car rental without a credit card?

[kazganymede]

We are seniors who are finding it very difficult to get a cc as our income is limited.

 

We'd love to rent a car in Reykjavik, but I think they all require a valid cc.

 

Any ideas if this is possible?

[Nitemare]

On 1/25/2024 at 6:50 PM, kazganymede said:

We are seniors who are finding it very difficult to get a cc as our income is limited.

 

We'd love to rent a car in Reykjavik, but I think they all require a valid cc.

 

Any ideas if this is possible?

I've seen threads on TripAdvisor where folks have rented with a debit card, but they had to put down a huge deposit and take all the insurance as it is REALLY easy to damage a car in Iceland.

[kazganymede]

Thanks for the info.

[Host Bonjour]

What about a prepaid Visa or Mastercard? It's the kind you can buy at Target or Walmart with cash and then works the same as a credit card for purchasing goods and services. You just would need to be sure that there is an adequate amount of money available on the card to cover the cost you plan to spend with the card, but then you would likely have this planned in your budget. 

 

The cards are also usually available in places like CVS, Walgreens, and supermarkets. There's usually a small fee to "activate" the card when you buy it. Check to see if or what the international transaction fees might be. 

 

You can do a comparison for prepaid card fees (mostly this would be with foreign currency transactions) with a google search. I think this would be a better solution than the debit card (which is usually a VISA) though many states have enacted rules that limit rental car companies from placing excessive holds on debit cards for rental cars. 

 

Good luck!

 

[roadpainterbeef]

Blue car rentals accept debit cards. They are located at the airport and have an office in Reykjavik.  They are an Icelandic company. 
great reviews. 
All the best. 

[kazganymede]

Thanks, we booked a Blue rentals car. Hopefully all goes well when we arrive in R.