Car Hire / Credit Card Question

[nickirick]

I've searched for an answer to this but cannot find anything.

Does the car hire company secure funds against your credit card?
For example: you have $1500 credit on the card, the car hire company secure $200, that would leave only $1300 credit left useable.

Hope I'm making sense :wacko:

I'm just working out budgets / dues and demands etc and this would make a difference to which cards / travellers cheques / currency I would take.

[Redkop]

they take an imprint of it, in case of problems, i havent had anyone secure credit against it :thumbs:

[nickirick]

:thumbs: Thank you! Don't want anyone reducing my shopping money :lol:

[Redkop]

:thumbs: Thank you! Don't want anyone reducing my shopping money :lol:

yeah that wouldnt be good :lol:

[Andy B]

I am not sure but I thought they now pre authorise rather than just take an impression. Hopefully someone on here works for a car hire or credit card company and will know for certain.

[uscwest]

In all the many times I have rented cars I can only remember them putting a $hold on the credit card one time and that did indeed prevent me from using that card until I sorted it out. I don't remember which company did it however. The thing you need to remember, is that unless you are going to pay cash for the car at the very end you still need enough of a credit limit on the card to clear the car.

[nickirick]

In all the many times I have rented cars I can only remember them putting a $hold on the credit card one time and that did indeed prevent me from using that card until I sorted it out. I don't remember which company did it however. The thing you need to remember, is that unless you are going to pay cash for the car at the very end you still need enough of a credit limit on the card to clear the car.

Now i'm confuzzled :wacko:
We've paid for the car already and with all singing all dancing insurances, as long as we don't forget to fill up with gas before we take it back, we shouldn't have anything to pay, I hope!

[uscwest]

Sorry wasn't aware that you had prepaid the car. :)

[nickirick]

Sorry wasn't aware that you had prepaid the car. :)
:oops: Sorry John, I didn't make it very clear did I?

[Mitchs Grandma]

I rent a car quite often when I'm on vacation. Are you sure you PAID for the car rental (did it show up on your credit card statement?), or did you just give them your credit card number to reserve the car for you? I have never paid in advance for a car rental, but then I'm not overseas, either. Lately, whenever I rent a car, the clerk does tell me that the amount of the rental has been placed as a hold on my credit card. I never worry about it because my credit card limit is quite high. If you've truly paid in advance, you have nothing to worry about.

[Andy B]

It is common when renting a car in the US from the UK to purchase via an agent who gets reduced rates for the package including insurances of different levels. You then get a voucher to be redeemed at the car hire desk.

However if the insurance has an excess and the package does not include prepaid gas then the car hire company can put a hol on the CC to cover those amounts.