Status: Checked against official sources on 18 October 2026
FREQUENT FLYER GLOSSARY
What is a premium location surcharge?
Premium location surcharge is an additional charge added to a vehicle rental when the car is collected at a particular branch — commonly an airport, a rail station or a city-centre site — rather than at a standard location, because the cost of trading at that address is higher. It is a location-specific charge rather than a programme-wide one: it applies only where an operator lists it, and it can sit on the same bill as other location fees. SIXT, for example, publishes a set of location-based charges in its United States rental information, including recovery fees that recoup all or part of the concession fees it is obliged to pay to an airport. [8]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- A premium location surcharge is tied to the pickup site, not to the driver or the car: location fees vary by location and apply only where the operator has listed them. [8]
- It is separate from an airport concession recovery fee, which recoups what the operator pays for the right to do business at an airport. [8]
- Not every location charge is set by the rental company: SIXT says the Customer and Rental Facility Charge is imposed by the airport authority on all rental car users. [8]
- SIXT says the quoted online rate shows all applicable fees in detail on the reservation, and that more information about other fees can be provided at the rental counter. [8]
How does a premium location surcharge work?
A surcharge of this kind attaches to the place where the keys are handed over rather than to the vehicle group, the driver's age or the length of the rental. Two branches of the same company in the same city can therefore produce different totals for an identical car, and a rental that starts at an airport desk can carry charges that a downtown counter does not. Operators draw the same line through their rulebooks: SIXT publishes separate requirements for rentals collected at non-airport locations in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Tennessee and Washington, D.C. [8]
Location networks are split along the same boundary. Enterprise Rent-A-Car lists airport car rental locations as a distinct group from its other United States locations. [6] Because branches differ in what it costs to run them and in which local fees apply, the pickup point can matter as much as the rate code — the trade-off is set out in car rental at the airport versus a downtown pickup.
How is it different from a concession recovery fee?
The two charges often appear on the same bill, but they recover different things. SIXT describes its recovery fees as an amount it has elected to impose to recover or recoup all or a portion of its expenses related to the right to do business at certain airports; the fees include Airport Concession Recovery Fees and Privilege Fee Recovery Charges, and they recover all or part of the concession fees SIXT is obligated to pay to the airport. [8]
The practical difference is what each line item is anchored to. A concession recovery fee exists only where there is a concession payment to pass through, so it is an airport charge by construction. [8] A location surcharge is anchored to the site itself, which is why it can be attached to a rail station or a city-centre branch where no airport concession exists. Full definitions sit with airport concession recovery fee and customer facility charge.
A third arrangement puts the price-setting outside the rental company entirely. SIXT says the Customer and Rental Facility Charge is imposed by the airport authority on all rental car users, on either a per transaction or a per day basis, and that the money is typically held in trust to pay for financing of the building, transportation system, or operations and maintenance of the facility, as determined by the airport authority. [8]
Which location fees can appear on the same bill?
SIXT sets out several separate charges in its United States rental information, and several of them change from one location to the next. [8]
| Charge | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Recovery fees, including Airport Concession Recovery Fees and Privilege Fee Recovery Charges | Recovers all or part of the expenses of the right to do business at certain airports, and all or part of the concession fees owed to the airport [8] |
| Customer and Rental Facility Charge | Imposed by the airport authority on all rental car users, per transaction or per day, and typically held in trust for the building, transport system, or operations and maintenance of the facility [8] |
| Transportation and Facility Fees | Third-party fees that compensate for joint services and shared transport and facility management among the rental companies on site under concession and lease requirements [8] |
| Vehicle License Fee | Covers the registration, licence and related costs the company pays for a rental; it varies depending on the location [8] |
| Energy Surcharge | Offsets energy costs, which SIXT describes as a large part of its operating expenses beyond refuelling; the amount is an estimate, not a precise measure of each customer's energy cost [8] |
| Other fees | Either mandatory or permitted depending on the applicable law, varying by location, with more information available at the rental counter [8] |
Exceptions and limits
- A premium location surcharge is not a universal charge. SIXT's other fees can be mandatory or permitted depending on the applicable law and vary by location. [8]
- Agreed corporate rates can override the standard list: SIXT says corporate customers with individual agreements may have alternative prices and regulations. [8]
- A location fee is not a substitute for tax. SIXT states that all prices in the rental information are net prices, and that state, federal and local taxes apply to all rentals and charges. [8]
- Rules are set market by market. Avis notes that different countries may have different rules and regulations for car rental policies and procedures, so fees attached to a location in one country need to be checked against that country's terms. [5]
- Not every charge is visible at the same stage: SIXT says the quoted online rate shows all applicable fees in detail on the reservation, and also that more information about other fees can be provided at the rental counter. [8]
Frequently asked questions
Is a premium location surcharge the same as an airport concession recovery fee?
No. A concession recovery fee passes through all or part of the concession fee the operator owes an airport for the right to trade there [8], whereas a location surcharge is priced against the site itself and can arise where no airport concession exists.
Who actually sets the location fees on a rental bill?
It depends on the charge. SIXT says it has elected to impose its recovery fees [8], while the Customer and Rental Facility Charge is imposed by the airport authority on every rental car user at that airport. [8]
Where can you see the fees before collecting the car?
SIXT says the quoted online rate shows all applicable fees in detail on the reservation, and that more information about other fees, which vary by location, can be provided at the rental counter. [8]
Do location fees apply to corporate or business rentals?
They can be replaced by negotiated terms: SIXT states that corporate customers with individual agreements may have alternative prices and regulations. [8]
Are these charges taken instead of taxes?
No. SIXT notes that all prices in its rental information are net prices and that state, federal and local taxes apply to all rentals and charges. [8]
Sources
Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. The location fees described here are those SIXT publishes for United States rentals; fee schedules for other operators and for SIXT rentals outside the United States are not covered, and the glossary lists the related terms.
- Avis customer service and rental policies, checked 18 October 2026
- Enterprise Rent-A-Car car rental FAQs, checked 18 October 2026
- SIXT rental information for the USA, checked 18 October 2026