Car hire without credit card

katiek102010 · 04-01-2019 12:56pm #1

I need to go to the UK in a few weeks and booked car hire through Ryan Air at time of booking flights.

I got an email through after saying unless we have a credit card we can’t pick up the car.

We went online last night and applied for one with our bank and it got refused. Can’t understand why as the only credit we have is car insurance and mobile phones and they are 100% perfect. Never missed a payment

Having the car over there is essential

What on earth will we do and why on earth would the card be refused

hanaimai · 04-01-2019 8:07pm

I know when you rent a car here they ask for a credit card but it's only purpose is to put a hold on for the excess (was 1500e in the last place I rented) while you have the car rented. If you pay the excess waiver (it was 18e I think for me) then they don't need a credit card. No idea if it's the same in the UK or not, but you could try asking?

Rows Grower · 04-01-2019 8:25pm

katiek102010 wrote: »

I need to go to the UK in a few weeks and booked car hire through Ryan Air at time of booking flights.

I got an email through after saying unless we have a credit card we can’t pick up the car.

We went online last night and applied for one with our bank and it got refused. Can’t understand why as the only credit we have is car insurance and mobile phones and they are 100% perfect. Never missed a payment

Having the car over there is essential

What on earth will we do and why on earth would the card be refused

Check out Indigo car hire, they will arrange a car for you through one of the big rental companies if you have a debit card.

They will block about 1,000 euro on your card until you return the car but they are grand to deal with and don't charge you extra because you don't have a credit card.

katiek102010 · 04-01-2019 9:11pm

Thanks everyone, borrowing a car from family over. They are putting me on their insurance for the few days x

coylemj · 05-01-2019 1:12am

Rows Grower wrote: »

Check out Indigo car hire, they will arrange a car for you through one of the big rental companies if you have a debit card.

They will block about 1,000 euro on your card until you return the car but they are grand to deal with and don't charge you extra because you don't have a credit card.

I don't think anyone can 'block' money on a debit card in the way that they can with a credit card. The only way a rental company can protect themselves in case you damage the car is to withdraw (debit) the full amount from the card and keep the money hostage until you return the car undamaged.

But even if you have a debit card allied to a current account with the required credit balance, a lot of rental companies will not deal with you unless you have a credit card.

Rows Grower · 05-01-2019 10:30am

coylemj wrote: »

I don't think anyone can 'block' money on a debit card in the way that they can with a credit card. The only way a rental company can protect themselves in case you damage the car is to withdraw (debit) the full amount from the card and keep the money hostage until you return the car undamaged.

But even if you have a debit card allied to a current account with the required credit balance, a lot of rental companies will not deal with you unless you have a credit card.

Ok maybe I worded that wrong so.

I've used Indigo twice before I got a credit card, and four times since. Each time they arranged everything after I gave them the okay to "block" I think it was 900 euro on my debit card.

The first time I collected the car from Avis at the airport.

The second time I was waiting on the PIN of the credit card to be delivered and had to use them again at very short notice, again it was no hassle booking using my debit card and this time the car was from Eurocar.

I can't remember exactly how long it took to "unblock" my deposit but it was certainly no more than two days after returning the car.

The first time I used them I was charged "an airport surcharge" of 30.05 euro by Avis which I got refunded after contacting Avis directly and explaining it was not included in the quote I got from Indigo and the quote they had given me was a "total cost you pay" quote.

The second time I booked them they were actually cheaper than anything I could have booked online if I did have the credit card PIN.

They are a UK husband and wife company that from my experience give great hassle free service, they specialize in dealing with people who do not have credit cards.