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Original poster

Trying to hire a car in Mallorca without a credit card

38 replies

Rollergirl11 · 15/08/2021 17:53

Is this achievable?! I am in a ridiculous situation where I booked and paid for a car rental with EasyJet Car rental. I used a debit card as we don’t have credit cards. The payment was debited from my bank account. Then I had an email from easyJet to say that the car hire company does not accept debit cards (despite the payment already going through) and if we cannot present a credit card with the same name as the primary driver on the booking then they will not give us the car. Have had no choice but to cancel the booking. Oh, and EasyJet will refund the money within 21 business days!!!

I can’t believe this. Is this a thing??! Not being able to use a debit card. Will we be able to hire a car at Palma airport in person with a debit card?

OP posts:
ChequerBoard · 15/08/2021 18:00

It is a thing. You need a credit card to hire a car, it's so they can put a hold amount on the card (without actually charging it which you can't do on a debit card) to discourage you from absconding with the vehicle.

Tangledtresses · 15/08/2021 18:01

I think you'll be fine just pay with whatever you have when you get there... I've hired many cars..,
The reason they love Creditcard is in case you prang it and walk off (easily done with airport parking) so they can charge your card easily .

Take photos of the car before you drive off and when you drop it off

Hardchoices · 15/08/2021 18:03

You won’t get the car. The credit card isn’t for payment it’s for a hold. Almost a guarantee in case you damage the car, don’t return it etc.

Marmitemarinaded · 15/08/2021 18:03

Or just get out a credit card

Brilliant for emergencies abroad .

And then cancel when hone if you don’t want to keep

BarbaraofSeville · 15/08/2021 18:03

I don't know if it's achievable, but it is very much a thing. Most car hire companies require you to have a credit card and it's in your interest to have one, because if not, you're either forced to take their very expensive extra insurance or if you do find one that accepts a debit card, you'll have to have actual money available to pay the deposit, which could be £1k+. Or at least you're seriously restricting your choice of car hire companies, which is likely to cost more.

When do you travel? Is there any chance of getting a card in time? Can you get a credit card? Most people can, but it might take time to build up to a decent limit if you have to start from scratch with a basic one.

Having a credit card has so many benefits that have nothing to do with borrowing money that you don't have, that I don't understand why so many people don't have them, it especially seems to be a bit of a thing on here.

They usually say 'well we've never needed one' until they find, like you, that they need one right now and they're stuck, because you can't always get a decent limit, until you've had one a while. Although try your own bank, they know how you run your account, so are ahead in that respect.

INeedtobealone · 15/08/2021 18:05

We've just hired a car on Jersey without giving them a credit card, we have one but used a debit card like you to pay for the hire. This is with Avis.

yellowbluetulip · 15/08/2021 18:06

I'd get one. We had to pay for very expensive insurance once we arrived, managed to haggle it down a bit but very stressful. I thought it'd be fine as my partner had a credit card but it was booked in my name. They make extra money by catching people out, we could hear people after us going through the same argument

huuskymam · 15/08/2021 18:09

Contact the care hire company directly. We had an issue when trying book one in Iceland, everywhere only took credit cards. But after contacting them they said they could take a debit card once the one used for payment was presented at the desk on pick up.

Original poster
Rollergirl11 · 15/08/2021 18:10

We fly on Tuesday so no chance of getting one in time!

OP posts:
m0therofdragons · 15/08/2021 18:12

We discovered this and that’s why we got our first credit card. You literally cannot hire a car without one.

Roussette · 15/08/2021 18:19

I hire cars abroad all the time. Every single company I've used need a credit card.

Jersey is part of GB which is probably why it was OK there with a debit card. But in Europe that won't work.

Just get a credit card for the future and just use it for holidays. There are a couple out there where you don't pay fees when using it.

CeeceeBloomingdale · 15/08/2021 18:20

Definitely a thing an it’s a thing with every car rental company

CeeceeBloomingdale · 15/08/2021 18:23

Enterprise let you rent a smaller car with a debit card and have a Palma office. www.enterprise.co.uk/en/help/faqs/can-i-hire-a-car-with-a-debit-card.html
If any company does this they will probably take an authority for at least £500 meaning you won’t have access to those funds for your holiday

shesellsseacats · 15/08/2021 18:24

We had this problem in the USA and we discovered Turo, which is like AirBnB but for cars, and they take debit cards.

Cheaper than usual car hire too.

CeeceeBloomingdale · 15/08/2021 18:26

And sixt www.sixt.co.uk/faqs/car-hire-without-credit-card/#/

I’m literally just googling hire car in Palma with debit card here

shesellsseacats · 15/08/2021 18:26

Damn, they don't seem to be in Mallorca sorry Sad

(They are all over the world so I was hopeful).

Original poster
Rollergirl11 · 15/08/2021 18:28

It would be fine if they were to put an authority for the usual hold amount on the debit card. There is sufficient funds in the account for it not to impede our spending. But there is no way we will get a credit card in time as we fly early on Tuesday. I purposefully held off sorting the car hire until the kids fit to fly tests today. Now this has bitten me in the backside!

OP posts:
shesellsseacats · 15/08/2021 18:32

@Rollergirl11

It would be fine if they were to put an authority for the usual hold amount on the debit card. There is sufficient funds in the account for it not to impede our spending. But there is no way we will get a credit card in time as we fly early on Tuesday. I purposefully held off sorting the car hire until the kids fit to fly tests today. Now this has bitten me in the backside!
CeeceeBloomingdale's just given a couple of options for debit cards, don't they work?
CeeceeBloomingdale · 15/08/2021 18:33

It appears the companies I have posted will allow it, if there’s no time to apply for a credit card then check the small print and if suitable use one of those

CeeceeBloomingdale · 15/08/2021 18:34

Thanks @shesellsseacats, I thought it was just me wondering why OP ignore the useful info I posted!

Palavah · 15/08/2021 18:35

@Rollergirl11

It would be fine if they were to put an authority for the usual hold amount on the debit card. There is sufficient funds in the account for it not to impede our spending. But there is no way we will get a credit card in time as we fly early on Tuesday. I purposefully held off sorting the car hire until the kids fit to fly tests today. Now this has bitten me in the backside!
Some companies will take a deposit from you (not a charge on the funds, they actually take the funds) and you then have to get them to return it after you return the car. But if the company doesn't want to do that then they're not obliged to.

There will be other car hire options at Palma airport.

Roussette · 15/08/2021 18:35

I don't think they can ringfence the money on a debit card in the same way as they can on a credit card.

We often have 1,000euros reserved this way, which is a normal amount where we hire cars.

OP... I do hope you can get sorted in some way. What a worry

Original poster
Rollergirl11 · 15/08/2021 18:39

@CeeceeBloomingdale sorry I wasn’t ignoring your posts and thank you for posting those hire companies. I will deffo check them out.

OP posts:
Coogee · 15/08/2021 23:22

Have you tried going on the Mallorca Tripadvisor forum and asking if there are any car hire companies that take cash?

nancy75 · 15/08/2021 23:26

Vanrell, we used to have a house in Mallorca & I've used them over 20 times, I’ve never had a credit card