How to rent a car with a debit card
Renting a car with a debit card can feel like dancing the tango with a porcupine – it’s possible, but it comes with its fair share of prickly conditions. While most car rental agencies will happily accept your debit card when you return the vehicle, not all of them will let you drive away without a credit card on file. Renting a car with a debit card
But don’t fret, we’re here to guide you through the steps of this debit card dance.
The Debit Card Dance Partners Renting a car with a debit card
There are nine major car rental companies that are ready to take your debit card for a spin. These include Dollar, Enterprise, Budget, Hertz, Avis, Alamo, National, Sixt, and Thrifty. However, each of these partners has their own unique dance steps, so it’s important to familiarize yourself with their individual policies.
The Debit Card Dance Steps
- Dollar: Dollar Car Rental accepts debit cards from VISA, Mastercard, or Discover, but they might perform a credit check to assess your creditworthiness.
- Enterprise: Enterprise accepts debit cards at their U.S. airport locations, but only if you have a ticketed return travel itinerary.
- Budget: Budget accepts debit cards at most of their locations, but they might conduct a credit check or request a third form of identification.
- Hertz: Hertz requires a valid credit card at the time of rental, but they accept debit cards for payment upon returning the vehicle.
- Avis: Avis accepts bank debit cards bearing the Visa or Mastercard logo, but they usually conduct a credit check at the time of rental.
- Alamo: Alamo accepts debit cards with Visa, Mastercard, or Discover logos, but they require proof of a return ticket at airport locations.
- National: National Car Rental accepts debit cards with Visa, Mastercard, or Discover logos, but they require a ticketed return travel itinerary.
- Sixt: Sixt accepts debit card payments at certain locations depending on the vehicle and the renter’s residency status.
- Thrifty: Thrifty Car Rental accepts VISA, Mastercard, and Discover debit cards, but they perform a credit check for debit customers.
Renting a car with a debit card: Bottom line
It’s usually possible to find car rentals that accept debit cards for payment when you return the car. However, renters must sometimes present a credit card at the time of rental to drive the car off the lot.
While Skyscanner aims to keep this page as up-to-date as possible, we encourage you to visit the website of your prospective car rental company to verify the current policy before proceeding.
