Last Updated on November 8, 2024 by Kristin
Every car rental company will put a hold on your card or debit card when you rent a car. This is standard practice among rental car brands. It ensures that the company is covered for any additional charges like late returns or additional fuel charges. How much does Dollar Car Rental hold on your card?
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When you book a car, two questions to ask are: How much will Thrifty hold on my card? And when will I get my deposit back? The answers depend largely on how you pay for your rental and the type of car you rent.
How Much Does Dollar Hold as a Security Deposit?
The amount Dollar Car Rental will hold on your card depends on what kind of card you’re using. The company will put that amount on your card in addition to the cost of the reservation.
Dollar is one of the few car rental companies that allows you to use a debit card to pay for the reservation. But there’s a catch—Dollar will hold more money on debit cards than on credit cards. You won’t be able to use this money during the course of the reservation, so be sure to plan ahead.
When Does Dollar Return Your Deposit?
Once you return your car in good condition and on time, Dollar will return the deposit back to your credit or debit card. You can expect this process to take between five and 10 days, depending on your bank or credit card company.
If you rent with a credit card
When you rent with a credit card, Dollar requires you to have enough credit available to cover the estimated rental reservation and up to $200 beyond that price. When you return the vehicle, the additional hold amount should be released within a few days.
Let’s say you rent a car that costs $375 and the security deposit is $200. When you pick up the car, Thrifty would put a hold of $575 on your credit card. When you return the car, your credit card would be billed $375 and you would receive the $200 back within a few days.
Dollar accepts credit cards from American Express, MasterCard, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, Visa and China Union Pay.
NOTE: You can avoid this authorization hold with Dollar by simply signing up for the Dollar Express Rewards program, and attach a Visa credit or debit card to your profile. Your card must already be attached to your profile before you make the reservation.
If you rent with a debit card
Dollar will put an incremental hold of $500 on debit cards. You can use debit cards as long as they are imprinted with the Visa, MasterCard or Discover logo and take funds directly from your account.
If you rent with cash
It’s possible, though more difficult, to rent a car with cash at Dollar. If you pay for a rental in cash, you will have to fill out an application for a Cash Deposit Identification Card online and pay a $15 fee to go through this process, which can take up to 30 days. Confirm the deposit amount with Dollar before renting. This requires providing several pieces of information, including your previous employers, checking account information, annual income and more.
The deposit for Canadian rentals
Dollar holds $350 in Canadian dollars for both debit and credit cards.
When Does Dollar Return Your Deposit?
Dollar should return your deposit once you bring back the car, as long as you didn’t incur any extra charges like a late return fee.
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Dollar instructs customers to ask their bank about when funds will be available. Dollar doesn’t specify how long this process usually takes. To be extra cautious, assume those funds won’t be available for 10 days after you return the car, even though you’ll likely get it back much more quickly.
Regardless of how you paid for your rental car, if you don’t get your security deposit back from Dollar within the expected time frame, call 1-800-800-5252.
3 Ways to Monitor Your Rental Car Transaction
To avoid cash flow issues when renting a car, follow these tips:
- Before locking in the reservation, find out in advance how much the hold will be, which is the cost of the rental car plus the security deposit.
- Before picking up the rental car, always be sure to check the available credit on your credit card. You can do this by calling the phone number on the back of your card. If you are close to your limit, you may want to make a quick payment so that you have enough available credit to cover the cost of the rental car plus the security deposit. Give yourself a cushion to be safe. If you are very close to your available credit limit and unable to make a payment before your trip, consider using a different credit card.
- After you return the car, always look over your receipt to see if Dollar added any additional charges that might be taken out of the security deposit. Keep an eye on your credit or debit card account to make sure you get your deposit back in full and in a timely manner.
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