Enterprise Car Rental - Insurance

Wily_coyote

Afternoon all, 

I am told that to travel to Europe with a rental car I need to also pay for an European insurance. The small print says payment via credit cards. I don’t have credit cards, cannot this be paid by debit card? Is the credit card thing mandatory? Thank you. 

eskbanker

Wily_coyote said:

I am told that to travel to Europe with a rental car I need to also pay for an European insurance.

Just to be clear, are you talking about renting within Europe or travelling to Europe in a UK-rented car and needing add-on insurance for this?

Wily_coyote

it’s the latter. 

eDicky

You are told by whom, the hire firm? Have you checked if others have the same requirement? Do they allow the actual vehicle rental to be put on a debit card but not the additional insurance for continental Europe?

Bonhomie

Wily_coyote said:

Afternoon all, 

I am told that to travel to Europe with a rental car I need to also pay for an European insurance. The small print says payment via credit cards. I don’t have credit cards, cannot this be paid by debit card? Is the credit card thing mandatory? Thank you. 

Do you have a car in the U.K with motor insurance?

DullGreyGuy

Bonhomie said:

Wily_coyote said:

Afternoon all, 

I am told that to travel to Europe with a rental car I need to also pay for an European insurance. The small print says payment via credit cards. I don’t have credit cards, cannot this be paid by debit card? Is the credit card thing mandatory? Thank you. 

Do you have a car in the U.K with motor insurance?

Driving other cars doesn't cover hire cars. DoC also only covers third party risks and a hire car company isn't going to be comfortable giving you a car without own damage being covered.  

Some will allow a hire car to be added as a Temporary Additional Vehicle but not all, similarly most short term insurance companies won't touch hire cars. 

Wily_coyote said:

I don’t have credit cards, cannot this be paid by debit card? Is the credit card thing mandatory? Thank you. 

If its in the terms then they can choose to enforce that requirement or choose to turn a blind eye, if you dont want the risk you need to clarify before. 

I've in the past been told I need to use a credit card and most the time handed over a chargecard but occasionally a debit card and not had problems. However some have been told they must have an embossed credit card and when handing over a non-embossed card (as many are now) they are told it cannot be accepted and you have to pay for extra CDW

Bonhomie

DullGreyGuy said:

Bonhomie said:

Wily_coyote said:

Afternoon all, 

I am told that to travel to Europe with a rental car I need to also pay for an European insurance. The small print says payment via credit cards. I don’t have credit cards, cannot this be paid by debit card? Is the credit card thing mandatory? Thank you. 

Do you have a car in the U.K with motor insurance?

Driving other cars doesn't cover hire cars. DoC also only covers third party risks and a hire car company isn't going to be comfortable giving you a car without own damage being covered.  

Some will allow a hire car to be added as a Temporary Additional Vehicle but not all, similarly most short term insurance companies won't touch hire cars. 

Wily_coyote said:

I don’t have credit cards, cannot this be paid by debit card? Is the credit card thing mandatory? Thank you. 

If its in the terms then they can choose to enforce that requirement or choose to turn a blind eye, if you dont want the risk you need to clarify before. 

I've in the past been told I need to use a credit card and most the time handed over a chargecard but occasionally a debit card and not had problems. However some have been told they must have an embossed credit card and when handing over a non-embossed card (as many are now) they are told it cannot be accepted and you have to pay for extra CDW

Thanks but I was actually waiting for the OP to reply. They can buy a separate policy for the Europe. No need for a CC. trip. https://www.bettersafe.com/buy-car-hire-excess-insurance?policy-type-daily=on&travel-area-ww-incl-cdw-sli=on The issue may be that the company might want to block an amount on their credit card for their own peace of mind.

DullGreyGuy

Bonhomie said:

DullGreyGuy said:

Bonhomie said:

Wily_coyote said:

Afternoon all, 

I am told that to travel to Europe with a rental car I need to also pay for an European insurance. The small print says payment via credit cards. I don’t have credit cards, cannot this be paid by debit card? Is the credit card thing mandatory? Thank you. 

Do you have a car in the U.K with motor insurance?

Driving other cars doesn't cover hire cars. DoC also only covers third party risks and a hire car company isn't going to be comfortable giving you a car without own damage being covered.  

Some will allow a hire car to be added as a Temporary Additional Vehicle but not all, similarly most short term insurance companies won't touch hire cars. 

Wily_coyote said:

I don’t have credit cards, cannot this be paid by debit card? Is the credit card thing mandatory? Thank you. 

If its in the terms then they can choose to enforce that requirement or choose to turn a blind eye, if you dont want the risk you need to clarify before. 

I've in the past been told I need to use a credit card and most the time handed over a chargecard but occasionally a debit card and not had problems. However some have been told they must have an embossed credit card and when handing over a non-embossed card (as many are now) they are told it cannot be accepted and you have to pay for extra CDW

Thanks but I was actually waiting for the OP to reply. They can buy a separate policy for the Europe. No need for a CC. trip. https://www.bettersafe.com/buy-car-hire-excess-insurance?policy-type-daily=on&travel-area-ww-incl-cdw-sli=on The issue may be that the company might want to block an amount on their credit card for their own peace of mind.

Thats not insurance on the vehicle, that covers the excess for the insurance. 

Bonhomie

DullGreyGuy said:

Bonhomie said:

DullGreyGuy said:

Bonhomie said:

Wily_coyote said:

Afternoon all, 

I am told that to travel to Europe with a rental car I need to also pay for an European insurance. The small print says payment via credit cards. I don’t have credit cards, cannot this be paid by debit card? Is the credit card thing mandatory? Thank you. 

Do you have a car in the U.K with motor insurance?

Driving other cars doesn't cover hire cars. DoC also only covers third party risks and a hire car company isn't going to be comfortable giving you a car without own damage being covered.  

Some will allow a hire car to be added as a Temporary Additional Vehicle but not all, similarly most short term insurance companies won't touch hire cars. 

Wily_coyote said:

I don’t have credit cards, cannot this be paid by debit card? Is the credit card thing mandatory? Thank you. 

If its in the terms then they can choose to enforce that requirement or choose to turn a blind eye, if you dont want the risk you need to clarify before. 

I've in the past been told I need to use a credit card and most the time handed over a chargecard but occasionally a debit card and not had problems. However some have been told they must have an embossed credit card and when handing over a non-embossed card (as many are now) they are told it cannot be accepted and you have to pay for extra CDW

Thanks but I was actually waiting for the OP to reply. They can buy a separate policy for the Europe. No need for a CC. trip. https://www.bettersafe.com/buy-car-hire-excess-insurance?policy-type-daily=on&travel-area-ww-incl-cdw-sli=on The issue may be that the company might want to block an amount on their credit card for their own peace of mind.

Thats not insurance on the vehicle, that covers the excess for the insurance. 

Wrong. Read again. It includes CDW etc

DullGreyGuy

Bonhomie said:

DullGreyGuy said:

Bonhomie said:

DullGreyGuy said:

Bonhomie said:

Wily_coyote said:

Afternoon all, 

I am told that to travel to Europe with a rental car I need to also pay for an European insurance. The small print says payment via credit cards. I don’t have credit cards, cannot this be paid by debit card? Is the credit card thing mandatory? Thank you. 

Do you have a car in the U.K with motor insurance?

Driving other cars doesn't cover hire cars. DoC also only covers third party risks and a hire car company isn't going to be comfortable giving you a car without own damage being covered.  

Some will allow a hire car to be added as a Temporary Additional Vehicle but not all, similarly most short term insurance companies won't touch hire cars. 

Wily_coyote said:

I don’t have credit cards, cannot this be paid by debit card? Is the credit card thing mandatory? Thank you. 

If its in the terms then they can choose to enforce that requirement or choose to turn a blind eye, if you dont want the risk you need to clarify before. 

I've in the past been told I need to use a credit card and most the time handed over a chargecard but occasionally a debit card and not had problems. However some have been told they must have an embossed credit card and when handing over a non-embossed card (as many are now) they are told it cannot be accepted and you have to pay for extra CDW

Thanks but I was actually waiting for the OP to reply. They can buy a separate policy for the Europe. No need for a CC. trip. https://www.bettersafe.com/buy-car-hire-excess-insurance?policy-type-daily=on&travel-area-ww-incl-cdw-sli=on The issue may be that the company might want to block an amount on their credit card for their own peace of mind.

Thats not insurance on the vehicle, that covers the excess for the insurance. 

Wrong. Read again. It includes CDW etc

So you think if you get stopped by French police for driving without insurance a CDW cover is going to be acceptable? Does it give you a minimum of €1m of bodily injury and property damage per claimant as required by French law @Bonhomie if you think it does please give the page reference in the policy terms

Bonhomie

DullGreyGuy said:

Bonhomie said:

DullGreyGuy said:

Bonhomie said:

DullGreyGuy said:

Bonhomie said:

Wily_coyote said:

Afternoon all, 

I am told that to travel to Europe with a rental car I need to also pay for an European insurance. The small print says payment via credit cards. I don’t have credit cards, cannot this be paid by debit card? Is the credit card thing mandatory? Thank you. 

Do you have a car in the U.K with motor insurance?

Driving other cars doesn't cover hire cars. DoC also only covers third party risks and a hire car company isn't going to be comfortable giving you a car without own damage being covered.  

Some will allow a hire car to be added as a Temporary Additional Vehicle but not all, similarly most short term insurance companies won't touch hire cars. 

Wily_coyote said:

I don’t have credit cards, cannot this be paid by debit card? Is the credit card thing mandatory? Thank you. 

If its in the terms then they can choose to enforce that requirement or choose to turn a blind eye, if you dont want the risk you need to clarify before. 

I've in the past been told I need to use a credit card and most the time handed over a chargecard but occasionally a debit card and not had problems. However some have been told they must have an embossed credit card and when handing over a non-embossed card (as many are now) they are told it cannot be accepted and you have to pay for extra CDW

Thanks but I was actually waiting for the OP to reply. They can buy a separate policy for the Europe. No need for a CC. trip. https://www.bettersafe.com/buy-car-hire-excess-insurance?policy-type-daily=on&travel-area-ww-incl-cdw-sli=on The issue may be that the company might want to block an amount on their credit card for their own peace of mind.

Thats not insurance on the vehicle, that covers the excess for the insurance. 

Wrong. Read again. It includes CDW etc

So you think if you get stopped by French police for driving without insurance a CDW cover is going to be acceptable? Does it give you a minimum of €1m of bodily injury and property damage per claimant as required by French law @Bonhomie if you think it does please give the page reference in the policy terms

I can see that this is a service supplied by Enterprise and Europcar: https://www.enterprise.co.uk/en/car-hire/deals/EuropeanTravel.html and that part of their terms is to pay by CC. Their cars, their rules.