National Car Rental @ MCO Question

[bfost87]

Hey folks,
I was just wondering if you knew how much of a hold or 'authorization' they put on your credit card at the National at MCO? I know some places are like rental price + 10% or $200 whichever is greater, etc etc. My rental is estimated at $70. Someone said before that they charge you for the rental up front and dont put a hold for any more, but I dont know if that could be right.

 

[tms295psu]

I have an enterprise reservation... the confirmation page says "Hold equal the the estimated rental plus 20%"...

I think Enterprise and National are owned by the same company now... maybe its similar?

 

[wdwrich]

If you don't find the answer on your reservation or on the National web site, just call them directly and ask.

 

[gmeh1]

I have an enterprise reservation... the confirmation page says "Hold equal the the estimated rental plus 20%"...

I think Enterprise and National are owned by the same company now... maybe its similar?

yes, Enterprise owns National, but, only Enterprise puts an additional hold on the reservation.

 

[gmeh1]

Hey folks,
I was just wondering if you knew how much of a hold or 'authorization' they put on your credit card at the National at MCO? I know some places are like rental price + 10% or $200 whichever is greater, etc etc. My rental is estimated at $70. Someone said before that they charge you for the rental up front and dont put a hold for any more, but I dont know if that could be right.

They charge your card when you leave the garage for the amount of the rental. If you incur more than the rental, IE: don't bring the car back full of gas, they will charge the card on file.

Alamo, puts a hold on the card for the amount of the rental only. It charges the card when you return the car.

Enterprise puts a hold on your account for the amount of the rental plus 20%.

Same company, different rules.

 

[cigar95]

I always rent from National, and haven't ever had them charge me until I returned the car. They will sometimes do pre-authorizations, but those are for small amounts.

Perhaps the holds relate to debit cards rather than credit cards. I can't comment there, as I never use one.

 

[Jcricket Fan]

National has done a $1.00 charge to verify our credit card and then we are billed for the rental amount when we return the car.

We have never been charged by National before we brought the car back and we have rented many times with them @ MCO.

I checked our credit card while we were at Disney, just to see as this question has come up before, and there was no rental charge listed and no full charge pending. The only notation regarding National was for the $1.00 verification of the card.

 

[bfost87]

They charge your card when you leave the garage for the amount of the rental. If you incur more than the rental, IE: don't bring the car back full of gas, they will charge the card on file.

Alamo, puts a hold on the card for the amount of the rental only. It charges the card when you return the car.

Enterprise puts a hold on your account for the amount of the rental plus 20%.

Same company, different rules.

Excellent, thanks much. I used to work for Enterprise, so Im only accustomed to taking a min of 200 deposit This is a nice way of doing it though.

 

[bumbershoot]

I always rent from National, and haven't ever had them charge me until I returned the car.

Same experience. I never see a hint of a charge until a day or two after I return the car. And since most of our rentals are for upwards of 2 weeks, it's pretty clear that we aren't being charged until after the car is returned.

Since National is *spectacular* about being easy about extending rentals, I figure doing it that way just makes it easier on them. No recharging (unless you've lost your CC in the meantime and need to switch methods of payment for the extension, as happened to us), just a higher charge at the end. Easy peasy.

 

[gmeh1]

Same experience. I never see a hint of a charge until a day or two after I return the car. And since most of our rentals are for upwards of 2 weeks, it's pretty clear that we aren't being charged until after the car is returned.

Since National is *spectacular* about being easy about extending rentals, I figure doing it that way just makes it easier on them. No recharging (unless you've lost your CC in the meantime and need to switch methods of payment for the extension, as happened to us), just a higher charge at the end. Easy peasy.

I am going to double check on this, but, from the times I did National rentals it always said, at the bottom of the printed contract, that the cards charged were (name the card and the last 4 digits). It would also have a second line if something was added at the exit booth, like prepaid gas, or gps.

 

[bfost87]

Just a heads up for everyone who says that there is nothing appearing on their credit card statement or anything.

A pre-authorization or 'hold', will put a hold on your card, so that they can ensure that you have enough funds on your card to pay for the car and any incidentals, but it will neverrrrrr everrrrr appear on your credit card statement, ebcause its not a charge. So just because it doesnt appear on your credit card statement, doesnt mean they arent putting a hold on your card.

 

[TandEsMommy]

Just a heads up for everyone who says that there is nothing appearing on their credit card statement or anything.

A pre-authorization or 'hold', will put a hold on your card, so that they can ensure that you have enough funds on your card to pay for the car and any incidentals, but it will neverrrrrr everrrrr appear on your credit card statement, ebcause its not a charge. So just because it doesnt appear on your credit card statement, doesnt mean they arent putting a hold on your card.

This is true for the actual billing statement; however, with all the real-time banking available now, it is very easy to see even pending charges. I am able to make a charge on my cc, walk out of the store and pull up my charge account online. I can immediately see my last statement balance, my current balance, my current available credit, posted transactions, and pending transactions.

The pending transaction amount will not show up on my last statement balance nor on my current balance, but it will be subtracted from my current available credit and will show under my most recent transactions as "pending."

When I rent from Budget, the full amount of the rental and a small % are immediately charged to my card, but the charge remains "pending." When I return the car, I get a receipt reflecting the actual amount of the charge. The initial pending charge remains for a few days; then, it is "magically" adjusted and the amount on my receipt is reflected as a posted transaction.

With National, it appears that they simply place a $1 authorization on your card, and then adjust that authorization up instead of down when you return the car.

Sixt, who is relatively new to the Orlando/US market, places a hold of 2x the amount of your rental upon pickup at MCO. Their conditions state they may place a hold of up to 3x the full amount. If you have a $300 rental, this can eat up a large chunk of your vacation budget if you plan on using your debit card. Their hold amount is not based on method of payment, just an across the board charge.

 

[bumbershoot]

I am going to double check on this, but, from the times I did National rentals it always said, at the bottom of the printed contract, that the cards charged were (name the card and the last 4 digits). It would also have a second line if something was added at the exit booth, like prepaid gas, or gps.

Oh I don't doubt that the procedures are what you say they are. But to the consumer, it's appearing to be different. It's not that I doubt what you say, but what ends up happening is different from the procedures.

Just a heads up for everyone who says that there is nothing appearing on their credit card statement or anything.

A pre-authorization or 'hold', will put a hold on your card, so that they can ensure that you have enough funds on your card to pay for the car and any incidentals, but it will neverrrrrr everrrrr appear on your credit card statement, ebcause its not a charge. So just because it doesnt appear on your credit card statement, doesnt mean they arent putting a hold on your card.

Not talking about the statement.

There is no amount taken from my Available Credit, there is nothing that shows up on line, there is nothing happening to affect me in any way.

And what's what these questions are about. Is there going to be a hold that takes away my available credit? And worse, will there be a hold, then a charge, with the hold then being dropped? Because I'm sure many of us have experienced a hold that becomes what appears to be a double-charge from companies, where the hold doesn't just switch to the charge but is separate from the charge.

And some companies aren't great about releasing that hold. I had a friend deal with that at a Disneyland resort...she was nicely compensated for not releasing that hold, which was nice, but it was a financial nightmare with overdrafts galore at the time.

So if it's not appearing to us, if it's not affecting us, then it doesn't matter what's going on in the background, and that's why I, for one, answer the way I do.



Related to talking about weird "hold" situations...for about a year, after wamu was obliterated by Chase, if I used my debit card at certain places, it would show up as the hold for x amount. Would stay that way for days, just pending (and taking my available balance down). Then it would disappear entirely for upwards of 3 days, making my available balance go up. Then it would reappear, along with the tip amount, as a full charge (that part never pended). It was SO annoying. Chase couldn't ever explain it and neither could the merchant. about a year after the switch, it stopped happening.

 

[gmeh1]

Oh I don't doubt that the procedures are what you say they are. But to the consumer, it's appearing to be different. It's not that I doubt what you say, but what ends up happening is different from the procedures.



Not talking about the statement.

There is no amount taken from my Available Credit, there is nothing that shows up on line, there is nothing happening to affect me in any way.

And what's what these questions are about. Is there going to be a hold that takes away my available credit? And worse, will there be a hold, then a charge, with the hold then being dropped? Because I'm sure many of us have experienced a hold that becomes what appears to be a double-charge from companies, where the hold doesn't just switch to the charge but is separate from the charge.

And some companies aren't great about releasing that hold. I had a friend deal with that at a Disneyland resort...she was nicely compensated for not releasing that hold, which was nice, but it was a financial nightmare with overdrafts galore at the time.

So if it's not appearing to us, if it's not affecting us, then it doesn't matter what's going on in the background, and that's why I, for one, answer the way I do.



Related to talking about weird "hold" situations...for about a year, after wamu was obliterated by Chase, if I used my debit card at certain places, it would show up as the hold for x amount. Would stay that way for days, just pending (and taking my available balance down). Then it would disappear entirely for upwards of 3 days, making my available balance go up. Then it would reappear, along with the tip amount, as a full charge (that part never pended). It was SO annoying. Chase couldn't ever explain it and neither could the merchant. about a year after the switch, it stopped happening.

Have not had a chance ot check stuff out, .....yet, but, I willl. If I am wrong, I most surely will admit it, I have been wrong before

Regarding Chase, that stuff still happens to me.....still, but, mostly with restaurants. Gas stations, usually hold 1.00 for a couple of days before the charge shows up. NBD, cause I just add the tip to the amount on hold and I am good to go and the same with gas, just know how much I have charged.

UPDATE: Just checked on this. I was incorrect about National. However, both National and Alamo do put a hold on the credit card for the full amount of the rental. FL residents do have an additional amount held. I do remember getting authorizations for the credit cards when I was in the exit booth for Alamo. In fact, now and then I would get a decline. I rarely did National checkouts, but, do recall the info being on the bottom of the print out, stating what card was used (last 4 digits). Now, the fact that it does not show up on your credit card statement or available balance does not mean there is not a hold. FL residents renting in FL from Alamo have the amount of the rental plus 250.00 held. Phew, sure am glad that was straightened out.

 

[gmeh1]

Same experience. I never see a hint of a charge until a day or two after I return the car. And since most of our rentals are for upwards of 2 weeks, it's pretty clear that we aren't being charged until after the car is returned.

Since National is *spectacular* about being easy about extending rentals, I figure doing it that way just makes it easier on them. No recharging (unless you've lost your CC in the meantime and need to switch methods of payment for the extension, as happened to us), just a higher charge at the end. Easy peasy.

Your credit card is on file with National, so, of course it is "easy peasy" to extend, same with Alamo. It does, however, require another transaction hold to your card.