Two credit cards required to hire 'prestige' car?

[samoht]

My wife decided she wants a ride in a Porsche Taycan.

I found that Avis Prestige rent these from various locations, so would like to hire one for a day.

However, I've reached a sticking point with the booking. Avis Prestige refuse to hire me the car unless I can show two credit cards in my name.

Thing is, I only have one credit card.
The one card (Barclaycard) has sufficient credit limit for their full security deposit.
I have a debit card again with adequate funds available.
My wife has a credit card (but in her name, not mine).
I've hired a similar value car elsewhere in the past without an issue.

but Avis Prestige is not at all interested in hiring me the car unless I jump through this hoop.
All they can suggest is that I try to obtain a second credit card before I need the car.

So I guess my questions are:
- am I unusual in not having multiple credit cards?
- are Avis being unusually difficult in insisting on this?
- has anyone else been in this situation when hiring a car?
- anyone got any particular recommendations for taking out a second credit card?

Ironically I only took out my first credit card because... I needed it to hire cars. It feels bizarre to be in the same situation again.

[anonymous-user]

I only have one credit card as well, does this mean I am a pauper?

The only reason I keep it is to hire cars and pay for things over the internet.

[BobToc]

I have no help to offer but I’m quite curious what mishaps have befallen Avis that they’re now requiring this.

[monthou]

It sounds ridiculous.
Given that, if you still want to hire, ask your wife to make you an additional cardholder on her account. That's normally just a few clicks and no credit checks (if that matters).

[Katzenjammer]

Rather than pay, don’t Porsche do 24 hour extended test drives on these?

[Random Account No6]

Maybe get them to check again? Their site suggests different - assuming High Value = Prestige .

[Funk]

Joey Deacon said:

I only have one credit card as well, does this mean I am a pauper?

The only reason I keep it is to hire cars and pay for things over the internet.

Same; just the one card for the protection it offers for purchases >£100 etc.

[loskie]

I imagine if you do hire a car there's no guarantee of a Taycan turning up.

Are you sure it's not a "Porsche Tacan or Similar"?

[bigandclever]

Random Account No6 said:

Maybe get them to check again? Their site suggests different - assuming High Value = Prestige .

Better to go to the right page ..

https://www.avisprestige.com/terms-conditions-over...

Please note that most type of cars require two credit cards.
Payment for each vehicle is to be made via single credit card in the name of the lead insured driver. The insured lead driver can only be responsible for one vehicle at any one time.

[Random Account No6]

If only I’d added an assumption in my post

Does raise the question as to why Avis are running at least three payment categories. A little odd.

[samoht]

Many thanks for all the responses.

Additional cardholder is an option, probably complicated in this case as my wife and her CC aren't British.

It looks like the extended test drives are on a per-dealer basis, I can see that Porsche Perth offer them on the Taycan, but not Porsche Cambridge. Also, I'd have a few scruples about pretending I'm considering buying a car that I'm not really. Good idea though!

It seems that "Avis Prestige" is actually a separate company from Avis, it's 'Miles and Miles Car Hire' underneath, so to speak. As posted their page does say two credit cards, although not that they have to be in the same name. I have spoken to them on the phone and have it in writing that they won't hire without this, it doesn't seem open to reconsideration.

I think it's highly likely we'd get the Taycan in this case, originally I asked about one date and was told it wasn't available and offered a Tesla on that date, but I asked and got a later date on which the Taycan is available. So I think probably I'd only end up with an "or similar" if the Taycan hit a pothole or something and couldn't be sorted in time.

[kambites]

I don't even have one credit card let alone two, so I'd be taking my business elsewhere if a company was stupid enough to require one.

[alscar]

I've /we've got 3 credit cards but have only ever used them as charge cards.
1 for " everyday " use ,1 for back up and 1 purely for Internet transactions.
I've never heard of or experienced a car hire company requesting sight of 2 cards though - maybe give their head office a call although the last poster's link does seem to indicate you do.
If you have a joint account maybe try and hand over both of them ?

[fatjon]

When you turn up to collect it will be a Citroen C2 anyway.

Tell them to foxtrot, it’s not like you need the car and they are taking the piss.

[Chucklehead]

as soon as i saw the subject i knew it'd be Avis - it's quite standard with them.

Are you speaking to someone at the location you're due to pick up or one of the reservation team at a call centre? Usually they have other alternative means of underwriting they'd let you away with - soft touch credit check etc. It's worth trying to get through to the actual location to speak to someone.

[alscar]

Failing Avis or even the Porsche dealer's help there are " Supercar " companies that also hire out cars on a daily basis ?

[donkmeister]

That's pretty odd - wonder if they had issues that this somehow mitigates?

I do in fact have two personal credit cards. This is only because AMEX gives me better cashback rewards, but isn't accepted by a lot of small businesses. If someone pinched my wallet then hey presto, they've got two CCs in my name.

[bigandclever]

Seems odd to me too, though there are posts out there going back 20 years questioning the (apparent) policy.

[MustangGT]

I use one for all the household expenses, and another for all the car expenses. Job done, one payment per month each, always fully pay them off.

[sherman]

I have came across the need for 1 credit card to hire a car before. I dont understand why a debit card with suffficient funds is not acceptable. This almost ruined a holiday in thd south of France a while ago. Thankfully my partner(nowwife had a credit card with her) . I have not heard of 2 cards being needed before.
I now have 2 credit cards. 1 I actually use for internet purposes (mastercard) etc and a no fee (AMEX) as a back up just incase for unexpected holiday expenses etc.