FairFX $ Card (& Car Rentals)

StuieUK34

Hey all,

Just curious if anyone might have an angle on this, also emailed FairFX too.....

FairFX Pre-Paid credit cards have raised numbers (unlike some pre-paid cards which are just printed).....

When it comes to car rental, the car places always want a credit card, but more importantly, in the US, when you book via a UK broker, you find you have LDW/full insurance with ZERO Excess, so in theory, the rental firms wont load/AUTH your card for any amount as there is no excess on your agreement.....

I understand some take a security deposit (I hired a Mustang through Alamo.co.uk, paid for 'GOLD' upgrade which includes tank of fuel and additional driver), and that security deposit in my case was $1 which was held against my Pre-Paid FairFX $ card......

Soooooooo, am wondering, unlike some Pre-paid credit cards, do the FairFX cards pass as credit cards, for car rental places...
ie: even if they decide to take/hold/Auth $300, and for example, you have $3000 loaded onto the card, then in theory, it should be plain sailing and everything should go smoothly ?!

Sorry for long way of wording this, am asking because despite hiring 4 cars in the US, using my FairFX $ & Visa Debit card in the past with Alamo and Dollar, next years rental will be with Hertz, and although full insurance/no excess will be the case again, i'm hoping there system would take my FairFX card as a security thing (would be fully loaded with cash anyway, happy to have $300 held/Auth on it!)
(and no, I cannot get a credit card, not even a High APR card either)

Toe-Jam

StuieUK34 wrote: »

Hey all,

Just curious if anyone might have an angle on this, also emailed FairFX too.....

FairFX Pre-Paid credit cards have raised numbers (unlike some pre-paid cards which are just printed).....

When it comes to car rental, the car places always want a credit card, but more importantly, in the US, when you book via a UK broker, you find you have LDW/full insurance with ZERO Excess, so in theory, the rental firms wont load/AUTH your card for any amount as there is no excess on your agreement.....

I understand some take a security deposit (I hired a Mustang through Alamo.co.uk, paid for 'GOLD' upgrade which includes tank of fuel and additional driver), and that security deposit in my case was $1 which was held against my Pre-Paid FairFX $ card......

Soooooooo, am wondering, unlike some Pre-paid credit cards, do the FairFX cards pass as credit cards, for car rental places...
ie: even if they decide to take/hold/Auth $300, and for example, you have $3000 loaded onto the card, then in theory, it should be plain sailing and everything should go smoothly ?!

Sorry for long way of wording this, am asking because despite hiring 4 cars in the US, using my FairFX $ & Visa Debit card in the past with Alamo and Dollar, next years rental will be with Hertz, and although full insurance/no excess will be the case again, i'm hoping there system would take my FairFX card as a security thing (would be fully loaded with cash anyway, happy to have $300 held/Auth on it!)
(and no, I cannot get a credit card, not even a High APR card either)

The short answer is No.

Prepaid cards have a specific numbering format, and Raised numbers or not, The are detected as prepaid cards.

Mxty

Hm, I know of a company that take prepaid cards but I believe its only within the UK but it might be worth a try? http://indigocarhire.co.uk/faq/car-hire-with-prepaid-cards/

The site says

Manchester Airport
Luton Airport
Birmingham Airport
Edinburgh Airport
Liverpool Airport
Heathrow Airport
Gatwick Airport

As for the US it doesnt mention it but goodluck

StuieUK34

its not a big issue as such, more curiosity....

Just puzzles me that if you have full insurance/no excess, etc etc and already pre-paid for fuel, then in theory the hire place shouldn't need to 'hold' any money, but even if they do, surely a pre-paid credit card works the same as a normal one (if a normal card is upto its limit, its about as useful as an empty pre-paid card!)

Only thing I worry about is: Paying £300 to Hertz.co.uk to hire a car with full insurance (car hire in Vegas), etc, only for them to turn round and say "we need a credit card, wont take debit or pre-paid or cash deposit", followed by "unless you produce a credit card, you cant take the car"
Which would then mean losing £300 and being without a car...

oh well best I use the wifes card!

cheers anyway

Mxty

Well make sure you phone because you can book online with a debit card/prepaid and turn up and get rejected.

I know for a fact or at least im 99% sure they don't accept prepaid cards or cash, im also pretty sure Hertz don't accept debit cards but I don't know that one for definate.

Be careful using your wifes card as she will need to be there with you, the card payments often need to be made in the same name as the driver. So she will have to be the main driver and you the additional driver which again may cost.

visidigi

Toe-Jam wrote: »

The short answer is No.

Prepaid cards have a specific numbering format, and Raised numbers or not, The are detected as prepaid cards.

Odd.


Three hotels had no problem holding an amount on my FairFX card, admittedly I have never rented a car with it, but I can't see how its any different if the money's there to reserve, the money is there to reserve, prepaid or not...

Moto2

Some reading

http://www.what-prepaid-card.co.uk/car-hire/Using-prepaid-card-hire-a-car.html

StuieUK34

as said, I used my FairFX $ card in Vegas for car rental with Alamo...
Had the 'Gold' package which meant fuel was pre-paid, so in theory, no reason to hold anything...
instead they did a $1 auth on it..... (on my fairFX card)

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.! guess i'll have to try my luck, or worst case, book in my wifes name on her CC (she gonna be with me!)

Mxty

She also needs to be eligible to hire the car and you need to be added as an additional driver