Before you go
This site offers information based on guidance from rental car companies, public bodies and others, as a starting point so you don’t get stuck on your trip (as of September 2026). How fuel is handled and how the charge is calculated differ from company to company, and they can change. Always check with the company you rented from and in the official information listed at the end of this article.
The basic rule is to return a rental car with a full tank.
There are two things to do.
Fill the tank right before you return the car.
Take that receipt with you when you return it.
Fill up once before you return it
If you rented the car with a full tank, fill it up at a nearby gas station before you return it.
Some companies say to ask the office staff if you don’t know where the nearest station is.
Stop at a station near the office you’re returning to, fill the tank, and then head to the office.
Take the receipt with you
Some companies ask you to show the gas station receipt when you return the car.
Budget Rent a Car says to fill up at a station within a 5 km radius of the return office and show that receipt. The reason given is to check that you put in the right fuel.
If you couldn’t return the car full, some companies take what you paid for fuel along the way, as shown on the receipt, off the fuel charge.
If you realize you forgot to close the fuel cap, call the station where you filled up, using the contact details on the receipt (領収証).
If you have any other trouble in front of the pump, look it up in “Gas Station Problems in Japan — A Q&A to Check on the Spot.”
When you’ve finished filling up, put the receipt in your wallet before you drive off.
If you can’t fill the tank
Some companies say it’s fine to return the car as it is, even if you couldn’t fill the tank.
In that case, you pay for fuel using the company’s own calculation (based on things like the distance you drove). Some companies say this costs more than the actual price of the fuel.
When you return the car, tell the staff you couldn’t fill the tank.
※ How fuel is settled, how receipts are handled and the conditions on which station you fill up at differ by rental car company. When you actually return the car, follow the instructions of the company you rented from.
