Using Credit, Debit, Gift or Prepaid Cards when renting a car. Holds, Deposits and Paying Cash
Information and policies on ID and payment types accepted by the rental car companies.
Credit | Keychain | Gift | Debit / Check / Bank | Holds | Prepaid| Pre-Pay & Deposits | Paying Cash | ID’s
INTRODUCTION:
Several forms of ID and payments are possible when renting a vehicle in Hawaii. The rental car companies represented by Hawaii Car Rentals accept various forms of identification and payment. Most companies accept cash as a final payment option at the counter after returning your rental car during business hours (but not all locations). The correct protocol must be followed in each case in order to successfully initiate and complete various types of transactions.
During pickup time, in most cases, rental car companies will need a valid credit card with the full name of the renter on it. Along with a credit card they will also require a valid driver’s license. There will be a hold placed on the renter’s credit card as a security deposit, and if not enough credit is available on the card the authorization will be denied. The renter will then have to use another form of payment.
For those who do not have a credit card, many of the companies, but only at some locations, will allow you to present a debit card at time of pickup, but many restrictions apply.
CREDIT CARDS:
Do I need a credit card in order to pick up my rental car?
Yes. When you arrive in Hawaii, in order to actually rent a vehicle and drive it off the lot, in almost all cases, you’ll be required to show your driver’s license and also a valid credit card, both of which need to be in your own name.
Do car rental companies in Hawaii accept cash as a form of final payment?
Yes. All the car rental companies accept cash as final payment at the counter when you return the rental. However, when you pick up your rental, unless you have a cash pre-payment voucher, you will need to present a valid credit card with the same name that is on your valid driver’s license.
Can I use someone else’s credit card (not in my name) to pickup or pay?
No. The person who is renting the car must show their own credit card with their name on the card. No one else’s credit card will be accepted. The renter will also need to show their driver’s license and it must be valid in order to rent a vehicle. To proceed with the rental, there must be enough funds on the credit card available for a hold.
If I prepay online with companies like Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline, Travelocity, Kayak, etc., will I be required to show my credit card at the pickup counter ?
Yes. If you pay a travel agent or pre-pay online, whether through a rental company website or one of the online booking companies, you will still be required to show a credit card and driver’s license when you pick up your rental car.
What credit cards are accepted?
The various companies accept numerous credit cards. For example,
- Avis accepts the Avis Charge, American Express, AT&T; Capital, Diner’s Club International, Discover, GE Capital, JCB, MasterCard, Visa.
- Budget accepts Budget Charge, Budget International, American Express, Discover, JCB/Japan Card, MasterCard, Optima, PHH and Visa at corporate owned locations.
Please check with each agency and location for the particular credit card they accept.
KEYCHAIN CREDIT CARDS:
Keychain credit cards and not accepted as a valid form of payment by any company.
GIFT CARDS: (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover)
A gift card, also known as a prepaid credit card, can be used as a form of final payment if it has been issued by an accepted credit card company such as Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover.
DEBIT CARDS / CHECK CARDS / BANK CARDS:
Can I make final payment using a debit card?
In most cases, debit cards (aka check cards) can be used as the final form of payment if they have the Visa or MasterCard logo.
Can I rent a car with no credit card and just a debit card?
In many cases, yes, but many restrictions apply. Not all locations will accept Debit Cards, Bank Cards, and Check Card, especially non-airport locations. In addition to your driver’s license, you may be required to show one or more of the following: (For more details, see Terms and Conditions below.)
- Passport
- Military ID card
- Current utility bills
- Proof of insurance
- Personal reference
- Current cell phone bills
- Current bank statements
- Your most recent paycheck stub
- Your personal vehicle insurance card
- Round trip airline or cruise ship ticket
- Driver’s license issued from the rental state
The bottom line is, call the car rental company location you’re thinking of renting from and ask them exactly what their terms and conditions are and what you need to rent a car using a debit card.
A minimum deposit plus the entire cost of the rental will be debited from the customer’s debit card account at the time of pickup. (The Deposit amount varies by location from $200 to $400 plus the actual cost of the rental.) Please contact the rental branch directly to find out the exact amount that will be required.
Debit cards (aka check or bank cards) can be used as the final form of payment if they have the Visa or MasterCard logo.
CREDIT CARD DEBIT CARD HOLDS:
What is a debit or credit card hold?
A hold (or authorization) means the credit card company holds back a certain dollar amount from your spendable credit line and authorizes a company to issue you a temporary service until you pay the final bill. This is common for hotels and car rental companies where a service is issued over a period of time, but the exact amount of the final bill is not known until the transaction has been completed.
In the case of a hold for a rental car, the company will “hold” or reserve a certain amount of money that is the estimated total charge of the entire rental and all possible associated fees plus an additional amount that can be a percentage of the rental or a certain dollar amount. To put it another way, an “authorization” or hold will be placed on your credit card as a security deposit for the total rental amount plus perhaps another $50, $100 or even more.
- Example #1: Avis says: Generally, at the time of rental, we’ll require a credit card hold of total estimated charges or $200, whichever is greater. A prepaid charge card is not accepted for this required hold. Avis reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to seek a Debit Card authorization hold in excess of the estimated rental charges. We will place a hold on your account of $300 plus the estimated rental charges unless you already paid toward your rental, in which case the hold will be only $200. THESE FUNDS WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR YOUR USE. When the rental is over we will process the reversal but the bank may take time to post it back to the account – unless you already paid toward your rental, the hold will be only $200. While this hold is in place, the funds will not be available for your use. Upon returning the vehicle, Avis will process a release of the unused portion of the hold subject to your Bank’s procedure. This hold may take up to 2 weeks to be released by your bank. If you fail to return the vehicle as agreed, Avis will obtain additional authorizations from your account to cover he rental charges.
- Example #2: Budget says: Generally, at the time of a U.S. corporate-operated location rental, we’ll require a credit card hold of total estimated rental charges plus 25% or $300, whichever is greater. If you’re using a debit card at a location that accepts them, we’ll require a hold of total estimated rental charges plus $300.
- Example #3: Dollar Rent-A-Car says, “A hold will be placed on all credit/debit cards for the estimated amount of the rental plus 15% OR a minimum of $400.00, whichever is greater.”
- Example #4: Thrifty says, “A hold will be placed on all credit/debit cards for the estimated amount of the rental plus 15% OR a minimum of $350.00, whichever is greater. We will remove the hold at the end of the rental when the final charges are settled. Debit and check cards may only be used in conjunction with proof of round-trip ticket (airline or cruise) at the time of the rental. Without proof of roundtrip ticket, debit or check cards are only accepted on return. Thrifty does not accept small key ring credit cards. If a customer presents the key ring credit card at the time of rental, the location may ask you to present the standard size credit card or another form of payment.A major credit/debit card in the renter’s own name must be presented at the time of pick-up. Customers using debit cards to qualify to rent at the beginning of the rental will be subject to a debit card screening. If the screening fails to meet our debit card criteria, the customer will be required to present a major credit card in order to qualify to rent. Prepaid credit cards and gift cards are accepted for payment at the end of the rental when the final charges have been settled..”
- Example #5: Enterprise says, “The estimated cost of the rental plus 20 percent will be held as an authorization on your debit or credit card at the time of the rental.”
*Please note the above terms may change without notice at any time.
If there is insufficient credit available, the authorization will be denied and you won’t be able to rent a car. So ensure you have enough available credit line to withstand an authorization hold.
Once the transaction is complete (when you return the automobile and go to pay your final bill), the exact final total amount is assessed. Then the hold is dropped and the actual amount is charged to your credit or debit card. In some cases, the hold may take several days to be released after the completed transaction.
PREPAID CREDIT CARDS:
Can I make final payment using a prepaid credit card?
Yes, in most cases, these can be used as the final form of payment as long as they have the Visa or MasterCard logo on them. Prepaids can be in the form of a Visa, MasterCard, or debit card.
PRE-PAY AND DEPOSITS:
Is it necessary to pre-pay or pay a deposit when I make an online reservation?
Deposits and pre-payment are not necessary at hawaiicarrentals.net. At Hawaii Car Rentals, when you reserve with us online, making a pre-payment or deposit to secure your reservation is unnecessary. Most rental car companies do not require a credit card to make the reservation. However, there are some cases where a credit card deposit must be placed to reserve a car. With some websites (not ours), this is usually the case when you choose to, or are required to pre-pay to secure your reservation, especially if a better rate is involved. With the pre-pay option, you can expect a discount of around 5%, but this is usually with the retail non-discount websites. With some websites, when a luxury or specialty vehicle is being rented or during peak season, vehicles in high demand may require a credit card deposit to secure a reservation. Renters can often prepay online through booking companies or rental car company websites. However, the rental car company will still require the renter to show proof of credit card and driver’s license when checking in to pick up the rental car.
Some customers prefer to prepay for the rental during the reservation process. This can be the case when working with certain websites or travel agents. It’s important to note the cancellation policy with a prepayment to see if you will receive your money back even if you don’t use your rental reservation or if there is a penalty involved if you change your reservation.
PAYING CASH:
Can I still reserve a car through this website, pay cash at return, and get your corporate discount rates, waivers and bonuses?
Yes, you can pay cash when you return the car, but ONLY if you can present a credit card when you pick up your rental car. It doesn’t take cash or a credit card or prepayment in order to make a reservation with us.
Most companies accept cash as a FINAL payment option at the counter when returning your rental car during business hours. But for security reasons, some branches DO NOT accept cash. Always check the location before making a reservation and expecting to make your final payment in cash.
Dollar Rent-A-Car lets you rent a car with cash, but a process is involved. In order to Pay Cash to Rent a Car in Hawaii with No Credit Card with Dollar, you will need to make special arrangements beforehand to get a pre-paid cash voucher. If you use this process, you will NOT be entitled to our corporate rates, discounts, bonuses or waivers. You will need to pre-pay a local travel agent in cash, get a prepaid voucher from them and show this to the rental company upon check-in. You will still be required to submit an additional cash deposit for any additional incidental costs. Travel agents will accept traveler’s checks, debit card transactions, and cash. A minimum deposit amount will be required. If you return the car in good condition and with no additional associated costs, then any unused money will be refunded.
Types of ID Required and Payments Accepted:
| * Forms of Payment / ID (Unless otherwise stated, you need to show a credit card with your name on it at pickup time) |
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| Credit Card as initial ID & Payment
(pickup & return) |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Keychain Credit Card as ID or Payment | No | No | No | No | No |
| Gift Card as Payment (if Visa, M/C) | *Yes | *Yes | *Yes | *Yes | *Yes |
| Prepaid Credit Card as Payment | *Yes | *Yes | *Yes | *Yes | *Yes |
| Cash Pay at Return | *Yes | *Yes | *Yes | *Yes | *Yes |
| Prepaid Voucher
(Get through a travel agent) |
No | No | *Yes | No | No |
| Debit/Bank/Check Card at Pickup | No | No | *Yes | *Yes | *Yes |
| Debit/Bank/Check Card at Return | *Yes | *Yes | *Yes | *Yes | No |
| Traveler’s Checks as payment | ? | ? | ? | ? | *Yes |
| Money Order as payment | ? | ? | ? | ? | *Yes |
| Personal / Business Check as payment | No | No | No | No | No |
 *Yes = But not at all locations and restrictions do apply. Call location for details. Also see Terms and Conditions below. |
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*NOTICE: The above and below details and information are accurate to the best of our knowledge. It is your responsibility to check directly with the car rental company you’ll be renting from to confirm ID and payment forms accepted before you set out on your trip to Hawaii. Terms, conditions, details, prices and information may change at any time without notice.
*Terms & Conditions – Debit / Bank / Check Card
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Debit/Bank/Check Card – Most U.S. locations accept bank debit cards with the Visa or MasterCard logo as credit identification at the time of rental if you are at least 25 years of age. In most cases, U.S. locations will perform a credit check for debit card renters to determine credit worthiness at the time of rental. The renter must meet Avis’ minimum criteria to rent. Debit cards are not accepted at some locations.
Also, some Avis locations do not accept Debit cards as payment. Avis reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to seek a Debit Card authorization hold over the estimated rental charges. We will place a hold on your account of $300 plus the estimated rental charges unless you have already paid toward your rental, in which case the hold will be only $200. THESE FUNDS WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR YOUR USE. We will process the reversal when the rental is over, but the bank may take time to post it back to the account. If you fail to return the vehicle as agreed, Avis will obtain additional authorizations from your account to cover the rental charges. |
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Debit/Bank/Check Card – Similar to Avis
If you prefer a debit rather than a credit card, be aware that some Budget locations will check your credit with a national credit verification bureau. Other locations might not check your credit but will require you to present a third form of identification: For debit card customers renting at an airport location, one of the following is acceptable as a third form of identification in addition to a driver’s license and debit card: A round-trip airline ticket, e-ticket, or travel itinerary to or from the airport of rental, disclosing a return date and showing the renter’s name A valid U.S. passport or current U.S. military identification card A current vehicle insurance card A current copy (within the last 60 days) of the customer’s cellular phone bill, home telephone bill, bank statement or utility bill For debit card customers renting at an off-airport location, one of the following is acceptable as a third form of identification in addition to a driver’s license and debit card: A valid U.S. passport or current U.S. military identification card A current vehicle insurance card A current copy (within the last 60 days) of the customer’s cellular phone bill, home telephone bill, bank statement or utility bill |
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Debit/Bank/Check Card will be accepted at time of vehicle pickup if renter presents round trip airline/cruise ticket or proof of same. If no round trip ticket or proof of same available, Debit Card will only be accepted upon return of vehicle. In all cases, Renter will be subject to a credit inquiry, which may affect renter’s credit evaluation. Should show Visa or M/C logo. Company debit card must show renter’s name or signature.) |
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Debit/Bank/Check Card will be accepted at time of vehicle pickup if renter presents round trip airline/cruise ticket or proof of same. If no round trip ticket or proof of same available, Debit Card will only be accepted upon return of vehicle. In all cases, Renter will be subject to a credit inquiry, which may affect renter’s credit evaluation. Should show Visa or M/C logo. Company debit card must show renter’s name or signature.) |
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*NOTICE: The above details and information are accurate to the best of our knowledge. Before you set out on your trip to Hawaii, it is your responsibility to check directly with the car rental company you’ll be renting from to confirm ID and payment forms are accepted. Terms, conditions, details, prices, and information may change at any time without notice.