One-way fee

A one-way fee is a charge added to a hire that's returned at a different location from where it started. It covers the cost of getting the car back, or of having it in the wrong place.

Formula

A cost-based floor:

One-way fee ≥ repositioning cost − value of the car at the drop-off location

Repositioning cost = driver time + fuel + travel back + days off hire

If the destination needs cars anyway, the second term can be large and the fee small, or even negative. That's a relocation deal.

Worked example

Hypothetical. Christchurch to Queenstown, about a day's drive.

• Driver to bring it back: 8 hours at NZ$35 = NZ$280
• Fuel: NZ$120
• Driver's flight or bus out: NZ$150
• Two days off hire at NZ$80 RPU: NZ$160
• Repositioning cost: NZ$710

If Queenstown is short of cars and you'd otherwise move one there anyway, the car arriving is worth about NZ$710 to you. Fee: zero, or a discount. If Queenstown is already full, charge the NZ$710, or don't sell the route.

Flows balance out sometimes. If as many customers go the other way, the fee only needs to cover the timing gap.

Why it matters for a rental operator

Price one-way trips blind and you either lose money on each one or lose the booking to someone who's done the maths. The right fee depends on where your fleet needs to be, so it should change with the season.

See it in Rate Pulse

Rate Pulse checks hires returned to the same airport, so it doesn't show one-way fees. Comparing airport rates helps, though: in the sweep of 7 Nov 2026 the typical compact was NZ$192 a day at Christchurch and NZ$210 at Queenstown.