Planning Holiday in USA - Car Hire, Airport advice

StuieUK34

Now sign up on dollar.com for the Dollar Express card....
Its free to get, and basically when u goto pick up your car, if theres a queue, u just walk right past it, as the express card means a bit of vip treatment !

fiish

I just had a look at the Dollar Express signup page, why do they want a credit card number if joining is free?

dzug1

fiish wrote: »

I just had a look at the Dollar Express signup page, why do they want a credit card number if joining is free?

To pay for the car/security deposit when you come to rent it?

StuieUK34

nope
no idea where your at when asking for credit card, unless you selected the options of 'for future rentals, to include X,Y and Z, etc'
I joined about 5 weeks ago, any extra things i choose No to, only thing i selected was ideal type of hire car, which i picked SUV but that was more a preference it asks....
Any future options, etc etc i ignored, entered my UK address, and email, and then i got an account number and my card came in the post... Didnt enter any credit card details at all!

Just looked on site again, am guessing u selected somthing in 'Rental requirements' or the 'Peace of Mind' section......
You need to ignore all that, you just put in your name and addy and thats it, as the rest is more for americans!

ferf1223

Credit card is required to join.

https://www.dollar.com/Express/Enroll.aspx

There's a * next to Preferred Form of Payment.

What information is needed to enroll?
All you'll need to enroll is your driver's license, a major credit card, and if you don't want to earn free rental days with Dollar EXPRESS Renter Rewards, you'll need your airline frequent flyer account numbers. We'll ask you for your address, car preference, and what options you'd like to have on every rental. It's fast, free and easy to sign up.

In my experience if you book through a 3rd party, they will not charge anything to your card unless you opt to/they require you to pre-pay a tank of petrol - because you have pre-paid...the contract you sign when you pick the car up will show this. But of course they also put a hold on the card as is standard for rental car companies. If you book direct through dollar.com then they will charge the card on the Express account.

One other thing though -it may have changed, but several years ago I was looking at booking with dollar.co.uk and called them to ask if they could add my Fastlane (now Express) number to a booking if I made it through them...at that time, they couldn't. Not sure if they will automatically associate an Express number with a booking from a UK company. I have had it happen unexpectedly (CH3000 booking at ORD, was stunned to find myself on the Express list without having notified anyone)...have had it not happen (LAS, no record of my Express number on the booking so they had to find and print my contract then and there rather than having it waiting for me).

fiish

Yes, you're right, ferf1223, however a previous post had advised me to the contrary so I got a bit confused.

ferf1223

fiish wrote: »

Yes, you're right, ferf1223, however a previous post had advised me to the contrary so I got a bit confused.

Sure...I totally understand.

At some US Dollar locations, if you are an Express member, you never even go to a counter...some locations the shuttle driver drops you at your car, keys and contract in it...so part of the 'express' part is not having to go in to have your card details logged and all that, as they already have that info in their system.

StuieUK34

So the fact that i dont have a Credit card, let alone a major one, enabled to me to sign up and get the dollar card, which got posted to me after 4 weeks, which is a shiny white and yellow card ?

I may have put my debit card details in, but selected no extra options, therefore nothing can be charged to my account, which is hasn't and wont ever be, as i wont ever book with dollar.COM..
My car bookings are via Usrentacar.co.uk and Netflights.com, so my insurance with no excess and full fuel is already taken care of.
They have my Dollar number, not that it matters.
The benefit to me is if there is a queue, i dont stand in it.

I have the card, not just read the details on a site

pararct

Only things I think I can add.

Make sure you get on the correct bus as you exit the terminal. Each rental operator will have a bus that takes you to their 'pound' which can be a couple of miles away.
This is certainly true for the larger airports such as LAX. so don't assume there will be a desk in the terminal. Buses are well marked and usually all pull up in the same place. (avis, dollar, hertz ect).

If you can arrange a GPS system take it. Hertz have a device called 'neverlost' excellent bit of kit. Other operators will have their own.If you have never driven in the US before it will certainly help you with directions without having to look at a map and trying to concentrate about driving on an unfamiliar system.

Make sure you know where the fuel cap is on whatever vehicle you get. First time I went to the US I was walking around the motor for 10 minutes looking for it. Had to go and ask the attendant in the fuel station as it turned it to be concealed behind the rear number plate.

Be aware US cars parking (handbrake) brake are usually not the same configuration as European models. It is likely to be a pedal somewhere in the drivers side footwell.

ferf1223

StuieUK34 wrote: »

So the fact that i dont have a Credit card, let alone a major one, enabled to me to sign up and get the dollar card, which got posted to me after 4 weeks, which is a shiny white and yellow card ?

I may have put my debit card details in, but selected no extra options, therefore nothing can be charged to my account, which is hasn't and wont ever be, as i wont ever book with dollar.COM..
My car bookings are via Usrentacar.co.uk and Netflights.com, so my insurance with no excess and full fuel is already taken care of.
They have my Dollar number, not that it matters.
The benefit to me is if there is a queue, i dont stand in it.

I have the card, not just read the details on a site

I have the card too - and the application requires you to put a card number in...sounds like they do not exclude debit cards...but regardless, you will have to give a card when you pick up your car and they will put a hold on your card for the deposit amount...think you may have mentioned this yourself before?

You may have paid for a premium package including fuel - not everyone will (if you don't need an additional driver, for instance)...and those people may be given the option to pre-pay a tank of fuel or bring it back full - my last few times renting with CH3000, picking up from dollar with an Express account I was given the option, even though the CH3000 voucher states I will pre-pay a tank of fuel...if I opt to pre-pay, they charge my card - the one on the Express account unless I say otherwise.

I did explain my personal experience - maybe you missed it?

In my experience if you book through a 3rd party, they will not charge anything to your card unless you opt to/they require you to pre-pay a tank of petrol - because you have pre-paid...the contract you sign when you pick the car up will show this. But of course they also put a hold on the card as is standard for rental car companies. If you book direct through dollar.com then they will charge the card on the Express account.