Hello everyone,
I’m planning to rent a car via Rakuten Travel and would like to pay in cash. However, I’m not entirely sure about their cash payment verification requirements.
Here’s the relevant part from the email I received:
“お支払いは原則クレジットカードでお願いします。現金でお支払いの場合は、以下の(1)、(2)のいずれかを確認させていただきます
(1) お持ちのクレジットカードの有効性
(2) 免許証以外の現住所もしくは本人確認できる書類のご提示（健康保険証、パスポート、年金手帳等）”
I have a debit card (like Revolut) which is VISA/MASTER. Does anyone have experience with such a situation, especially with Rakuten Travel? Can I use my debit card for the verification?
Thank you in advance for your insights!
2 comments
It means basically that unless you are a resident, you still need a credit card. And no, you can’t use debit card for the verification.
There are some rental companies that do allow to rent with cash (same place return), but deposits are usually in $1500-2000 cash range.
It depends on the type of booking it is. If it is merchant booking, than probably not. For a third party OTA booking, I actually did once use Rakuten Travel for a car rental and the settlement was at the rental desk – I had the option for cash or card and the terms were the same. In these cases you can pay cash up front without showing a card.