One of the first things people who want to get a car reserved with any car rental company must do is run a debit card check. Most companies let you rent any vehicle with your debit card. But, since debit cards reflect higher risk, the company would instead rent to a person with a credit card.
If you are opting for Avis in the US, the officials will do a credit card check, especially if you rent through a debit card. But what if you find Avis credit check denied? The answer is not straightforward because it does not disclose the reason why it denies the credit check. Some probable causes include excessive mortgages, loans, and missed payments.
In this post, we will explore this problem in greater detail.
Reasons for Avis to Run a Credit Check
A majority of vehicle rental companies like Avis carry out a credit check when they feel that the actions of the renter can cause financial risk. Renting a car with a debit card indicates a financially risky action. That’s why Avis does not accept debit cards.
Car rental companies like Avis consider debit cards risky because if a financial loss happens, they won’t have adequate funds. The funds for covering the damage will be insufficient.
However, it is not that Avis fully prohibits debit car checks. Many of its locations accept debit cards with Mastercard or Visa as credit identification. So you can rent a car from an Avis location that accepts debit cards.
Note that even if you rent a car from such a location, the company officials will perform a credit check. They will do this to find your creditworthiness during the rental.
To rent a vehicle from Avis, you must meet their minimum criteria. The need for additional identification arises if Avis cannot complete your credit check for some reason.
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When Does Avis Accept Debit Cards?
As mentioned earlier, several Avis vehicle rental locations do accept debit cards. However, they will only do so if you meet the following:
- The renter should be at least 25 years old.
- To pass the credit check, the driver must present proof of insurance, additional IDs, and other documents.
If you are using a debit card at Avis, be prepared for a hold of $200, along with the estimated renting charges on your account. You cannot access these funds.
Why Is Your Avis Credit Check Denied?
You will find Avis credit check denied because of one of the many reasons. Drivers who attempt to pay with a debit card come under close scrutiny of the car rental company. It uses its proprietary research system to determine whether the driver can indeed make payment.
Still, there is no clear reason that the official website of Avis states for denying credit checks. We can, however, after extensive research, point to the following factors.
- You have many mortgages.
- There are many balances you need to pay.
- You have taken many auto loans.
- You have not repaid your student loan.
- Many missing payments are part of your financial background.
- Foreclosures
- If you are a business owner, your bankruptcies can be a reason for Avis denying credit checks.
Note that a few loans that are yet to be or a few missing payments aren’t a cause of concern. It is only when these things multiply that Avis denies the credit check. You won’t sail through the Avis car rental credit checks. So, ask yourself if you’ve had any of the problems mentioned above in the past years. If there are many instances of mortgages or outstanding balances, you will not pass Avis credit checks easily.
What to Do When You Find Avis Credit Check Denied?
Don’t be disheartened if the credit check has been denied by Avis. You can handle the situation with two primary solutions. These include using a credit card and improving its score. Let us explain these solutions in greater detail.
1. Use your credit card
Most rental companies prefer credit cards because it proves your financial stability. Avis is no exception to these companies. The need for a credit card reflects your financial stability. Further, credit card functions as a safety net and lets Avis block a deposit amount as insurance if anything goes amiss during the rental.
The officials know that their costs will be covered because they can recover partial or the entire deposit if the need arises. However, if you use a debit card, Avis cannot pull money from the bank account if it has inadequate funds.
Similarly, it cannot block a particular amount on your debit card. Thus, even with adequate money in your bank account to meet the deposit, Avis will need to withdraw the amount fully. It will then have to refund the money later on.
That is why it is always essential to use a credit card for renting a car from Avis. This route will also let you have additional insurance and reclaim costs if a dispute arises.
2. Work on your credit score
Having a good credit score helps you get the best rental car rates. So, you must know how your credit score is determined and ways to improve it.
To make renting easier, you must do research in advance to discover the best rates. If you find your Avis credit check denied, take steps to improve your credit score. The process will take time but will help you in the future when you need to rent a car. Here are some steps to improve your score.
- Develop your credit file – You can do that by opening new accounts, which will get reported to the main credit bureaus.
- Improve your payment history – Ensure that you do not miss a credit card or loan payment by more than a month. Late payments get reported to credit bureaus immediately and lower your scores.
- Be updated on the previous due accounts – Ensure that all your accounts are current to stop adding late payments to your credit history.
- Pay down your revolving account balance – Revolving accounts consist of lines of credit and credit cards. You must ensure that you have a low balance on them.
Concluding Words
If you find your Avis credit check denied, it indicates that the time has come to work on your credit score. When the score improves, you can confidentially rent a car from the company. Let us know if you wish to learn anything more about renting a car below.
