Car rental States without visa card

maryk123

Can you rent a car in the states without a Visa card. I have visa debit but don't have a Visa card and really don't want to get one

paulheu

Your VISA debit card will normally register as a credit card in the US. Should not be a problem but keep in mind that the rental company may put a charge on your card as a deposit which cancelled when the car is returned. Best would probably be to call the relevant company or book the car on-line so you know.

Ponster

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=84414658

Some places will, most don't. You may be able to find someone but you perhaps can't expect a good deal and pay with a debit card. The amount that they hold on your card could be many hundreds of dollars which could take some time to be 'refunded' after you return the car.

There isn't a fixed rule so you'll most likely have to do the work yourself and check out all the available companies in the state where you want to rent.

glassdaisies

It varies greatly upon the car rental company. It's really best if you have a credit card of some sort. Some rental companies will accept debit cards, however, they will charge you for the price of the rental PLUS any amount of a "deposit" that they deem necessary, like in the hundreds of dollars, which is refunded when you return the car in good condition. However, keep in mind that refunds can take up to a billing cycle to see back on your card.

Ponster

As well as that I've been to many hotels that don't accept guests without credit cards (even if you have bags of cash!). It's a way of life over there.

percy212

I think there was legislation passed to make discrimination on the basis of ownership of a credit card illegal. You shouldn't have any problem renting with a debit card. You will need to have money in your account though!

ProudDUB

percy212 wrote: »

I think there was legislation passed to make discrimination on the basis of ownership of a credit card illegal. You shouldn't have any problem renting with a debit card. You will need to have money in your account though!

Not true. He will have a lot of trouble from most of the companies. Most of them will only accept credit cards. I recently rented with Alamo and they did not take debit cards.

Some of them will accept debit cards if:

- you can provide proof of return travel
- you are ok with having them taking a large deposit, in addition to the entire cost of the rental
- you book thru a travel agent who include insurance with the rental.

The OP needs to contact the car rental companies directly to find out what their individual policies are. There is no 'no one size fits all' rule that applies to all of them.

percy212

Well I guess it depends where the OP is going. NY state does not allow discrimination based on credit card ownership - http://www.ag.ny.gov/consumer-frauds/car-rental-tip-sheet

ProudDUB

percy212 wrote: »

Well I guess it depends where the OP is going. NY state does not allow discrimination based on credit card ownership - http://www.ag.ny.gov/consumer-frauds/car-rental-tip-sheet

You left out this bit.

You do not have to have a credit card to rent a car in New York. However, if you do not have a credit card, the car rental company may require you to go through a screening process that can take up to several days.

What is the OP going to do for several days, while the car rental company is deciding to rent a car to him or not?

percy212

OP - enjoy your trip. Just plan ahead if you are using a debit card. Make some calls. You will find most companies happy to take your money.

InTheTrees

It may or may not be possible. If you plan on using a debit card you need to phone the (local) office you are renting from in the state you are renting in and check with them. I wouldnt rely on talking to some national call centre, there's 50 states and each one can have different regulations so check locally.

Its changing too I think. It used to be far easier to use debit cards.

coylemj

percy212 wrote: »

Well I guess it depends where the OP is going. NY state does not allow discrimination based on credit card ownership - http://www.ag.ny.gov/consumer-frauds/car-rental-tip-sheet

You also left out this bit which for most debit card holders is the killer punch ....

The company may require a cash security deposit as well

That's quite a website the NY State AG (Eric T. Schneiderman) has for his self-promotion, example paragraphs from his bio...

Eric has taken on the tough fights to protect New Yorkers – because he believes there has to be one set of rules for everyone, no matter how rich or powerful.

Eric knows that the deck is stacked against everyday New Yorkers who work hard and play by the rules. That's why he locked up corrupt politicians who ripped off taxpayers, prosecuted companies that gouged victims of hurricane Sandy, and took on the big banks that led us into recession.

http://www.ag.ny.gov/about-attorney-general

Clearly a man with political ambitions.

DM addict

OP, if you can get a credit card, it'll make things easier in the US. It'll be possible to manage without one, but plenty of places - car rental, hotels, etc - may take an extra cash deposit and refund it later.

This is not a problem if you've a lot of cash in your account, but it might be difficult if not.

Obviously depending on when you're going it might not be possible to get a credit card in time. I don't know if a prepaid credit card would be any good for car rental, perhaps someone else here might know?

dave2pvd

Plus many debit cards are far less secure than credit cards.

Tourists coming to the US are best advised to come with a credit card.

InTheTrees

DM addict wrote: »

I don't know if a prepaid credit card would be any good for car rental, perhaps someone else here might know?

If by "prepaid credit" card you mean a debit card with a visa or mastercard logo on it then no, that wont work any better then a debit card.

Technically the fact that its "prepaid" means its not credit.

DM addict

InTheTrees wrote: »

If by "prepaid credit" card you mean a debit card with a visa or mastercard logo on it then no, that wont work any better then a debit card.

Technically the fact that its "prepaid" means its not credit.

I know that, I was just wondering if places would be able to process it as a credit card and therefore avoid the whole deposit issue.

percy212

That has nothing to do with the OP. If you have something useful to add to the question at hand do so.

coylemj wrote: »

You also left out this bit which for most debit card holders is the killer punch ....

The company may require a cash security deposit as well

That's quite a website the NY State AG (Eric T. Schneiderman) has for his self-promotion, example paragraphs from his bio...

Eric has taken on the tough fights to protect New Yorkers – because he believes there has to be one set of rules for everyone, no matter how rich or powerful.

Eric knows that the deck is stacked against everyday New Yorkers who work hard and play by the rules. That's why he locked up corrupt politicians who ripped off taxpayers, prosecuted companies that gouged victims of hurricane Sandy, and took on the big banks that led us into recession.

http://www.ag.ny.gov/about-attorney-general

Clearly a man with political ambitions.

percy212

A useful suggestion DM and perhaps the OP can find out if its possible.

Other posters on this thread love poking holes and offering zero advice.

DM addict wrote: »

I know that, I was just wondering if places would be able to process it as a credit card and therefore avoid the whole deposit issue.

silja

**** OK ladies and gents, let's cool it here. If you have useful advice to offer in regards to the OP, please post constructively. If not, stay out of this thread. ****

InTheTrees

DM addict wrote: »

I know that, I was just wondering if places would be able to process it as a credit card and therefore avoid the whole deposit issue.

Ah. Possibly... but I think its the number on the card that gives it away as a debit card.

InTheTrees

percy212 wrote: »

A useful suggestion DM and perhaps the OP can find out if its possible.

Other posters on this thread love poking holes and offering zero advice.

The best thing to do to be absolutely sure is to phone the company and ask.

I've been refused when trying to rent a car and it really is frustrating. So check ahead of time.

coylemj

The reason why the car hire companies want a credit card is because with credit cards it's possible to ring-fence an amount of money without actually taking it out of the account. A vendor cannot do this with a debit card, you have to actually take the money out of the account as a debit.

Example: You check into a hotel, the hotel swipes your credit card and reserves a couple of hundred euros in case you do a runner or trash the room or empty the minibar. When you check out and pay your bill, that money is released and it will never appear on your credit card bill. The reason it works like this is because most people have a fair amount of unused credit on their credit card so the gap between your current balance and your credit limit provides an amount of headroom which vendors like hotels and car rental companies can use as protection.

That's why the NY State AG qualifies his advice to consumers by stating that if you do not have a credit card, the rental companies 'may require a cash security deposit'. In other words, they can discriminate against people who do not have a credit card.