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  • I do not have a credit card
  • I'm under 25 but older than 21
  • I do not have a credit history

I'm traveling to LGB airport and want to rent a car. They say there's no way to do that without a major credit card or debit card + credit history (Hertz, Enterprise, Avis, etc.)

I have my insurance and I can make a safe deposit if required. I also have friends who are not traveling with me but have a credit card and are willing to help, but Hertz said you cannot do that.

Is there any way to rent a car in my situation?
I'm a little scared about renting a car on craigslist.

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  • What are you wanting to do with this car? Can you do it some other way? Also can you simply get a credit card? Unless you have a horrible credit history, or literally none (not even a bank account) you should be able to get a card in a month or two. – DJClayworth Jul 10 '12 at 17:20
  • @DJClayworth Well, I want to drive this car. Of course I can use public transportation, but won't be very convinient. They refused to give me a credit card recently and I'm leaving soon so no extra month. – user194076 Jul 10 '12 at 17:25
  • What about a prepaid credit card? I guess the renting companies only require a certain amount they are able to deduct from your amex/visa/mastercard? – user141 Jul 10 '12 at 19:15
  • Prepaid cards are prohibited as far as I know. – user194076 Jul 10 '12 at 20:52
  • Have you considered the obvious option of simply applying for a credit card? – Peter Green Nov 2 '16 at 21:03
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Some car rental companies allow renting with debit cards, provided you have a return ticket and sufficient amount on your bank account for a deposit. I know for a fact that major car rental companies in California (Hertz, National) allow this.

Not having a credit card and being under 25 may be a bad combination though....

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  • How does being under 25 matter in this case? – landroni Mar 8 '14 at 15:48
  • Typically in the US there is a large surcharge for renting a car when you are under 25, in a lot cases it is more than the rental fee – draksia Jun 11 '14 at 17:18
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This is very hard to do, they all need a credit card, why not get your friend to rent the car, with you an added driver on the car, then you can drive the car,

Try this

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  • 1
    My friend must be present in order to do that. but it's a different city. – user194076 Jul 10 '12 at 20:49

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