"Enterprise's low scores largely reflect insurance replacement rentals — a different experience than booking for a trip. Where you pick up tells the real story, and this covers both."
Enterprise is the mid-tier default for travellers who want something more reliable than a discount brand without the Hertz or Avis price tag. The fleet is newer, the airport network is one of the largest in the world, and the loyalty program is worth having if you rent a few times a year. One habit makes almost everything about an Enterprise rental easier: photograph the car before you drive off. It takes two minutes, costs nothing, and it's the single thing that comes up most in the complaint record.
The location picture is more encouraging than Enterprise's overall reputation suggests. California airports score exceptionally well, and Europe is consistently strong across most markets. Where you pick up shapes the experience more than the brand name does — and this review maps both.
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What does Enterprise charge at the counter?
Most of what Enterprise offers at the counter you can decline. The deposit hold is the exception — every rental carries one. The insurance decision is the one worth sorting before you arrive, not at the desk with an agent waiting.
| Fee | Typical charge | Risk | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) | Varies by location and vehicle class | High | You can decline this. Enterprise's counter is generally less pressured than budget suppliers — but the amounts are still significant. Knowing your card coverage before you arrive means the conversation is a confirmation, not a decision. |
| Security deposit hold | Varies by location and vehicle class | High | Can't avoid this one. It's a hold, not a charge — released after return, but not always the same day. Debit card holds take longer to clear than credit card holds. |
| Toll pass | $4.95/day you use a toll road + actual toll cost | Medium | You can decline this if you have your own transponder. The simpler move on a toll-heavy route: take Enterprise's pass and leave your transponder at home — it removes the reconciliation question entirely. |
| Damage claim — post-return | Varies — up to full deductible reported by travellers | High | Avoidable with documentation. Photograph the car at pickup and return, including the interior. Claims can surface days or weeks after you've handed the keys back. |
| Young driver surcharge | Varies by location — applies under 25 | Medium | Can't avoid this if you're under 25. Confirm the daily amount in your booking before you arrive — it's applied on top of the base rate. |
| Additional driver fee | Varies by location | Medium | You can decline this by keeping one named driver on the contract. Enterprise Plus members and spouses or domestic partners may qualify for a waiver — check your membership terms. |
Toll and deposit patterns reported by travellers via Trustpilot and BBB complaints. Fee amounts vary by location. Accessed May 2026.
Photograph the car before you drive off — exterior and interior, phone in hand so the timestamp is automatic. It's two minutes at pickup that make everything simpler if a question comes up later.
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The insurance decision
The Loss Damage Waiver is always optional. If you decline it, you're carrying the risk yourself — either personally or through your credit card if it includes rental collision coverage. Most major travel cards do, when you pay with the card and decline the counter insurance. Worth checking before you travel so the conversation at the desk is a confirmation, not a decision.
What's specific to Enterprise: damage claims don't always surface at the counter. Sometimes they arrive after you've returned the car. A photo set from pickup is what gives you something to work with if that happens.
The deposit hold
There's a hold on your card at pickup — the amount depends on location and vehicle class. It's released after return, but faster on a credit card than a debit card. If you need those funds available soon after you're back, ask about the timeline when you pick up.
Toll pass
A toll pass is a daily add-on that covers any road tolls during your rental — Enterprise logs and charges them automatically so you don't need to stop at toll booths or use your own transponder. It's worth taking if your route has tolls and you don't have your own pass. If you do have one, you can decline it — though it's worth asking how Enterprise handles discrepancies between their toll records and your transponder account before you leave the lot. An admin fee is commonly reported in those situations. The simpler move if your route has tolls: take Enterprise's pass and leave your own transponder at home — it removes the reconciliation question entirely. The pass typically runs $4.95 on any day you use a toll road, plus the actual toll cost.
Young driver and additional driver fees
Under 25 means a daily surcharge on top of the base rate — confirm the amount in your booking before arrival, it varies by location. Additional drivers are charged too, with one exception: Enterprise Plus members and spouses or domestic partners may qualify for a waiver. Check your membership terms before the counter.
How do Enterprise's locations compare?
The counter experience varies more by airport than the brand name suggests. California is where Enterprise performs best in the US — San Francisco and Los Angeles both score in the outstanding range, and LAX won Enterprise a 2024 Excellent Service Award from DiscoverCars. Hawaii and Denver are strong. Las Vegas and Chicago are solid. The spread is wider than you'd expect from a brand this size, which is why looking up your specific airport before booking matters.
Europe is consistently Enterprise's strongest market. Ireland, Portugal, and the UK lead the table. Spain is the exception — Barcelona sits lower than the rest of the European network and is worth a quick comparison before committing.
| Airport | State / Region | DiscoverCars score | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barcelona (BCN) | Spain | 7.4 | 71 | Average |
| Vienna (VIE) | Austria | 8.0 | 31 | Very good |
| Chicago O'Hare (ORD) | Illinois | 8.6 | 8 | Very good |
| Las Vegas (LAS) | Nevada | 8.7 | 28 | Very good |
| Fort Lauderdale (FLL) | Florida | 9.0 | 10 | Outstanding |
| Denver (DEN) | Colorado | 9.0 | 11 | Outstanding |
| Dublin (DUB) | Ireland | 9.0 | 520 | Outstanding |
| Faro (FAO) | Portugal | 9.1 | 97 | Outstanding |
| Honolulu (HNL) | Hawaii | 9.3 | 23 | Outstanding |
| Los Angeles (LAX) | California | 9.4 | 108 | Outstanding |
| San Francisco (SFO) | California | 9.6 | 26 | Outstanding |
| London Stansted (STN) | UK | 8.8 | 1213 | Very good |
Enterprise airport locations by DiscoverCars rating, lowest to highest. Source: DiscoverCars, accessed May 2026.
These scores come almost entirely from leisure travellers who booked proactively — the same situation as most people reading this. That's worth knowing because Enterprise's overall reputation is pulled down by a different audience: travellers placed there by an insurer when their car is in for repairs, dealing with a stressful situation, often unfamiliar with rental contracts. Their experience is real, but it isn't yours. The location scores in this table are a much more relevant signal for a trip you planned.
Is Enterprise worth booking?
California, Hawaii, Denver, Fort Lauderdale? Yes. These are genuinely strong locations with scores that put Enterprise ahead of most alternatives at the same airports. If the price works, book it.
Las Vegas, Chicago, Texas? Fine. The scores are solid and the network is reliable. Sort your insurance before you arrive and the experience tends to hold up.
Europe? Enterprise is a strong default across most of the continent. Ireland, Portugal, and the UK are as good as it gets in the reviews. Spain is patchier — worth comparing before you commit there.
Insurance replacement rental? You probably didn't choose to be here. The counter is the same one leisure travellers face, but you may have less time to prepare. The one thing that costs nothing and matters most: photograph the car before you drive off.
The verdict
Enterprise is a reliable mid-tier choice at most airports, and genuinely excellent at the California and Hawaiian locations. Look up your specific airport before you decide — the brand average doesn't tell you what the location score does. If the location scores well and the price works for your trip, the decision is straightforward.
If you're already booked: Before pickup, find out what coverage you're arriving with — your credit card may include rental collision protection, or it may not. Enterprise's counter is less pressured than budget suppliers, but the decision is the same one — and knowing your answer in advance means it's a confirmation, not a calculation. Screenshot your confirmation. When you pick up the car, photograph it fully before you drive off — exterior, interior, timestamp included. Read the electronic check-out tablet carefully before you initial it. That's the whole prep.
If you've already returned the car and something's wrong: If you booked through a third-party platform, start there — they have more leverage than a direct complaint. Then contact Enterprise in writing with your rental agreement and photos. Give it a week. If it doesn't move, a credit card chargeback with your documentation is the next step.
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- Photograph the car at pickup and return, inside and out — post-return damage claims are the most common complaint pattern, and photos are what resolves them.
- Review the electronic tablet sign-off at pickup carefully before you initial — it records the vehicle as accepted in its current condition.
- Toll pass: if you decline and use your own transponder, clarify with the agent how discrepancies are handled before you leave the lot.
- Deposit holds on debit cards take longer to clear than credit card holds — use a credit card if you need the funds available quickly after return.
- Young driver surcharge applies under 25 and is added on top of the base rate. Confirm the daily amount before pickup.
- Fee amounts vary by location, vehicle class, and rental duration. Amounts reported by travellers and subject to change.
Frequently asked questions
Is Enterprise Rent-A-Car a legitimate company?
Yes. Enterprise is the largest car rental company in the United States by location count, founded in 1957 and privately held by the Taylor family. It operates in around 140 countries and owns National and Alamo under the Enterprise Holdings group. The complaints on record relate to damage billing practices and counter experience — not the legitimacy of the business.
I already booked Enterprise — what should I do before pickup?
Find out what coverage you're arriving with before you get to the counter — your credit card may include rental collision protection, or it may not. Either way, knowing in advance means the insurance conversation at the desk is a confirmation, not a decision made on the spot. For a longer trip or unfamiliar roads, having some form of coverage is worth the cost whatever the source. Screenshot your booking confirmation. At the counter, photograph the car before you drive off including any pre-existing marks — the tablet sign-off records vehicle condition, so review it carefully before you initial.
Enterprise charged me after I returned the car — what are my options?
If you booked through a third-party platform, raise it there first — they have direct leverage with the supplier. Then contact Enterprise in writing with your signed contract, pickup photos, and return photos. Give them one week to respond. If that doesn't resolve it, a credit card chargeback with your documentation is the next step.
Is Enterprise worth it if the price is significantly lower?
If the price works for your budget and Enterprise comes out meaningfully cheaper — book it. Enterprise is a mid-tier supplier, which means the counter pressure is lower than at budget brands and the dispute resolution is more robust. That doesn't mean skipping preparation — find out what coverage you're arriving with before you travel, photograph the car at pickup, and read the tablet sign-off carefully. The location scores in this review tell you what unprepared travellers experienced on average. A prepared traveller starts from a different position.
Which Enterprise locations have the best reviews?
San Francisco (9.6), Los Angeles (9.4), and Honolulu (9.3) are the standout US airports on DiscoverCars. In Europe, Ireland (9.0 overall across 520 reviews), Portugal's Faro Airport (9.1), and the UK broadly (8.8) are the strongest markets. Barcelona (7.4) is the weakest major European location in the reviews.
How do I avoid unexpected charges at Enterprise?
Sort your credit card's rental coverage before you travel — that makes the insurance conversation at the counter simple. Photograph the car at pickup and return, including the interior. Review the tablet sign-off carefully before initialing. Decline add-ons you don't need in writing on the contract. Return on time. If a charge appears after return, respond in writing with photos within the first week.
