Renting from Adrenaline Collection as a tourist (credit cards and additional drivers)
Apr 9, 2019, 1:05 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: France
Posts: 12
Renting from Adrenaline Collection as a tourist (credit cards and additional drivers)
Good morning!
First time actually posting something on this forum, even though I have been reading it for a while now. My name is Thomas, I'm 24 years old (will be 25 by the time of the rental we will be discussing below) and French. I am hoping someone could help me by bringing their experience!
We are planning a roadtrip of more than 3000 miles with 13 people total during summer 2020. Starting in Los Angeles (then Morro Bay, San Francisco, Yosemite, Death Valley, Las Vegas, Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Canyonsland, Monument Valley, Page, Grand Canyon, Laughlin, and back to Los Angeles), we are going to need a few cars. Our plan is to rent one Chevy Suburban and two cars from the Adrenaline Collection (one U4 and one V4, if my memory is correct), as we are petrolheads, we just need V8s!
As you may know, renting a car from the Adrenaline Collection requires to have two CREDIT cards at the name of the main driver, and debit cards are not accepted for this category. At first, what was exactly accepted by Hertz as a "valid credit card" was quite ambiguous for us, so I've sent them a message via their website live chat, and they gave me this answer : "a credit card is a VISA, AMEX, Mastercard.. That is not attached to a bank account", at least now it's clear.
So this is something we don't usually have here in France, as we mostly have what they are calling "debit cards", which are linked to our bank account, so we only spend the money that we have in bank. Our cards are still VISA and Mastercards with embossed numbers, but yet they don't fall into their definition, as they are linked to our accounts and not to a renewable credit...
But wait, I know what you are thinking! "once again, a tourist asking what is a credit card or not", but this is not my point yet.
Basically, we are going to subscribe to two credit cards at the name of the main driver just so they can be happy and we can be sure to get the cars we'd like. We are fine with this and we are gonna comply to those requirements. But what was nearly shocking to us, was when the Hertz agent told us that every single one of the additional drivers of the Adrenaline Collection cars have to comply to the exact same requirements as the main driver, so they also need to have two credit cards at their name and show them in order to be able to drive the car. That means that everyone from our group who would like to drive the V8s (most likely the main driver + 6 additional drivers split between the two Adrenaline cars, as they have 4 seats each) will have to subscribe not to one, but two credit cards just to show them to an agent who will look at them during one second. This is going to be a huuuuge pain in the *** for us! Also, some of us just don't even want to subscribe to credits in the "normal life", so doing so just to show someone credit cards only for identification purposes (as the rental costs will be paid by the main driver), is very very very unpleasant.
In comparison, for the more standard cars (including the Suburban), it is said on the website that the main driver and additional drivers can show a debit card to identify themselves, along with a plane ticket showing they will be leaving after the rental ends.
So here we come to my questions..
1) Is this really serious? As it is only for identification purposes and not for paiements, wouldn't our actual debit cards suffice for being a additional driver on those Adrenaline Collection cars? We are understanding that they are asking for two credit cards from the main driver in order to pay and make a deposit, but asking this from every single additional driver just to take a glance at them is just a joke, and not a funny one...
2) Being a Gold Plus Rewards member (not yet, but at this time I will be), can we still skip the counter if there are additional drivers added to the rental agreement? And is it possible to send additional drivers informations on the website before the pickup date, so they can be identified with their driving license and actual debit cards? So we only have to get two credit cards for the main driver and that's all...
3) Is asking additional drivers for credit cards even legal? I've seen someone say on a forum (maybe this one, I don't remember) that some states do not allow this. Does California allows this?
4) What are your experiences when renting cars from the Adrenaline Collection cars in general? And when adding additional drivers?
Thank you very much for your help!
First time actually posting something on this forum, even though I have been reading it for a while now. My name is Thomas, I'm 24 years old (will be 25 by the time of the rental we will be discussing below) and French. I am hoping someone could help me by bringing their experience!
We are planning a roadtrip of more than 3000 miles with 13 people total during summer 2020. Starting in Los Angeles (then Morro Bay, San Francisco, Yosemite, Death Valley, Las Vegas, Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Canyonsland, Monument Valley, Page, Grand Canyon, Laughlin, and back to Los Angeles), we are going to need a few cars. Our plan is to rent one Chevy Suburban and two cars from the Adrenaline Collection (one U4 and one V4, if my memory is correct), as we are petrolheads, we just need V8s!
As you may know, renting a car from the Adrenaline Collection requires to have two CREDIT cards at the name of the main driver, and debit cards are not accepted for this category. At first, what was exactly accepted by Hertz as a "valid credit card" was quite ambiguous for us, so I've sent them a message via their website live chat, and they gave me this answer : "a credit card is a VISA, AMEX, Mastercard.. That is not attached to a bank account", at least now it's clear.
So this is something we don't usually have here in France, as we mostly have what they are calling "debit cards", which are linked to our bank account, so we only spend the money that we have in bank. Our cards are still VISA and Mastercards with embossed numbers, but yet they don't fall into their definition, as they are linked to our accounts and not to a renewable credit...
But wait, I know what you are thinking! "once again, a tourist asking what is a credit card or not", but this is not my point yet.
Basically, we are going to subscribe to two credit cards at the name of the main driver just so they can be happy and we can be sure to get the cars we'd like. We are fine with this and we are gonna comply to those requirements. But what was nearly shocking to us, was when the Hertz agent told us that every single one of the additional drivers of the Adrenaline Collection cars have to comply to the exact same requirements as the main driver, so they also need to have two credit cards at their name and show them in order to be able to drive the car. That means that everyone from our group who would like to drive the V8s (most likely the main driver + 6 additional drivers split between the two Adrenaline cars, as they have 4 seats each) will have to subscribe not to one, but two credit cards just to show them to an agent who will look at them during one second. This is going to be a huuuuge pain in the *** for us! Also, some of us just don't even want to subscribe to credits in the "normal life", so doing so just to show someone credit cards only for identification purposes (as the rental costs will be paid by the main driver), is very very very unpleasant.
In comparison, for the more standard cars (including the Suburban), it is said on the website that the main driver and additional drivers can show a debit card to identify themselves, along with a plane ticket showing they will be leaving after the rental ends.
So here we come to my questions..
1) Is this really serious? As it is only for identification purposes and not for paiements, wouldn't our actual debit cards suffice for being a additional driver on those Adrenaline Collection cars? We are understanding that they are asking for two credit cards from the main driver in order to pay and make a deposit, but asking this from every single additional driver just to take a glance at them is just a joke, and not a funny one...
2) Being a Gold Plus Rewards member (not yet, but at this time I will be), can we still skip the counter if there are additional drivers added to the rental agreement? And is it possible to send additional drivers informations on the website before the pickup date, so they can be identified with their driving license and actual debit cards? So we only have to get two credit cards for the main driver and that's all...
3) Is asking additional drivers for credit cards even legal? I've seen someone say on a forum (maybe this one, I don't remember) that some states do not allow this. Does California allows this?
4) What are your experiences when renting cars from the Adrenaline Collection cars in general? And when adding additional drivers?
Thank you very much for your help!
Apr 9, 2019, 6:47 am
#2
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: California
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, HH DIA, Hertz PC, GE + Pre✓, Amazon Super Special Prime
Posts: 1,008
To the standard Suburban rental....
If you are a gold member, and have added all your requisite information to your profile (payment card, license, passport), you can usually skip the main office, head straight to your car, and you can add the additional driver at the exit gate. Depending on some other factors, especially what CC you sign up with, I could help you status match to one of the elite Hertz levels - PM me for details. It might be a good idea that you update said online Hertz profile and do a new member document check at your local hertz in FR, that way your profile has the "green light" and you can utilize the Gold canopy at LAX. Otherwise, first rental for a new member they usually want to see your documents at check in.
Their will be a nominal daily fee for each add on driver, except for same household spouses and business associates. However, their are ways of getting around this (status or select CDP codes, do some searches in this forum's threads). The exit booth will check your license and payment card, and perhaps your passport. Note, I have only used either personal or work expense credit cards for my reservations, can't speak to a debit card use. When I have added on the extra driver, they just check the license and we are on our way, no extra payment card check. These were for domestic standard rentals on a US Drivers License however. The one international rental we did in Ireland was at a local hertz and was all desk check in w/ each of our Passports, US DL, and my CC.
Can't speak to a true reserved adrenaline car. Got upgraded to one, Challenger RT, and all that was required was a drivers license check at the booth in the garage. No extra steps for extra credit cards or anything like that. Not sure if Hertz PC status and being a frequent renter in their system came into play there.
Not that I am trying to sway you away from Hertz, but looking at National or even Sixt might be an option - they are a bit more open to the extra driver situation than Hertz.
PM me with how to get status matched into any of the 3 brands above - that will unlock some more options for you and your group.
If you are a gold member, and have added all your requisite information to your profile (payment card, license, passport), you can usually skip the main office, head straight to your car, and you can add the additional driver at the exit gate. Depending on some other factors, especially what CC you sign up with, I could help you status match to one of the elite Hertz levels - PM me for details. It might be a good idea that you update said online Hertz profile and do a new member document check at your local hertz in FR, that way your profile has the "green light" and you can utilize the Gold canopy at LAX. Otherwise, first rental for a new member they usually want to see your documents at check in.
Their will be a nominal daily fee for each add on driver, except for same household spouses and business associates. However, their are ways of getting around this (status or select CDP codes, do some searches in this forum's threads). The exit booth will check your license and payment card, and perhaps your passport. Note, I have only used either personal or work expense credit cards for my reservations, can't speak to a debit card use. When I have added on the extra driver, they just check the license and we are on our way, no extra payment card check. These were for domestic standard rentals on a US Drivers License however. The one international rental we did in Ireland was at a local hertz and was all desk check in w/ each of our Passports, US DL, and my CC.
Can't speak to a true reserved adrenaline car. Got upgraded to one, Challenger RT, and all that was required was a drivers license check at the booth in the garage. No extra steps for extra credit cards or anything like that. Not sure if Hertz PC status and being a frequent renter in their system came into play there.
Not that I am trying to sway you away from Hertz, but looking at National or even Sixt might be an option - they are a bit more open to the extra driver situation than Hertz.
PM me with how to get status matched into any of the 3 brands above - that will unlock some more options for you and your group.
Apr 9, 2019, 8:04 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: France
Posts: 12
@jtav559 :
Thanks for taking the time to answer me!The document check in France before our trip is actually a really good idea, but do you know if it is possible without renting a car at this time? Literally just go there so they see the documents, validate the Gold Plus account and leave?
Considering additional driver fees, as @trueblu said, actually there isn't any in California, so we will be able to have as many drivers as there are seats in the cars without paying more! Well, hopefully everyone doesn't have to subscribe to two credit cards each...
What the agent told me about the additional drivers credit cards makes us pretty anxious about the rental. You seem to have had a great experience with your Challenger R/T upgrade, but maybe that was because you are in your own country and a regular renter? They might take extra precautions with tourists, and we really just can't take the risk not to be able to get the cars because we don't have the right cards. Hopefully nobody will ask them, but it would be such a shame not getting the cars we booked (as they are such an important part of a 3000 miles roadtrip), or maybe worse, to get them but that only the main driver could drive them because he was the only one to have 2 credit cards, because I've never seen one man drive three cars at the same time
About National, Sixt or even other companies, we actually can't compare them with Hertz yet, as we are able to see the prices from Hertz for our dates in August 2020, but on the other companies' websites you can't see more than a year in advance. We actually think the prices Hertz show us are reasonable for the cars we want. Without adding CDP codes, it represents around 5500$ for a Suburban, and two cars from the Adrenaline Collection for three whole weeks of renting.
One thing is sure by now, is that we are going to get two credit cards for the main driver. They are likely to be Carrefour Pass credit cards (Carrefour is the equivalent of Walmart, here in France), they are real credit cards and Mastercard too. But we really really would like to avoid getting everyone from our group to get two credit cards as well, just for identification purposes...
Considering additional driver fees, as @trueblu said, actually there isn't any in California, so we will be able to have as many drivers as there are seats in the cars without paying more! Well, hopefully everyone doesn't have to subscribe to two credit cards each...
What the agent told me about the additional drivers credit cards makes us pretty anxious about the rental. You seem to have had a great experience with your Challenger R/T upgrade, but maybe that was because you are in your own country and a regular renter? They might take extra precautions with tourists, and we really just can't take the risk not to be able to get the cars because we don't have the right cards. Hopefully nobody will ask them, but it would be such a shame not getting the cars we booked (as they are such an important part of a 3000 miles roadtrip), or maybe worse, to get them but that only the main driver could drive them because he was the only one to have 2 credit cards, because I've never seen one man drive three cars at the same time
About National, Sixt or even other companies, we actually can't compare them with Hertz yet, as we are able to see the prices from Hertz for our dates in August 2020, but on the other companies' websites you can't see more than a year in advance. We actually think the prices Hertz show us are reasonable for the cars we want. Without adding CDP codes, it represents around 5500$ for a Suburban, and two cars from the Adrenaline Collection for three whole weeks of renting.
One thing is sure by now, is that we are going to get two credit cards for the main driver. They are likely to be Carrefour Pass credit cards (Carrefour is the equivalent of Walmart, here in France), they are real credit cards and Mastercard too. But we really really would like to avoid getting everyone from our group to get two credit cards as well, just for identification purposes...
Apr 9, 2019, 8:33 am
#5
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: California
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, HH DIA, Hertz PC, GE + Pre✓, Amazon Super Special Prime
Posts: 1,008
@jtav559 :
Thanks for taking the time to answer me!The document check in France before our trip is actually a really good idea, but do you know if it is possible without renting a car at this time? Literally just go there so they see the documents, validate the Gold Plus account and leave?
I have never personally done a document check, but others on the forum have done it. Not sure if a rental is required to trigger the document check, or if you can just walk up to the desk..... Worse case, do a quick rental of an economy sized car to get your info in the system.
What the agent told me about the additional drivers credit cards makes us pretty anxious about the rental. You seem to have had a great experience with your Challenger R/T upgrade, but maybe that was because you are in your own country and a regular renter? They might take extra precautions with tourists, and we really just can't take the risk not to be able to get the cars because we don't have the right cards. Hopefully nobody will ask them, but it would be such a shame not getting the cars we booked (as they are such an important part of a 3000 miles roadtrip), or maybe worse, to get them but that only the main driver could drive them because he was the only one to have 2 credit cards, because I've never seen one man drive three cars at the same time
https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/produ...nited%20States
Screen Grabs from Hertz.Com
Dream Car Rental Requirement
Additionally, I did a test booking for an Adrenaline Series at LAX as a guest member. Here are the Terms and Conditions listed:
lease note: Credit Cards and Debit Cards can be used at the start of a rental, however there are some restrictions regarding the use of a debit card. To qualify for a rental using a debit card, you will be required to provide proof of a return airline flight that coincides with your rental and present two (2) valid forms of identification. You can use a debit card if it is already included in your Gold Plus Rewards profile or the rental is an Insurance Replacement rental. Regardless of which card was used for the reservation and pick up of the car, debit cards are accepted for payment at the end of your rental. Please refer to Forms of Payment in the Rental Qualifications & Requirements for complete information.
Also....
WHAT CREDIT CARDS DOES HERTZ ACCEPT?
Hertz accepts American Express, MasterCard, Carte Blanche, Visa, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, China Union Pay and some debit cards. We may place an authorized hold on your credit/debit card to cover the estimated rental charges plus up to USD 200.00 for any additional charges that may be incurred. These funds will not be available for your use. A valid driver’s license and credit card must be presented. Debit cards issued under VISA, MasterCard and Discover logo which draw funds directly from the cardholder's account may be used at the outset of a rental to qualify when the following requirements are met; Hertz Airport locations will require proof of return airline flight to coincide with the rental and two valid forms of identification. Hertz Off Airport locations, if the renter is at least 25 years old, two valid forms of identification and one of the following: (a) provide a Corporate Discount Plan number or (b) proof of a return trip travel ticket to coincide with the rental (airline or cruise). There are exceptions; Debit cards are not accepted at the outset of a rental to qualify in Off Airport locations in the areas of New York Metropolitan Tri-State, Hartford, CT, Philadelphia, PA, Boston, MA, Manchester, NH, Detroit, MI, Baltimore, MD and Atlanta, GA. Other policy exceptions: Debit Card can be used if it is already in your Hertz Gold Plus Rewards profile or if the rental is a Replacement rental. Debit cards are not accepted on Dream Cars and Shelby GT-H rentals. Debit cards are accepted for payment at the end of your rental. In most cases a credit check will be performed for debit card customers to determine credit worthiness at the time of rental. If Hertz cannot secure credit approval and/or proper identification credentials are not supplied, Hertz will decline your rental.
No mention above of 2 cards required......
All that said, the Hertz rep you spoke with could be confusing the two classes - Adrenaline vs Dream Cars.
One thing is sure by now, is that we are going to get two credit cards for the main driver. They are likely to be Carrefour Pass credit cards (Carrefour is the equivalent of Walmart, here in France), they are real credit cards and Mastercard too. But we really really would like to avoid getting everyone from our group to get two credit cards as well, just for identification purposes...
Apr 9, 2019, 9:14 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: France
Posts: 12
@jtav559
Thanks, I'll see that with Hertz France after the creation of our Gold Plus Rewards account. I hope we would not have to rent a car just for this, but anyway, I guess a small car is 20€ a day here, so it's not a big deal.
Actually there is a page specifically about the Adrenaline Collection, please see my following screenshot.
*yup, can't attach a picture because I haven't posted 5 messages on this forum yet, the page can be found on the recap of the reservation, by clicking on "Rental qualifications and requirements", then "Vehicle collections" and "Hertz Adrenaline Collection". *
I find this quite confusing as the page is listing all the documents needed, but that's just after saying that the Hertz Shelby has specific requirements. I might be picky, but I would have understood straight away that those documents are only needed for the Shelby if it was written "The Ford Shelby GT-H has additional rental requirements that must be met in order to rent this vehicle : ", (with a colon instead of a full stop) but with a full stop, I find it confusing and don't know if the list applies to the whole category or only the Shelby. Maybe you guys could help me understand that point, as English is not my native language I may not understand this perfectly.
Regarding coverage, we would like to pay for the rentals with our debit card, which is a VISA Premier, so it has good coverage. We think of prepaying for the rentals too, as our trip dates are absolutely fixed. If I understood, we can pay with the debit card online or at the end of the trip when returning the cars.
Actually there is a page specifically about the Adrenaline Collection, please see my following screenshot.
*yup, can't attach a picture because I haven't posted 5 messages on this forum yet, the page can be found on the recap of the reservation, by clicking on "Rental qualifications and requirements", then "Vehicle collections" and "Hertz Adrenaline Collection". *
I find this quite confusing as the page is listing all the documents needed, but that's just after saying that the Hertz Shelby has specific requirements. I might be picky, but I would have understood straight away that those documents are only needed for the Shelby if it was written "The Ford Shelby GT-H has additional rental requirements that must be met in order to rent this vehicle : ", (with a colon instead of a full stop) but with a full stop, I find it confusing and don't know if the list applies to the whole category or only the Shelby. Maybe you guys could help me understand that point, as English is not my native language I may not understand this perfectly.
Regarding coverage, we would like to pay for the rentals with our debit card, which is a VISA Premier, so it has good coverage. We think of prepaying for the rentals too, as our trip dates are absolutely fixed. If I understood, we can pay with the debit card online or at the end of the trip when returning the cars.
Apr 9, 2019, 9:19 am
#7
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: California
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, HH DIA, Hertz PC, GE + Pre✓, Amazon Super Special Prime
Posts: 1,008
I would read that as Adrenaline Collection (Non Shelby GT) require age of 25 years old, standard DL (plus a passport for you), CC, etc.....
Hard stop.
Shelby GT requires all the extra fluff mentioned below.
Apr 9, 2019, 9:50 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: France
Posts: 12
That would be very great. That would mean that we don't have to subscribe to any credit card as our debit cards are accepted at LAX with the plane ticket!
We were really scared about what the Hertz agent on the Live Chat told me, but it's kind of weird that even them are not 100% sure of what they say to the customers and confound two categories. We hope this will go smoothly then!
Thank you very much for your help!!
We were really scared about what the Hertz agent on the Live Chat told me, but it's kind of weird that even them are not 100% sure of what they say to the customers and confound two categories. We hope this will go smoothly then!
Thank you very much for your help!!
Apr 9, 2019, 12:11 pm
#10
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: HEL
Posts: 76
@jtav559
We think of prepaying for the rentals too, as our trip dates are absolutely fixed.
Apr 10, 2019, 1:19 am
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: France
Posts: 12
I did, but it actually seems more expensive on Turo, and most of the cars haven't got unlimited mileage so there would be a problem here, as we are at least going to drive 3000 miles (this is just straight driving between hotels, so the total might be closer to 4000 miles).
Great news! Thanks for the info
Also, are the cars from the Adrenaline Collection reserved? I mean, there won't be any chance to arrive for pickup and that they tell us they don't have any car from the Adrenaline Collection right? We are booking specifically V8s cars more than a year in advance, that's what we really want for our roadtrip, so we don't want to be given 4 cylinder Ecoboost things or stuff like this, because they didn't manage to get the right cars at the right time at the right place, when being asked more than a year before the trip
Thanks all for your contributions, it's much appreciated!
Also, are the cars from the Adrenaline Collection reserved? I mean, there won't be any chance to arrive for pickup and that they tell us they don't have any car from the Adrenaline Collection right? We are booking specifically V8s cars more than a year in advance, that's what we really want for our roadtrip, so we don't want to be given 4 cylinder Ecoboost things or stuff like this, because they didn't manage to get the right cars at the right time at the right place, when being asked more than a year before the trip
Thanks all for your contributions, it's much appreciated!
Apr 10, 2019, 1:36 pm
#12
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 236
^Adrenaline cars are not guaranteed from what I know, but they should try to get you something similar. I rent from Hertz Adrenaline collection frequently and have never had them not have a v8 of some sort, but it may not be what you wanted. For example, Camaro SS is extremely rare, it's basically always a Challenger RT (hardtop reservation) or Mustang GT (convertible reservation).
Another alternative is to book through Enterprise Exotic collection, they have a v8 American Muscle category as well.
Another alternative is to book through Enterprise Exotic collection, they have a v8 American Muscle category as well.
Apr 10, 2019, 3:19 pm
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: France
Posts: 12
@glostix At the moment we get either a Mustang GT, a Camaro SS or a Challenger R/T (or even a Corvette Stingray if they have any ?), we will enjoy it ! We just don't want to be downgraded to a V6 or a 4 cylinder because they couldn't get their inventory right. But I guess we can never know this things in advance, we just have to go for it and cross our fingers ! I just know that personnally, I would prefer to get a Mustang GT (as we plan to drive on mountain roads too, I guess they behave better than the tank that the Challenger seems to be), and my dad would like a Challenger R/T, so hopefully we'll be lucky and get one of each !
Also, I guess they may be prone to change the cars in their fleet by the time.. So we'll see. We'll just book really early (in the next few weeks) to guaranty the low prices we were quoted.
Speaking of prices, I tried to look at Enterprise too, but the prices are more than 2 times the prices we get quoted from Hertz !
Also, I guess they may be prone to change the cars in their fleet by the time.. So we'll see. We'll just book really early (in the next few weeks) to guaranty the low prices we were quoted.
Speaking of prices, I tried to look at Enterprise too, but the prices are more than 2 times the prices we get quoted from Hertz !
Last edited by WTPThom; Apr 10, 2019 at 3:34 pm
Apr 15, 2019, 3:15 am
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: France
Posts: 12
Hi again!
Another quick question, is it OK to book both three cars for the same dates from the same Gold Plus account? As long as there are additional drivers to pickup the cars it will be alright, right?
Thanks in advance!
Another quick question, is it OK to book both three cars for the same dates from the same Gold Plus account? As long as there are additional drivers to pickup the cars it will be alright, right?
Thanks in advance!
Apr 15, 2019, 4:17 am
#15
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Lexington KY/Coronado, CA
Posts: 950
Typically the person picking up the car must be the person listed on the reservation.