American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) has released its annual forecast of global car rental prices, with rate increases expected to stay broadly in line with inflation across most regions – including Canada – according to the Ground Monitor 2025-26 report.
Global rental car prices started to stabilize last year following a period of upheaval; demand and supply began to find equilibrium and supply chain issues that pushed up prices receded. Despite this steadiness, the report forecasts certain countries to see larger rate spikes.
For example, price increases in the US (+1.5% to +1.9%) and Canada (+2.5% to +3.0%) are expected to be moderate. However, Europe presents a mixed picture with the Netherlands (+0.0% to 2.0%) and Nordics (+0.0% to 2.0%) forecasted to be relatively stable while the UK (+5.0% to +7.0%) and Belgium (+4.0% to +6.0%) could see significant increases.
A mix of specific local factors are driving these trend-bucking rises including corporates’ preference for using delivery and collection services in the UK, regional supply-demand imbalances in Australia, and currency volatility in Argentina. As such, the report includes forecast ranges, rather than fixed values, to reflect this cross-regional pricing complexity.
In Ground Monitor 2025-2026, the Amex GBT Consulting team highlights best practices businesses can adopt to build a strong and agile program amidst growing uncertainty, including:
- Build strong ties with key car rental partners: This can enable better value and availability, especially during busy times. This partnership can also help with EV adoption through steady demand and competitive pricing. When choosing partners, focus on coverage, cost, cooperation, and fleet stability – those who own more vehicles usually offer more flexibility during disruptions.
- Align car rental and fleet management: Collaborate across departments such as finance, HR, procurement, legal, and operations to unify your car rental and fleet programs under a single provider. This alignment can improve value, availability, visibility, and influence over mobility negotiations.
- Reconsider delivery and collection services: With staff shortages impacting providers, delivery and collection (dropping off cars to drivers) may become less common. Working with providers willing to pick up drivers instead can reduce costs, especially if they have coverage beyond metro hubs and airports to maintain traveler experience.
- Incorporate ride-share options: Despite previous concerns around policy compliance and duty of care, adding ride-share to your ground program can enhance traveler satisfaction, especially among younger employees. Ride-share services also provide detailed electronic data that improves expense management and reporting.
- Prepare for autonomous vehicles (AVs): While widespread adoption of AVs in corporate programs may not be imminent due to regulatory and legal barriers, considering their potential impact on travel policy, risk, and insurance now can help you stay ahead of future changes.
“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.”
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