In short
- Queensland fuel retailers must report their price changes, and free apps and websites listed by the Queensland Government show those prices so you can compare servos near you.[1][2]
- Check the fuel type on the car before you fill up, and return it with at least the fuel it had at pickup: each eighth of a tank below the pickup level is charged at A$15 (fees and charges).
- Brisbane City Council parking meters are cashless: tap a card or pay by app, and enter the car's registration either way. Never stay past the signed maximum time.[3]
- A fine for a rental car is issued to Rentzy as the car's owner. Rentzy passes it on to you or nominates you as the driver where the law allows (rental terms).
How do you find fuel prices in Brisbane?
Queensland fuel retailers are required to report their fuel price changes under the Queensland Government's fuel price reporting scheme, and that data is passed to independent apps and websites.[1]
The Queensland Government lists the apps and websites that have signed up to receive the data. They include MotorMouth, Petrol Spy, Pumped, FuelMap, Petrol Buddy and the RACQ Fuel and Deals App, among others. The government says it is not associated with, and doesn't endorse, any of them.[2]
Prices differ from one service station to the next, so a quick look before you fill up is worth more than stopping at the first servo on the way back to the depot.
Which fuel does a rental car take?
Don't guess. Before you fill up, check the label inside the fuel flap or on the fuel cap, and ask at pickup if anything is unclear. Most service stations sell several fuels from the same bowser, so it's an easy mistake to make.
The rental terms require you to use the correct fuel (clause 7.1). Damage from using the wrong fuel is one of the cases where the renter's excess limit doesn't apply, so you could be liable for the full cost (clause 9.3). If you realise you've put in the wrong fuel, don't drive on; call Rentzy first.
How much fuel do you need when you return the car?
The fuel level is recorded with photos at pickup and again at return (clause 6.1 of the rental terms). Bring the car back with the same fuel level it had at pickup (clause 6.2); fuel is charged for each eighth of a tank below the level recorded at pickup.
The charge is A$15 per eighth. A car returned a quarter of a tank (two eighths) short is charged A$30; half a tank short is A$60. The car is inspected within 48 hours of return, any fuel charge is sent with its evidence, and you have 72 hours to dispute it. See fees and charges.
How does street parking work in Brisbane?
Brisbane City Council runs on-street paid parking. Look for the blue "Pay Here" sign and check that the zone number on the meter matches the zone number on the parking signs. The meter screen shows the hours you can park, the time limit and any capped fee.[3]
- Paying. Meters accept cashless payments only: tap a Visa or Mastercard card or a phone on the reader. You can also pay with Council's contracted apps, CellOPark and PayStay.[3]
- Registration. Enter the car's number plate with no spaces (ABC123, not ABC 123), or register the session in the app. If you don't register the session, you could be fined.[3] In a rental, photograph the plate at pickup so you have it to hand.
- Free 15 minutes. More than 7,500 on-street spaces and Council car parks offer 15 minutes free, but you still enter your registration and select the under-15-minutes option.[3]
- Time limits. It's illegal to extend your parking once you've parked for the maximum time on the sign or meter. Move to another space when the time is up, or you may be fined.[3]
Signs tell you the rest. Green parking signs say when you may park and on what conditions; red signs say when you may not. Outside the signed times no restriction applies, unless another sign says otherwise. Unless signed otherwise, you can't park on or across footpaths, driveways, medians or kerb ramps, within 20 metres of traffic lights, or within 10 metres of an intersection without lights.[4]
Can you stop in a loading zone or clearway?
A rental car is a non-commercial vehicle, which limits what you can do in a loading zone:[4]
- Loading zone: up to 20 minutes to pick up or drop off goods, or 2 minutes for passengers (5 minutes for passengers with disability, with a valid Australian Disability Parking Scheme permit displayed).[4]
- Passenger loading zone: up to 2 minutes to pick up or drop off passengers.[4]
- Commercial vehicle loading zone: for commercial vehicles loading goods, not for a hire car.[4]
- Clearway: you can't park or stop. Some operate only at peak times; with no times on the sign, the clearway applies 24 hours a day, and illegally parked vehicles may be towed.[4]
Loading zones also apply all day when the sign shows no times.[4] Any fine is yours to pay under the rental terms, so read every sign on the pole, not just the top one. For the wider road rules, see Brisbane road rules for visitors.
What happens if you get a parking or camera fine in a rental car?
Parking fines
Only Brisbane City Council and the Queensland Police Service can issue a parking fine in Brisbane. A Council fine has 28 days from the issue date to be paid; if nothing happens, a reminder notice gives another 28 days and adds a fee. Someone who wasn't the driver can submit a known user declaration, and Council fines can be disputed online or by mail.[5]
Camera fines
Speed, red light, mobile phone and seatbelt offences caught on camera are administered by the Queensland Revenue Office, and fines are issued by post. The person or organisation the fine is issued to has 28 days from the issue date to pay it, transfer it to the driver, or dispute it in court; an unfinalised fine may be referred to the State Penalties Enforcement Registry (SPER).[6] A fine being transferred shouldn't be paid, and a transfer that isn't made within 28 days can mean SPER enforcement and demerit points for the person it was issued to.[7]
How a fine reaches you
A fine is issued to the person or organisation the vehicle is registered to, who can then transfer it to the driver.[6] So a fine from your rental lands with Rentzy first, possibly after you've returned the car. The rental terms make you responsible for all traffic, parking and camera fines during the rental.
Under clause 10 of the rental terms, Rentzy either recharges the fine to you or, where the law allows, nominates you as the person in charge of the car. Either way there is a A$55 administration fee per fine (fees and charges).
Once a fine is transferred to you, it's yours to pay or dispute, so keep your contact details on the booking current. If you drive on an overseas licence, also read overseas licences in Queensland.
A quick checklist for renters
- At pickup: note the fuel type, the fuel level on the pickup record, and the number plate.
- Compare prices with a listed fuel app before you fill up, and fill up close to the depot before return.
- Pay for every metered park, with the right registration, and move on at the time limit.
- Read the whole parking sign: clearways and loading zones catch a lot of visitors.
- If a fine notice reaches you, act inside the 28 days it allows.
Tolls follow the same pattern as fines; see tolls in Brisbane. Every Rentzy charge is listed on fees and charges, and what to check when you collect the car is in the pickup checklist.
Sources
- Queensland Treasury: Fuel price data (read 23 October 2026)
- Queensland Treasury: Fuel price apps and websites (read 23 October 2026)
- Brisbane City Council: Parking meters and fees (read 23 October 2026)
- Brisbane City Council: Street parking rules and signs (read 23 October 2026)
- Brisbane City Council: Parking tickets and fines (read 23 October 2026)
- Queensland Revenue Office: About fines in Queensland (read 23 October 2026)
- Queensland Government: How to transfer a fine (read 23 October 2026)
Written by the Rentzy team at Rentzy Car Rentals. Rentzy prices, fees and rules in this guide come from our published terms and update with them; rules set by others (roads, tolls, licences, transport) are from the official pages above, as read on the dates shown. Something out of date? Tell us.
