KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Being American can cost you extra when traveling abroad, according to a NordVPN study that found prices for rental cars and hotel rooms can increase by up to 70% if you book from a computer in the United States.
“So they automatically, when they look at U.S. consumers, they know that they're more likely to spend money on vacation destinations,” said Gerald Kasulis, head of business operations at Nord Security, NordVPN's parent company.
KCK couple receives warning after fraudsters steal property
NordVPN, a virtual private network company, checked hotel and car rental prices booked from an IP address in the US, then wiped all cookies on your computer to perform the exact same searches using a VPN that allowed you to spoof your US IP address and select another country as your location.
Doing so saved me $512 on a week's rental car booked through Enterprise, the VPN made it appear I was in the UK, and I saved $976 on a week's hotel in France by simply switching my VPN IP address to France.
Kasulis said these are just two examples of dozens of savings they've uncovered.
Travel expert Ramey Iacofono, who offers travel tips on Instagram and TikTok, said she's also been able to save money by booking with a VPN.
“I saved about $400 on my rental car in Europe by mentioning I was in Japan,” said Iacofono, who is based in California.
Iacofono said that while he wasn't able to save on airfare when booking international flights, a VPN did help him book tickets with local airlines in other countries.
“I used a VPN, told them I was in New Zealand, booked a flight within New Zealand and got $40-50 off the ticket price,” she said.
Kansas City residents share warning about car warranty companies
Another benefit of using a VPN while traveling is that it allows you to stream shows from sites like HBO and Netflix, which often don't allow streaming if you're outside the US.
Even if you don't travel internationally, a VPN can be useful: One user told FOX4 Problem Solvers that he saved money by using a VPN to change his state of residence when ordering products online. For example, some products sold in US stores are cheaper if purchased from an IP address in Mississippi rather than one in Missouri or Kansas.
Is a VPN worth the price? NordVPN costs around $60 per year. The company has competitors with cheaper rates. You can also buy the VPN for just one month, which will cost you just $10. Ultimately, it all comes down to how often you travel and how much effort you're willing to put into finding the right price.
