What are the general rules for cancellations and refunds?

Short answer: Two regimes govern rental cancellations, corresponding to the two payment types. Standard counter-rate bookings — reserved without prepayment — can typically be cancelled free up to shortly before pickup in the United States; the risks attached are generally mild, such as losing a member discount or, for repeat offenders, nothing enforceable at all.

Prepaid bookings invert the picture. Their discounted rate compensates the operator for guaranteed revenue, so cancellation windows tighten: free cancellation may exist only in the first couple of days after booking or far ahead of pickup, partial fees apply in the middle zone, and inside the final stretch the refund can shrink toward nothing. Modifications often behave like cancel-and-rebook at prevailing prices rather than amending the original deal, which matters when rates have moved since purchase.

No-shows deserve separate respect: skipping pickup without cancelling can forfeit the entire prepaid amount on prepaid plans, and on reservations tied to loyalty rates it can cost the reservation itself. Refund timing after a legitimate cancellation ranges from immediate reversal to statements-length waits depending on who processes it and your bank. One rule outranks every generalization on this page: the confirmation email and the rate terms shown at booking time are the governing document for your specific reservation, not any website summary including ours.