Travelers can expect car rental rates to inch upward over the next year, though prices are largely stabilizing after years of disruption, according to American Express Global Business Travel’s (Amex GBT) newly released Ground Monitor 2025-26 report.
The annual forecast from Amex GBT, a major player in travel and expense management, projects that global car rental prices will stay relatively steady, with modest increases that generally align with inflation in most regions.
After a turbulent stretch, global rental car prices began to level out last year as supply caught up with demand and earlier supply chain disruptions eased. Still, the report predicts that some countries may experience more significant rate increases than others.
In North America, rental car prices are expected to rise modestly, with projected increases of 1.5 percent to 1.9 percent in the U.S. and 2.5 percent to 3.0 percent in Canada. Europe, however, shows a more varied outlook—rates in The Netherlands and Nordic countries are likely to remain fairly steady (rising up to two percent), while the U.K. and Belgium could face more substantial hikes, with increases ranging from five to seven percent and four to six percent, respectively.
Several distinct local factors are contributing to these atypical price increases, such as UK corporations favoring delivery and collection services, supply-demand mismatches in various Australian regions and currency fluctuations in Argentina. Therefore, the report presents forecast ranges instead of fixed figures to capture the complexity of pricing across different regions.
“After years of disruption, we’re now seeing car rental prices begin to stabilize across many countries,” said Sara Andell, Director of Consulting Strategy at Amex GBT Consulting. “But the picture isn’t uniform. Local conditions vary, and fast-moving geopolitical and economic developments still have the potential to shift pricing quickly. That’s why it’s essential to have a well-managed, flexible ground program – one that can adapt to change and continue delivering value globally.”
The report also outlines how businesses can create more resilient and cost-effective programs amid increasing uncertainty. Among the top recommendations are:
Partner closely with car rental providers. Building strong relationships can help secure better rates, ensure availability during peak periods and support smoother transitions to electric vehicles.Unify rental and fleet programs. Coordinating departments like finance, HR, operations and procurement under a single provider can lead to better value, more availability, greater visibility and more control over mobility negotiations.Rethink delivery and pickup services. As labor shortages affect availability, working with providers that offer alternative solutions—like picking up drivers instead of dropping off vehicles—may help reduce costs.Incorporate ride-sharing into travel policies. Ride-share services are becoming increasingly popular among younger workers, and can offer valuable data for expense tracking and reporting.Start planning for autonomous vehicles (AVs). While AVs aren’t yet mainstream, anticipating how they’ll affect travel policy, risk and insurance may give companies a head start in the years ahead.
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