By Tim Maxwell
Edited by Michelle TipswordCan You Rent a Car With a Secured Credit Card?
By Tim MaxwellEdited by Michelle Tipsword
Quick Answer
- A secured credit card can pay for a rental car as long as there’s enough available credit to cover both the rental cost and the authorization hold.
- Rental companies typically place a temporary hold for the estimated rental charges plus about $200.
You've booked your flight and need a rental car when you land. But the only credit card in your wallet is a secured card. It raises the question: Can you rent a car with a secured credit card?
You can rent a car with a secured credit card, but you must ensure there is enough available credit to cover all rental costs. Here's what you need to know about renting a car with a secured credit card.
Do You Need a Credit Card to Rent a Car?
While you don't need a credit card to rent a car, it's usually your easiest option. All the major rental companies accept credit cards. Many also accept secured credit cards, with a few rules to follow. The card must:
- Be accepted by the rental company and be in the renter's name
- Work like a regular credit card, not a debit, prepaid or bank account card
- Run on the Visa, Mastercard, American Express or Discover network
- Have enough available credit to cover the rental charges and any authorization hold or security deposit
Credit cards, including secured cards, are generally a better way to pay for a rental car than debit cards or cash because they offer several benefits.
- A credit card holds your available credit, not checking account funds. A credit card hold won't tie up money in your checking account, which could help you avoid an overdraft.
- Some credit cards include rental car coverage. Many credit cards, including travel, cash back and rewards cards, provide secondary insurance when you use the card to pay for the rental.
- Credit card payment opens up a wider selection of vehicles. Some rental companies will only let you rent certain sports and premium with a credit card.
- You can dispute a credit card rental charge before paying it. If the rental company adds charges after you return the car and you dispute it, you don't have to pay the charge while the card issuer investigates. With a debit card, the money leaves your account, and the bank typically has 10 business days to investigate before issuing a temporary credit.
Other Payment Options
Most rental companies also accept debit cards, but with conditions attached. Here's what you might encounter when trying to rent a car with a debit card at specific car rental companies.
- Enterprise: You can only use a debit card at airport rental offices if you show a return flight itinerary. Other locations may accept debit cards, but call ahead to confirm. You may also need to provide additional documents.
- Hertz, Avis and Budget: These companies allow you to rent a car with a debit card, but you must pass a credit check.
- Budget: Budget only accepts debit cards from renters age 25 or older.
- Hertz and Thrifty: Both of these providers place a $500 hold on your debit card. By contrast, the hold is only $200 if you pay with your credit card instead.
Cash isn't a great rental payment option either, as many rental companies typically don't allow it. Hertz accepts cash through its Cash Deposit ID card, but that requires a credit check and takes about 30 days to approve.
You may be able to pay cash with some rental companies when you return the car and are paying your final bill. If this is important to you, check with the rental company beforehand for its policy.
How to Rent a Car With a Secured Credit Card
You can usually rent a car with a secured credit card in much the same way you would with an unsecured card. But before heading to the rental agency, it's a good idea to check your available credit to make sure there is enough to cover the cost of the rental, including fees and the authorization hold.
With both secured and unsecured credit cards, rental companies commonly initiate authorization holds on your card as a security deposit. The company charges your card for the rental amount, plus an additional charge to cover potential damage to the vehicle. Then, when you return the vehicle, the car rental company will release the additional charge, which could take up to two weeks to credit to your account.
The minimum credit card hold amounts for some of the most popular car rental companies as of September 2026 are as follows:
- Avis: Estimated car rental charges plus $200 minimum hold. Rentals of at least four days may require $300.
- Budget: Total estimated rental charges plus $200, or $250 hold on prepaid rentals.
- Enterprise Rent-a-Car: Estimated rental car charges plus a deposit of $200 to $850, depending on the location and vehicle class.
- Hertz: Estimated car rental charges plus up to a $200 authorization hold.
- Thrifty Car Rental: Estimated rental charges plus a $200 authorization hold in the U.S. or $350 CAD in Canada.
Learn more: How to Use a Secured Credit Card
Does Renting a Car Hurt Your Credit?
Renting a car could negatively impact your credit score if you pay for it with your credit card and it pushes your credit utilization rate up too high. Credit utilization is the percentage of your available revolving credit you're using compared to your credit limit, and it accounts for 30% of your FICO® ScoreΘ. Experts commonly recommend keeping your ratio below 30%, but the lower, the better.
Your credit could also be harmed if you don't pay the bill and it gets sent to collections. The collection account could appear on your credit report and drag down your credit score for up to seven years. Because payment history is the most important credit scoring factor, this is important to avoid.
One benefit of using a credit card for a car rental is that rental companies generally won't run a credit check when you pay with one. But you'll likely face a credit check if you rent a car using a debit card, potentially resulting in a hard inquiry on your credit report. Hard inquiries can cause your score to drop temporarily, typically by no more than five points. Before handing over your debit card, verify if the company will run a hard or soft inquiry on your credit.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Secured Credit Cards Can Help Build Your Credit
While secured credit cards require you to provide a security deposit that usually establishes your spending limit, they can be used to cover many of the same transactions as unsecured credit cards, including renting a car.
Secured credit cards are also an excellent option if you're looking to build or rebuild your credit and ultimately upgrade to an unsecured credit card. Making consistent on-time payments and paying down debts can also positively impact your credit score.
While you're taking steps to improve your credit, consider signing up for free credit monitoring from Experian. You'll be able to monitor your progress and receive alerts about new inquiries and changes to your credit.
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About the author
Tim Maxwell
Tim Maxwell is a former television news journalist turned personal finance writer and credit card expert with over two decades of media experience. His work has been published in Bankrate, Fox Business, Washington Post, USA Today, The Balance, MarketWatch and others. He is also the founder of the personal finance website Incomist.
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