What a Turo gift card is and how it works
A Turo gift card is a prepaid card you can buy and give to someone else to rent a car through Turo, a peer-to-peer car rental platform. The recipient uses the card balance to pay for their rental, just as they would with a credit card. The card holds a dollar amount you choose at purchase, and that balance stays on the card until it is spent.
Turo operates differently from traditional rental companies — car owners list their own vehicles on the platform, set their own prices, and handle their own availability. A gift card works the same way whether the recipient is renting a luxury car for a weekend trip or an economy vehicle for a few days. The balance covers the rental cost, insurance options, and any fees Turo charges.
Key Takeaways
- Turo gift cards are purchased directly from Turo's website and come in amounts you choose, with no expiration date on the balance itself.
- The recipient creates or logs into a Turo account and enters the gift card code at checkout to explore the balance to their rental.
- The gift card balance covers the rental rate, insurance, and Turo's service fees, but does not cover damage charges or tolls the renter incurs.
- If the rental costs more than the gift card balance, the recipient pays the difference with their own payment method.
- Unused balance remains on the card and can be used for future rentals with no time limit.
How to purchase a Turo gift card
You buy a Turo gift card through Turo's website. Go to turo.com, look for the gift card option (usually in the main menu or footer), and select the dollar amount you want to give. Turo typically offers preset amounts like $25, $50, $100, and $250, though some platforms allow custom amounts within a range.
After you choose the amount, you enter your payment method — a credit card, debit card, or other accepted payment option. Turo will send you a code, either by email or displayed on screen, that the recipient uses to redeem the card. You can forward that code to the recipient yourself, or in some cases Turo sends it directly to an email address you provide.
There is no set up fee or hidden cost beyond the amount you choose to load. What you pay is what the card is worth.
How the recipient redeems and uses the gift card
The person you give the card to creates a Turo account (or logs in if they already have one) and searches for a car to rent. Once they find a vehicle and proceed to checkout, they see a field to enter a gift card code or promo code. They paste or type the code you gave them, and Turo applies that balance to their booking.
If the rental costs less than the gift card balance, the unused amount stays on the card for future rentals. If the rental costs more, the recipient enters another payment method to cover the difference. Turo will charge the gift card first, then the secondary payment method for any overage.
The recipient does not need to do anything special to set up the card — entering the code at checkout is the only step required.
What the gift card balance does and does not cover
The gift card balance pays for the base rental rate (the daily or hourly cost set by the car owner), Turo's service fee, and any optional insurance the renter selects during checkout. If the renter chooses Turo's damage waiver or additional protection, that cost comes out of the gift card balance.
The balance does not cover damage charges, tolls, parking tickets, or other fees the renter incurs during the rental. If the car is returned with damage beyond normal wear, Turo charges the renter's payment method on file, not the gift card. The same applies to tolls or citations the renter receives while driving.
Fuel is also the renter's responsibility — Turo does not charge for fuel through the platform, but the renter must return the car with the same fuel level as when they picked it up, or pay a refueling fee.
Gift card balance, expiration, and what happens to unused funds
Turo gift cards do not expire. The balance remains on the card indefinitely, and the recipient can use it whenever they want to rent a car. There is no time limit to spend the balance, and no monthly or annual fees that reduce the amount.
If the recipient never uses the card, the balance stays there. If they use part of it and have money left over, that remainder is available for their next rental. The only way the balance decreases is when the recipient books a rental and Turo applies the card to that transaction.
Checking the balance and troubleshooting a gift card
The recipient can check their gift card balance by logging into their Turo account and looking at their payment methods or account settings. Turo displays the remaining balance there. Some users also see the balance displayed at checkout before they complete a booking.
If the code does not work when the recipient tries to redeem it, the most common causes are a typo in the code, using the code on a different Turo account than the one it was sent to, or the code being entered in the wrong field. The recipient should double-check the code against what you sent them and make sure they are logged into the correct account.
If the code still does not work after checking those details, the recipient should contact Turo's support team with the code and the error message they received. Turo can verify whether the code is valid and help resolve the issue.
Alternatives to a Turo gift card
If you want to give someone a way to rent a car but a Turo gift card does not fit your situation, you have other options. You could give a general-purpose gift card (Visa, Mastercard, or American Express) that the recipient uses as their payment method on Turo — this works the same way, but the card is not specific to Turo. You could also pay for a specific rental directly if you know which car and dates the recipient wants to book.
Traditional car rental companies like Enterprise, Hertz, and Avis also sell gift cards, though they offer a different experience than Turo — you rent from the company's fleet rather than from individual owners, and pricing and availability are set by the company rather than negotiated between owners and renters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I buy a Turo gift card for someone who does not have a Turo account yet?
Yes. The recipient can create an account whenever they want to use the card. You can buy and send the gift card code now, and they can set up their account later. There is no requirement to have an account before you purchase the card.
What happens if the rental costs more than the gift card balance?
The recipient enters a second payment method at checkout, and Turo charges the gift card first, then bills the additional amount to that second card. The gift card balance is used up, and the overage is charged separately.
Can I reload or add more money to a Turo gift card?
No. Turo gift cards are not reloadable. Once the balance is spent, the card is empty. If you want to give more money, you would need to purchase a new gift card and send the new code to the recipient.
Is there a minimum or maximum amount I can put on a Turo gift card?
Turo offers preset denominations and may allow custom amounts within a range, but the specific minimums and maximums vary. Check Turo's gift card page at the time of purchase to see what amounts are available.
Can I use a Turo gift card to pay for insurance or damage waiver?
Yes. The gift card balance covers any insurance or damage waiver option the renter selects during checkout. The cost of that protection comes out of the card balance before the remaining amount is applied to the rental rate.