Which car rental companies accept debit cards?
The chart below explains the major highlights of car rental companies that let you reserve and pay for a rental vehicle with debit:
Rental car agency |
Accepts debit cards? |
Cancellation policy |
Rewards program |
Alamo |
Yes, but a return travel itinerary is required at airport locations |
No fee on pay later reservations, $50 fee for cancellations 24 hours out or longer from booking, $100 fee for cancellations within 24 hours |
Alamo Insiders lets you save 5% on base rates of pay later reservations |
Avis |
Yes, but not at all locations |
$50 fee for cancellations 24 hours out or longer from booking, $150 fee for cancellations within 24 hours |
Avis Preferred lets you earn rewards for each rental booking and enjoy expedited service |
Budget |
Yes, but not at all locations |
$50 for prepaid cancellation 24 hours or more before the booking time, $150 fee for cancellations within 24 hours, No charge for pay later bookings provided you cancel at least 48 hours in advance; $75 fee otherwise |
Budget Fastbreak makes it possible to drop off your car rental faster and save money with exclusive deals |
Enterprise |
Yes, but you must present a return travel itinerary at airport locations |
$50 for prepaid cancellation 24 hours or more before the booking time, $100 fee for cancellations within 24 hours |
Enterprise Plus lets you earn points for free car rentals and upgrades on rental bookings |
Hertz |
Yes, but you must present a return travel itinerary at airport locations |
$100 for prepaid cancellation 24 hours or more before the booking time, $200 fee for cancellations within 24 hours, Full prepaid amount charges to no-show bookings |
Hertz Gold Plus Rewards lets you enjoy expedited rental car pickup, upgrades, rewards for rental car bookings, and more |
Sixt |
Yes, but not at all locations |
$100 for prepaid cancellation 24 hours or more before the booking time, $200 fee for cancellations within 24 hours |
Sixt’s Loyalty Program lets you qualify for discounted rentals, free additional drivers, free car category upgrades, and other perks |
As you can see from the chart above, most major car rental agencies accept debit cards for making a deposit. However, many choose not to at select airport and non-airport locations.
You may need to provide additional documentation to these companies to rent a car with a debit card payment, such as proof of a round-trip booking with a return travel itinerary, utility bills to prove your identity, proof of vehicle insurance, and more.
Why car rentals with a debit card are harder
Car rental bookings made with a debit card are harder for a few reasons.
First, you need to have enough cash in your bank account to account for the amount the car rental company puts on hold. This means you cannot have any expenses or bills you need to pay with that money before your rental car period is up. Otherwise, you won’t be able to make the payment,
Second, some extra steps and requirements are in place for people who rent a car with debit instead of credit.
Here is a list of the extra steps required to rent a car with debit:
Why it’s better to rent a car with a credit card
If you don’t have a credit card yet and that’s why you’re trying to rent a car with your bank account, it may be time to switch things up.
By signing up for a credit card, you can make the process of renting a car much easier and get quite a few added benefits and perks along the way.
Why should you rent a car from rental car agencies with credit instead of debit?
Here are the most important reasons:
Included rental car coverage
A range of travel credit cards offer coverage for rental cars when you use your card to pay for the rental period. While some of these cards offer secondary rental coverage that only kicks in after you use your own insurance, the best credit cards for rental car coverage offer primary coverage that works before any other coverage you have.
You may be surprised to find that credit cards with primary rental car coverage offer high limits for theft and damage that occurs during eligible car rental periods. Just remember that car rental insurance you get with a credit card never includes liability coverage.
Rewards for renting a car
Many credit cards also offer rewards for each dollar you spend, whether they dole out cash back, travel points, or flexible rewards points like Chase Ultimate Rewards or American Express Membership Rewards.
Where some rewards cards offer the same rate of rewards on everything you buy, others offer tiered rewards and may offer more points on car rentals and other types of travel.
Elite status with car rental companies
A handful of premium travel credit cards also offer elite status or special privileges with select car rental agencies. This elite status can help you get free upgrades, discounts on car rentals, and rewards you can spend as a renter with each rental period you complete.
As an example, the popular Chase Sapphire Reserve® card comes with special car rental privileges at National Car Rental, Avis and Silvercar. The Platinum Card® from American Express also offers its own share of rental car perks, including Avis Preferred Plus membership, extra perks with National Emerald Club, and elite perks when renting a car from Hertz.
Another premium travel credit card, the Capital One Venture X, comes with automatic Hertz President’s Circle® status.
Credit cards with primary rental car coverage
As you prepare for your booking and decide how to pay for the rental charges, it’s smart to consider which credit cards offer the best car rental insurance for free.
Here’s an overview of the best travel credit cards that offer primary car rental coverage, plus some other perks and rewards consumers get when they sign up:
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is one of the most popular travel credit cards on the market today, and it’s easy to see why.
This card lets you earn 10X total points on car rentals and hotel stays booked through Ultimate Rewards, 5X points on air travel booked through Chase, 3X points on travel and dining (after earning your $300 travel credit), and 1X points on other purchases. Cardholders also earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which can be redeemed for gift cards, statement credits, travel through Chase, or even 1:1 transfers to Chase airline and hotel partners.
This card also comes with a range of travel perks including a $300 annual travel credit, Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership, and a fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck membership. A $550 annual fee applies.
Car rental benefits include:
- Primary car rental insurance worth up to $75,000 for collision damage or theft in North America and abroad
- Discounted rates and perks with National Car Rental, Avis and Silvercar
- $300 in travel statement credits each year.
- 50% more value when redeeming rewards for travel (including rental cars) through the Chase portal
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card comes with a much lower annual fee of $95, yet cardholders still get primary rental car coverage and a range of other perks.
For example, cardholders earn 5X points on travel booked through Chase, 3X points on online grocery purchases, select streaming services, and dining out, 2X points on other travel purchases, and 1X points on other purchases.
Car rental benefits include:
- Primary collision damage waiver for theft and collision damage worth up to the cash value of the car being rented
- 25% more value when redeeming points for travel (including car rentals) through the Chase portal
Platinum Card® from American Express
The Platinum Card® from American Express charges a high annual fee of $695, yet customers get perks like broad airport lounge access worldwide, up to $200 in credits toward airline incidentals each year, up to $200 in credits toward Uber or Uber Eats each year (doled out in monthly increments), a fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck and more.
Customers also earn Amex Membership Rewards points, which can be used for car rentals through AmexTravel.com, transfers to Amex airline and hotel partners, and other options.
Car rental benefits include:
- Secondary auto rental coverage worth up to $75,000 on rental periods of 30 consecutive days or less
- Enhanced car rental benefits with Avis, Hertz and National
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit card comes with a $450 annual fee, yet cardholders get perks like up to $300 in credits toward Capital One travel each year, Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership, entry into Capital One airport lounges, and more. Cardholders also earn 10X points on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5X points on flights booked through Capital One and 2X points on other purchases.
Perks that are related to car rentals include:
- Primary rental car coverage for theft or collision
- 10X miles on car rentals and hotels booked through Capital One Travel
- Up to $300 in annual statement credits for Capital One travel purchases, including rental car bookings