car rental without credit card

Have never used them but:
http://www.bravocarhire.com/hiring-a-car-in-spain-without-a-credit-card.php

A number of the car rental companies that we work with will accept
payment by major debit card (e.g. Visa Debit), normally with the
condition that their full 'top-up' cover (tyres, glass, keys, etc.) is
taken out. So, as long as you're prepared to pay a little bit more
(and enjoy full insurance cover), you can hire a car without a credit
card. At present, the companies that accept this form of payment (if
booked via us) are Centauro, Drivalia, Firefly and Record. Note that
Centauro and Firefly also require a deposit tobe left when a debit
card is used (300 euros with Centauro, 500/600/700 euros with Firefly.

The problem with using a debit card is that a significant hold on the funds in your checking account will happen during the rental period. That hold should be released when you return the car (assuming it hasn't been damaged), but it often takes a few days. So unless you have a lot of money in your account you could run into some cash flow problems. When you use a regular credit card that hold placed on your credit limit which is often much larger than most people have in their checking account at any one time.
The same deal when you check into most hotels and they ask for a card when you check in.

Contact the rental company you're planning to use, ahead of time, and try to get them to respond to you that they understand you'll be using a debit card and it's ok. If you aren't able to do this, you take a chance of being denied at the rental counter, and then what do you do?

steve,

I doubt you'll be able to rent without a credit card. Even if you are able to rent with a debit card, as the others have mentioned there may be a sizable "hold" placed on your bank account.

For driving in Spain, note that each driver will require an International Driver's Permit, which is used in conjunction with your home D.L. There was a post here recently from a person who was fined a significant sum (€500?) on the spot for failing to produce an I.D.P. when asked.

A credit card is nearly essential for renting a car anywhere. It is just the way it is. The rental company wants recourse if something goes wrong with the rental in the event of an accident, delay in returning, etc. I don't fully understand or appreciate the reluctance to not having a credit card just for this purpose. I understand someone not wanting to use a credit card on a regular bases but for something like a car rental it makes a lot of sense to have one. A debit card simply exposes you to a higher risk and doesn't have the same protection as a credit card. Given the easy of obtaining a credit card I would get something like a Capital One Venture card. It will solve a lot of problems for you.

I'm glad to see the last 2 posts above this one. We're trying to help travelers here, which means sometimes telling them what they probably don't want to hear.

Original question was about the possibility of using a debit card or a car rental. If the question was about the wisdom of a debit card the answer would be to use a credit card for everything except cash payments and use an ATM card to withdraw local currency from a cash machine.

Debit cards have multiple downsides starting with holds and ending with no fraud protection. If some one drains your debit card checking account its your loss, not the bank's.

Do yourself a favor and apply for a credit card. It just makes travel so much easier and renting a car so much less of a hassle.

Upon return from your trip, pay the card off before any interest is assessed and cut the card up if you have no further need for it.

Debit cards have multiple downsides starting with holds and ending
with no fraud protection. If some one drains your debit card checking
account its your loss, not the bank's.

Not so. From the FTC site (http://tinyurl.com/apv4wwd):

ATM or Debit Card Loss or Fraudulent Transfers.

If you report an ATM or debit card missing before someone uses it, the EFTA says you are not responsible for any unauthorized transactions. If someone uses your ATM or debit card before you report it lost or stolen, your liability depends on how quickly you report it:
If you report: Your maximum loss:
Before any unauthorized charges are made. $0
Within 2 business days after you learn about the loss or theft. $50
More than 2 business days after you learn about the loss or theft, but less than 60 calendar days after your statement is sent to you, $500
More than 60 calendar days after your statement is sent to you. All the money taken from
your ATM/debit card acount, and possibly more; for example, money in accounts linked to your debit account.

If someone makes unauthorized transactions with your debit card number, but your card is not lost, you are not liable for those transactions if you report them within 60 days of your statement being sent to you.

I agree with this:

*"If some one drains your debit card checking account its your loss, not the bank's."

We're talking about having your account drained and locked, and as noted you're not playing with the bank's money when it's a debit card, it is YOURS. Unless/until things get settled, you're not going to have access to your dough. Def. need a credit card when travelling, just to guarantee things if nothing else. You don't have to actually USE it if you don't want to, but people expect it. Because it's really, really common. It's also a better way to handle/secure your money on the big expenditures like plane and train tix and hotels. If necessary, just pay it off immediately upon landing at home if that's an issue.

It isn't at all true that if you suffer a loss with your debit card that it is your loss and the bank will do nothing. We have accounts with 3 banks and all have fraud protection against lost and stolen cards and against fraud. All you do is call their toll-free number and they cancel the card and issue you a new one and you do not suffer a financial loss if you let them know right away. This happened to me a year or so ago and I lost nothing. What you can do is open an account at www.ally.com which is the popular Ally Bank. You don't even have to deposit a penny to open an account and they pay interest even on a dollar each month. They are, of course, FDIC insured. They will send you free checks, you have direct deposit, and lots of benefits including a free debit card.The account is free and you pay no fees. There is no minimum balance. You can transfer in what you expect to use from your regular checking and use the Ally debit card as the card you rent cars with. This way, there is no hold on your regular account and you are good to go with many car rental companies. You should book in advance in order to use a debit card. You can also obtain a credit card from your bank (or Ally) and use it just for trip expenses. The link given in this thread-www.bravocarhire.com/hiring-a-car-in-spain-without-a-credit-card.php is one we have used before and you will find them easy to deal with and they have some excellent cars. Also, it is true that an International Driver's Permit is required in Spain.Here is the link to AAA's International Driving Permit application. Download it, print it, and then mail, fax, or carry it in. www.aaa.com/vacation/idpapplc.html

Debit cards tied to bank accounts are covered for fraud protection. First-hand experience, don't ask. Prepaid cards usually are not protected, as far as I know.

The question and problem is not having fraud protection. No one has suggested that the debit credit does not some protection but it works in a different way from credit cards. If someone takes a $1000 from your account via a fraud debit card. The $1000 is gone until the bank decides to put it back after determining that a fraud was committed. You don't have access to that money during the time the fraud is being investigated. That is the big problem - your money is not available when you might need it. Slap a $1000 fraud credit transition on my credit card, it doesn't impact my available cash.

No one has suggested that the debit credit does not some protection

Someone did in fact say just that:

"...Debit cards have multiple downsides starting with holds and ending with no fraud protection..."

Two people did state explicitly that debit cards offered NO fraud protection, and they were completely wrong. What is true is that access to the depleted funds in your account is withheld until the issue is resolved. That reason alone is a good one for not using your debit card except for ATM cash withdrawls while traveling.

And the first person to erroneously make the "no fraud protection" claim got the thread way off course. The OP doesn't have a credit card and only wanted to know if he could use his debit card for a car rental. My answer is to be very careful about claims that you can use it. Some agencies may allow debit card rentals to EU residents only, since it would be easier to go after an EU resident if something happened. So either read the fine print if it seems that a debit card can be used or call and be very clear that it is a US or non-EU resident debit card.