Renting without a credit card

Our policy, plainly

A valid credit card in the driver's own name is required at pick-up. We do not accept:

• Debit cards, including Visa Debit and Mastercard Debit
• Prepaid or reloadable cards
• Cash deposits, of any size
• A credit card belonging to somebody else, even a spouse or parent present at the counter

Without one the rental will be refused. We would rather you read that here than travel to North York and find out.

Why rental companies insist on this

Not to be difficult. A credit card lets us place a hold — an authorisation, not a charge — against the security deposit and any charges that only appear later: tolls, fuel, a parking ticket that arrives six weeks after you have gone. A debit card cannot be held the same way, and a prepaid card can simply be emptied.

The card is also a piece of identity verification. It confirms a bank has already checked who you are and extended you credit, and it is issued in your name against an address. For a company handing over a $30,000 asset to someone it has met once, that matters.

What counts as a valid credit card

• Visa, Mastercard or American Express credit card
• Embossed or printed with the driver's own name
• Not expired, with enough available credit for the security deposit

The security deposit is $500 if you use your own insurance, or $1,000 if you take our Collision Damage Waiver. It is held, not charged, and released on return.

Realistic alternatives

• Someone else rents it. The cardholder signs as the primary renter and must be present with a valid licence. They are responsible for the vehicle. You can be added as an additional driver.
• A secured credit card. Most Canadian banks issue one against a deposit. It is a real credit card and it is accepted. This is the usual route for people building credit.
• Car share. For an hour or two across town, a car-share service accepts debit and is cheaper than a day's rental anyway.
• Insurance replacement. If your car is in a shop after a collision, the rules are different: the insurer is paying. Call us. How that works.

What we will not do

We will not take a larger cash deposit instead. People ask, and the answer does not change with the size of the offer — it is not about the money, it is about the hold and the verification. Any company that tells you otherwise on the phone and then refuses you at the counter has wasted your day.