The Unexpected Reason You Should Never Dispute Rental Car Charges Through Your Credit Card Company

Let's face it — it's always a risk to purchase a rental, and if you're someone who makes sure to document the vehicle before and after use, you're probably also meticulously sifting through the final bill for extraneous charges. If you were mistakenly charged for something, it's natural to want to ring your credit card company to dispute those charges. However, there's an even bigger risk in picking up the phone than in picking up the keys. According to The Washington Post, you could end up on the "Do Not Rent" list and be blacklisted by every major rental company.

Whether it's the best rental car agency across the board or the worst, these companies take disputes seriously, especially if the charges relate to damage, fuel, or tolls. When a credit card company reverses a charge, the rental agency may view it as "friendly fraud" or nonpayment (via Chargeback Gurus). Rather than argue, the company will quietly mark your customer profile with a note ... or worse. Those in the r/TravelHacks subreddit with experience say you'll be added to an internal blacklist shared across multiple agencies. This means the next time you try to book a car, you might find yourself denied a ride without explanation. So if you genuinely believe a charge is unfair, it's almost always better to handle it directly with the rental agency first, in writing, before involving your credit card company.

Rental car prices can be sky high — leading some customers to find work-around hacks like renting U-Hauls — and you don't want to have miscellaneous charges at the end of your rental experience. Handling a dispute the right way can save you money, though you should think twice before attempting to resolve it through your credit card company. So what exactly can you do instead?

When you get the vehicle, you should always document every nook and cranny of the car with timestamped photos (smartphones usually timestamp photos automatically). This not only protects you if the company tries to claim you damaged the car, but it also protects you if they use AI scanners to assess damage. If you have a complaint or want to dispute your bill, thoroughly review your rental agreement and check the photos and their timestamps. Then, contact the rental company's customer service department directly. Be polite but firm, explain your side clearly, and provide evidence to support your side of the story. Put everything in writing — email is better than phone — so that you and the agency can refer back to the communication thread for confirmation purposes. If the initial representative doesn't help, escalate to a manager or the corporate office. Most agencies are more willing to work with respectful customers than those who go straight into a dispute. Sometimes, they will have you fill out an online claim, to which you should follow up in 30 days to ensure the company follows through.

Only if all direct efforts fail should you consider a credit card chargeback. By exhausting every internal option first through the rental company, you give yourself the best shot at a fair outcome without long-term consequences. And ... if you want to avoid the car rental hassle altogether, of course, there's an app for that!