How to Rent a Car Without a Credit Card

John S Kiernan, Managing EditorDec 20, 2022

John S Kiernan, Managing Editor
Dec 20, 2022

Yes, you can typically use a debit card, a prepaid card or even cash to rent a car. However, each rental company has its own rules about acceptable payment options – which often vary by location – and not paying by credit card often carries certain ramifications.

For more on which particular payment methods you can use with each rental company as well as a breakdown of their policies and potential pitfalls you may encounter, continue reading below.

Table of Contents

Payment Options by Car Rental Company

Specific policies differ based on the rental company you use. For your convenience, we have included below the details of the policies held by the 10 largest rental companies in the U.S.:

Accepts Credit Cards?	Accepts Debit Cards?	Accepts Prepaid Cards?	Accepts Cash?	Accepts Personal Checks?	Accepts Money Orders?
YES	Varies	NO	Varies	NO	NO
YES	YES	Return Only	Return Only	NO	NO
YES	YES	NO	Varies	NO	NO
YES	YES*	YES	Return Only	Return Only	NO
YES	YES*	Varies	Varies	NO	Varies
YES	YES*	Return Only	YES	NO	NO
YES	YES	Return Only	YES	Corporate Locations	YES
YES	YES	Return Only	Varies	NO	Varies
YES	YES	Return Only	Return Only	NO	NO
YES	Varies	Varies	Varies	NO	NO

*According to the Avis website, debit cards may not be used at locations in Canada or the “Metropolitan NY Tri-State area, Hartford, CT, Philadelphia area, Mississippi or Louisiana locations as well as other locations across the country.”

Tips for Renting a Car Without a Credit Card

Expect to Place a Security Deposit

The reason a credit card is the preferred method of reserving a rental car, and cash is not sufficient, is that the rental companies require a form of payment on which they can place a hold for the cost of the rental, plus $100 - $300 to cover incidentals. They do this in order to protect the company in case a customer absconds with or damages one of their rental cars.With that being said, each rental company has its own rules in terms of acceptable payment options, and not paying by credit card often requires a security deposit of some form as well.

Debit Holds are More Restrictive

A hold on your credit card generally is less worrisome than a hold on your debit card unless you’re near your credit limit. That’s because a hold on your debit card is placed on your actual money, not just a portion of your credit line that you may never use. Still, you’ll have less disposable funds until you’ve settled your bill or the hold has been released either way.

No Credit, Limited Car Choices

Paying with a debit card can limit your car choices. Because renting a car to a customer without a credit card can be risky for the company, they might not allow such customers to rent pricier cars.

Credit Check for the Credit-less

Many car rental companies make it a policy to check the credit of customers who do not pay by credit card, as this enables them to evaluate the trustworthiness of customers who may have less readily available collateral to put down.

Longer Hold

If you reserve a car with your credit card but settle the final bill with a different card or other form of payment, the hold will remain on the initial card you used for up to 15 days because the card issuer won’t know the transaction has been finalized. Always try to pay with the same card.

You Can Switch Payment Methods at Checkout

Rental companies accept far more different types of payment at checkout after you’ve returned your vehicle than they do at the time of your rental. That means you can put down a credit card as collateral when you rent your vehicle and then use a debit or prepaid card, for example, to pay later on. The one thing to note is that this might result in the hold remaining on your credit card for up to 15 days if the rental agent forgets to remove it from the original form of payment.

How to Rent a Car With Bad Credit

Given the importance of credit cards to the car rental process – they’re the only form of payment rental company are guaranteed to accept, no questions asked – it’s fair to wonder how people who do not have a credit card due to bad credit get along. Or, what if your credit limit is too low to cover the rental company’s hold, again as a result of your bad credit?
You could, of course, scour rental company policies and figure out an alternative form of payment. But the best course of action is to apply for a secured card.

Secured credit cards work just like regular credit cards and are reported to the three major credit bureaus. What separates them from regular credit cards is that they require a security deposit – usually starting at around $200. By placing a big enough security deposit to cover the cost of a rental, plus the added incidental charges that rental companies factor into the holds they place on customers cards, you’ll garner the ability to rent a car without a problem.

The best part is that secured cards put the power in your hands. They offer effectively guaranteed approval and enable you to control your credit line based on the size of your deposit, so all you have to do is decide to apply and how much to put down. Plus, you won’t be at risk of overspending with this type of card.

For more information about secured credit cards, check out WalletHub’s Secured Card Guide.

Detailed Policies By Rental Company

As you might expect from car rental companies, there are a variety of caveats and exceptions that impact the policies enumerated in the payment method acceptance table above. So, in the interest of providing you with the complete story and helping you avoid any unnecessary surprises, we have included detailed information about each company’s policies below.

This data is as complete as we could make it, although certain issuers were not forthcoming about their policies and there was, in many cases, inadequate information available online.

	Credit Cards	Accepts Debit Cards?	Accepts Prepaid Cards?	Accepts Cash?	Accepts Personal Checks?	Accepts Money Orders?

Accepted at Rental:	YES	Varies by Location	NO	Varies by Location	NO	NO
Accepted at Return:	YES	Varies by Location	NO	Varies by Location	NO	NO
Hold:	Varies by Location	Varies by Location	N/A	Varies by Location	N/A	N/A
Credit Check:	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Additional Info:	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Accepted at Return:	YES	YES (no Amex)	YES	YES	NO	NO
Hold:	Rental Estimate + $200	Rental Estimate + $350	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Credit Check:	N/A	YES	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Additional Info:	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Accepted at Return:	YES	YES (no Amex)	NO	YES (policy varies by location and renter subject to cash qualification process*)	NO	NO
Hold:	Varies by Location	Varies by Location	N/A	Rental Estimate + up to $500	N/A	N/A
Credit Check:	N/A	Only at certain neighborhood locations.	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Additional Info:	Not required at rental in NY but renter subject to cash qualification process* w/o credit card. Required for specialty vehicles at certain locations.	N/A	N/A	May limit vehicle selection.	N/A	N/A

Accepted at Return:	YES	Yes, at Certain Locations (Visa/MC)	YES	YES	YES	NO
Hold:	Greater of Rental Estimate or $200	Rental Estimate + $200	Varies By Location	N/A	N/A	N/A
Credit Check:	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Additional Info:	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Accepted at Return:	YES	YES, at Certain Locations	YES	YES, at Certain Locations	NO	YES, at Certain Locations
Hold:	Greater of Rental Estimate or $200	Varies By Location	Varies By Location	Rental Estimate + $100 - $300	N/A	Rental Estimate + $100 - $300
Credit Check:	N/A	Only at Certain Neighborhood Locations	Varies By Location	N/A	N/A	N/A
Additional Info:	Virtual/Single-Use Cards Not Accepted	Can Reserve Online, But Credit Card Must be Provided at Pick-up.	Can Reserve Online, But Credit Card Must be Provided at Pick-up.	N/A	N/A	N/A

Accepted at Rental:	YES	YES, at Certain Locations (No Amex)	NO	YES (must be an international traveler and renter subject to cash qualification process*)	NO	NO
Accepted at Return:	YES	YES, at Certain Locations (No Amex)	YES (Visa/MC)	YES	NO	NO
Hold:	Varies By Location (typically rental estimate + additional amount)	Rental Estimate + $150 (varies by location)	N/A	Rental Estimate + $250	N/A	N/A
Credit Check:	N/A	YES	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Additional Info:	“Key Ring” Cards Not Accepted	Not Accepted for Specialty Vehicles	Can Reserve Online, But Credit Card Must be Provided at Pick-up.	Not Accepted in Phoenix or Oakland. Not Accepted for Specialty Vehicles.	N/A	N/A

Accepted at Rental:	YES	YES (Visa/MC)	NO	YES (must complete cash rental application and reserve 4-6 weeks in advance).	NO	YES, in CT Only
Accepted at Return:	YES	YES (Visa/MC)	YES (Visa/MC)	YES, at Corporate Locations (policy varies at all other locations)	YES, at Corporate Locations (policy varies at all other locations)	YES, at Corporate Locations (policy varies at all other locations)
Hold:	Rental Estimate + Up To $200	Rental Estimate + Up To $200	N/A	Greater of $200 ($500 in CT) or 150% of Rental Estimate (if approved for cash rental)	N/A	In CT, Greater of $500 in CT or 150% of Rental Estimate
Credit Check:	N/A	YES	N/A	YES (rental reimbursement customers only)	N/A	N/A
Additional Info:	N/A	Not Accepted for Dream Cars	N/A	Auto Insurance Claimants w/ "Rental Reimbursement" Coverage, Hertz Vendors & Employees of Companies w/ Special Permission May Also Rent w/ Cash. Renters in Connecticut are Subject to Background Check.	N/A	Renters in Connecticut are Subject to Background Check.

Accepted at Rental:	YES	YES, w/ Round-Trip Airline Ticket (no Amex)	NO	YES, at Certain Locations (renter subject to cash qualification process*)	NO	YES, at Certain Locations (renter subject to cash qualification process*)
Accepted at Return:	YES	YES (no Amex)	YES (no Discover)	YES, at Certain Locations	NO	YES, at Certain Locations
Hold:	Varies By Location	Varies By Location		Rental Estimate + Up To $500	N/A	Rental Estimate + Up To $500
Credit Check:	N/A	YES, at Certain Neighborhood Locations	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Additional Info:	NY Renters Subject to Cash Qualification Process* w/o Credit Card. Virtual/Single-use Cards Not Accepted.	N/A	N/A	May Limit Vehicle Selection	N/A	May Limit Vehicle Selection

Accepted at Rental:	YES	YES, at Certain Locations (Visa/MC)	NO	NO	NO	NO
Accepted at Return:	YES	YES, at Certain Locations (Visa/MC)	YES, at Most Locations	YES, at Most Locations	NO	NO
Hold:	Rental Estimate + 15% or $150 - $500, at Most Locations	Rental Estimate + 15% or $150 - $500, at Most Locations	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Credit Check:	N/A	YES	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Additional Info:	“Key Ring” Cards Not Accepted	May Limit Vehicle Selection	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Accepted at Rental:	YES	Varies By Location	Varies By Location	Varies By Location	Varies By Location	NO
Accepted at Return:	YES	Varies By Location	Varies By Location	Varies By Location	Varies By Location	NO
Hold:	Varies By Location	Varies By Location	Varies By Location	Varies By Location	Varies By Location	N/A
Credit Check:	N/A	Varies By Location	Varies By Location	Varies By Location	Varies By Location	N/A
Additional Info:	N/A	Varies By Location	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

*Cash Qualification Process: Customers who wish to rent with cash (or other non-credit card/debit card payment method) must meet certain requirements that vary widely by car rental company and location. Requirements may include presenting a valid driver's license, a valid return travel (airline, cruise, train) ticket, multiple forms of identification (a valid passport if an international traveler), verifiable proof of employment, a paycheck stub, utility bill(s) in renter's name and verifiable contact information for the renter. In addition, the renter may be required to undergo a credit check, provide personal references and pay a security deposit.

Car Rental Without a Credit Card FAQ(12 questions)

How can I rent a car with my Discover it Secured card?

Upvotes

Saul Allen

You can rent a car with your Discover it Secured card as you would with any other credit card, if you have enough available credit for the hold that the rental agency will put on it.

Since your credit limit is equal to your refundable security deposit, your spending power is usually not as big as in the case of an unsecured card.

Using a large part of your credit to pay for a rental could also increase your credit utilization ratio to the point of hurting your credit. So I'd advise against using any secured card for this purpose.

That being said, there are some ways to rent a car without a credit card, like using debit cards or even just cash.

Can you rent a car with a secured credit card?

Upvotes

WalletHub

Yes, you can rent a car with a secured credit card. But to rent a car with a secured card, you need to have enough available credit to accommodate the hold that the rental agency will put on your card. That's the case with any credit card, yet it's a bigger concern with secured credit cards because the spending limit on a secured card is equal to the amount of the security deposit you put down.

When you basically have to pre-pay for all of your purchases, you're unlikely to have as high of a spending limit as you would otherwise. So even if you have enough credit available to cover the cost of your rental, plus incidentals, renting a car with a credit card could make other purchases difficult to complete until the rental company releases the hold on your account. Using a large portion of your credit for a car rental may also increase your credit utilization, which is bad for your credit score.

There are ways to rent a car without a credit card, too. You could use a debit card or prepaid card, for example. But again, if your account doesn't provide enough spending power, you'll run into the same types of problems.

View more answers

Can you rent a car with an OpenSky credit card?

Upvotes

WalletHub

Yes, the OpenSky Visa can be used everywhere Visa credit cards are accepted, including car rental agencies. With that being said, rental companies typically place a hold on your payment account to cover incidentals. So you'll need to have enough money in your account to cover the hold as well as the initial rental fees. As a result, we recommend contacting the rental company ahead of time to determine how much money to load to your account. You might also want to bring a credit card as backup.

View more answers

What are the best American Express car rental discounts?

Upvotes

James bronzz, WalletHub Analyst

The best American Express car rental discounts come with The Platinum Card® from American Express car rental benefits. Cardholders get complimentary premium status for Avis, Hertz, and National which entitles them to earn them points that can redeemed for rentals, upgrades, and accessories. Cardholders can enroll in the Avis Preferred, Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, and/or National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive programs through the "Benefits Dashboard" in their online accounts.

Other American Express rental car offers

Amex Offers: Aside from the premium status benefits that come with the American Express Platinum card, any American Express cardholder can check for available car rental discounts through Amex Offers. You can browse through your offers and see whether any rental discounts are available to you.

International Avis discounts & Upgrades: Amex cardholders can get discounts for international Avis rentals and a complimentary one car class upgrade, subject to availability. The discount is applied to the base rate of an Avis rental pre-booked with an American Express card. To benefit from the complimentary upgrade, download the upgrade voucher and take it with you upon collection of the vehicle. You must book rentals through the Avis World Amex website and pay using your American Express card at the point of booking or collection of the vehicle. Upgrades and discounts are subject to specific terms and conditions, availability and exclude domestic rentals. This offer is valid until 31^st December, 2022.

It also never hurts to ask the rental agent what discounts they offer for Amex cardholders. In general, you should avoid going through third-party sites for car rental discounts, since those likely won't be as reliable.

American Express cards also offer plenty of other complimentary benefits, including rental car insurance.

To receive Amex rental car insurance, be sure to pay for the rental using your Amex card and reject the insurance offered by the rental agency.

Does Sable Credit Card offer rental car insurance?

Upvotes

Chip Lupo, Credit Card Writer

The Secured Sable ONE Credit Card offers rental car insurance as a free benefit. Sable Credit Card rental car insurance covers physical damage and theft of the vehicle, reasonable loss of use charges imposed by the vehicle rental company for the period of time the rental vehicle is out of service, towing charges to the nearest collision repair facility. Cardholders are covered up to $50,000. To get the coverage, a cardholder must decline the rental agency's insurance and pay for the rental entirely with a Sable Credit Card or points.

Key Things to Know About Sable Credit Card Rental Car Insurance

Coverage Amount. Up to $50,000.
File Claims for Domestic Rentals Through Primary Insurance First. The Sable Credit Card rental car insurance benefit provides secondary coverage for domestic rentals up to 15 days, so you will need to file a claim through your primary insurance carrier first, if you have one.
Coverage Is Primary When Abroad. If you're renting a vehicle outside of your home country, coverage under the Sable Credit Card rental car insurance benefit is primary and lasts for up to 15 days.
Not All Vehicles Or Incidents Are Covered. The Sable Credit Card rental car insurance benefit does not cover all trucks, pickups, full-size vans mounted on truck chassis, and others. Coverage also does not apply to certain incidents such as personal injury, personal liability, or personal property; any damages to other vehicles or property; and injury to any party.

Sable Rental Car Insurance Claims

To file a Sable Credit Card rental car insurance claim, call the Benefit Administrator at 1-800-627-8372 or visit the card's benefits website to obtain a claim form. You will need to submit the claim form, along with any requested supporting documents – such as a completed and signed claim form, a receipt showing the vehicle rental, a statement showing the vehicle rental, and the rental agreement, among others – no later than 180 days after the incident. You should receive payment from the Benefits Administrator within a few weeks after receipt of all documents and the validation of your claim.

Does Fingerhut Credit Card offer rental car insurance?

Upvotes

Chip Lupo, Credit Card Writer

The Fingerhut Credit Card does not offer a rental car insurance benefit. Even though the Fingerhut Credit Card doesn't have rental car insurance, this perk is one of the handful of credit card benefits that still come with many credit card offers. If you'd like a credit card with rental car insurance, there are plenty of options.

In general, credit card rental car insurance provides coverage against damage and theft of a rental vehicle, usually up to the vehicle's actual cash value, when the rental is paid for entirely with an eligible credit card. To get coverage, the cardholder must decline the rental agency's insurance plan.

Does JCPenney Credit Card offer rental car insurance?

Upvotes

Chip Lupo, Credit Card Writer

The JCPenney Credit Card does not offer a rental car insurance benefit. Even though the JCPenney Credit Card doesn't have rental car insurance, this perk is one of the handful of credit card benefits that still come with many credit card offers. If you'd like a credit card with rental car insurance, there are plenty of options.

Does Aspire Card offer rental car insurance?

Upvotes

Chip Lupo, Credit Card Writer

The Aspire Card card does not offer a rental car insurance benefit. Even though the Aspire Card card doesn't have rental car insurance, this perk is one of the handful of credit card benefits that still come with many credit card offers. If you'd like a credit card with rental car insurance, there are plenty of options.

Does Aspiration Zero offer rental car insurance?

Upvotes

Chip Lupo, Credit Card Writer

The Aspiration Zero card does not offer a rental car insurance benefit. Even though the Aspiration Zero card doesn't have rental car insurance, this perk is one of the handful of credit card benefits that still come with many credit card offers. If you'd like a credit card with rental car insurance, there are plenty of options.

Does Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa offer rental car insurance?

Upvote

Chip Lupo, Credit Card Writer

The Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa® card does not offer a rental car insurance benefit. Even though the Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa® card doesn't have rental car insurance, this perk is one of the handful of credit card benefits that still come with many credit card offers. If you'd like a credit card with rental car insurance, there are plenty of options.

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