No credit card - holiday ruined??

Yay!

Hope your holiday is fab.

It’s worth buying questor (or similar) hire car insurance- it covers you for excess if you have a collision.

I’m the same, don’t have any debt, don’t have a CC, and have savings. I hire cars a couple of times a year, and they usually just take a deposit using my debit card. I assume you have a debit card, will that not do? If not maybe try a different car hire place.

Tesco bank used to give credit cards with a small limit to students with zero credit rating back in the day so I'm sure you can get one with enough for the rental. Good luck!

I forgot my credit card once and found an app called Turo that lets you use someone else car a bit like Airbnb but for cars. All paid for online
see if they have similar where you’re going

Sorry OP, this is off topic (but you've had some really good answers)

tbh don't understand WHY an adult, other than those with gambling/spending issues, don't have an emergency credit card, even if they never use it.

I was on another thread where some posters were really smug about never ever using credit. I find it really weird. As long as you're sensible there are lots of instances when using a credit card is beneficial and sometimes financially more prudent than any other type of payment, including paying in full in cash (when you want Section 75 protection, if you're in a position to stooze, have a 0% deal and want to build up a good credit rating, an emergency if your main bank account got hacked/locked out etc.)

Ah it depends on a few different things to get a revolut credit card.

I just applied for a revolut credit card there now, and it declined me because it said that i havent worked in my current wotkplace for long enough.

Agree, WISE and Revolut allow you to join very quickly within a few hours via your phone and you will get virtual debit cards as soon as you are approved. Revolut is probably slightly easier. They are also both very good travel cards that allow currency conversion at mid market rates.

I had something similar - my passport is in maiden name and licence was in my married name and they wouldn't accept this as the two forms of ID needed, which I realised a day or two before we flew. My husband didn't have a credit card either but we'd booked through Holiday Autos and they were able to find a company that would accept a debit card and him as driver, though they took a deposit of maybe £800? Same pickup location etc and actually ended up slightly cheaper.

Try a different hire company?

Get a Revolut card. We use them all the time abroad.

You can get one instantly and use it through an app on your phone

@Dimdam completely agree. Put the money back into the local economy, not line the pockets of multinationals.
And go direct, not through a broker who takes such a large percentage.

Car companies can "hold" an amount ie £600 via your debit card until you return the car. As I don't us a credit card on a daily basis I've have forgotten to take it with me it on more than one occasion the same situation and there's always been a workaround.

I’ve found that some companies if you don’t use the airport branch won’t require a credit card.

Try
Capontap

They also do virtual cards and instant decisions

Hi, I was in a similar situation some years back when I was flying to Cyprus.

You’ll find all the major companies like Budget, Hertz etc require a credit card but there are a few smaller independent ones that don’t, usually one man band or small family companies.

I searched online for Car Hire companies that don’t need credit cards. I found one and have been using him for about ten years now?
.
Even though I do have a credit card now, I have since established a relationship with this man, he’s literally running the business to put his daughter through med school abroad. I feel better giving my money to an honourable local than some Global car hire giant

write down which country you are travelling too, maybe some on here knows a friend that’s knows a friend. Obviously if it’s Cyprus I can send you name of someone to contact

Monzo maybe? But you’ll have to load it up with a couple of thousand so they can place a hold…

France was a problem recently. They wouldn't take Amex or Monzo. Had to change hire company.

Can I just add that rather than take insurance with the car hire company, you buy an excess insurance policy via carhireexcess in the UK before you go. You will pay an absolute fraction of the cost. I use them every time I hire a car abroad. I once had to claim on it and although I had to pay the damage costs up front to the hire company ( which would be a problem without a credit card I admit), but I was reimbursed very quickly after making the claim when I got back ( you just need to make sure you get all the damage photos and documentation and proof of what you were charged). I saved about £300 in insurance cost. Just in case you are not aware, car hire staff are incentivised for every insurance they sell. My daughter also used them and had to claim and again very simple process for reimbursement.

Revolut

Anyone else surprised at the number of
people who don’t have credit cards? I consider it an essential of day to day life, and certainly wouldnt go on holiday without one. I’d feel very exposed only travelling with a debit card.

I recently hired a car at Glasgow airport and they insisted on me having my national insurance number - it was to access a gov database which let's them see if you have any driving convictions.

Nowhere in any of the communication I had from them did it say anything about this.

I had my number, but my daughter's boyfriend couldn't find his when he hired through the same company. He had to phone his work! I think it was Avis. I booked through Alamo the following week and they never asked for it.

Yes, debit card is usually sufficient in most non-UK countries. Same don’t even take any, don’t ever rush into getting a credit card, it’s a recipe for disaster. Better to only apply for credit, of any kind, when you are calm and well planned

My husband’s credit card was declined when we got there (despite plenty of available balance) and it was late at night so we couldn’t speak to anyone at the bank to resolve. The hire company wouldn’t accept his debit card or my credit card (as I was not driving). Our only option was to pay €400 for their own insurance on top of what we paid in the first place. We paid it from our debit card just to get out of there but i think we got scammed 🫠

You are not coming to the Algarve by any chance? We have one car company here who rents (good cars at good prices) without credit cards.