Renting a car in the US without a US credit card
Consider the following scenario.
A group of five people needs to rent a car (in California) for two weeks. Four people live outside the US (they came on a B1/B2 visa) and the fifth (temporarily) lives in the US (on an F1 visa). Two people (from those on B1/B2) are going to take turns driving. They are over 30 y.o. and have licenses from their country as well as IDPs. Let's call them A and B. The fifth person (the one on F1) is 24 y.o. and has only a license from their country of citizenship. Call this person C.
Assume that the drivers want to get full insurance. As far as I can see, many aggregator websites require US (or at least Canadian) credit card if one wants to purchase some insurance together with the booking. Of course, Person A and Person B don't have US credit cards. Person C does.
I see two options for renting a car:
Person A makes a car reservation on their name (with B being a second driver), presumably without the insurance since they don't have a US credit card, and then they get charged at the counter some unknown sum of money for the insurance as well.
Person C makes a reservation in their name (with A and B being secondary drivers). They can purchase insurance at the time of booking, and the insurance they purchase need not cover everything, as they will be paying with a card like Chase Sapphire Preferred, which already includes a primary CDW.
Above, I'm assuming that if the rental contract is signed by a person X, then the payment must be made by X's credit card.
(Are my descriptions correct? I may misunderstand something.)
So the question is which option would be cheaper. (If it's neither of the above, feel free to share other options.) I don't know how to compare the prices because in option 1 I'm not sure how much Person A will be charged for insurance. Also, not all aggregator websites have the option "the driver is under 25", and for some that do have it, it doesn't reflect on the price.
Best Answer
Aside from the fact that I have never heard of the requirement of a credit card being a US credit card - they are international, and the country should not matter at all - you are probably better off by not paying some company to make the booking for you, but do it yourself.
All larger car rentals have websites where you can investigate and book what you want, and compare the prices for the rental and any insurance added.
Usually, car rental companies want to see a credit card from the main renter for securing the rental; you can however pay with any other credit card (or debit card or cash), if you want. The driver renting the car must show a credit card in his name when leaving the lot, and he will probably get a pending charge over the full amount. That will disappear after three or four days (though there needs to be enough limit on the card for the charge).
When you return the car, you tell them you want to pay with whatever method, and they will charge accordingly - this can be your friends, your neighbors, or your grandma's card, it doesn't matter, the card holder just has to be present with his card for the payment (he doesn't need to be a driver or even come inside the rental car)
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Quick Answer about "Renting a car in the US without a US credit card"
- Alamo.
- Avis.
- Budget.
- Dollar.
- Enterprise.
- Hertz.
- National.
- Sixt.
What car rental company does not require a credit card?
Which rental car companies do not require a credit card? All of the major U.S. rental car companies have non-credit card payment options at certain rental locations, including Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Payless, SIXT, Thrifty, and Turo.Can I rent a car with a debit card in USA?
The short answer is yes, you can rent a car with a debit card. Major rental car companies\u2014including Avis, Budget, Enterprise and Hertz\u2014all permit rentals on a debit card.Which rental car companies allow you to use a debit card?
Enterprise Debit Card Policy Enterprise accepts debit cards for customers renting a car at one of their airport locations. To pay, you need your debit card (Visa, Mastercard, and Discover) and proof of an outgoing flight at the Enterprise location where you plan to drop off the car.Can foreigners rent a car in the US?
You may need both your license and an IDP to rent a car in the U.S. If you're planning to rent one, find out the rental company's policies and other requirements in advance. Beware of international driver's license scams.No Credit Card Required To Rent a Car!
More answers regarding renting a car in the US without a US credit card
Answer 2
Usually being a non-US resident and having non-US credit cards will give you much better offers with all insurance already included, while as US resident you have to pay a hefty fee to include those insurances. So not sure, on what sites you have seen better offers with US credit cards. This is especially the case when persons A and B live in Europe (the european websites of rental companies very often offer pretty good package deals).
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