Paying for rental car with debit card

[Rory607]

Can you book a rental car with a credit card, but pay at the desk with a debit card? I’m not debating why not to use a debit card. This pertains to a certain situation and I cannot get a clear answer through any of the rental websites. The car will be rented through an airport location. I don’t mind using the credit card to book, but I want to use the debit for payment.

 

[afan]

They'll put a hold on your bank account for the amount of the rental and it may include a deposit as well. I rented in palm springs last week and it had a $200 deposit so they had a hold for 489 including the cost.

I would say if you want to pay with a debit as a credit card, you're better off doing prepaid. You'll probably still have to provide a card at the counter for the deposit but unless you have tolls, don't fill the tank or have damage it's not going to post so this part could be on the cc.

As long as this is all the same person's cards/reservation I can't imagine it would be an issue as long as the debit is run as a credit card.

 

[Rory607]

They'll put a hold on your bank account for the amount of the rental and it may include a deposit as well. I rented in palm springs last week and it had a $200 deposit so they had a hold for 489 including the cost.

I would say if you want to pay with a debit as a credit card, you're better off doing prepaid. You'll probably still have to provide a card at the counter for the deposit but unless you have tolls, don't fill the tank or have damage it's not going to post so this part could be on the cc.

As long as this is all the same person's cards/reservation I can't imagine it would be an issue as long as the debit is run as a credit card.

Yes, I guess prepaid would probably be the best option. It would be fine to have the deposit hold on the cc. Thank you!

 

[gottalovepluto]

Yes, I guess prepaid would probably be the best option. It would be fine to have the deposit hold on the cc. Thank you!

Hold up- prepaid cards are ripe with fraud so know exactly what type you’re getting and how to attempt to buy one that isn’t drained before you get into your car- scammers are so good they can reseal packaging. Also, some places straight up do not accept them or only accept certain types so if it doesn’t work and you’re stuck with it, it can be annoying to drain.

You need your rental companies exact payment policy. As an example Enterprise states their policies for accepting debit cards & prepaid cards but they are quite different from credit cards and a debit or prepaid card alone is not enough link.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Can you book a rental car with a credit card, but pay at the desk with a debit card? I’m not debating why not to use a debit card. This pertains to a certain situation and I cannot get a clear answer through any of the rental websites. The car will be rented through an airport location. I don’t mind using the credit card to book, but I want to use the debit for payment.

Check with the car rental company for specifics.

Usually, IME, the card you use at the rental counter has to be the same as the one used to hold the rent or at least have the same name (and same name as person who initially rented car)

Also, check with your credit card. Often, if the card used to hold rental is not the same as the one presented at the counter, then insurance benefits may be cancelled.

That said, it is usually easy to cancel/rebook or modify your reservation before you arrive using the card you want to use at the counter.

 

[Rory607]

Hold up- prepaid cards are ripe with fraud so know exactly what type you’re getting and how to attempt to buy one that isn’t drained before you get into your car- scammers are so good they can reseal packaging. Also, some places straight up do not accept them or only accept certain types so if it doesn’t work and you’re stuck with it, it can be annoying to drain.

You need your rental companies exact payment policy. As an example Enterprise states their policies for accepting debit cards & prepaid cards but they are quite different from credit cards and a debit or prepaid card alone is not enough link.

I was meaning prepaid as in paying for the car at the time of booking. So use the debit card online to pay for the car ahead of time. Then, when picking up, use a credit card for the deposit, which would fall off.

 

[SweetPeasMom2]

I just had to rent our dd a car for a few days. We put it on the cc. Some of the places wouldn't accept debit cards. Some would but required a hold on funds.

When I made the reservation, it made me pay for the reservation. When she went to pick up the car, they also placed a $250 hold. I was confused on that since we paid in full and it was a cc and not a debit card.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I just had to rent our dd a car for a few days. We put it on the cc. Some of the places wouldn't accept debit cards. Some would but required a hold on funds.

When I made the reservation, it made me pay for the reservation. When she went to pick up the car, they also placed a $250 hold. I was confused on that since we paid in full and it was a cc and not a debit card.

The hold is for incidentals charges like gas, tolls, etc.

 

[msmayor]

I was meaning prepaid as in paying for the car at the time of booking. So use the debit card online to pay for the car ahead of time. Then, when picking up, use a credit card for the deposit, which would fall off.

IMO it is never a good idea to prepay for a rental car. You lose the ability to get a better rate is the biggest reason.

Prepaid rates only save you a few dollars. I book my rentals about 4-5 months out and then re-check every few weeks. If prices go down, I cancel the existing reservation and re-book under the lower rate. Doing this, I've seen my total rental cost drop by up to $120...way more than the $20-30 I'd save if I prepaid when I first booked the reservation 5 months earlier.

There's also the rarer situation where a particular agency has a problem with inventory. I recall a trip to Phoenix where the Avis counter was backed up with over 50 customers because they were struggling to get cars back and cleaned to be released. I overheard others in the line looking longingly over to the Budget counter where the line was much shorter, and moving. I had only pre-booked, not pre-paid...immediately cancelled my Avis reservation and booked a Budget as we walked over to the counter. Others were stuck, having already sunk a couple hundred dollars into their Avis reservation.

I'd keep the credit card on the reservation, avoid the hold on cash in your debit card account...and then just digitally pay that credit card bill with the debit card account at the end of the rental.

 

[walleyes]

In my experience they’ll let you reserve with credit, but at the counter they usually stick to whatever their deposit policy is (and debit holds can be huge), so I’d call the actual airport branch and ask before you risk it.