Pricing Turo Extras: Fuel, Cleaning, and Accessories Guide

For Turo hosts, the path to maximizing profit often lies in maximizing revenue streams that have the highest take rate.

While Turo takes a significant percentage of the base trip price (10% to 40% depending on your protection plan), Turo’s Extras feature offers a remarkable profit margin: You keep 90% of the price of the Extra, and Turo only takes 10% for processing.

Selling Extras is not just about bringing in more money; it’s about providing convenient, value-added solutions that improve the guest experience and justify five-star feedback.

1. The Financial Advantage of Extras (The 90/10 Split)

Understanding the 90/10 split is central to using Extras strategically. This high take rate sets Extras apart from your base rental income.

High-Margin Revenue vs. Base Rate

If you are on the 75% Host Take Rate plan, Turo keeps 25% of the base trip price. When you sell an extra, Turo keeps just 10%. This difference means your profit margin is immediately 15 percentage points higher on every Extra sold compared to your base earnings.

This high-margin revenue stream helps offset the fixed costs of hosting, like insurance and loan payments, faster than relying on the base trip price alone. Every $50 Extra sold is $45 in your pocket, often requiring minimal effort to deliver.

The Power of Volume

Even small fees add up quickly across dozens of trips. If you have ten trips a month, and half of those guests buy a $30 cleaning Extra, that's $150 in pure, high-margin profit you wouldn't have otherwise earned. This passive, high-percentage income can cover a significant portion of your business software costs or insurance premiums.

2. Top-Performing Extras and How to Price Them

The best Extras solve a common travel inconvenience for the guest, making their trip smoother and your turnover faster.

A. Prepaid Fuel (The Turnover Saver)

The guest pays you upfront to return the car with less than a full tank. You handle the refueling.

• Pricing: This must be priced higher than the actual cost of filling the tank. You need to cover the cost of the gas plus your time and mileage to drive to the station. Never charge less than the gas cost.
  • Formula: $(\text{Average Tank Cost} + \text{Time/Mileage Fee}) \times 1.1$ (to cover the 10% Turo cut).
• Benefit: This is the ultimate time-saver. You avoid the "hunt the gas station" trip between rentals, which is precious time during busy back-to-back bookings. It eliminates a common reason for negative comments if a guest forgets to fill up.

B. Post-Trip Cleaning (The Convenience Fee)

The guest pays a fee to avoid cleaning the car before returning it. This is for standard cleaning (vacuuming, wiping down); it is not for violations like smoking, pet hair, or major mud/spills. Those require a separate claim through Turo's Resolution Center.

• Pricing: Price this to cover your time or the cost of a professional car wash/detail service. $20–$40 is common for standard cars, rising for luxury or large SUVs.
• Benefit: Guests often value their time more than $30. This makes the turnover quicker and reduces friction at drop-off. If the car returns perfectly clean, you keep the 90% profit for the convenience you offered.

C. Unlimited Mileage (The Conversion Tool)

This Extra can be offered for a fixed fee or a daily fee. This allows you to secure bookings from guests planning long trips who would otherwise look for hosts who offer unlimited mileage by default.

• Pricing: This fee must cover your calculated Cost Per Mile (CPM)—the combined cost of maintenance and depreciation for the added mileage. If your CPM is $0.40, and you expect a guest to drive 100 extra miles per day, you need a $40 fee, plus the Turo 10%.
• Benefit: It converts guests who need to drive long distances (road trips, business travelers) into renters, securing revenue you would have lost.

D. Practical Accessories

These are low-effort, high-margin items that target specific traveler needs and are often simple to stock and manage.

3. Operational Simplicity: How to Manage Extras

Managing Extras is much simpler than managing base reservations, provided you follow a simple system and maintain clear communication.

Listing and Fulfillment

• Clarity is Key: In your Extra description, state exactly what the guest is paying for and what is not included. Example: "Post-Trip Cleaning covers normal dust and debris. Major spills or smoking fees will be charged separately as a Turo violation." Ambiguity leads to disputes.
• Inventory Control: For physical items (like child seats or coolers), list only the number you actually own. If you have two cars but only one safety seat, list "Quantity: 1" so the system manages availability across your listings.
• The Refueling Standard: If selling prepaid fuel, always take a photo of the fuel gauge at drop-off and take a photo of the receipt when you fill it back up. This prevents guest disputes and documents your expense for tax purposes.

Streamlining Turnover

Extras should speed up your turnover, not slow it down. The Post-Trip Cleaning Extra is the best example: by selling this option, you know before the trip ends that you must budget time for cleaning, rather than hoping the guest does it for you. This allows you to schedule a mobile detailer or your cleaning helper ahead of time.

4. The Psychology of Selling and Guest Experience

Extras succeed because they align with the modern desire for seamless, personalized travel, moving your service from basic rental to true hospitality.

• Perceived Value: Guests often prefer paying a fixed, known fee for convenience (e.g., $30 for cleaning) rather than risking a much higher, unknown Turo violation fee ($150+ for deep cleaning). The peace of mind is worth the price.
• Positive Review Link: Guests who use Extras often feel their trip was easier and more personalized, leading to higher star ratings. A high-margin extra that results in five-star feedback is the perfect scenario. This is true leverage: higher income leading to better public reviews.
• Customization: Offering the ability to customize the trip with specific accessories makes the guest feel like the car is being prepared just for them, increasing satisfaction before they even start driving.

Selling Extras on Turo is a direct path to boosting your net profit without increasing your fleet size. By choosing high-value, high-convenience items, you immediately shift a portion of your revenue from Turo's base cut to your 90% profit column.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Can I offer a custom Extra?

A: Yes. Turo allows hosts to create custom Extras with unique pricing and descriptions, provided they comply with Turo's terms of service.

Q2: Does Turo take 10% of the price or the profit?

A: Turo takes 10% of the gross price the guest pays for the Extra. You keep the remaining 90%.

Q3: What if the guest buys the Post-Trip Cleaning Extra but returns the car spotless?

A: You keep the 90% profit. The guest paid for the option of not cleaning, and the service was delivered in the form of convenience and peace of mind. This is common and a straight profit boost for you.

Q4: Can I charge a fee for a late return using an Extra?

A: No. Fees for late returns must be managed as a Turo violation claim after the trip ends, following Turo's specific late return fee schedule. Do not try to collect violation fees through the Extras feature, as this could lead to confusion and negative reviews.