How do i rent a car without a credit card

Q: Do you always need a credit card to rent a car?

You dont need a credit card to rent a car with most of the major car rental agencies, but there are good reasons to consider using one. Depending on the rental car provider, you may also be able to secure and pay for a rental with a debit card.

If you've arrived at this page, chances are you're already aware that most car rental companies require a credit card in order to pick up a vehicle. You may have been told it's not possible when asking "can you rent a car without a credit card?" But Auto Europe is here to help!

Table of Contents Show

General Information About Renting a Car Without a Credit Card
Debit or Credit Card: Important Considerations When Renting a Car
How to Rent a Car Without a Credit Card
Policies for Renting a Car With a Debit Card
Credit Identification at Car Pickup
Holds on Account Funds
Payment After Car Return
Split Billing Option
"Pay Now" Online Reservations
Which car rental place does not require a credit card?
Do you always need a credit card to rent a car?
Why can't you use a debit card to rent a car?
Can you rent a car with a prepaid debit card?

If you think a car rental with no credit card is impossible, think again. Thanks to our relationships with all the best suppliers around the world, Auto Europe can help you rent a car with with a debit card at a great low price.

General Information About Renting a Car Without a Credit Card

Many travelers wonder what the difficulty is with renting a car without a credit card. The fact of the matter is that the requirement has little to do with paying for the rental rate itself, and more to do with car rental insurances.

Rental car companies need to be sure that their vehicles stay in good condition and to do that they require a deposit before allowing anyone to drive their property off the lot. Cars are expensive machines, so these deposits can range anywhere from a few hundred Euro to several thousand (depending on specific vehicle class). The deposit you leave is to be used for any damages that occur to the vehicle while it is in your possession; so long as you return it in the same shape you got it in, you receive your full deposit amount back.

Taking a deposit is easy with a credit card as the funds can simply be "blocked" or "held" on your account, to be released when you return the vehicle. When renting a car without a credit card, however, you will need to submit the full value of the deposit in cash. Rather than dealing with cash deposits, most rental car companies simply require a credit card upon pickup to make the process more manageable.

Debit or Credit Card: Important Considerations When Renting a Car

When looking to rent a car without a credit card, it is important to note that debit cards are separate and different from credit cards. While these can easily be confused, debit cards, are not typically accepted when picking up your rental car. Be sure that you have the proper requirements before you depart for your vacation and you can avoid any hassles that may arise at the car rental counter.

How to Rent a Car Without a Credit Card

As you probably know, most car rental companies require a credit card in order to pick up a vehicle, but it is possible to rent a car without a credit card. Auto Europe's unique partnerships with major car rental companies around the world allows us to help our clients rent without a credit card. It doesn't take much extra time to rent a car with a debit card, and you can typically book over the phone with Auto Europe in as little as 5-15 Minutes. The cost to rent a car without a credit card will vary depending upon the particular details of your rental agreement, but in many cases it won't be significantly more expensive than renting with a credit card.

If you need to rent a car without a credit card, you may be able to find agencies that accept debit cards or cash. To use a debit card, bring additional identification and information, like a plane ticket itinerary or proof of insurance. Also, make sure you have extra money in your account, as many companies will hold a deposit. To rent a car using cash, bring identification that matches the information on your driver’s license, like a utility bill. Additionally, expect to pay a deposit of around a few hundred dollars to cover possible damages to the car. To learn how to rent a car using a credit card you’ve borrowed, read on!

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Yes, most U.S. Avis locations accept debit cards with the Visa or MasterCard logo as credit identification at the time of rental if you are at least 25. A hold is usually placed on the funds in your account for at least the estimated cost of the rental. Some vehicle types cannot be rented if you present a debit card instead of a credit card.

Policies for Renting a Car With a Debit Card

You may have heard that car rental without a credit card is impossible. Not at Avis. You can rent a car without a credit card at most Avis locations.

An Avis honored charge card must be presented at the time of rental.

Acceptable charge cards are as follows:

Avis Charge Card

American Express

AT&T Capital

China Union Pay

Diner's Club International

Discover

JCB

MasterCard

Visa

Credit Identification at Car Pickup

In most cases, U.S. locations will accept debit cards to determine credit worthiness at the time of rental. Renters must also meet Avis's minimum criteria in order to rent.

Canada locations do not accept debit cards as a form of credit identification when picking up a rental car.

For acceptable credit identification and payment methods in countries outside of the U.S., please read the Terms and Conditions for your specific rental location or contact the location directly.

Holds on Account Funds

If you use a debit card to pick up your rental car, Avis will generally request an authorization hold against your account for the estimated charges of the rental. This hold is placed soon after your card is presented. Avis reserves the right at its sole discretion to request extra value based on certain factors as deemed appropriate.

THESE FUNDS WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR YOUR USE.

When the car rental is over, the held funds will be reversed and released, but keep in mind that banks may take time to post them back to the account.

If you fail to return the vehicle as agreed, Avis will obtain additional authorizations from your account to cover the rental charges. These charges may include (but are not limited to) cleaning fees and fees for extending the rental period.

Avis is not responsible for any returned checks or overdrafts based on this policy.

This policy applies to both U.S. residents and foreign renters. Positive identification in addition to your driver's license may be required.

Exceptions

At all U.S. and Canada locations, renters must present a credit card at the time of rental for all cars in the Avis Select Series and for certain other premium vehicles. Debit cards are not acceptable to pick up premium car rentals.

Some Avis locations do not accept debit cards at the time of rental for any vehicle including locations in the Metropolitan NY Tri-State area, Hartford, CT, Philadelphia area, Mississippi or Louisiana locations as well as other locations across the country. Canada locations do not accept bank debit cards as a form of credit identification. Debit Cards are acceptable for payment at the completion of your rental.

Prepaid debit/gift cards are not acceptable methods of credit identification to pick up a car at any location.

If you want to use a debit card to verify your credit worthiness at the beginning of your rental period, read the Terms and Conditions for your pickup location to confirm debit cards are accepted. In addition, you can contact the location before you arrive to get your rental car. For acceptable credit identification and payment methods in countries outside of the U.S., please search for the specific location's Terms and Conditions.

Payment After Car Return

In the United States and Canada, debit or check cards can be used at the end of the rental for payment of rental charges. Prepaid debit/gift cards are also accepted as a form of payment at time of car return.

Split Billing Option

Avis also offers a split billing payment option which provides billing flexibility. Customers may split their rental charges on two separate credit/debit cards. In addition, corporate customers have the ability to charge counter products, optional services that are not covered as a company expense to a personal credit card. Customers who wish to split their rental charges on two separate credit/debit cards can choose to split the rental charges by one of the following ways:

Dollar Amount

Rental Days

Services

Rental Days & Services.

"Pay Now" Online Reservations

For more details, please click here.

Please note: Credit and debit cards used to pay online may not be acceptable at certain locations. Please check the terms and conditions on your reservation confirmation to be sure of acceptable cards at the location where you are picking up your rental. The credit or debit card presented at the counter must be identical to the one used to make the "Pay Now" reservation.

Now that you know how to rent a car with a debit card, you’re prepared to drive off in your rental car and have fun!

All policies on this page apply to both U.S. residents and foreign renters. Positive identification in addition to your driver's license may be required.

Which car rental place does not require a credit card?

Which rental car companies do not require a credit card? All of the major U.S. rental car companies have non-credit card payment options at certain rental locations, including Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Payless, SIXT, Thrifty, and Turo.

Do you always need a credit card to rent a car?

You don't need a credit card to rent a car with most of the major car rental agencies, but there are good reasons to consider using one. Depending on the rental car provider, you may also be able to secure and pay for a rental with a debit card.

Why can't you use a debit card to rent a car?

Many rental car companies prefer not to let customers use debit cards because it increases the risk they take on when renting to you. Unlike a credit card, a debit card only has as much money on it as you put in your bank account.

Can you rent a car with a prepaid debit card?

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.