus the damage sheet kept until the final charge clears, give renters a record if a charge is queried.
Verdict on national car rental reviews in 2026
Read together, national car rental reviews describe a mainstream brand that performs well on fleet and pickup speed at most airports, with the criticism concentrated on charges raised after the return and on branches that were not ready. A cancellable rate, photographs at both ends and a careful read of the receipt cover most of the ground, and pricing the same trip against two other suppliers is worth the minute it takes.
About CarRentalMatch
CarRentalMatch is a free car rental price comparison website. It shows rates from a range of suppliers for the same pickup point and dates, so travellers can see the spread. It does not rent vehicles itself. CarRentalMatch does not own, operate or represent any rental brand named in this release.
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