Can I use a virtual card to rent a car?

Mastercard and Visa credit cards are the most commonly accepted by rental companies. Prepaid, recharge or virtual credit cards are not usually accepted.



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Virtual credit cards are completely legal and available for mainstream use. In addition to virtual credit card numbers issued by the major card companies, there are also VCC generators. This option is legal to be used for card verification purposes that do not involve financial transactions, such as free trials.

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Provide a bank-issued debit card with a Visa, Mastercard or Discover logo. Rental car companies are unlikely to accept prepaid cards. Pony up a deposit. If you pay with a debit card, you'll be charged an additional deposit on top of the rental fee when you pick up your car.

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Most major rental car companies allow you to book and pay for your car without a credit card. Accepted payment methods include debit cards, while a few will allow cash and money orders for payment.

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Debit/check cards are any non-credit cards bearing the VISA®, Mastercard® or Discover® logo. Prepaid cards or any other non-credit cards without one of these logos are not accepted. At airport locations, debit cards are only accepted at the time of rental if accompanied by a ticketed return travel itinerary.

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That said, virtual cards can only be used for online purchases, some over-the-phone transactions, and (if you add your virtual card to Apple Pay or Google Pay) at qualifying physical stores that accept those Apple or Google payment platforms.

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Rental car companies consider debit cards to be riskier, and often unfairly view them as a warning sign of bad credit. Companies also worry that a debit card may be linked to a bank account without enough funds to satisfy unexpected charge if the car is damaged or returned late.

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Rental companies that let you rent a car without a credit card
  • Alamo. In addition to the usual credit cards, Alamo also accepts debit cards and good old fashioned cash to rent a car (prepaid cards are not accepted). ...
  • Avis. ...
  • Budget. ...
  • Dollar. ...
  • Enterprise. ...
  • Hertz. ...
  • National. ...
  • Payless.


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Debit cards and prepaid or store value cards are accepted for payment at the end of your rental. In most cases, the location will perform a credit check for debit card customers to determine credit worthiness at the time of rental. The customer must meet the minimum criteria to rent using a debit card.

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Credit cards vs debit cards Companies prefer credit cards because it proves to them you're not a financial risk; their costs will be covered as they can recover part or all of the deposit if needed. With a debit card, the company cannot pull money from a bank account if it has insufficient funds.

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How much is the security deposit for a Hertz rental? A $200 refundable security deposit is collected and held by Hertz on your credit card or debit card when you pick up the car. The deposit is returned when you stop renting the vehicle and return the car.

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If you are hiring a premium vehicle in the UK, you might need to show both a debit card and a credit card at the counter when picking up the car. Prepaid cards can be used when booking online or to pay at the end of the hire period, but they always need to be presented with a non-prepaid card at the counter.

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