5
  • 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.

|improve this question|||||
  • 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
6

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....

|improve this answer|||||
  • 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
2

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

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

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.