Last Updated on August 8, 2026 by Elizabeth
Don’t carry a credit card? Up to a quarter of Americans have a debit card but no credit card. For them, renting a car is now a little bit easier, though it can depend on the renter’s age and the state where the car is being picked up. The minimum age to rent a car with a debit card is as low as 18 years old with some companies, depending on the state.
Has a rental car company pushed back when you wanted to pay with a debit card? In some states, the law is on your side. In August 2023, the New York State Attorney General found that Avis/Budget was unlawfully denying car rentals to customers who wanted to pay with a debit card, saying that “this practice unfairly harms low-income consumers and communities of color who are less likely to own a credit card, and no one should be discriminated against because of their credit or banking status. I encourage consumers to submit complaints and concerns to my office if they feel they have been treated unfairly or illegally.”
Hertz, Thrifty and Dollar Take Debit Cards
Historically, it has always been much harder to rent a car with a debit card. Rental car companies consider debit cards to be riskier, often seeing them as a warning sign of bad credit. Companies also worry that a debit card may be linked to a bank account without enough funds to satisfy unexpected charge if the car is damaged or returned late.
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So, to encourage using credit cards, most rental car companies hold debit-card holders to a higher standard. They put large holds on renter’s bank accounts until the vehicle is returned, run a credit check and force the renter to fork over several additional forms of identification before getting the keys.
24-Hour Advance Reservation
If you reserve a car at least 24 hours in advance, you can rent from Hertz, Dollar or Thrifty with a debit card and a valid driver’s license, but additional identification is often required. Hertz explicitly requires additional ID or another card in several debit-card scenarios; Dollar says proof of travel and two forms of ID are required for its debit-card program. Always call ahead to your desired location to check.
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Young Driver Rules
And there’s good news for drivers under 25, the likeliest age group to lack a credit card. Most rental car companies have historically excluded young drivers from renting a car with debit cards. Dollar and Thrifty allow drivers as young as 20 to rent a car. Hertz will allow drivers at least 20 to rent, regardless of whether they use a credit or debit card. In New York and Michigan, the minimum age is 18.
Credit Check
Now for the reality check. There will often still be a credit check for drivers who rent with a debit card. There will also be an authorized hold secured with your debit card of up to $500, which will not be available for you to use until after you have been charged for the rental.
How to Rent a Car With a Debit Card
- If you rent a car with a debit card, expect a credit check.
- Funds for security deposits and holds might be tied up for weeks after the rental ends. (The length of the hold is typically determined by the card-issuing bank, not the rental car company.)
- Debit cards don’t have the same consumer protections as credit cards for billing disputes. Consumers generally don’t have to pay the disputed amount while it is investigated.
- Many credit cards provide insurance coverage for damage to a rental vehicle that some debit cards will not. If a renter wants rental car damage protection, he or she may have to buy it separately.
- The rental car company may be able to authorize charges to the card under the rental agreement, including certain charges after return.
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