Pricing & rates · Travelers
Fuel purchase option (prepaid fuel)
Also called FPO, prepaid fuel, fuel service option
The short answerAn optional extra where you buy a tank of fuel from the rental company at pickup and return the car without refueling.
What it means
A fuel purchase option lets you pay for fuel at the start of the rental, at a price the rental company sets, so you don't need to refill before returning. It's the extra that turns a full-to-full rental into a full-to-empty one. Unused fuel is usually not refunded.
Why it matters
It trades money for time. It's worth it mainly when you're sure you'll use most of a tank and the return is early in the day or far from a station.
Related terms
- Full to emptyFuel policy where you pay for a full tank at pickup and can return the car with any fuel level, usually with no refund for what's left.
- Full to fullFuel policy where you pick up with a full tank and return it full; if it isn't full, the rental company refuels it and charges you.
- Fuel policyThe rule for how much fuel the car has at pickup, how much it should have at return, and what you pay if it doesn't.
- Refueling chargeWhat the rental company charges to refill a car returned with less fuel than the policy requires.
Also related Upsell