Measured across 25 airports
Car hire with a debit card: where it is actually possible
Most suppliers want a credit card in the main driver's name, because that is what a deposit can be pre-authorised on. Some accept a debit card. Which ones, and how many, varies enormously by airport.
Why it varies this much
The deposit is the reason. A credit card can be pre-authorised and released; a debit card cannot be held the same way, so accepting one is a risk the supplier chooses to take. A prepaid card is a different thing again and is almost always refused - we never claim one will be accepted.
If you only have a debit card, filter for it before you fall in love with a price. At some airports the choice is wide; at others there is effectively none.
Where it is best, and where it is worst
25 airports, each figure a median across every sweep of that market. Click through for the full report on any of them.
| Best for you | The share of cars accepting a debit card | Worst | The share of cars accepting a debit card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) | 53% | Dublin Airport (DUB) | 0% |
| Madrid Airport (MAD) | 48% | Faro Airport (FAO) | 1% |
| Alicante Airport (ALC) | 48% | Lisbon Airport (LIS) | 2% |
| Barcelona Airport (BCN) | 47% | Porto Airport (OPO) | 2% |
| Nice Airport (NCE) | 46% | Madeira Airport (Funchal) (FNC) | 20% |
| Malaga Airport (AGP) | 42% | Tenerife Airport South (TFS) | 22% |
Every figure here comes from searches we ran ourselves and kept — no supplier supplies us with data, and nothing is estimated. How we measure this.
See it for your own dates
These are typical values from repeated searches. The only way to know your price — and your deposit — is to search the dates you actually want.
Search a rental →More measured conditions: the typical deposit held · the share of desks shut by 22:00 · the typical second-driver fee · every airport we measure