Car hire without a credit card

lovelybirchtrees

We had our lightbulb moment several years ago and have now cleared all debt BUT still have a 'poor' credit rating as everybody wasn't paid in full - had a DMP and worked through that. Now I need to hire a car for a week while some friends are visiting and find debit card is not acceptable except for booking and final payment. :mad:While I have the car they want a credit card 'in case'. Can't get one and don't really want one but how can I hire a car. Any ideas? I can leave a cash deposit of a fairly substantial sum but that doesn't seem to be a possibility from the car hire firms' point of view.:(

I don't know anybody who I would want to ask to supply their credit card and signature as it would mean explaining why I don't have one.

Does anybody have any suggestions? I need the car over the end of April beginning of May period.

rev_henry

Try a local, friendly firm. Or several firms. I'm sure I've heard of them taking cash deposits before. We hired a car a couple of years ago and the company made an exception and let us just use a debit card, but this was just a small, friendly company on the Costa del Sol so not very helpful!

lovelybirchtrees

However, having said that I took up my courage and called one large international firm who said as long as I was hiring in the UK I could use just a debit card. I said that wasn't what I was told the last time I tried to hire a car and that I had been embarrassed and had to ask someone else to use their card. He told me to make the reservation and have the office call them if I had a problem.

We will see.

vikingaero

I hate using my Credit cards for car rental due to spurious charges. Enterprise will accept a debit card as long as you inform them before booking. They will charge the cost of hire using a Chip and PIN machine, the excess will be taken on a carbon slip and will be destroyed or returned to you at the end of the rental, and they may ask for more ID such as bank statement/utility bills.

moonrakerz

vikingaero wrote: »

I hate using my Credit cards for car rental due to spurious charges. Enterprise will accept a debit card as long as you inform them before booking.

Taking a debit card is even more dangerous that a credit card. If they have your debit card details it is YOUR money they are taking ! If it is a credit card it isn't your money and you can also get the card issuer involved in any dispute that may arise.

vikingaero

moonrakerz wrote: »

Taking a debit card is even more dangerous that a credit card. If they have your debit card details it is YOUR money they are taking ! If it is a credit card it isn't your money and you can also get the card issuer involved in any dispute that may arise.

With my credit card they could take up to my limit.

With a debit card I use my second account where I fund it with enough for the hire cost, fuel deposit (if any) and the excess. Then all they can take are those figures and nothing else. I've had enough of sneaky car hire firms with cars parked so close to walls to hide bumper damage and other tactics.

Tilt

I hire regularly from enterprise and pay with a debit card, no probs. They will not accept cash though. Cards are a good for of ID which is one of the reasons they do it.

tripled

I second trying local firms. I hired a van a couple of weekends ago off an inependent petrol station with only the one van, I had to actually ask them if they wanted me to pay when I went to collect it, they then gave me the option of paying when I brought it back!

avantra

We hired few times with my prepay (fairfx) Mastercard credit card.
As long as you have the right amount loaded for the excess you should be ok.