Car Rental - Can I use a Visa debit card? What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Answer 1

Some do and some don't. A lot do not accept them in the US.

Some car rental places put big holds on your card, that could take up to 14 days to clear. Plus, They keep the debit and credit card info in case they need to charge you for extra service or damage you might have done.

The other poster is wrong about not being protected with debit. The key is reporting the lost or unauthorized use of the card faster. Your are protected by Visa or MasterCard zero liability and EFTA

If you keep a good checkbook and write all transactions including fees correctly you should have no problem in using your debit card. Note at the pay at pump make sure you deduct at least $100 until the charge clears unless you have plenty of money in your account. Some business like hotel, cars rentals, and even some merchants do a double authorization and it makes it look like your charged double. The second charge would be removed in about one week. I keep at least double my purchase plus $5.00 in my account.

Answer 2

Actually there are very few cases when using a debit card has any advantages. You are not protected in case of losses or unauthorized charges etc, or I should say not as well protected as with regular credit card. I use credit cards only for all purchases; I simply pay them off at the end of the month.
In case with car rental, if use a credit card and it happens to be a gold or platinum card, which nowadays most of them are, you get an extra insurance on your rental vehicle, so you can decline whatever coverage the rental company offers you at $20 per day. The Gold or Platinum VISA or MasterCard protects you really well. Call customer service for your credit card and ask them exactly what coverage they offer.
Another reason why I hate using debit card is that keeping track of the balance on your checking account is much more difficult, since there are tons of transactions hitting your account.
Here is an example of how you can get in trouble where you shouldn't have otherwise: You have 1000 in your checking account and you wrote a check for $400 to someone, then you go and rent a car for a week, so the total rental fee would be another $400, when you present your debit card to the rental company they authorize it for $400 + $500 - security deposit. The available balance on the account goes down to $100, and the check you wrote a week ago is presented for payment. Guess what -- your check will bounce! You will get penalized, the person you wrote it to will get penalized, or if it's a business they will penalize you, perhaps assess late penalty on top of returned check fee. Well, you get the idea. I think the whole idea of debit cards is scam invented by the banks where they get to use your own money, collect the fees from merchants and while doing this don’t have to offer you any protection that conventional credit cards do.
Sorry for running on.

Answer 3

There are three disadvantages.

Debit cards do not always offer the same protections as credit cards.

The rental company will usually put a larger "hold" on your account than the estimated bill will be. If you need any of the cash in your checking it could be on "hold".

If the worst happens (car gets stolen or wrecked or damaged) instead of charging your credit card, they will take your cash!

I always try to avoid using my debit card for hotels, planes, or car rentals, just too risky

Answer 4

Some companies accept them...some dont. It is most disadvantages when using a debit. Money is actually withdrawn from the account as opposed to just frozen, and usually they need to verify some things.

Answer 5

it incredibly is a dicey project, and that i think of you will choose a stressful time attempting to apply it. i understand that my company accepts verify/debit enjoying cards yet no longer pay as you go enjoying cards, because of the fact they are no longer linked to an account and if something occurs there is no longer the thank you to entice greater money off of the account or truly to hint the cardholder down. the ingredient is that many condominium brokers could no longer observe; working example, we purely have been given new application that detects whilst a credit, debit, or pay as you go card is swiped--it won't enable us to proceed with a pay as you go card. i'm specific that no longer everywhere has them and it incredibly is greater beneficial than in all danger that maximum condominium brokers won't observe or care, yet i could be prepared to guess that for the duration of theory a minimum of, you're unlikely to discover a important condominium enterprise which will lease on a pay as you go debit card. Sorry. One selection for you, even with the undeniable fact that, is to objective a money qualification. In maximum places, Thrifty, business enterprise, and funds (at times Avis) permit you to herald a money deposit. It calls for some legwork considering they could desire to ensure loads of of know-how approximately you and that they're going to gather an quantity that could properly be heavily over the predicted finished value of the condominium ... in spite of if it incredibly is properly worth a shot. good success!

Answer 6

Yes you can use it as long as they accept visa.