Hiring a car in Europe with your Visa card?

Top ten tips for European Visa cardholders

Hiring a car in Europe with your Visa Debit/Credit/Commercial card is not only convenient but also affords you additional protection not available with other payment methods like cash or cheques. Visa cardholders also have the benefit of express return options. Read on to find out more.

Reserving a car in Europe with your Visa card means the car hire company guarantees the vehicle for you.

If the car hire company does not have the car for you when you arrive to collect it, they must provide an equivalent or an upgrade to a higher group vehicle.
The car hire company must provide you with a copy of your reservation confirmation either by post, fax or e-mail. This must contain all your reservation details, including cancellation options and no-show fees.

Remember – if you do not cancel the reservation by the specified time in the car hire company’s terms and conditions, the car hire company may charge you for one day’s rental plus taxes or the full cost of your rental, depending on their terms and conditions.
If you cancel a car hire reservation, always get a cancellation code from your car hire company or its agent.

If you have used a car hire agent, they must inform the car hire company of your cancellation. You do not have to do this.
If the car hire company charges your Visa card even though you have a cancellation code, contact your bank or card issuer. They may be able to reverse the charge from the car hire company.
If you provide your e-mail address when making a car hire reservation, the car hire company will be able to provide you with their contact details. These could be useful if you need to contact them to extend your rental or if you have an accident, for example.
Always ensure that you have the appropriate level of insurance before you hire a car as you may be liable for the full cost of any damage to the vehicle.

Bring copies of your insurance details with you when you collect the car as the car hire company may wish to see the terms and conditions before providing the vehicle.
If the car hire company credits your Visa card, this will appear on your card statement. In the case of any discrepancies, you should contact the merchant first of all to try to resolve the problem. Your bank or card issuer may also be able to assist you.
If you have an accident in a hired car, it is advisable to call the local police to ensure that the accident is registered. Your insurance may be void unless the local police have been contacted.
If you return the car during the car hire company’s normal hours of business, you can get written confirmation of the status of the car if you have requested this as part of the reservation process. If there is no damage to the car, the car hire company must provide this confirmation to you on the spot.

If you return the car outside of the car hire company’s normal hours of business, you should record any damage done to the vehicle. High-quality photographs may serve as evidence.
If you damage the car during your rental period, the car hire company must write to you either by post, fax or e-mail within at least ten working days before they charge your Visa card for the damage. This gives you the opportunity to contact the car hire company to discuss the situation.