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We are travelling to Mexico and though we have Amex Platinum excess cover, the local hire company will want to put a hold or pending transaction on a credit card. I am just wondering whats the best card to use for this purpose?
Curve avoids FX fees – but they remain as pending forever!
Revolut?
Amex would incur fees, correct? even for pending/hold transaction.
What do folks find works best.
Amex won’t incur any fees if it’s just a pending hold that is released. Just use any credit card that has sufficient free head room from a credit limit perspective.
You don’t want to use Curve for a car hire hold – you will get an actual charge to your underlying card that eventually unwinds automatically if all goes smoothly or a lot of chasing if it doesn’t. There are no FX fees on a ‘hold’, only on an actual charge so you can put the hold on a credit card and if there is anything to pay on returning the car, then put that on Curve or another FX free card.
If it’s prepaid I would use the card you prepaid with at the counter. Otherwise in the event of a dispute the card co will likely not accept a chargeback
In Mexico, watch out for all the scams around driving.
Car hire damage scams, petrol station sleight of hand scams, police fake speeding scams, fake official parking scams….
In Mexico, watch out for all the scams around driving.
Car hire damage scams, petrol station sleight of hand scams, police fake speeding scams, fake official parking scams….
Having travelled to Mexico virtually every year since 1996 and in some years more than once, we have never come across any of the above scams nor heard of anyone experiencing such issues.
Super aggressive sales pressure to buy insurance and refusing to provide the car otherwise, most commonly when dealing with sub-franchisees, yes, but the rest is palpable nonsense.
I’m sure someone has experienced each event on rare occasions but the chance of any one of them is seriously low. If you are a typical TV programme gormless American tourist or travel to areas the FCDO advises against, you are perhaps more vulnerable.
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