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I've rented cars with a regular debit card. Why would it need to be a credit card?
by alimbada 7y ago
I've rented cars with a regular debit card. Why would it need to be a credit card?
- lmkg 7y agoDepends on the rental company and the rental contract. A lot of renters want a credit card rather than a debit card, as assurance you can pay additional charges/fees/damages should they occur. In cases where I put down a credit card, I usually see a hold on the card that's 20% higher than the rental contract, but that gets replaced with a regular charge later. The extent to which this is necessary varies from context to context. For example, whenever I've been at an airport location, the rental companies have said they can only use a debit card if you have an itinerary with a return flight. Presumably you're a lower theft risk or something. I'm sure it's all negotiable and/or there are a dozen other conditions where they will accept a debit card. Things like having a rewards membership or good rental history, purchasing insurance through them, using AAA, etc. Honestly even within the same company, the specifics seem to vary by location. Presumably some rental companies don't have such a policy at all because low-credit individuals are a large portion of their customer base.
- CalRobert 7y agoHuh, I've been told this is effectively impossible. I believe it was related to the need for a large security deposit. However, this was mostly in the US and western Europe, maybe it's different elsewhere.
- alimbada 7y agoI'm in the UK. The only place other than here I've rented a car is in Ireland. I can't remember if I used a credit or debit card there though.