Help with your Avis rental
Independent help. OneCall Rental is not Avis and is not part of Avis. We can't see your Avis account, but we can help you deal with them.
The short answer
Avis is stricter than most about debit cards, has a no-show fee that catches people out even on pay-later bookings, and adds a daily e-Toll fee you may not notice until weeks later. Here's what to know, and where a real person can help.
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Paying with a debit card at Avis
- You need to be 25 or older to pick up with a debit card, or 18 in New York.
- Some locations don't accept debit cards for pickup at all, including parts of northern and central New Jersey and the Philadelphia area.
- Canada: Avis Canada locations don't accept bank debit cards to pick up a car.
- Premium cars, including the Avis Select Series, always need a credit card.
- Prepaid and gift cards are never accepted for pickup.
- Avis places a hold for the estimated rental cost and can ask for more.
You can still pay with a debit card at the end of the rental, just not always at the start.
Renting from Avis under 25
Avis charges an underage surcharge for drivers aged 18 to 24, and some vehicle types aren't available to younger drivers.
The surcharge is set by location, so the figure for your pickup point can be very different from the one next door. Leave your number and we'll confirm it for your booking.
Cancelling or not turning up
- Pay at Counter: free to cancel. But if you don't cancel at least 24 hours before pickup and don't show up, Avis can charge a $75 no-show fee.
- Prepaid: cancel more than 24 hours ahead and you lose $50. Inside 24 hours, it's $150. Don't cancel and don't show up, and none of the prepaid amount is refunded.
Tolls: the Avis e-Toll charge
Drive through an electronic toll and you're automatically signed up for e-Toll. In most states that's $6.95 for each day you use a toll, up to $34.95 per rental, plus the tolls themselves.
Avis and Budget: one company
Avis and Budget are run by the same company, but their counters, prices and rules don't always match.
Questions people ask
Can I rent from Avis in Canada with a debit card?
Not to pick up the car. Avis Canada locations require a credit card for that.
What is the Avis no-show fee?
$75 if you don't cancel at least 24 hours before pickup and don't collect the car.
Why did Avis charge me $6.95 for tolls?
That's the e-Toll convenience fee for each day you drove through a toll, on top of the tolls themselves.
When it doesn't go to plan
Turned away at the counter, hit with a no-show fee, or puzzled by a toll charge? Leave your name and number, and one real person calls back and stays with it until it's sorted.
Figures from Avis's own website, checked October 2026. Avis policies can change, so always check your own rental agreement.
OneCall Rental is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Avis. To contact Avis directly, use the details on Avis's official website.
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