??? About Cobalt

[Lissete]

I just got a van through Priceline with my credit card but my husband as the driver. All our credit cards are under my name. Does anyone know if they accept the Cobalt card at car rental counters?? Need to know so that I can get one for him ASAP.


Lissete

Mom23K's, Katrina, Karilyn & my angel Kristyn

DVC 1995

 

[TravelSheryl]

The Cobalt card is a debit card.

From Priceline's bid confirmation page that you initialed:

"The driver will need to present a valid driver’s license and credit card in their name as a security deposit and to cover any optional charges such as coverages, child seats, additional drivers and gasoline. Child seat availability is at the discretion of each car rental company, and cannot be guaranteed by priceline.com.
Note: Even if you've reserved your priceline rental using a debit or check card, the driver must show a valid credit card with $100 of available credit at the rental counter. Click here for details"

 

[Lissete]

Thank You for your response Travelsheryl. I did read that section that I initialed. But Cobalt also says that they are not a debit card and it does not say debit card, check card, etc. on the card. So I was wondering if anyone has been able to use it at a rental agency.


Lissete

Mom23K's, Katrina, Karilyn & my angel Kristyn

DVC 1995

 

[GrumpyOne]

The cobalt card is a secured card from AmEx. You deposit money into the card account and then charge against the balance. Their web site states that it is not a credit card. Look in the general FAQ, line 16.

You'll need to call the rental agency to find out if they take it. It's from Amex (in conjuction with Zowie, which raises red flags) but the highly variable limit may be something the agencies don't want to deal with.

At the very least, you would need to find out how much they need to reserve and have the much in the account.

 

[TravelSheryl]

27. Can I use my Cobaltcard to reserve hotel rooms and car rentals?

Yes, you should be able to reserve cars and hotels at travel sites such as Travelocity.com. However, you will need a valid personal credit card when you actually check in. Hotels and car rental companies often authorize an amount greater than the "up-front" cost of the services (# days times the rate per day) to allow for taxes or because you might stay longer or use room service. That authorization freezes funds on your Card for a few days and would therefore create an inconvenience. For car rentals, some car rental companies require that customers have a credit card to rent a car, so you should also bring a credit card with you.

http://www.cobaltcard.com/whycobaltcard/generalfaq.html#1