Prepaid credit cards

[PPC Buster]

I am looking at getting a prepaid credit card. I want to use it to hire a car from Hertz in the USA.

 

Question, will it work with hertz for car hire in that will it allow pre auths? Can hertz tell that it is a prepaid card and refuse on that basis?

 

Thanks all

 

PPCBuster

[gni03349]

I use a pre-paid card, and it does warn you that places like hotels, car hire etc, "might" not work.. I have a Prime card, which seems to be the cheapest to use (but maybe not the cheapest to "reload", but then none of them are that cheap to reload anyway). The Prime card has a max. charge of £1 for usage. Don't forget though... conversion fees too (dollars to pounds) etc.. it soon all adds up. It IS a proper MasterCard though, so...

[gni03349]

The Post Office card might be ok... they have 3 kinds (Sterling, Euros & Dollars), but then you would pay the exchange rate charge up front, before you go. Worth a thought...

[PPC Buster]

Thanks for the fast replies.

 

I was looking at easykard. Anyone got any experience of them? I only really need it to get past Hertz to collect a hire card. For all my other spending Maestro is universally accepted by merchants and ATMs. I was thinking of just preloading a card with $1000 which would easily cover the pre auth from Hertz.

 

Thanks again for the advice so far.

[gni03349]

Most pre-paids don't actually allow you to "pre-pay" (for want of a better expression), but I found this... its taken from the "what-prepaid-card" website (put a www and a co.uk on it... not allowed to post links, as you may know).

 

"At the point of writing this article, only two known prepaid card issuer allows their card to be used for car hire. The CashPlus and Sterling card. However, it’s initially disabled, and customers must contact the Cashplus or Sterling card Customer Services department to request that the car hire block be removed."

[medsec]

Hmmm interesting. A colleague got a pre-paid credit card and used it for car hire. Can't remember which one it was though. Good luck! Me, I have a nice Finance Director who lets me get a fully pre-paid voucher through the company's travel agency and then I pay the company back when the bill comes in. Only way I've been able to hire a car abroad, and VERY useful!

[PPC Buster]

Someone over on moneysaving expert said that they managed to hire a car from Hertz with a prepaid card from easykard.

I will have to investigate further.

[gni03349]

medsec...

 

I read something similar, but it was with those VISA vouchers that you can but. I don't know much about them though, but if they work, well.. hey...

 

Good luck researching PPC

[foolishgirl]

Having lived in the US, I think you'll find that the main prob. with US car hire is that it's not just the pre-auth cost the hire companies want covered but the costs of any unpaid debts at the end of the contract eg. motor offences, damage to car etc. but most of all, (being litigious US!) third party claims. They know that if they accept a standard CC they have a reasonable chance of recovery without chasing you all over the world particularly as CC law over there is not as tight as over here - that's why store keepers just run your card thro' the machine & not bother checking signature, the loss is the CCs not the store's if its not pucker.

So although others on this site report OK with these cards, you may find yourself snookered at the point of delivery. A viable alternative might be to prepay thro' the web over here. That way you may loose out on $ exchange but you'll probably find the preloaded credit card will be accepted at US outlet as security, ID etc.

BTW my experience of Hertz booking UK & delivery USA is not good & I've found their computer/staff get easily confused with anything out of the ordinary.

Enjoy your trip - it's a great place when you learn to speak the lingo!

[gni03349]

It was a while ago now, but someone I know managed to hire a car using the passport as "collateral" if you like (just a copy of it, they didn't keep it), plus a deposit. It worked out quite well, apart from the driver forgetting they drive on the wrong side of the road lol. Quite hairy, slap bang in the middle of Phiily (thats Philadelphia, if you don't know), where I was working at the time.

[foolishgirl]

Ouch! No CDW or PAI then?!!

[gni03349]

Insurance was fine. I only said it was hairy.. there weren't any actual prangs lol.