We’ve had a number of questions posted on the blog recently, asking about what we will ‘hold’ against your credit card when you pick up your hire car with Avis. It can sometimes differ by country/location but here is a general rule: if it is a ‘pay later’ booking then we will ‘hold’ for the cost of the basic rental price you would have been quoted for at the time of booking (usually includes time and mileage of the rental, Vehicle Damage Cover, Vehicle Theft Cover and any applicable taxes). In addition, we will also put a hold for the price of any additional extras you opt to add to your rental at the rental counter (e.g. excess waivers, additional driver, etc), plus the estimated cost of a tank of fuel. If you’re booking is pre-paid then we will only put a hold against the additional extras and the fuel given that everything else has been paid for in advance!
If you have any questions about payment with Avis then please feel free to post them. I should also note that, while there are many comments already posted here that provide advice, our policies are subject to change. So please bear this in mind when reading old commentary – you may want to ask the same question again. For more information about accepted credit cards, please visit our blog post on this topic.
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Help please , like many other people who have posted I am trying to ascertain the amount which will be held/blocked on my card when I collect a pre-paid car.My understanding on reading the postings was that if I took out the additional insurance paid at the counter it will reduce the amount held on my card. I have quotes of this varying from o to 100 – 200 euros / £100…however it seemed to be minimal amount. However to feel confident this was the case I telephoned Pau airport in France where we intend to collect the car – a zafira – they have just to my astonishment quoted 1000 euros and stated that the additional cover does not reduce the blocked amount at all.As I said earlier “help” it is to say the least dissapointing and confusing to have so many versions quoted…I thought this block had helped clarify when I re-read this morning however after the call to Pau to confirm I am at a loss what to think and certainly don’t feel that I can proceed with a booking. A call to Avis central number has just quoted ” it depends what they say at the branch on collection” To date for us that has varied between zero to collect at Glasgow Airport and 1000 euros at Pau…as I said help. Many thanks I look forward to a reply
Hi Roberta, in most cases we will put a ‘hold’ against the basic rental price you would have been quoted for at the time of booking (usually includes time and mileage of the rental, Vehicle Damage Cover, Vehicle Theft Cover and any applicable taxes) plus the price of any additional extras you opt to add to your rental at the rental counter (e.g. excess waivers, additional driver, etc). We will also put a hold for the estimated cost of a tank of fuel.
Therefore, opting for additional cover will not usually reduce the amount we “hold” because we do not generally hold for the excess amount for damage.
The description above will certainly apply to your rental in Edinburgh. I am just waiting for confirmation that the same will apply to Pau and will post this as soon as I get it.
Also, let me know if you need more clarification because it is a pretty difficult thing to explain!
Rob
Hi Roberta, I’m sorry for the late reply on this. Pau airport is one of those locations where our policy differs from most locations as it has not yet been moved to the standard policy. I can confirm that currently the amount that will be held against your credit card for the Zafira car category is €1,300. As I mentioned in my previous comment the amount we will ‘hold’ at Glasgow or Edinburgh Airports we will be the basic rental price you would have been quoted for at the time of booking (usually includes time and mileage of the rental, Vehicle Damage Cover, Vehicle Theft Cover and any applicable taxes) plus the price of any additional extras you opt to add to your rental at the rental counter (e.g. excess waivers, additional driver, etc) and the estimated cost of a tank of fuel.
I hope this provides the clarity you need but let me know if you have any further questions.
Rob
Hi – need some help here. I’m a Avis customer in Kuwait where I drive an Avis car on a daily basis from my company account. Have done for the last 7 months. So I decided upon Avis for my vacation plans. I’m first going to Ireland (Vectra 8 days) then going to Italy immediately afterwards (Golf 5 days). Will the excess they charge in Ireland be immediately released to free up my card in Italy? Picking up in Orio Al Serio, Bergamo – how much will they block on my card for this rental for this period? When will it be released? Just worried that with a two week holiday, two car rentals + hotels, my card might be stretched! Please advise. Thanks, James.
Hi James, I apologise for the late reply! If your Ireland rental is pre-paid then we will simply hold for the cost of any additional extras and $40 for a tank of fuel. If the rental is non pre-paid then the amount for the total cost of the rental will be held + a tank of fuel + a €500 deposit (although this figure will vary slightly by location). This will be transacted when you collect your car. For rental in Bergamo, the policy described in the blog post above applies i.e. cost of basic rental price that you were quoted for when picking up your car (unless this has already been pre-paid), any additional extras you opt to take at the rental counter + $40 for a tank fuel.
Does this answer question / all make sense to you?!
Rob
please help, i have a booking for a corsa which i will pick up from toulon airport in france. I cannot get a straight answer as to how much will be held against my mastercard! It ranges from a tank of fuel to 500 euros! Im on a tight budget and need to know for sure. Can anyone help??? Is prepaying a better option??
Hi Tim, the amount we will hold at this location is the same as what is outlined in the note above. I would suggest that pre-pay is the better option because a). it is generally cheaper and b). you will then only have the cost of any additional extras (that you ask for at the rental counter) plus $40 for a tank of fuel held against your Mastercard. If you do not pre-pay then you will also have the basic rental price held against your card. I should note that pre-pay does come with cancellation and no show charges. We recently wrote about our pre-pay policy here: http://wetryharder.co.uk/?p=414.
I hope that explains everything but please let me know if you need any further clarification or more detailed breakdown of the costs I have referred in my response.
Rob
Hi, I am wanting to hire a 5 door car from Dover Eastern Docks from August 2nd for 14 days. Can you confirm for me that if I prepay via online booking and choose additional excess insurance and prepay fuel at the counter and pay for it then, that there does not need to be a huge hold amount placed on my card? Could you also advise as to what the daily excess waiver cost will be? Many thanks
Hi Deanne, if you pre-pay then we will only place a hold for the cost of any additional extras you opt for at the counter (in your case the excess waiver – which is known as Premier Cover in the UK) and the cost of the advanced fuel option (which we call Fuel Up Front). The price of Premier Cover is £11.95 a day for cars in the small category, £14.95 a day for cars in the medium sized category and £15.95 a day for cars in the large sized category. The prices are capped at 7 days so the total cost will be between £83.65 and £111.65 depending on the size of the car you are renting. We also offer Windscreen Protection for an additional £1 per day (also capped at 7 days). This eliminates the excess for any damage to the front windscreen.
I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Rob
thanks for that, it would be helpful if avis had 1 policy for all though,should not really be left almost to chance how much of your budget is swallowed up. However the staff i have spoken to have all been very polite both in the uk and france,always trying to help and sort out the best deals. Just a quick note to suggest putting direct numbers on the web site, the one printed was apparently a general 0870 type number and then it did not work!!! Thanks once again for your help
Absolutely agree Tim and ensuring this consistency is something we are working on.
I don’t suppose you are able to recall what the 0870 number is and where you read it as it sounds like it needs updating?! If you are looking for contact telephone numbers on our website then you can find this on the “Contact Avis” page (http://www.avis.co.uk/ContactAvis).
Thank you for the rest of your feedback!
Rob
I have been reading the comments with interest but as a 1st time traveller abroad, I still feel worried about a booking I have already pre-paid for through my travel agent. I am due to collect a pre-paid Corsa from Kefalonia airport this Sunday 22nd June. I am worried by the 750 euros that it says are payable locally when I arrive. Is the money taken from my account? What else do you pay for on arrival? Is any of it refunded? Basic questions I know, but can someone please clarify it for me?!
Hi Rob, we will only hold for any additional extras that opt to take at the counter plus a tank of fuel. This will be ‘held’ until you return the car when your card will be debited the payment for these products.
Does this give you the information you need? Let me know if you need any further clarification.
Rob
This is perhaps a word of warning. My daughter and her boy friend hired an Avis car in March 2008 and at the time my daughter duly gave her credit card details. Being naive they unfortunately did not recognised the ‘cut throat’ nature of the car hire business which requires one to purchase additional insurance layers to cover the extortionate excess charged being levied (or the underside, window, roof etc). Quite frankly this whole area is a complete minefield and really does need some form of regulation
Unfortunately a dog ran out in front of the car and caused damage to the vehicle. On returning the vehicle to Cork Airport they explained the situation and requested an repair estimate to be sent to them and they would pay what was due. A while later an excess amount of over £1,000 (sterling) was debited from the credit card.
No estimate for the repair has ever been received despite making many requests for one to be supplied. Avis simply do not seem interested in justifying the costs involved now that they have the money in their possession
The points that arise are:
- although numerous requests have been made to Avis for an estimate nothing has ever been received
- having spoken to the Credit Card Bank involved it would seem as though once you have provided your credit card details Avis is entitled to take WHATEVER AMOUNT they choose from your credit card without justifying the charge.
On further investigation it would seem as though the whole matter of insurance excess is an additional way a lot of car hire companies supplement their hire charges – so the message has to be caveat emptor
http://www.myfinances.co.uk/news/insurance/car-insurance/car-hire-customers-risk-rip-off-insurance-$1221974.htm
Hi James, I regret that we have not been particularly responsive with your daughters enquiry and I appreciate that this must be the cause of some anxiety. If you able to send to me your daughter’s rental agreement to comments@avis.co.uk then we will chase up the status of your enquiry and try to get you on update on the repair costs.
I assure you and any customer reading this comment that we are not in the business of being “cut throat” and we would never take whatever amounts we wanted from our customers bank account. As a business it is our responsibility to act fairly and responsibly and, while this tactic might make someone money in the short-term, it would lose a lot of customers in the long-term and we simply cannot afford to behave like this.
I appreciate that damage can be an area of contention. But I assure you that Car hire excesses are not intended as a money making scheme. The fact is if we did not have these excesses in place to reduce the ‘risk’ to our business, then we would simply be out of business. We do try to be as clear as possible about what the excess is in advance and we offer all customers the opportunity to inspect the car for any damage before driving off in the car so that both Avis and the customer are in agreement on the condition of the car. If there is any damage that has incurred during the rental then we would first determine whether it is chargeable or not (some damage we will not charge for as we would consider it to be general wear and tear). There is more information about this on this blog post: http://wetryharder.co.uk/?p=378. If it is chargeable then we have a database that is able to provide a pretty accurate estimation of the damage cost based on the location of the damage, the type of damage and the size of it.
One area I feel we do fall down is being responsive to customers who have experienced damage and, as in your case, want confirmation on the final repair bill. It is a more difficult process to manage than one might expect plus there is the possibility that the car will not be repaired until later on or at the end of it’s life as a rental car. This usually occurs in busy periods and as long as the car is not “unsafe”, “un-rentable”(i.e. major damage) or “unsightly” (i.e. is likely to lead to a customer complaint). Please advised though that the car will need to be repaired at some point, either before it goes to the manufacturer or goes on sale to a potential customer. However, in recognition that the communication with the customer here needs to be improved, I promise to continue to flag this up with the team responsible for managing this process.
I hope this provides some clarity on our policies and, on receipt of your rental information, I hope we can provide resolve your daughter’s enquiry for you. In addition please let me know if you have any further feedback.
Rob
hi would like some clarification about what is held on my credit card when picking up a car from bergamo airport.
thanks
ian
Hi Ian, it depends if you have pre-paid or not. If you have pre-paid then we will hold of the cost of any additional extras you opt to take at the rental counter (e.g. excess waivers, Avis GPS, etc) plus a $40 for a tank of fuel. If you have not pre-paid then we will hold for the amount outlined above plus the cost of the basic price of the rental that you would have been quoted for when making your booking (this should include the price of the time and mileague of renting a car plus Vehicle Damage and Theft Cover).
Does this all make sense? Let me know if you need me to provide any further clarification.
Rob
Hi Rob,
Sorry to be a pain, but for my own peace of mind can you confirm that if I book and pre-pay for a car and pick it up from La Rochelle Airport in France I won’t left with a huge hold on my credit card?! I’m having a huge worry at the moment as I’ve read so many conflicting things!
Thanks very much
Liz
Happy to help Liz! If you pre-pay for your rental at La Rochelle Airport, then the amount that will be held against your credit will be of the value of any additional extras you choose to take at the rental counter when collecting your car (e.g. excess waivers, GPS, etc) plus $40 for a tank of fuel.
Let me know if you need any further clarification or if you have any further questions.
Rob
just a note to all of you out there with regard to what was held against my credit card. I arrived at toulon late due to a flight delay, but the lady waiting was still very polite and professional. She explained what was being held at that point ( price quoted on internet plus £40 for fuel), and explained fully the benefits of excess insurance waiver, what the return procedure will be and exactly what additional charges may apply. I had a terrible experiance with avis last year so I was relieved that certainly in my case that the service has improved, the staff have become more customer friendly and will now book with avis again without hesitation.
Thank you for the feedback Tim. I’ll pass on to the team at Toulon.
Rob
Why have I been charged for damage to a car hired in Cagliari through Sardatur holidays when it clearly states there will be no excess payable for damage/
Hi Gillian,
Please could you send me details of your hire to comments@avis.co.uk and I will investigate this matter for you.
Stephen
hi
i was just wondering if you could tell me how much will be held against my credit card for a corsa at pmi airport please as i will need to budget for this. i have paid for car rental through my travel agent who suggested to contact yourselves to get a price.
thanx
Hi Kelly, if your booking has been pre-paid then we will only hold for any additional extras you opt to add to your hire at the rental counter (e.g. GPS, excess waivers, etc) and $40 for a tank of fuel. Obviously, you do not opt for the optional extras then it is just a tank of fuel.
If you have not pre-paid then it will be as above except we will only hold for the cost of the rental price you were quoted when you booked.
Let me know if you need any further clarification.
Rob
Hi
I intend to book a small economy 5, prepay the hire fee and pick up at Pau airport. I have 3 questions. 1. Like many other clients I am on a fairly tight budget; What will they ‘hold’ against my card? I understand from the blog that Pau has a different policy.
2. I want to pick up at Pau airport at 22:40 and return to Pau railway station at 22:30: on #### website that books Avis hirecars says that this cannot be done as it is out of hours. On the ‘official’ Avis website
the times are accepted and can proceed to confirm booking. Can you confirm that I will be able to collect hire car at the airport at 22:40 (16.08.08), and thatI will be able to return it to Pau train station at 22:30 (19.08.08.
3. What will be the return procedure as according to the Avis website the actual train station closes at 17:00?
Hi Pam, in answer to your questions:
1. The policy at Pau airport is currently different. They will ‘hold’ for the cost of rental plus the value of the excess amount. The level of the excess will be communicated when making a booking at the avis.co.uk website.
2. Yes you can pick up and return at these times. Pau Airport closes at 23:00 so I would highly recommend entering your flight number in the booking. That way they know when to expect you if the flight is delayed.
3. The Avis office at Pau train station closes at 17:00. However, there will be someone there to take collection of the keys outside of office opening hours.
Does this answer all of your questions?
Rob
Hi Rob
Yes, it answers my questions very clearly. Thank you for the flight number tip
PK
Hi
I intend to book a people carrier, pay now the hire fee and pick up at Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport Terminal 1/3 and i was just wondering if you could tell me how much will be held against my credit card please as i will need to budget for this.
Many thanks
Hi Just to add to my earlier comment is it possible to use a Visa Debit Card at this location?
Thanks
Dear Rob and Stephen,
I am flying into Luton airport from Hungary with 5 friends, as I am marrying in Northampton on the 27th August. We are staying there only one night, and therefore returning on the 28th early morning. I would like to know the amount of any deposit I would be paying for the 7 seater that we need to hire for the one day. Obviously getting married is an expensive event, so I would like to know how much will be blocked on my mastercard. If it it paid for in advance via the internet booking, will I still be blocked an horrific amount a a deposit. I have been quoted 104.00 UKL as the estimated total cost. Will I need to pay more than that? By the way, what currency is UKL?
Many thanks,
Thomas.
Hi. I am about to make a prepay booking to pick up a small economy car from Marseille airport for a week. I have been advised by your UK call centre when I asked the question that I need to present a credit card at the time of booking but it doesn’t matter if there is no credit available on it as no money will be taken. I have now been reading all these comments about amounts being held against cards and am totally confused. Please could you confirm exactly what will be done with my card and does held mean that that amount will reduce my available credit. Thanks
Hi Aine, Visa Debit card is fine at this location (although I should advise that Visa Electron is not accepted).
If you pre-pay for your rental then we will only hold for the cost of any additional extras you opt for at the rental counter (e.g. GPS, excess waivers, baby seats, etc) plus a deposit for fuel.
If you choose the ‘pay on return’ option then we will hold for the amount specified above plus the cost of the basic rental price that you would have been quoted for when making your booking.
Does this give you all of the information you need? Let me know if you need anything else.
Rob
Hi Thomas, if you pre-pay for the £104 then we will only hold for any optional extras you opt for at the rental counter when you pick up your car (e.g. GPS, excess waivers, baby seats, etc) plus a deposit for fuel.
Does this give you everything you need? Let me know if you need any further clarification.
Rob
Hi Janet, when you collect your car there will be an amount held against your credit card. If you have pre-paid for your rental then this will amount to a deposit for fuel plus any optional extras you may wish to add to your rental when you collect your vehicle (e.g. GPS, excess waivers, etc). If you opted for the ‘pay on return’ option when booking your car then the amount we hold for will be the same as above plus the cost of the basic rental price you were quoted for when making your booking. The amount that is held against your card is limit your available credit.
I apologise if this has not been made clear to you and I have spoken to our training team at the call centre to make sure all staff are absolutely clear on our policy for this.
If you need any more information then please let me know.
Rob
Hi Rob,
Yes it gives me all of the information that i need.
Thank You
Aine
I have prepaid a rental for 14 days starting on the 16th of September from Avis at Charles De Gaulle for a GROUP ‘O’ vehicle but have no idea what the excess is (apprently it could be from 660 to 1900 Euro plus taxs), nor any idea how much the excess reduction will cost. Why is this information so hard to find. We have cover on our travel insurance but only up to 1000 Euro. We have also been unable to get a straight story on if our card will have this excess held on it (you seem to indicate not). I don’t want to arrive in France and get held to ransom for unexpected charges by someone who is as likely as not to not speak english, or refuse to speak english! (I’ve been to France twice before)
Hi Jim, apologies that you have had trouble accessing this information. The excess on this car category is €1,300 in the case of damage and €1,600 in the case of theft (this includes tax). Eliminating this excess costs €15 per day. As you have pre-paid, the the amount held against your card will be the cost of any extras you add to your rental when collecting your car (e.g. the zero excess products I’ve mentioned above, Avis GPS, baby seats, etc) plus a deposit for fuel.
Does this give you all of the information you need? I’d also be interested to know which method you used to book your Avis hire car so we can make look at how we can improve the accessibility of the information you requested.
I hope you have a safe trip to Paris.
Rob
I am looking to hire a car to collect from Reading UK. The class is a Small : Economy e.g. Renault Clio costing £82 for 3 days rental and the Vehicle Damage Cover Excess is £650.00
and Vehicle Theft Cover Excess is £650.00. It says \”If you wish to reduce the excess you can purchase additional cover when you pickup your car\”. How much will this additional cover cost (and why is it not possible to purchase it online with the rest of the booking)?
Also if I buy this additional cover does it mean that only this fee will then be held (if I do not need any other additional services ? And will it be possible to hold this on my debit (Maestro) as I do not have a credit card?
Hi Alana, the cost of reducing the excess on an Economy sized car in the UK is £11.95 per day (or £35.85 for 3 days). The product is called Premier Cover and reduces the excess to £100 and includes a free additional driver and Super Personal Accident Insurance (more information is available on our website (http://www.avis.co.uk/VehiclesAndServices/Additional-cover#4).
Great question on why this is not available when you book. It’s a technical one. We’ve had plenty of feedback about this on the blog and it’s something that we are planning on addressing – it’s just not a easy fix to implement!
If you pre-pay for your rental and you take opt to take Premier Cover and no other extras at the counter then we will only hold for the cost of Premier Cover plus a deposit for fuel of $40. If you don’t pre-pay then we will hold for this amount plus the basic cost of the rental that you will be quoted for when you book.
Finally, unfortunately we do not accept Maestro. The only debit card we accept is Visa. It is to do with the way we gain authorisation from the card company. More information about this is on our blog post: ‘Information on accepted credit cards’ (http://wetryharder.co.uk/?p=253).
Let me know if you have any further questions or need any more clarification.
Rob
I have pre-paid a Citroen Grand Picasso at Bordeaux train station for 10 days but am a bit confused about whether an excess will be held against my credit card. I’ve read that it could be between 600 – 2600 euros. Could you please advise what I can expect to be charged when I pick up the car? Thanks.
Hi
I would like some help please, we have hired a car in Ireland but we do not have a credit card to pay the deposit ! we would like to pay on Visa Debit or cash…i it possible to do this on a Sunday when we pick up the car. wehave already booked the flights and the car hire for Sunday….this sunday coming
Regards Janet
Hi Janet, I’ve written the answer to this on other posting… http://wetryharder.co.uk/?p=253#comment-6675
Hi Karyn, apologies I haven’t responded to your question yet. I’m just waiting for confirmation from my colleague in France and I’ll let you know as soon as I get this.
Rob
Hi Rob,
Is there any word yet as I fly out for France on Tuesday night?
Thank.
Hi Karyn, apologies for the late reply. I’ve chased this up for and the policy at Bordeaux is pretty much as per our standard policy i.e. we will hold for the price you were quoted for when you booked (if a pay later booking, this it is pre-paid we will not hold for this), the cost of any extras you opt for at the rental counter (e.g. GPS, excess waivers, etc) + a desposit for a tank of fuel.
Have a great trip to Bordeaux!
Rob
Hello Rob White,my name is scott om de hoek ,i rent sometimes cars of differt companies and go often on a roadtrip for holidays with my family and kids and i find it handy to have a car with navigation system and childseats and i need for this trip extra drivers but the price is to high if i want these extra equipment if i rent a intermediate car for like 7 days its like 180 pounds + 50 pounds for navigation ,childseat 20 pounds + the insurances for theft and damage like 12 pounds something like that total is almost 340 pounds for 7days .so my question is why is there no offer or a package that if i rent a car that i have this included with the car for a special fair price for example 300 pound for car and equipment .i will rent much more times car at a company that offer this. you have more options, because if i go to mac donald i buy a menu with food ,drink, sauce for 4.50 pound for example and not seperatly big mac 3.00 pound and then coca cola 1.50 pounds and mayonaise 1.00 pound and french fries 1.50 total 7.00 pounds ,can somebody answer these question if avis has these special packages .rob do you think this is a good idea for avis???
thanks scott
avis is the best
i just want to say what a wonderful car company
good quality
Thanks for the great comment Jose!
Hi Scott – thanks for the feedback. The only package we do have in the UK is called Premier Cover. It allows you to reduce your to £100 but also bundles in Additional Driver and Super Personal Accident Insurance. Apart from that we do not have any ’special packages’ like you suggest. I like your idea though and it’s something we’ll definitely have a think about. Let me know if you have any other great ideas!
Rob
Hi this is scott,wel my real name is eddie de la cruz i am from barcelona
Hi rob white thanks that you like my idea,well i hope you gonna use the idea of these special packages.
well if i have new ideas i will let you know about. thanks that you like this idea. i hope to hear if you gonna use the idea.
Dear Rob
I know that this has been asked countless times – but here goes! I will be pre booking a car in Nice. I will pay for the booking with a credit card – fine! however when I collect the car I want to go for the zero excess option. Will I be able to pay for this (and the fuel) with an Irish Maestro card?
thanks
Jon
Hi Jon, unfortunately we do not accept Maestro at the rental counter. Your credit card will be fine though! Our blog post “Information on accepted credit cards” explains the reasons for this but let me know if you need any further clarification.
Rob
Dear Rob
Thanks for that! However if my credit card is “maxed” out, what I was intending to do was to BUY the super CDW (which I think reduces the excess to zero)and pay for that at the counter (and perhaps the fuel). Surely this is a basic transaction where no pre-authorisation (blocking) occurs?
Are you saying that your colleagues will simply just refuse to take my Maestro Card (european)? Or are you (understandably) saying they don’t want it for blocking purposes?!
Many thanks
Jon
Hi Jon, yes it is for “blocking” purposes and to take payment if any other additional costs are accrued at the end of the rental (e.g. if re-fuelling is required, if rental is extended and usually for damage- although obviously doesn’t apply with Zero Excess!).
Does this make sense? Apologies if I’m not being clear – feel free to fire more questions if you need further clarity!
Rob
Dear Rob
Thank you for your speedy response! I totally “get” the blocking part. What I still need to know will they point blank throw my Maestro back in my face!!!!!
Thanks
Jon
ps I know this is now in the wrong section – sorry!
No probs Jon. It’s still kind of relevant!
Basically the system simply won’t allow Maestro to go through and accept the transation. So there is no way around it I’m afraid.
Let me know if you have any more questions.
Rob
Hi,
I am plannning to book a rental car for my husband from 2-12-08 to 24-12-08 to be collected from Paris (Orly airport). I am planning to prepay the car hire before he leaves Australia. Can you tell me what the cost of insurance to reduce the excess to 0 will be. He was not planning to take a credit card with him so would it be possible to pay the cost of the insurance as above and the fuel deposit by either cash or
by a debit mastercard. If it is not possible to do this what would be the amount held against his credit card (some actual numbers would be really good) and would it be possible for me to arrange for this to be done over the phone when he picks up the car or does he actually have to have the card with him.
Hi
I posted a question on this blog yesterday but it doesn’t seem to be here now. The question was whether or not if I have prepaid car hire from Australia for a car in france (pick up and drop off at Orly airport)my husband can pay the insurance to reduce the excess to zero and any other costs associated with the car hire in cash or by debit card? if he is able to do this would it still be necessary to block his credit card for anything and if it is how much would it be (he is hiring an economy size car)? Could he use a visa debit card or a mastercard debit card rather than a credit card for this purpose. He was not planning to take a credit card with him.
Janet again – sorry for the duplication – i swear the first comment wasn’t there when I re did the question.
Hi Janet,
Firstly apologies for you having to write the comment 3 times. Your question was in the queue waiting to be moderated which is why it may have seemed to have disappeared!
To reduce the excess to zero for an economy size car (Renault Clio, Volkswagen Polo etc) would be a cost of €11 per day of rental. This amount would be “held” at the pick up office so he would require some kind of card with him (either credit or Mastercard debit) as he would not be be able to use cash. Along with this excess reduction cost a $40 fuel charge would also be held on the card.
If you have any more questions or need further clarification please feel free to ask.
Chris
Hi Chris,
Thanks for that and for the prompt response. no apologies needed I just didn’t pay enough attention. I know I am probably being a bit thick here but with regards to the 11 euros a day excess reduction premium I am assuming he would just pay that with his debit card and not get it back and then the fuel charge would be held against the card until he returns it. If he doesn’t take out the zero excess insurance what would be the excess and could that be held against either a mastercard debit card or a visa debit card.
Hi Janet,
Exactly, the €11 per day would be held against the card and would be not be refunded at the end of the rental. However the $40 fuel charge would be unblocked provided your husband returned the car with a full tank.
If the excess reduction wasn’t taken the car would have an excess of €600 for damage and €800 for theft. This would mean that he was liable for up to the excess amount should any damage occur or the full €800 if the car was stolen. The excess wouldn’t actually be “held” against the card, only the fuel cost and yes he could use either a Mastercard or Visa debit for this. The excess would only be charged if the car was returned damaged or not returned at all!
I hope that helps and please don’t hesitate to ask if I can help you any further.
thanks again for the quick response. this is a`great service! i am sorry to be a pain here but i would just like to make sure i understand. If my husband does take out the excess reduction insurance he will pay 242 euros using either his visa debit or mastercard debit card and he will have a further 40 euros held against the card (ie his available balance will be reduced by 40 euros) for the fuel deposit. If he doesn’t take out the excess reduction premium nothing will be held against his card (either the visa or Mastercard debit card) except for the fuel deposit of 40 euros (that is his available balance will be reduced by only 40 euros) but he will have to pay a 600 euro excess if the car is returned danmaged or 800 euros if the car is not returned at all but this would be payable at the time of return (or nonreturn) and would not reduce the amount availabled on the debit card during the rental period. Would also like to confirm that all of this is applicable at the pick up point – orly airport. Sorry to seem pedantic but i have heard so many horror storys. Having said that my son works for Avis on a casual basis at Yulara in Australia and tells me i am an idiot for worrying so much – but then he would.
Don’t worry about wanting to have things clear; it’s totally understandable!
So to recap, yes he will pay 11€ per day to reduce the excess to zero. We operate 24 hour hire so if he picks up on the 2nd Dec and drops back on the 24th at the same time or earlier then that will be 22 days at 11€. (Be aware that dropping the car back later than the pick up time would add on an extra day). If he doesn’t take this excess reduction then only $40 would be “held.” The damage excess is up to €600 so the extent of the damage would determine the amount he would be expected to pay; up to the maximum of €600.
Finally, yes all this is applicable to Orly airport, I’ve just spoken to the office directly to ensure this is the process they follow and they assured me that yes it is.
Hopefully between myself and your son we’ve helped to put your mind at ease! Please feel free to add any further questions you may have and I’ll be happy to answer them.
Chris
Sorry just two last questions – Will Orly airport definately accept either a visa debit card or a mastercard debit card? I think my confusion lies around the use of the terms ‘held’ and ‘blocked’ and what they mean in terms of the availability of funds on the cards. If he does not take out the excess reduction insurance will his debit card have the available funds reduced by 800 euros?
Hi Janet,
No problem at all.
Orly will definately accept Visa or Mastercard debit cards (provided all it says on the card is Debit, not Switch, Solo, Maestro etc).
The terms held or blocked simply mean that the office will swipe the card and freeze a certain amount of money. This amount would then be unavailable for the renter to spend. If he didn’t take the excess reduction his available funds would only be reduced by $40 as Orly don’t hold against the excess (there are actually very few offices that do hold against the excess).
If he did take the excess reduction then it would be reduced by the $40 and then the cost of the excess reduction e.g €242.
I hope this makes it a little clearer for you.
Chris
I have used avis on many occasions, im looking into booking again but i have a visa debit card(not electron) and it says either visa credit ir debit card. can this be accepted at pick up, even through i can pre book with it.?
Hi Youssef,
If you are hiring in the UK, your visa debit card will be accepted, as long as it is not an Electron card.
Most other countries in Europe also accept visa debit.
Hope this helps,
Stephen
Hi, I’m looking to hire a compact car from Glasgow Airport for 4 days. I was wondering if I prepay via online booking and choose additional excess insurance and prepay fuel at the counter,will there be a deposit (to cover the excess) that I need to pay at the counter? Also,when is the cut off date for online reservation if I want to get the car on March 27th? Many thanks.
Hi Ahmed,
If you prepay online for the rental cost when you arrive at the office the amount held against your card would be the fuel cost and then any extras that you wished to take e.g. the excess reduction. The excess would not be held as a deposit.
The cut off for the 27th would be the day before e.g. 26th as you need a full 24hrs notice to reserve online.
Hope that helps
Chris
Hi, I’m looking to hire a economy car from Pisa Airport for 7 days. I was wondering if I prepay via online booking and choose additional excess insurance and prepay fuel at the counter,will there be a deposit (to cover the excess) that I need to pay at the counter?
And second, why do you say “hold” an amount on the credit card for extras(GPS etc). Isn’t it easier to say “will charge you x amount”? Wouldn’t that be less confusing?
Hi Anders,
If you have prepaid for the rental costs then when you arrive the only thing held against your card will be the fuel cost and then any extras you choose to take, e.g. excess reduction. We use the word “held” as these amounts are only held during the rental period and not actually taken off the card; the fuel for example is “unblocked” at the end of the rental providing you’ve returned the car full of petrol. The extras which we do charge for e.g. excess reduction, GPS etc are only charged and taken off the card once the vehicle has been returned.
I hope this makes sense!
Chris
I would like to rent an AVIS car at Frankfurt airport and want to know what amount is held on a credit card. Is there a difference if the car is pre-paid or not? What would the held amount be if I pre-pay for the car in Brazil?
Thank you.
Hi Mike,
If you prepay for the reservation then they will only hold the $110 fuel and then any extras e.g. GPS, additional drivers, excess reduction etc that you choose to take against your card when you arrive. If you haven’t prepaid for the rental they will also hold the rental value as well.
Regarding Brazil, we don’t have any prepay rates available for that country so there they would hold the full rental cost and then any extras. If you let me know the office where you wish to pick up and the type of car required then I can call through to ensure that this would be all that they held.
Chris
Hi Chris,
I am wondering if you can shed a bit of light please. I am going to france on saturday and have been hit with trying to rent a car without a credit card, however on a couple of answers to Janet it says some of your agents accept visa debit cards as long as its not solo, switch or electron.
Please can you find out for me if Biarritz airpot depot accepts visa debit for the holding amount?
also just to check that if an additional driver is added to the policy would they need to provide a holding fee and finally
and finally if i was to book and pay up front with a lead driver and an additional driver what would the deposit be against the credit card or visa debit card?
Sorry one last question there is a group of 8 going we are looking to book two cars – on the other side my friend has nine points is there any restrictions he has gained these through using a monile phone (3 points) and no insurance (6 points) would he still be able to rent at Biarritz.
A speedy reply would be very appreciated.
P.s looking at this frum you guys are doing a sterling job!
All the best
Mick
Hi Mick,
Please accept my apologies in the delay with this response. We’ve had to do some double-checking as it appears that unfortunately France have changed their policy and have informed us that at the moment they will not accept Visa Debit cards.
We are trying to get more information and clarification but as you travel tomorrow it obviously won’t arrive in time.
With regards to your other questions the additional drivers won’t have to provide a holding card. If you’ve prepaid for a rental then they would only hold the equivalent of $110 for the fuel and then the extra charges e.g. additional driver charge, GPS, excess reduction etc.
Unfortunately as your friend has a charge for driving without insurance and above 6 points it is highly unlikely the office would allow him to be a driver.
Again please accept my apologies for the delay.
Kind regards
Chris
I have prebooked a fiat panda category a, in trieste airport italy from 11 august to 25 august. i have pre paid through benelux car hire. please can you advice what will be held on my credit card when i arrive as 3 people at your contact centre have told me different amounts. ranging from 75 euros to 300 euros. thank you
Hi Lyndsay,
I have spoken to the agent at the desk in Triestre who said they cannot guarantee how much they will hold until the day when you arrive. This is due to the booking having been made via a third party (Benelux) using a Tour Operator’s rate. They said that it should be around the €70 providing you don’t take any extras but cannot give an exact fee until they open the contract.
Chris
Hi
I have reserved a Cat B car online to be collected at East Midlands (EMI) airport at a cost of £65.00 (not taking optional extras). Can you tell me if I will have a deposit other than fuel held against my card as I will need to budget for this as I am planning on spending alot while im there!
Hi Denise, if you are not taking any extras then the amount we will hold for is £65 (unless you’ve already pre-paid this) plus about £70 as a deposit for a full tank of fuel.
Rob
Hi,
Im planning on renting a car with avis at Tampa airport for 2 weeks.
It will be pre-paid through British airways and im wondering how much of a deposit I will be expected to pay?
Thanks
Blair
Hi Blair, if you have pre-paid we will put a “hold” against your credit card for fuel and any optional extras you add to your rental when you pick-up your hire car.
Let me know if you need anything else.
Rob
Im so sorry for asking this question, but at this time I’m feeling so exhausted by searching for the right answer.
I was in Bordeaux Airport in January, when I unfortunately had to opt for a taxi when the receptionist said she had to hold about 2,300 euros on my credit card! I had not pre-paid, only reserved.
Please, please (i’m begging)tell me how much will held on my credit card given this scenerio:
Renting from Bordeaux Airport.
People Carrier : Medium : 4*4 – Ideal for Snow (Example of this range : Hyundai Tucson 2.0 D 4×4). I will be opting for:Pay Now price £281.98 also choosing the Avis GPS.
Thanking so much in advance.
Hi Doyle,
I’ve spoken to the office and they have said that they will hold €3000 for that type of vehicle.
I hope that helps
Chris
Hi!!! I am going to Spain,to Malaga with my boyfriend and we booked a car with avis. The age of a driver is 22. The questions are:
1. Are there going to be any extra payments for the young age?
2. What about a deposit? as I know that some companies in Spain take(take in cash or hold on a card) a certain sum of money and when you give back, you get the money.
The car is from C cat.( nothing special at all)
3. Will it be ok to pay with Visa debit card? Or we need a credit card?
Thank you in advance.
Hi Anna,
Ok firstly yes there will be an underage surcharge of €17.40 per day up to a maximum of €174. You will need to have a credit card in the name of the main driver as Spain doesn’t accept Visa Debit cards I’m afraid. With regards to the deposit if you’ve paid in advance for the rental then they will hold the fuel cost (about €70) and then any extra charges e.g. under age surcharge, GPS, excess reduction etc.
I hope that helps
Chris
Hi,
I have 3 questions:
- Is it more convenient to book on the internet, or directly at the shop some days before the pick -up date? (the avis location Rue de Lausanne 44, Geneve is next to my place)
- If I choose pay now with extra young driver what is the amount to be blocked on my credit card? (Car group A)
- Are there any extra costs to be paid at pick up? How much is the full insurance?
Thank you
Cristina
Dear Avis,
Could you please specify if UK Manchester Airport branch accepts Visa Debit card instead of a credit card as a guarantee and will you hold a deposit only for extras and fuel or the whole excess as well. Also, does the purchase of Premium
Cover reduce the amount you will hold or not?
I realise that this is a repeated question but it seems that the rules are differ by countries and locations.
Regards,
Juan
Hi Cristina,
It’s entirely up to you. The prices will vary depending upon when and where you book the car. Often the internet has special promotional rates available however you must book with at least 24 hours notice through this channel.
Do you mean the amount which will be blocked when you arrive at the office or when you prepay? The young driver surcharge is SFR 19.4 per day up to a maximum of SFR 193.68. The cost of rental will depend on how long you want to keep the car and when you pick it up.
To reduce the excess is a cost of SFR 22.60 per day which will take the excess to zero.
When you arrive the extras you take will be held against the card along with the cost of the fuel which will be around SFR 100.
If you let me know more details e.g. dates of pick up and return and age of the driver I can give you a better idea.
I hope that helps
Chris
Im looking to hire a car from Figari airport, Corsica. Could you confirm wether or not a visa debit card would be acceptable upon collection.
thanks
Hi,
I was hiring a car in GB from 01/Aug to 06/Aug (Stansted). I had prepaid the car and child seats in advance when booking on the web. At the Stansted reception I purchased premium cover and refuel option. Everything was fine without any troubles. I returned the car yesterday as agreed. Today I still see three holds against my (debit) card and that is where my questions come from:
1) Why the holds are in US dollars? It is very confusing and I don’t know where these amounts come from, I can just guess. The rental agreement was signed in GBP.
2) In contradiction to what is said here in the blog you are probably holding the total booking price again although the car had been prepaid. When this amount is going to be released?
Thanks,
Vasek.
Hi Chris,
Thanks for your reply. I want to pick-up the car (group A) on the 20 August and return it on the 24. The age of the driver is 24. I don’t want any extras, only insurance that covers theft and damages with a reasonable excess, about 1000CHF. The price on the internet 446 CHF for pay now includes this and the under age driver? I just want to make sure that besides 100 CHF for fuel there won’t be any other things hold against my credit card.
Regards
Cristina
Hi Juan,
Manchester will accept Visa Debit (providing it’s not Electron, Solo etc) and have confirmed that they will only hold the $110 fuel (about £66). If you purchase the Premium cover they will hold the cost of the package as well as the fuel. As this is an “extra.”
I hope that helps
Chris
Hi Cristina,
The price that you have seen on the internet does include the Young Driver charge and has an excess of 1000SFR. If you have prepaid for the rental and the surcharge then they will only hold the fuel (120SFR) when you pick up the car.
I hope that helps
Chris
Hi Rob,
Thanks for your reply.
I am now abit concerned as one of my friends has just came back from Tampa after booking what was basically the same holiday as I have. He has discovered that the hold amount placed on his credit card was for the full rental, fuel and extra’s, even though the rental was pre paid through british airways.
Can you confirm this is not mean to be the standard procedure?
Thanks
Blair
Hi Mike,
I’m afraid Corsica will not accept a Visa Debit card upon pick up.
Apologies
Chris
Hi Blair,
Are you sure he had prepaid as normally BA reserve the car on a pay later rate. Or did he prepay through the BA website? The standard policy is to only hold the extras and fuel if the rental value has already been paid in advance. What kind of car did he rent?
Chris
Hi Chris,
The car was pre paid through the BA website and as far as I am aware it was a class C intermediate.
Im just worried now because im running to a budget and having almost £500 held on my card would be a major problem.
Hi Vasek, I just wanted to leave a note to say that we are looking into your query. I’m just waiting to hear back from the team at Stansted to confirm the answers to your questions.
Rob
Hi Blair,
The only way I can be 100% sure about what happened with your friend is by actually looking at his reservation. Are you able to email his reservation number to comments@avis.co.uk.
I have however spoken to Tampa directly who said they only hold the fuel ($110) and a little extra in case the rental is extended. They said for a 2 week hire that had been prepaid if the customer has a normal credit card (not Debit) then they would hold $200-$300.
As this does veer slightly from the normal policy to be 100% sure exactly how much they’d hold if you send me the exact details e.g. date of pick up and return, type of car and the type of credit card you’d pay with as well then I’ll see what they say. You can email me at comments@avis.co.uk
Chris
Hi Chris,
Thank you for the reply. Just one more thing, what do you mean by surcharge?
Regards
Cristina
Hi Cristina,
Sorry by surcharge I meant the underage surcharge and whether you had prepaid this online.
Chris
Hi Vasek, I’ve just heard back from Stansted and they need to look at your rental agreement number to be able to answer these questions for you. Would you be able to email this to comments@avis.co.uk? Apologies for the delay.
Rob
Hi Rob,
Thank you for your answer and your effort to help. I really appreciate that because my situation is now more difficult as I am confident that I have been charged for the second time for child seats after the rental had finished. It is a long and funny story and this blog is not supposed to contain claims I think. After contacting customer service by phone (which really was not easy being 19th in the queue…) I have sent all required documents to customer service email and now I am waiting third day for reply. Can I send my comments and opinions about everything what happened to me also to comments@avis.co.uk? I am not sure what this email address is for.
Thank you,
Vasek.
Hi Vasek, the comments@avis.co.uk is an inbox we use specifically for customers we interact with on the blog. So yes please feel free to email your feedback to us there and I promise to take a look at it.
Rob
Hi Chris
Can you please update on visa debit card acceptability situation. I have booked on EasyJet Bristol to Marseille and want to hire a car at Marseille Airport. I can book and pay for the car now with visa debit card but I do not have any credit card to present at the desk in Marseille to collect the car. Is this going to be a problem?
Hi Neville
Yes you can use Visa Debit cards in France.
I hope that helps
Chris
Thank you Chris, can I just clarify your answer please, I want to book a car here in UK and collect it at Marseille Airport. I don’t have a credit card for the deposit, only a visa debit card when I collect the car in Marseille.
A year ago I know debit cards were fine, but reading here on the blog since then your colleague Rob White has said the rules in France may have changed and they now only accept credit cards to collect cars.
I am a bit concerned about this , I don’t want to book a car here then fly to Marseille to find I cannot collect a car without a credit card..
Will a deposit be taken on my debit card if acceptable and how much will it be and what will the deposit cover?
Will it only be for fuel?
On a comparison website for car hire at Marseille Airport it is stated that ALL companies require a credit card..is it true? Many thanks !
Regards
Neville
Hi Neville,
No problem at all. I appreciate your concerns and needing to be 100% sure that the card will be accepted. I’ve re-spoken to Marseille and they verified that providing the card carries the Visa logo and has raised numbers then they will definitely accept it.
They added that if you have prepaid for the rental then they will only hold the fuel and any extras that you choose to take.
I hope that puts your mind at rest.
Chris
Thanks Chris..
Two points please.
I have gone to the Avis website to book the car and the requirement there says ‘one credit card to be presented on collection’
So I still have the same question for you..
Also on my licence I have 3 points older than 3 years and three points less than three years old.
The requirement there is for a ‘clean’ driving licence for 12 months.
Does this mean I will be disallowed car hire in Marseille from Avis?
I am really struggling here Chris…
Many thanks for your time !
Neville
My wife and I are travelling to Mallorca in less than a couple of weeks. Our Villa Company has pre-booked a car with Avis (including the excess waiver). Can you please tell me whether my Tuxedo pre-paid credit card will be accepted at Palma when we pick up the car? If not will they accept a Visa or Mastercard credit card in my wife’s name although she is not a driver and will not be driving the car.
Can you also please confirm that – as everything else is pre-booked by our villa company – the only deposit or block will be for the fuel.
Please get back to me as soon as you can as we need to know where we stand on this.
Hi Neville,
Sorry for the late response, Chris is away on holiday.
Your licence will be fine and it is fine to use a Visa Debit card to book and rent with.
I hope this helps but if you have any other questions please let me know.
Vicki
Thanks Vicki.
I do have another question please.
My partner and I are going together. We both have Visa debit cards with funds. We will bring both cards with us to Marseille.
I paid for the car hire with my Visa debit card and I am the driver. But my visa debit card is associated with a cash account and is limited for some transactions even if funds are there.
My partner has a fully functional visa debit card with funds.
My question is, what exactly will the Avis representative in Marseille require to do with my debit card? Will they need to do an actual transaction (deposit for fuel) when I pick the car up? In this case it is possible that my debit card will not accept the transaction.
My partner’s visa debit card will be ok but she is not the driver and she did not pay for the car hire with that card.
Will she be able to use her card for any transaction required by Avis in Marseille?
Will there be a problem with this Vicki, if so can prior authorisation from UK be given by Avis to Marseille before we go?
I need to be clear on this before leaving this Saturday because arriving there to meet with a technical hitch would be a disaster.
Many thanks and waiting or your response
Neville
Hi,
I’m in the UK. I’m travelling to Salerno in Italy and renting a car via Avis (prepaid). Can you please confirm that Visa Debit card is accepted in Italy during pickup?
Also can you confirm the amount that would be ‘held’ on my card?
Best regards
Hi Neville,
I have spoken to the team in Marseille and their response is:
‘The main driver needs to give his card when they pick up the car, this is so we can check that the customer can pay. We won’t take the money at the departure this is just a guarantee for us. They just need to have the amount of the rental in their account so that we know they can pay.
When the customer returns the vehicle, he has to ask the agent to pay with another card and present it. If he doesn’t the amount will be debited from the first card he gave.’
I hope this helps.
Vicki
Hi,
I am due to pick up a car at Mahon airport, on 2nd October. Can you confirm please what the surcharge is for a 21 year old driver on a C category car? Also is it ok to use a Visa Debit card on collection? I have a pre-paid rental. I have called through to your customer service office twice and received a different answer to the following question in both instances. Do I need the paper section of my drivers licence
? As I dont have it! If it is needed, will a faxed copy be acceptable?
Thanks,
Rose
Hi Rose,
The underage surcharge is €13.90 per day up to a maximum of €139.00 for any driver under the age of 25. Mahon won’t accept Visa Debit cards I’m afraid so you will need to have a credit card when you pick up the car. Mahon have said that they will accept just the photo part of your license so if you cannot find the paper part don’t worry too much.
I hope that helps
Chris
Hi Tope,
Salerno will accept Visa Debit cards providing it only says Debit not Electron, Solo etc. What kind of car are you collecting? If you’ve prepaid for the full amount then they will only hold the fuel and then any extras that you choose to take.
I hope that helps
Chris
Having read some of the postings on this website, I have decided to hire a car next month on a trip to France.
I chose my vehicle, and prepaid with my Visa Debit card to collect the car from Charles de Gaulle Aiport on 22nd Nov.
However, today I finally received a reply to an email query sent to your customer services department a week ago which states the following….
“Dear Mr Hamilton
Visa Debit is not an accepted method of payment for Avis car rental in France.
Thank you for your enquiry.
Kind regards
[Customer Service Rep.]
Avis Support Team
Avis Contact Centres S.A.”
Can you please clarify, as if the above is true, then I will require a refund to arrange different travel.
Hi Chris,
Visa Debit (not Electron, Solo or Switch, but Debit with the raised numbers) is accepted in France so don’t worry. Did you email customer Services in the UK? I’ll pass on this feedback to them to ensure that everyone is up-to-speed on this subject.
Chris
Thanks for the prompt reply Chris, it’ really appreciated. It is a standard Visa Debit card I will be using, and can understand the confusion which can arise from having Visa Electron cards as well.
FYI, I emailed the customer services address on the UK site, which is also where I made the booking. I was going to email the French one (at avis.fr), but my language skills are not quite up to scratch.
Hi Chris,
No problem at all. So that we can ensure everyone is giving out the same information which email address did you actually send it through to? Was it through the “Help & Contact Us” section on avis.co.uk?
Apologies for the confusion.
Chris
Hi again Chris.
Yes, it was through that section on the UK website. The layout seems to have changed recently, but it was sent to a section named “General Booking Queries” I believe.
The reply was received from uk.corporateres@bcn.avis-europe.com.
Thanks again, Chris.
Hi Chris,
No problem at all, happy to help!. Ok that address helps a lot and I’ve given feedback to the team re-informing them of current Debit card policy. Hopefully this should put an end to the misunderstandings!
Chris
Hi,
I’ve pre-paid a car rental from Avis in Zurich airport. Will the ‘held’ amount be as stated above?
i.e If I don’t purchase any optional extras at the counter will the amount held be just a full tank of petrol?
thanks,
Stephen
Hi Stephen,
Yes if you have prepaid the cost of the rental then they will only hold the cost of the fuel.
Chris
Great, thanks Chris.
Hi,
I am planning a family trip to Florida shortly. I intend to rent the car at Tampa Airport at the base rate and not take out the CDW/SLI cover provided by AVIS.
Could you please confirm that the CDW/SLI annual policy provide by [an insurance company] would be accepted by AVIS in Tampa. The CDW covers damage and loss of use of the rental vehicle up to US$100,000 in value, and SLI covers third party liability up to US$1m. Cover also includes theft protection.
Would there still be a large hold put on my credit card if the CDW/SLI insurance was not provided by AVIS.
Would I be able to make a booking at the base rate online on the UK website and prepay, or would I be better booking online with AVIS in the USA and prepay?
Thanks very much,
Gordon
Hi Gordon,
Ok this is a bit of a tricky one. The rates that we sell in the USA are generally all inclusive with LDW , ALI and zero excess which mean that no extra insurance is actually required. If these insurances are included in the rates then unfortunately we cannot remove them. It is only in the event that a customer has an account or agreement with Avis that was set up to reject all Avis insurance and cover that you would get non-inclusive rates. From experience as well I’d say that generally the rates online , certainly the prepay ones, will include the insurances which could not be then taken out if you decided that you didn’t want them.
I’ve asked our colleagues in the USA to look at whether they would accept the cover provided by (insurance company), how much would be held on the credit card and also how you would possibly get a rate with no insurance included.
I’ll keep you posted!
Chris
Hi Chris,
Thanks very much for your quick reply.I appreciate your time, as I realise that my query was not staightforward. As I dont have a special account with Avis, I understand that LDW and ALI will be included in the rental, unless your American colleagues state otherwise.
Thanks again,
Best Wishes,
Gordon
Hi Gordon,
No problem at all! Our US colleagues have also now responded and we should be able to provide you with an exclusive rate which wouldn’t include any insurances. If you’d like to email me your required dates/times/office etc at comments@avis.co.uk then I can give you a quote for that period if you’d like to see the comparison.
I hope that helps
Chris
Hi there, please can you help me with some questions. I am looking to book a car next week from Shannon airport in Ireland for 4 days. I do have a credit card, however I am up to my limit on it so cannot book the car with this card or put any deposit on it as there is no available funds.
Please can you confirm wether I can pay using my Visa Debit card, and if so what amount would be put on it (in addition to the rental fee of £85). Alternatively, can I pay for extra insurance so that no extra charge is taken on this card.
I would be very grateful for answers to these questions as I cannot proceed with booking until I am 100%.
Many thanks
Shane
Hi Shane,
I’ve spoken to Shannon airport who will be happy to accept Visa Debit. If you have already prepaid for the rental then they will hold the cost of the fuel (around 70€) and then any extras that you took e.g. excess reduction etc.
I hope that helps
Chris
I would like to enquire what would be charged to my card upon collecton in way of pre authorisation if I book a car and pre pay online to collect from Telford.
Do you accept Visa Debit?
Hi Stuart,
If you prepay for the reservation then all that will be held is the cost of fuel -equivalent of $110 – about £70 and then any extras that you take.
Yes we do accept Visa Debit
I hope that helps
Chris
Hi,
I and my partner have a 3 week trip booked to washington and we are looking to hire a car for the whole 3 weeks ( compact size ).
My partner is booking the car and prepaying with a credit card. As i will be an additional driver Avis state i will too need a credit or debit card.
My question is will a hold be placed on my card or will it just be on the hirers ( my partner ) credit card.
Could you also give me estimations of how much the hold or holds will be also.
Regards
Oli
Hi Oli,
No hold will be placed on your credit card, only on the main driver’s credit card.
How much the hold on your partners credit card will be depends on the country of hire, the car group and if you choose to reduce your excess.
Kind Regards,
Sandra
Hi,
I will be on a 19 day trip to Spain in July. I would like to know if I can use a VISA debit card to pick up my car at barcelona airport. I intend to prepay, what amount would be blocked on my card?
Kind Regards
Terry
Hi Terry,
I’m afraid that Spain don’t accept Visa Debit cards. You will need a credit card to collect the car.
Apologies
Kind regards
Chris
Hi there,
I am hiring a car in Sydney soon and dropping in Adelaide 3 days later. Can in use Visa Debit for this?
Hi, I have got a quote from yourselves for car hire in Italy, collecting a Ford Focus Estate or similar from the airport at Malpensa terminal 2 on May 26th 2010, and you are quoting a pay later only price of £238.63 , my question is basically how much would be held against my Visa Debit Card? I am guessing its the cost of rental + a tank of fuel? is this correct? Also are estate cars readily available at that location?
Thanks
Dan
Hi Dan,
If you have prepaid for the rental costs then when you arrive the only thing held against your card will be the fuel cost and then any extras you choose to take, e.g. excess reduction, baby seats, GPS etc are only charged and taken off the card once the vehicle has been returned.
The fuel for example is “unblocked” at the end of the rental providing you’ve returned the car full.
If you haven’t prepaid for the rental they will also hold the rental value as well.
Just a note on Visa Debit as well, they only accept Debit cards providing it says Debit not Electron, Solo, Maestro etc.
As for the availability issue, as we work off a “live” system I cannot guarantee these cars will be available for these dates (at the moment they are). My advice is to book as soon as possible to get the car you want and at a better price,
I hope this helps,
Michael
Hi Michael,
Thanks for the quick reply. Yes my debit card is a Visa Debit and NOT electron or Solo, so am guessing it will be fine.
Thanks for your help.
Dan
Oh, just another quick question, does the same rules above apply if I hire a 7 Seater? As I need a larger vehicle because there are now more people going.
Thanks
Daniel
Hi Allan,
You can use debit cards in Sydney but, like all of our rental offices in Australia, we only accept the plain Visa debit cards, ie, not Electron, Switch, Maestro, etc.
Kind regards,
Michael
Hi Daniel,
Yes, the same rules as above apply but your excess may be slightly hire as it’s a bigger vehicle,
Thanks
Michael
Hi,
I am planning to rent a car for 4 days at the Warsaw Airport (Poland). I will be making a prepaid booking trough the website, but don’t have any credit cards at present. Will UK Visa Debit card be accepted at polish branch?
Hi Lucas,
I have been in contact with Avis Warsaw and they tell me unfortunately they only accept credit cards in Avis Poland,
Kind Regards,
Michael
Hi. I require to book a car from Birmingham Airport in May. I will be paying the full amount in advance by Visa Debit. Can you confirm if I will require a credit card when I collect the car or will the Visa Debit be sufficient? Also, given I have paid in advance will an amount be held against my Visa Debit and if so, for what amount?
Hello Douglas,
In the U.K., Visa Debit(ie, not Electron, Switch, Maestro, etc.)will be accepted. As you have prepaid for the rental costs, when you arrive the only thing held against your card will be the fuel cost and then any extras you choose to take, e.g. excess reduction, baby seats, GPS etc are only charged and taken off the card once the vehicle has been returned.
The fuel for example is “unblocked” at the end of the rental providing you’ve returned the car full.
I hope this helps,
Michael
Hi,
We are travelling to Figari in Corsica tomorrow and have had to cancel the car we booked as we only have a visa debit card. Can you tell me if it is possible to book a car from location above with a via debit card and not a credit card?
Many Thanks
Elisse
Hi, I just wanted to say a BIG THANKYOU to you and your staff, i recently came back from a holiday in Italy, and flew into Milan Malpensa Airport Terminal 2, where your Car Hire staff were very helpful, very polite and we received our two cars that we hired very quickly. I for one will definitely be using your company again.
Many Thanks
Dan
Hello,
The locations in France should accept the Visa Debit cards(but not Electron, Switch, Maestro, etc),
Regards,
Michael
Hi Dan,
Thanks for your comment.
I will pass your feedback on to our team at Milan Malpensa Airport and tell them to keep up the good work.
Vicki