Thrifty doesn’t have a teacher discount, and ID.me says so. ID.me’s Shop page on the question reads: “We’re not aware that Thrifty Rent-A-Car offers Teachers discounts.” Thrifty’s own deals page doesn’t list an educator program either. What it does list is a free rewards program with up to 15% off, a 15% offer for signing up with your email, and member deals through AAA and Union Plus.
If you’re pricing a rental for a summer trip or a conference, those are worth a look before you book anywhere. The rewards program and the email offer are open to anyone, and the union rate is the one to check if you belong to the AFT. ID.me also lists a small cash back rate for every member.
How To Get The Thrifty Teacher Discount
There’s no teacher code to enter, so here’s what Thrifty publishes and where the limits are.
Blue Chip Rewards. Thrifty’s rewards page says membership is free, with “no fees, dues or contracts,” and lists “Save up to 15%” at booking along with a free authorized additional driver, who has to be a spouse or domestic partner. The footnote matters: the discount applies to the pay later base rate on Thrifty.com only, and it varies by date, location, length of rental, car class and other factors. Taxes, fees and options are excluded, and it doesn’t apply to electric vehicle or Manager’s Special/Wild Card rentals. Thrifty’s FAQ says anyone 18 or older with a driver’s license and a major credit or debit card can join, and that renters under 25 may be charged an underage driver fee.
The email offer. Thrifty’s deals page says you can “share your email and save 15% off the base rate of your next rental.” The same footnote applies here: the discount is for the pay later base rate, taxes and fees are excluded, and terms apply. The page also lists “Save up to 15% off the base rate when you pay now,” with its own terms behind an asterisk, so open that one before you prepay.
AAA. Thrifty’s deals page has a section of exclusive discounts for AAA members. It says the discount applies to all Thrifty rentals and that there’s no charge for an additional driver who’s also a AAA member.
Veterans Advantage. Thrifty’s government and military page says a veteran who belongs to Veterans Advantage qualifies for benefits including a 5% military car rental discount.
The Cash Back ID.me Lists For Everyone
ID.me’s Thrifty store page is titled “Thrifty Rent-A-Car Discounts and Cash Back for Everyone,” and it shows up to 0.5% cash back for any ID.me member. Teachers don’t get a separate rate. At the top rate that’s 50 cents back on every $100 it applies to. The page says “Gift cards are not eligible for cash back” and “Cash Back for travel may not appear in your ID.me account until up to 40 days after travel has been completed.” It also says using coupons and promotional codes not on ID.me may void cash back, and that other restrictions may apply.
ID.me doesn’t say whether Thrifty’s email offer or its Blue Chip discount counts against that warning, so check the offer screen before you book. Rates change, so confirm the current number on ID.me first.
If You’re An AFT Member
AFT’s car rental savings page says members and their families “save up to 35%” at Thrifty, and it links to Union Plus for the booking. Union Plus’s page says its car rental discounts are available at participating locations in the United States and Canada, and that you reserve online or by phone with the matching discount number. Thrifty’s own deals page describes the Union Plus deal a bit more narrowly: discounts apply to time and mileage charges only, on vehicles reserved in advance at participating locations. Our AFT membership guide covers who’s eligible and how to join.
Q&A
Does Thrifty have a teacher discount?
Not one that ID.me or Thrifty names. ID.me says it isn’t aware that Thrifty Rent-A-Car offers Teachers discounts.
Is the ID.me cash back the same as a teacher discount?
No. It’s open to any ID.me member and isn’t tied to teaching. ID.me lists up to 0.5% and notes that cash back for travel may not show up in your account until up to 40 days after the trip. Check the current rate on ID.me, since it changes.
Which is bigger, the Blue Chip discount or the AFT rate?
The AFT page says up to 35% and Thrifty’s Blue Chip page says up to 15%. Both say “up to,” and both come with fine print, so compare the actual price on your dates.
Which rental companies do have a teacher discount?
Hertz, Dollar and Budget each show up to 25% off for teachers on ID.me. Our Hertz and Budget guides cover how to claim it.
More Information:
The absence comes from ID.me Shop’s Thrifty Teachers page, and the cash back rate and restrictions come from its Thrifty store page. The rewards program, email offer, AAA deal, Veterans Advantage rate and Union Plus terms come from Thrifty’s own deals, Blue Chip Rewards, FAQ and government pages, and the union figure comes from AFT’s Car Rental savings page and Union Plus’s car rental page. Thrifty changes its offers on its own schedule, so confirm the terms before you book.
