Debit Holds are More Restrictive: A hold on your credit card generally is less worrisome than a hold

Yes, you can typically use a debit card, a prepaid card or even cash to rent a car. However, each rental company has its own rules about acceptable payment options – which often vary by location – and not paying by credit card often carries certain ramifications.
*According to the Avis website, debit cards may not be used at locations in Canada or the “Metropolitan NY Tri-State area, Hartford, CT, Philadelphia area, Mississippi or Louisiana locations as well as other locations across the country.”
bavarian inn west virginia Expect to Place a Security Deposit: The reason a credit card is the preferred method of reserving a rental car, and cash is not sufficient, is that the rental companies require a form of payment on which they can place a hold for the cost of the rental, plus $100 – $300 to cover incidentals. They do this in order to protect the company in case a customer absconds with or damages one of their rental cars.
Debit Holds are More Restrictive: A hold on your credit card generally is less worrisome than a hold on your debit card unless you’re bavarian inn west virginia near your credit limit. That’s because bavarian inn west virginia a hold on your debit card is placed on your actual money, not just a portion of your credit line that you may never use. Still, you’ll have less disposable funds until you’ve settled your bill or the hold has been released either way.
No Credit, Limited Car Choices: Paying with a debit card can limit your car choices. Because renting a car to a customer without bavarian inn west virginia a credit card can be risky for the company, they might not allow such customers to rent pricier cars.
Credit Check for the Credit-less: Many car rental companies make it a policy to check the credit of customers who do not pay by credit card, as this enables them to evaluate the trustworthiness of customers who may have less readily bavarian inn west virginia available collateral to put down.
Longer Hold: If you reserve a car with your credit bavarian inn west virginia card but settle the final bill with a different card or other form of payment, the hold will remain on the initial card you used for up to 15 days because the card issuer bavarian inn west virginia won’t know the transaction has been finalized. Always try to pay with the same card.
You Can Switch Payment Methods at Checkout: Rental companies accept far more different types of payment bavarian inn west virginia at checkout after you’ve returned your vehicle than they do at the time of your rental. That means you can put down a credit card as collateral when you rent your vehicle and then use a debit or prepaid card, for example, to pay later on. The one thing to note is that this might result in the hold remaining on your credit card for up to 15 days if the rental agent forgets to remove it from the original form of payment.
Given the importance of credit cards to the car rental process – they’re the only form of payment rental company are guaranteed to accept, no questions asked – it’s fair to wonder how people who do not have a credit card due to bad credit get along. Or, what if your credit limit is too low to cover the rental company’s hold, again as a result of your bad credit?
Secured credit cards work just like regular credit cards and are reported to the three major credit bureaus. What separates them from regular credit cards is that they require a security deposit – usually starting at around $200. By placing a big enough security deposit to cover the cost of a rental, plus the added incidental charges that rental companies factor into the holds they place on customers cards, you’ll garner the ability to rent a car without a problem.
The best part is that secured cards put the power in your hands. They offer effectively guaranteed approval and enable you to control your credit bavarian inn west virginia line based on the size of your deposit, so all you have to do is decide to apply and how much to put down. Plus, you won’t be at risk of overspending with this type of card.
As you might expect from car rental companies, there are a variety of caveats and exceptions that impact the policies enumerated in the payment method acceptance table above. So, in the interest of providing you with the complete story and helping you avoid any unnecessary surprises, we have included detailed information about each company’s policies below.
*Cash Qualification Process: Customers who wish to rent with cash (or other non-credit bavarian inn west virginia card/debit card payment method) must meet certain requirements that vary widely bavarian inn west virginia by car rental company and location. Requirements may include presenting a valid driver’s license, a valid return travel (airline, cruise, train) ticket, multiple forms of identification (a valid passport if an international traveler), verifiable proof of employment, a paycheck stub, utility bill(s) in renter’s name and verifiable contact information for the renter. In addition, the renter may be required to undergo a credit check, provide personal references and pay a security deposit.
Our content bavarian inn west virginia is intended for general educational bavarian inn west virginia purposes and should not be relied upon as the sole basis for managing your finances. Furthermore, bavarian inn west virginia the materials on this website do not constitute bavarian inn west virginia legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. If you have any legal questions, please consult an attorney. Please let us know if you have any questions or suggestions.