 TITLE: Can I Build Credit By Renting a Car? CONTENT: How Renting a Car Can Impact Your Credit Score\n----------------------------------------------\nWhen you rent a car, you're taking a valuable asset from the rental agency's parking lot. The agency wants some assurance that you can afford to pay your bills—for the rental and for possible additional expenses if you get in an accident.\nFor this reason, rental agencies tend to be wary of consumers who rent a car with a debit card rather than a credit card, and they may want to review your credit before allowing you to rent a vehicle using a debit card. The credit review can result in a hard inquiry, which could lower your credit scores. Fortunately, the impact of a single new hard inquiry is often small and short-lived.\nAnother way renting a car could impact your credit is if you wind up owing the rental company money. Perhaps you return the vehicle and pay for the rental, but lose your card later in the day. The company could have trouble charging you for incidental fees, such as for cleaning or damage to the vehicle. If the bill goes unpaid for long enough, the rental agency may send it to collections. The collection department or agency may report your collection account to the credit bureaus, which could hurt your credit scores. END