Car Rental Deposits or Holds on Your Credit CardGenerally, at the time of rental, rental agencies will require a credit card hold of at least the total estimated charges. Some companies have a minimum car rental deposit while some hold the amount of the rental plus a certain percent. Your deposit type and amount will vary according to the company you rent from and the individual location. You must have the deposit amount required on your card. This amount will be held or frozen until the rental is returned. When you return of the car, all holds will be released, and the actual cost of the rental will be charged, or you may pay in cash.
Note: your bank may take up to two weeks to post the released credit holds.
Using Someone Else's Credit CardThis is not allowed. At the time of rental, you must present a valid driver's license and credit card with your own name imprinted on it. The name/address on the credit/debit card MUST match the name/address on your driver’s license. Giving your credit card number when making a reservationThe majority of rental companies, at this time, do not require that you give your credit card number when you are booking a reservation. Most of the time! There are some exceptions. Credit card information is sometimes required when booking a specialty vehicle (example: 12 passenger van) or a high demand vehicle during a peak rental season (example: renting a minivan in July or August). If a credit card is required to book a vehicle, then you should check to see what the cancellation policy is and if there is a no-show fee. Also, if you book a prepaid reservation you will have to give your credit card information because you will be paying for the rental up-front. Again, make sure to check on the cancellation policy. If the website says that the reservation is non-refundable, non-modifiable and non-cancellable, please be aware that you will pay for the rental whether you ever pick it up or not and that absolutely no changes or modifications can be made to your reservation. I also say "at this time", because car rental companies are increasingly looking at requiring credit card numbers to book rental cars. There is generally a 30%+ no show rate for people who reserve cars in advance and do not give credit card information. This makes it hard for the car rental companies to schedule their fleets efficiently.
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