Credit card for car hire

Dh6

Hi.

We intend to travel to Europe in the summer and need to hire a car. I’ve managed to do this in the past using only my debit card. We’ve just returned from Northern Ireland where I got caught out and they wouldn’t accept my debit card. I had to pay an extortionate amount in insurance before they would let me take the car.

I’ve never had a credit card in my life and would like some advice on which card to go for please. It would be used only to rent cars abroad and I won’t be using it for spending at home or abroad.

Any advice would be gratefully received.

DH

DullGreyGuy

If you aren't actually going to ever use it then there is no point aiming at something that gives rewards etc. Given the holding deposit on the XS can be high if you dont buy their insurance and your lack of experience with cards then probably your own bank has the highest chance of giving a suitable limit. 

These things are exceptionally personal though, the other day someone complained MBNA had given them a terrible limit when they think themselves an amazing risk. I however got a crazy high limit from them and whilst my history is clean I do have big mortgage, other 0% debts etc so in principle not as good a risk

njkmr

One thing that happened to me only a few weeks ago was the rental company at Spanish airport insisting on the credit card having my full name.
Now most of my cards that I do use just have an initial followed by my Surname.
Fortunately I had a Virgin Atlantic credit card that I had never used which actually had my full name on it.
( luckily my wife had the pin number hidden in her phone as she knows I don't remember these things.)
Something to bear in mind.

DullGreyGuy

njkmr said:

One thing that happened to me only a few weeks ago was the rental company at Spanish airport insisting on the credit card having my full name.
Now most of my cards that I do use just have an initial followed by my Surname.
Fortunately I had a Virgin Atlantic credit card that I had never used which actually had my full name on it.
( luckily my wife had the pin number hidden in her phone as she knows I don't remember these things.)
Something to bear in mind.

Some insist that the card are embossed too which rules out the VS card and a growing number of others. 

CliveOfIndia

Ideally you should probably try for one of the "travel cards", which don't impose an FX fee on non-sterling transactions.  However, if you have a limited credit history, you may find yourself restricted to a credit-builder type card.  Or else, try your own bank, as suggested by DullGreyGuy (the reason being is that, in the absence of much credit history, they can at least see how you've been conducting your finances with them for the last few years).

But even if you can't get a travel card, I don't suppose it'll really make that much difference if you're not planning on using it much.  If you're making quite a lot of transactions abroad over the course of a holiday then the fees can start to add up, but if just a single transaction for a car hire then it's probably neither here nor there.

One top tip - whatever card you use, don't let the retailer convert the cost to pounds for you.  Always pay in local currency and let your card do the conversion for you.  That way you'll get the prevailing Visa or Mastercard exchange rate, which is just about the best rate you're likely to be able to get.  If you let the retailer do the conversion, they'll usually use an exchange rate that works in their favour rather than yours.

inthezeroroom

If your car hire company won't take debit cards then go to one that will. Most if not all of the big players seem to.