William Lipovsky
Most car rental companies, including Alamo and Enterprise, take debit cards. However, their rules and restrictions vary.
Below, we have the list of places where you can rent a car with a debit card, plus what you need to know before renting a car with your debit card.
Important Things to Know About Car Rentals That Accept Debit Cards
- If you’re paying with a debit card, you’ll often be required to show proof of round-trip travel, whether by airplane, train, or cruise ship. Be sure you have documentation for the return leg of your journey when you arrive at the rental office.
- Many companies require a credit check — which may reduce your credit score — before allowing you to pay by debit card. If you have less than stellar credit, you may not be allowed to rent using a debit card.
- If you do rent with a debit card, expect to put up a significant deposit — typically in the range of $100 to $350. While you’re using the rental, the company will place a hold for the required amount on your card, and you won’t have access to these funds until you return the car.
- Some rental car companies accept prepaid debit cards, but these often come with additional restrictions. See more about using a prepaid debit card for car rentals in our article on rental companies that accept prepaid cards.
The List
The following businesses do accept debit cards as payment for car rentals.
Specific guidelines, restrictions, security deposit amounts, and age requirements are provided in our outline below.
ACE Car Rental
- Debit cards accepted: Any debit card bearing the Visa or Mastercard logo; note that some locations do not accept debit cards under any circumstances, so it’s best to check the policy at the location where you’re planning to rent.[1]
- Restrictions: Must provide proper travel documentation if you’re from out of town or proof of residency if you’re a local, such as a utility bill.[1]
- Security deposit: Varies by location; generally $250 to $300[2][3]
- Age requirement for using a debit card: 21[4]
- Book a car
Alamo
- Debit cards accepted: Any debit card bearing the Visa, Mastercard, or Discover logo[5]
- Restrictions: Must show proof of a round-trip travel ticket. Without the proof of round-trip travel, you’ll have to use a credit card to reserve the car and will only be able to use the debit card as payment when returning the car.[5]
- Security deposit: Without proof of round-trip travel, you must provide a credit card with enough credit available to cover the rental amount as well as a $300 to $400 deposit. These funds will be released after the car is returned.[5]
- Age requirement for using a debit card: 21[6]
- Book a car
Avis
- Debit cards accepted: Any debit card bearing the Visa or Mastercard logo[7]
- Restrictions: Debit cards are accepted online but may or may not be accepted for paying the deposit hold in person. Be sure to verify the policies at the relevant location before picking up the vehicle. Also, some cars aren’t available for rental with debit card payment.[7]
- Security deposit: About $200 to $250[8]
- Age requirement for using a debit card: 25[7]
- Book a car
Budget Rent a Car
- Debit cards accepted: Any debit card bearing the Visa, American Express, Discover, or MasterCard logo[9]
- Restrictions: Debit cards are accepted online but may or may not be accepted for paying the deposit hold in person.[9]
- Security deposit: The typical hold is the estimated total costs; there’s a $100 minimum.[9]
- Age requirement for using a debit card: 25[9]
- Book a car
Dollar Rent A Car
- Debit cards accepted: Any debit card bearing the Visa, American Express, Discover, or Mastercard logo[10]
- Restrictions:
- Only compact through full-size vehicle classes are eligible.
- Paying by debit card requires a hard pull credit check (which can lower a consumer credit score by roughly 3-5 points).
- Must provide valid photo ID[10]
- Security deposit: Up to $500[10]
- Age requirement for using a debit card: Certain Off-Airport locations require you to be 25 to use a debit card. Otherwise, renting with a debit card does not affect the minimum age, which is 20.[11][10]
- Book a car
Enterprise
- Debit cards accepted: Any debit card bearing the Visa, Discover, or Mastercard logo[12]
- Restrictions: Must provide proof of round-trip travel at airport locations; must provide a valid ID with current name and address[12]
- Security deposit: Varies by location; $200 to $850[12]
- Age requirement for using a debit card: 21[13]
- Book a car
Hertz Car Rental
- Debit cards accepted: Any debit card bearing the Visa, Discover, or Mastercard logo[14]
- Restrictions:
- Cannot be used on Adrenaline or Dream collection vehicles at the time of rental, though a debit card can be used at the time of return.
- Paying by debit card requires a hard pull credit check (which can lower a consumer credit score by roughly 3-5 points).[14]
- Security deposit: A hold of up to $500 may be placed.[14]
- Age requirement for using a debit card: 25[14]
- Book a car
National Car Rental
- Debit cards accepted: Any debit card bearing the Visa, Mastercard, or Discover logo[15]
- Restrictions: Must provide proof of a return journey ticket (airline, cruise or train) at airport locations[15]
- Security deposit: Without proof of round-trip travel, you must provide a credit card with enough credit available to cover the rental amount as well as a $300 to $400 deposit. These funds will be released after the car is returned.[15]
- Age requirement for using a debit card: 21[16]
- Book a car
Payless Car Rental
- Debit cards accepted: Any debit card bearing the Visa, Discover, American Express, or Mastercard logo[17]
- Restrictions:
- Accepted when renting from the Economy, Compact, Intermediate, Standard, Full-Size, Premium, SUV and Minivan categories only.
- Paying by debit card may require a hard pull credit check (which can lower a consumer credit score roughly 3-5 points).[18]
- Security deposit: $300[17]
- Age requirement for using a debit card: 21[17]
- Book a car
Rent-A-Wreck
- Debit cards accepted: Any debit card bearing the Visa, Discover, American Express, or Mastercard logo[19]
- Restriction: Must provide current valid insurance. Without valid insurance, you’ll need to purchase a Collision Damage Waiver from Rent-A-Wreck and provide three forms of ID. If your license is from a different state than the rental location, you’ll need to provide proof of a return trip (airline, cruise, or train).[19]
- Security deposit: $200[20]
- Age requirement for using a debit card: 21[19][20]
- Book a car
Sixt Rent a Car
- Debit cards accepted: Any debit card with proper identification[21]
- Restriction:
- Security deposit: $200 plus the cost of the rental[21]
- Age requirement for using a debit card: 21[21]
- Book a car
Thrifty Car Rental
- Debit cards accepted: Any debit card bearing the Visa, Discover, or Mastercard logo[23]
- Restrictions:
- Paying by debit card requires a hard pull credit check (which can lower a consumer credit score by roughly 3-5 points).
- Cannot be used for premium, luxury, or convertible vehicles if booked within 24 hours of the rental.[23]
- Security deposit: Up to $500[23]
- Age requirement for using a debit card: 20[23]
- Book a car
Turo
- Debit cards accepted: Most domestic and international credit cards issued by major financial institutions and debit cards linked to a checking account with a Visa or Mastercard logo[24]
- Restrictions: The name on the card must match the name on your Turo account.[24]
- Security deposit: Varies based on the chosen vehicle and location[25]
- Age requirement for using a debit card: 18[26]
- Book a car
Note: If you’re unfamiliar, Turo is like the Airbnb of rental cars. You and the vehicle’s owner can arrange pickup and drop-off arrangements (even at the airport).
U-Save
- Debit cards accepted: Vary by location, but many franchises do accept debit cards either for a deposit or at the time of return. Check with the location where you’ll be renting for more details.[27][28]
- Restrictions: Vary by franchise
- Security deposit: Varies by franchise
- Age requirement for using a debit card: Varies by franchise
- Book a car
Note: You can use U-Save’s contact form to inquire about debit card policies if you have any specific questions.
Zipcar
- Debit cards accepted: Zipcar accepts all debit cards issued by major financial institutions.[29]
- Restrictions: There are no additional restrictions for debit card users in the U.S.; rules and restrictions may vary outside of the U.S.[30]
- Security deposit: None required[31]
- Age requirement for using a debit card: There is no minimum age for debit card use. Memberships are available for 18- to 20-year-olds affiliated with a college or university; all other applicants must be 21 or older.[29]
- Book a car
The List of Car Rentals That Don’t Take Debit Cards
The majority of the rental companies we contacted do accept debit cards at some or all of their locations and/or online, but the following companies don’t accept debit cards as payment:
- car2go: Only accepts credit cards, as noted in the car2go terms and conditions (and confirmed by corporate customer service)
- Europcar: Only accepts Maestro and Visa Electron debit cards, which are not available in the US, according to the Europcar booking terms and conditions.
You may also be interested in our article on rental companies that take cash.
How about Prepaid MasterCard? Any car rental company accept that?
Hi Bryan,
Both Thrifty and Enterprise accept prepaid debit cards, but some restrictions do apply. You should contact the location that you’d like to pick up the car from to see if they’ll accept your prepaid card. You’ll probably have a smaller selection of cars to choose from than if you paid with a credit card.
Let me see, one wants to rent a car with a debit card because all one has is checking accounts with debit cards and one can’t ever qualify for a “real” credit card. So to penalize us for not being able to pass the credit-check for a “real” credit card the car rental companies do a credit check if you’re presenting a debit card. A catch-22 that ensures that one who can’t pass a credit check will never drive again? Sounds like a vicious circle to me. If you can’t pass a credit check you will be on foot forever until you somehow manage to get around that?
Hi Penny,
Good observation. A lot of rental companies run some sort of credit check on customers who want to pay with a debit card. It is a catch-22. But, there are a few on our list that don’t do credit checks. ACE, Alamo, Avis, Budget, and Rent-a-Wreck don’t run a credit check when you pay with debit.
I will be flying into Austin, TX to work on a new job. Due to some past problems, I no longer have any credit cards. I only have a debit card. I will be needing to rent a car for an extended time (up to 6 months). I will not have a return ticket since not sure how long project will last. I have the money to prepay each month and what ever deposit is required. I am sure I have a low credit score and that seems to be my main obstacle to renting a car. What are my options?
Hi Sandy,
You’re in luck, because not all companies will preform a credit check when you rent with a debit card. Of this list ACE, Alamo, Avis, Budget, and Rent-a-Wreck don’t do credit checks (and don’t require round trip plane tickets to qualify for debit card use). Start by checking if they have locations in Austin. You’ll have more options if you book online, as some companies only allow debit cards for online reservations. And, remember that you could save some money if you don’t rent from an airport location. See more on that in our article When Is the Best Time to Rent a Car? Answered. (Best Deal + Selection).