Car Rental Tips
Payment information
Some Rental Companies only accept major CREDIT CARDS and DO NOT accept DEBIT CARDS. Don’t be fooled by the credit card logo on your debit or checking card. Although, you can probably use a debit card or cash to pay for the rental on return, you may not be able to use them to pick up the car. Check with the reservation center or company web site to verify that you’ll have an acceptable form of payment to secure the vehicle on pick up.
Be advised that the name on the credit card you present must be in the renter’s name.
If you plan on booking with a travel voucher, verify the procedures directly with the Rental Company. The voucher may not include taxes or additional fees. Make sure you understand exactly what the voucher will cover. You may also be required to present that voucher to pick up the car.
If I don’t have a credit card, can I rent a car by leaving a cash deposit?
Very few Rental Companies accept a cash deposit for a rental car. The ones that do are much more likely to be a small local operator than a large national chain.
Some national chains do have a program to put you on their own internal charge card or they may pre-approve you for cash rentals, but these can take time. These programs need to be worked out and approved in advance of your reservation.
Cash rentals usually have special requirements above and beyond the Rental Company’s normal requirements, so you will need to check with each individual location so that you see if you can qualify under their cash rental program.
If you do need to leave a cash deposit, find out when the remaining positive balance will be returned to you after you return the car. Don’t count on the deposit to get you home. Many companies cannot return the deposit immediately and will only return the deposit by check through the mail.
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