Alamo and payment question?

[sharpes84]

I have a vehicle reserved for next week.Alamo.
I reserved the car in my name,I am 38.My issue is I just realized,our credit cards are in my wife's name.I do NOt use them .I/we have a debit card in both our names.
What is the best way to avoid an issue at the airport picking up the car?

Do I pay with debit card and leave the reservation in my name?What type of "hold"do they do on a debit card since I will be using on trip and do not want to be jammed up with no access to my money?

Do I switch the reservation to her name?So she can use her credit card and I would be the additional driver?By Modifying this will the rate change or can you do this easily modifying under a reservation?

Or can I rent car in my name and use her credit card to pay?

anyone have a solution or been in this scenerio?

 

[stevepete]

We just paid with a debt card at Alamo last month. You will need proof of your return flight, we flew SW and just had the print out of our reservation. I actually called and asked about paying with a debt card, what I was told was that they put a hold for the amount of the car only and after we returned it, they would deduct it from our bank account. This is exactly what they did. You can pay with another form of payment, cash, cc, upon return too.

As long as you have a return flight booked and have proof, I would leave it.

 

[sharpes84]

a]what do I give as proof that is acceptable to show the return flight?
b] what type of hold are we talking about?If i have 1,000.00 in the bank will that cover it?Or is the "hold" ridiculous?

 

[sharpes84]

your reply is great!!...so my car is 391.00...so that is the only "hold" they do on my debit card?

so I should make sure ,which I would have anyway,the reservation to and from Orlando...

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

BEWARE.. There is a sneaky trick that rental car companies don't tell you when using a debit card. They will pull a credit report on you! When you show your drivers license they use the SS number and run a check to see if you are credit worthy since you are not using a credit card.
They can all so put a hold on up to $250 on your bank acct as a security deposit until you return the car. So if you are one who has a limited amount of money in your acct and need to rely on the ability to use that money while on vacation you might want to think twice about using a debit cards.

 

[sharpes84]

how do they run a credit check without me giving my ss#?
I always use the kiosk...how do they run a credit check?

 

[mmmgood]

BEWARE.. There is a sneaky trick that rental car companies don't tell you when using a debit card. They will pull a credit report on you! When you show your drivers license they use the SS number and run a check to see if you are credit worthy since you are not using a credit card.
They can all so put a hold on up to $250 on your bank acct as a security deposit until you return the car. So if you are one who has a limited amount of money in your acct and need to rely on the ability to use that money while on vacation you might want to think twice about using a debit cards.

That is the policy of Dollar/Thrifty and it is clearly listed in their terms and conditions of rental. Alamo and National do not run a credit check on debit card usage. Policies of other rental agencies vary, I suggest checking t&c's prior to rental if using a debit card.

 

[francie57]

If you are both at the airport why can't you just use the credit card with your wife's name on it. We do it all the time. We put the car in my husband's name but the credit card is in my name and we have never had a problem. As long as you aren't trying to use the card without her being present just have her sign the charge slip.

 

[sharpes84]

I have no issue doing it that way.I would use the card in her name...but rent the car..We are both there and have id...
just dont want to get past the kiosk then load up and at the gate they deny us for something I can do easily ahead of time

 

[FLBound11]

Everyone has their own preferences regarding credit or debit cards, and I completely respect that

But when I am renting a car, I only use a credit card...and not a debit card. 3 main reasons:

--I don't feel like having the rental car company having direct access to my checking acct. They make mistakes (naturally, as humans/computers do), and I've heard of several people who have accidentally had twice the deposit accidentally withdrawn, among other issues.

--When I rent a car with a credit card, I have the ability to dispute charges if necessary (once they tried to charge me for a paint chip that I didn't cause...my CC company handled it and negotiated w/ the rental car co. so that I wasn't charged at all).

--*most* credit cards come with secondary rental car insurance coverage. At least in my case, that provides a safety net along w/ my regular car insurance (this varies of course depending on the card). But a debit card comes with zero rental car insurance.

So I'd say rent with your wife's credit card...just make sure to sign up for the free Alamo frequent renter program...if you're a member, they won't charge you to add your spouse as an add'l driver (normally a ~$10 fee).

btw, this NY Times article on car rentals is a good read if you ever rent cars: http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/06/04/travel/04prac.html

 

[jlewisinsyr]

BEWARE.. There is a sneaky trick that rental car companies don't tell you when using a debit card. They will pull a credit report on you! When you show your drivers license they use the SS number and run a check to see if you are credit worthy since you are not using a credit card.

Just a note, a drivers license doesn't have a social security number on it, it would be against privacy policies. You may be requested to provide a social security number for a credit check to be performed, but this information is not on your drivers license.

 

[sharpes84]

I have the reservation but how do I modify to add her as a driver.I am a member of the frequent traveler program...If I cancel and rebook I am afraid to lose the rate of 390.00 full size for 12 days...suggestions?

 

[sharpes84]

I have the reservation but how do I modify to add her as a driver.I am a member of the frequent traveler program...If I cancel and rebook I am afraid to lose the rate of 390.00 full size for 12 days...suggestions?

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Although you opt not to have your SS# printed on the license that little magnetic strip on your drivers license does indeed have your SS# on it. So once you swipe at the kiosk or they swipe your license they capture your SS#.

how do they run a credit check without me giving my ss#?
I always use the kiosk...how do they run a credit check?

 

[mzlee]

Although you opt not to have your SS# printed on the license that little magnetic strip on your drivers license does indeed have your SS# on it. So once you swipe at the kiosk or they swipe your license they capture your SS#.

I have rented with Alamo numerous times and have not had to swipe my license at the kiosk. Maybe because I belong to their *********** program and my license info is already stored.

 

[FLBound11]

I have rented with Alamo numerous times and have not had to swipe my license at the kiosk. Maybe because I belong to their program and my license info is already stored.

The reason why they aren't running a credit check on you is b/c you're probably paying with a credit card.

They should only need to run a credit check if you are renting a car with cash/debit card.

 

[disneyeveryyear]

When we rent cars, it is my DH's name on the reservation, and I frequently use my credit card to pay, and there is no problem. Maybe you should both be present at the time, but it shouldn't cause any difficulty.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

Actually, in most states that is not the case.

Although you opt not to have your SS# printed on the license that little magnetic strip on your drivers license does indeed have your SS# on it. So once you swipe at the kiosk or they swipe your license they capture your SS#.

 

[MegB]

I'm not an insider when it comes to car rentals or how various state licenses work, but I always use Alamo when at WDW and here is something I learned during April vacation.

I rented my car in advance online. Got to the airport and used the Kiosk to avoid those pesky salespeople. When I scanned my license it kicked it back to me as invalid and so I wasn't able to get my car. Why? Because my Massachusetts license had expired in early April and I didn't realize it because Mass had just recently started to NOT send reminders to renew via mail. So the expiration date came and went and I didn't realize it. But the Alamo scanner was able to read that info off of my license and knew that my license was no longer valid, so they wouldn't rent me a car.

Needless to say, had I any idea that it had expired I never would have let that happen, but it was a pain in the neck when I found out. Fortunately, we were travelling with my mom on a business trip, so she let me have her car (yup - drove it without a license - and she travelled with her coworkers). So it worked out okay. But I was stunned when the kiosk was able to get that info from my license. Big brother and all that....LOL.

 

[kaytieeldr]

BEWARE.. There is a sneaky trick that rental car companies don't tell you when using a debit card. They will pull a credit report on you! When you show your drivers license they use the SS number and run a check to see if you are credit worthy since you are not using a credit card.

Although you opt not to have your SS# printed on the license that little magnetic strip on your drivers license does indeed have your SS# on it. So once you swipe at the kiosk or they swipe your license they capture your SS#.

I've never had to 'swipe' my driver's license at a kiosk. No counter agent has ever swiped my license. Credit card, sure - but not my license. My license doesn't have my social security number, and there's no reason for it to be coded into the magnetic strip. My/anyone's SS# is for tax reporting purposes only. Yes, it's a unique identifier - but so is my DL number, according to my state.

Anyway. As stated above, Alamo/National does NOT run a credit check on the renter. If they hold X dollars against my debit card, I've never known. On the other hand, I never use a card that doesn't have enough money in the account to cover any such hold.

I have rented with Alamo numerous times and have not had to swipe my license at the kiosk. Maybe because I belong to their *********** program and my license info is already stored.

No, I don't think so. I'm not a QS member, so my information isn't stored anywhere - and even if I were a member, Alamo wouldn't have my social security number.