Car Hire In Spain - No Credit Card - Help!!

Ginslinger

Just got back from holiday in Croatia, where we nearly had a disaster due to the fact that we had no credit card for car hire. Top tip: Always check the local firms at airports to see if they will take a booking/deposit without one. This is much more likely than Hertz, Europcar etc.
We found a great company called BINGO HIRE at Dubrovnik airport. First, there was no need for a credit card to either pay or leave a deposit. We were able to negotiate a price, and they were absolutely flexible (our flight was delayed by several hours, and they hung around to wait for us, when all the other car hire booths were shut). I can't recommend them highly enough.
Hope this helps someone :T

angelaaa

I found a hire company that have a UK helpline, branches in various EU countries, and will let you have a smaller car without a credit card (you need to pay 300 euros in cash as a deposit, potentially a further 300 euros if you don't take out their windscreen and wheel insurance... but it's just a deposit) and also make on a note on your booking that you want to pay without a credit card... but given the lack of options a hefty cash deposit is FINE with me!! spain-carhire.com Phew!

zagfles

rachell wrote: »

Hi! We hired a car from Murcia in May. We had to pay £25 more because we didn't have a credit card but that wasn't too bad. The people saying that you have no chance of hiring a car without a credit card are wrong

Yes I've hired cars loads of times, in Spain, Greece, Portugal without using a credit card. And no extra charged, not even a deposit. These were from local car hire companies in the resort - there are usually loads of these in any typical package holiday resort. Not pre-booked.

This wasn't because I didn't have a credit card, but because I didn't want to get "surprise" extra charges on my card when they claim I damaged it 2 weeks later....

Forex_01

As this is a very useful thread here's our succesful experience with VISA Debit card and AVIS (in Israel) who normally require real Credit Card.

I used one of their very old and respected sales channel called autoeurope.com. Thru their Finnish Facebook page I actually found more discount countries than on international pages, go figure.. If you google autoeurope specials you may find the same bonuses I got:

- Free upgrade one car class. (see below)
- Excess refund cover

We chose Hyundai Accent but during arrival got bigger Chevrolet! )

Autoeurope lady said pretty much any VISA card would do as long as the card number starts with 4920... which she said means an international card. (Funnily, even Visa Electron cards in Finland start with this..) Probably she only meant their website and not the AVIS security deposit which need to be charged on arrival.

Google gave the phone/email address of AVIS shop in Israel who told me they "accept credit cards if the numbers are embossed, meaning card is not flat". Our Business Visa Debit was embossed, but it was not a credit card. As it says on their policy ONLY the CREDIT CARDS are accepted - it was a calculated risk and small surprise their system at the desk accepted the card for the security deposit of 500 USD. It will be returned after giving back the Chevrolet.

I hope from now on Visa Debit is accepted elsewhere too. AutoEurope was very inexpensive I must say. Their supervisor though could not find a rental operator in Israel who openly admits accepting Visa Debit so it was a risky business to fly on location to try if non-credit card really worked.


Regarding bonuses also sites like these can be good:
promocodes.co.uk/Auto-Europe-Discount-code/
retailmenot.com/view/autoeurope.com
There are more if you search for coupons, vouchers, etc.

memerson

woml wrote: »

Hi Sarah, it'll defo be fine if you book through valuecarrentals.com, they will put a note on your booking that you will be paying with debit card (make sure you tell valuecarrentals first though!). We've done it twice now through them and it's been fine. Not tried fastcarhire.co.uk, as in eamonn's post but sounds a similar setup, so could be worth a try also?

Good luck!
Nicky

Hi there...I know this is quite a few years on from this original post, but I'd like some advice!

I'm going to Spain in May (hopefully, if I can sort my car rental!) and again, I cannot get a credit card for certain reasons. I tried going to value car rentals but it seems they are gone And then I tried going direct to Sol-Mar but on their FAQ page, they state they do not take Debit Cards or Cash...so I don't know what to do - I wondered, have you come across any other rental companies since then? I'm a little worried that if I turn up in Alicante and they refuse rental I'm in quite a bind since the house is a good hour's drive out in the middle of nowhere!

If you can share any knowledge I would be truly grateful, thank you.

Michael

ElaineMary_2

We dont have credit cards and know how infuriating it is when everyone asks for one! Fed up trawling through the net.
Just booked a car from CARJET.COM. for Spain for end of March.
They are so helpfull, listened to all I had to say & found me 2 companies that except your booking without the credit card - Goldcar & Advantage.
The lady at CARJET found me the car I wanted with Advantage from Alicante Airport. Either pay now over the phone or on arrival at airport with Visa DEBIT card!
The only thing they ask is that you take their Windscreen & Tyre Policy (54 Euros) and you can then use your debit card to pay.
CARJET phone no. for anyone who wants to give them a try is: 0871 2716767.
Thank you Carjet!

DimitrisX

zagfles wrote: »

Yes I've hired cars loads of times, in Spain, Greece, Portugal without using a credit card. And no extra charged, not even a deposit. These were from local car hire companies in the resort - there are usually loads of these in any typical package holiday resort. Not pre-booked.

This wasn't because I didn't have a credit card, but because I didn't want to get "surprise" extra charges on my card when they claim I damaged it 2 weeks later....

Hello, do you happen to remember which company you used to get a car with a debit card in Greece?

zagfles

DimitrisX wrote: »

Hello, do you happen to remember which company you used to get a car with a debit card in Greece?

Wasn't a debit card, I paid cash. Don't remember the name as it was a local car hire place in the resort, of which there are always loads in typical package holiday resorts. It wasn't pre-booked I just turned up and asked to hire a car. I always pay cash for car hire when possible to avoid problems afterwards where they claim you damaged the car etc.

Where I've had to pre-book, they always insist on a credit card IME and I always get excess cover from insurance4carhire.

doveman1234

Im going to Spain, Alicante for 11 days at the beginning of September. Orginally i booked with Advantage as there was no young drivers surcharge as im 23. But then i read i need to have a credit card so that they can take a 400 euro deposit down, and due to my poor credit i dont have one

I called Auto-europe which is the company i booked through and they told me that the only company that now allow you to rent a car without a credit card is Goldcar but will cost me an extra 66 euros which includes the full insurance package, this is the only way of doing it without a credit card. On top of that i have to pay an extra 44 Euros for the young driver surcharge which means that i will have to pay an extra 100 euros more than originally.

Better start saving some more money. At least i am now able to hire a car without a credit card

Mer1234

I have just been through the exact same problem.... My husband and I do not have credit cards, our credit is fine, but as we never used them, our bank never sent a new one out!

We booked a last minute to Portugal and needed the car (having 2 small children is not fun on airport transfers), and everywhere I found said you have to have a credit card on collection.

I then called the Goldcar rentals office at Faro airport and they couldn't have been more helpful! Ok, it cost me an extra £100 to secure with a debit card, but it still worked out cheaper then the likes of Europcar, Avis etc. And they added me as the second driver for free!

I truly cannot express how glad I am that I came across this feed!!