Credit Cards for Bad Credit That Let You Rent a Car (2024)

FAQs

Credit Cards for Bad Credit That Let You Rent a Car? ›

So if you have a $500 credit limit and the rental company puts a $300 hold on your card, you only have $200 in available credit. Trying to charge more than your available credit line during your trip could result in an overdraft or declined transactions, which could put a big damper on your plans.

So if you have a $500 credit limit and the rental company puts a $300 hold on your card, you only have $200 in available credit. Trying to charge more than your available credit line during your trip could result in an overdraft or declined transactions, which could put a big damper on your plans.

The easiest credit card to get with bad credit (a credit score of 300-639) is a secured credit card with no credit check such as the OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card or the OpenSky® Plus Secured Visa® Credit Card. This type of card requires a deposit but doesn't check your credit history, making it very easy to get.

Renters have the option to prepay for a rental online with a debit card. Some locations may require a credit card at the time of pickup, but you can still pay for the rental with a debit card.

First Progress Platinum Elite Secured Mastercard: The First Progress Platinum Elite Secured Mastercard requires no credit history or minimum credit score for approval. Your security deposit is refundable, and the card is accepted nationwide.

Using a credit card responsibly can help you reestablish your credit. If you're unwilling or unable to pay the deposit to get a secured card, you have another option: A “second-chance” credit card with no security deposit required.

Hertz. Hertz will run a credit check when a debit card is the form of payment used for the rental. There are also stricter account hold requirements. In addition to the estimated charges, Hertz places an additional $500 hold on the account, meaning you cannot use those funds during the rental.

In most cases, U.S. locations will perform a credit check for debit card renters to determine credit worthiness at the time of rental. The renter must meet Avis' minimum criteria in order to rent.

For example, a poor FICO score is considered to be 300–579 and a poor VantageScore is 300–660. This doesn't mean that renting an apartment with bad credit is impossible—but you may have to take some extra steps to increase your chances of being approved.

Which card is easiest to get approved for? ›

In fact, Petal says you could be approved for the Petal® 2 Visa® Credit Card without any credit scores or credit history whatsoever. And as an extra perk, the Petal® 2 Visa® Credit Card offers its cardholders 1% to 1.5% in cash back rewards. You start out earning 1% cash back on all purchases.

Chase Freedom® Rise™

If you're worried about getting approved, having a Chase checking account with at least a $250 balance increases your approval chances. Other than its unlimited cash back rewards, the card also offers a one-time $25 statement credit when you enroll in automatic payments.

Generally, a corporate rental agency will have no trouble renting an economy car to someone with a credit score ranging from 550-600. The higher the credit score, the more likely it is that you will be granted access to a wider range of vehicles at more competitive prices.

Your card will be charged the amount of the rental plus a $250 minimum hold for credit and debit cards at the time of rental. When you return your vehicle Avis will release the unused portion of the hold. The funds may take up to two weeks to be released by your bank.

Debit Cards as Credit Identification:

Most U.S. Avis locations accept debit cards with the Visa or MasterCard logo for credit identification, if you are at least 25 (18 in New York). A hold is placed on account funds for the estimated rental cost, but certain vehicle types may require a credit card.

Some of the easiest unsecured cards to get approved for are the Indigo® Mastercard®, Mission Lane Visa® Credit Card and Milestone® Mastercard®. While these cards are geared toward people with bad credit and have easy approval odds, they tend to charge high fees and interest, which can make building credit costly.

You need a credit score of 550 to 750 to be approved for most unsecured credit cards. The higher your credit score is, the better your chances of getting approved for one of the best credit cards with no security deposit will be.

We won't sugar-coat it. With an 480 credit score, you're unlikely to get approved for a traditional credit card.