National cancellation policy, and how to rebook for less
Car rental prices move after you book. Here is how to take the lower price on a National reservation, and what cancelling the original costs.
Or let Plot watch your National rental and tell you the moment a lower price is worth rebooking.
Plot · now
Your National rental dropped $65
Here's exactly how to take the lower price.
The fine print
What National charges to cancel
- Pay later
- National asks for 24 hours' notice when you cancel. Its FAQ for one member program says it charges no no-show fees; check your own confirmation for the terms on yours.
- Prepaid (Pay Now)
- If you prepaid, the cancellation fee depends on how close to pickup you cancel. Check the fee on your confirmation before you rebook.
- Emerald Club
- Add your Emerald Club number when you book the lower rate, so the new reservation earns and gets member benefits like the old one.
Worth knowing
- Add your Emerald Club number when you book the new reservation.
The short version
Book the lower rate first, confirm it, then cancel the original. Pay-later reservations usually cancel without a fee; on a prepaid rate, take the cancellation fee off the saving before you rebook.
How to take a lower price on National
Book the new rate first, then cancel the original. Verified as of September 29, 2026.
- 1
Book the lower rate on the site you found it on as a new reservation (pay later if you can), and wait for its confirmation
- 2
Then cancel your original reservation on nationalcar.com with your confirmation number, or call National at 1-844-382-6875
National asks for 24 hours' notice when you cancel. If you prepaid, the cancellation fee depends on how close to pickup you cancel, so check it on your confirmation before you book the new car.
$65
off your National rental, in two simple steps.
With Plot
Or let Plot watch it for you
Stop checking National prices yourself. Forward your confirmation once, and Plot watches your rental continuously and tells you when a lower price turns up.
- 01
Forward your confirmation
Forward your National rental confirmation to plans@plot.travel. That is the only thing you need to do.
- 02
We watch your rental continuously
Plot keeps comparing your National rental with the same car for the same dates, and reads your cancellation terms, so a lower price only counts when rebooking leaves you ahead.
- PlotPrice watch
Your National price dropped
How to take the lower price
- 1.Book the lower rate on the site you found it on as a new reservation (pay later if you can), and wait for its confirmation
- 2.Then cancel your original reservation on nationalcar.com with your confirmation number, or call National at 1-844-382-6875
03Rebook and keep the difference
When the price drops, we tell you the saving and the exact National steps: book the new rate, then cancel the original. Both bookings stay in your hands.
Plot sends the steps; you make the new booking and cancel the old one. Price Watch is part of Plot Pro.
Questions
National rental price drop FAQ
Common questions about National rental price drops and cancellations.
Not on its own. The reliable way to take a lower price is to book the new rate first, then cancel the original reservation.
It depends on how you paid. National asks for 24 hours' notice when you cancel. Its FAQ for one member program says it charges no no-show fees; check your own confirmation for the terms on yours. If you prepaid, the cancellation fee depends on how close to pickup you cancel. Check the fee on your confirmation before you rebook.
Plot watches your National rental continuously after you forward your confirmation email to plans@plot.travel. When a lower price turns up, we send you the saving and step-by-step instructions for National's terms, so you can book the new rate and cancel the original yourself. Price Watch is part of Plot Pro.
Still have questions? Email us
Sources
Read on National's own pages on September 29, 2026. Terms change, and the ones on your confirmation are the ones that apply.
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