One-Dollar FreezeThe funny thing about my trip to Calgary is that one of the clearest memories is not the snow or the city. It is that I booked my car by paying only one dollar first. I was at home in California, looking at my flight to Canada on my laptop, feeling a bit nervous. I was going alone and I also had to arrange a car. On QEEQ I saw something called One-Dollar Freeze. It said I only needed to pay 1 dollar first to lock the booking. The rest would be charged automatically before the rental started and there was no interest. I literally said to myself, “So I can lock a RAV4 with just one buck? Is this real.”
I really wanted that Toyota RAV4 in Calgary. Automatic, five seats. It looked perfect for driving in Canadian winter. I looked at the screen and said quietly, “What if my plan changes. Paying the full amount now is a bit heavy.” In that moment this one dollar way felt made for me. It meant my credit card would not feel so tight at once and I did not need to pay a big amount right away.
I clicked book and saw the pre charge was really 1 dollar. I laughed and thought, “Okay, if something goes wrong, I only lose the price of a burger.” In the next days I was busy with visa papers and packing my bags. I almost stopped thinking about the car because I knew it was already locked in. I did not need to remember some deadline to pay the rest. That made me feel much more relaxed.
Close to my flight date I suddenly remembered and thought, “Hey, did they charge the rest.” I opened my bank app and saw the charge already there. The amount was the same as the quote I saw before. No strange extra fees. I just said to myself, “Nice. That is all I need.” I never had to talk with customer service because nothing went wrong. The automatic charge felt like someone handled the timing for me. My only job was to land in Calgary and go get the car.
I landed on February 16 in the morning. I pulled my suitcase to the Dollar counter and told the staff my name. They checked and said my car was confirmed. For a second I remembered myself at home paying that single dollar. It felt kind of cool that it really worked so simply. The staff did not ask me to pay any weird extra cost. Just the normal deposit and normal process.
When I was driving the RAV4 around Calgary, sometimes I thought about how I might have waited longer to book if I had to pay everything at once. I had other big costs at that time like flight, hotel and insurance. With this way I could lock the car with a small amount and then let the system charge later. It made my trip budget easier to plan and I did not need to stare at a calendar and worry I would forget to pay.
I returned the car on February 20 in the morning. I filled the tank, drove back to the return area in Calgary and handed the keys to the staff. I felt a small sense of success. From the start to the end, the rental part went really smooth. It was just a different payment plan, but for someone flying in from another country, being able to hold the car with only 1 dollar first and then let the rest be charged later really took away a lot of pressure. When I walked out of the parking lot with my suitcase and went to look for the shuttle to the airport, I was already thinking that if I come back to Canada and see a similar way to pay, I will pick it again.
One-Dollar FreezeI was sitting in the pick up area at Miami airport looking at the line of cars in front of the Avis office and the lights on the cars. I actually felt pretty relaxed. I was not very nervous about the money. In that moment I suddenly thought that if I had paid the full amount when I booked and not only one dollar my credit card limit would feel very tight now. As a visitor from the UK in the US I care a lot about this kind of money pressure.
Let me jump back a bit. About one month before the trip I was on QEEQ choosing a car. I saw the Toyota RAV4 and some similar SUVs and I liked it right away. I thought driving this in and around Miami would be very nice. When I saw the total price my first reaction was oh this is a big payment. If they charge it all now my card limit might get crushed. I still had other travel plans to pay for and I kept doing math in my head.
At that time I saw there was a payment plan called One-Dollar Freeze. The description said I only need to pay 1 dollar first to lock the booking and the rest will be charged automatically before the rental starts and there is no interest. In my mind I said this is perfect for someone like me who still thinks like a student. I can secure the car first and I do not need to pay everything right away.
That night I was on my bed scrolling on my phone and thinking if I should pay all the rental money now or wait. I was scared the car would be gone but I was also scared that paying the full price too early would be too much. I kept switching between the booking page and my bank app. Then I thought since there is this one dollar option I do not need to fight with myself. I tried it and made the booking. On the payment page I saw only 1 dollar was taken from my card. That moment felt really light. In my head I said ok the car is mine and the big payment is future me’s problem.
During the next few weeks I bought plane tickets booked places to stay and paid for other parts of the trip. A few times I suddenly thought if the full rental price had been charged at the start my budget would be much tighter. I might stare at my statement every day. I had a bad experience before when my credit limit was almost maxed and that feeling was awful. So this time I really felt the difference.
When it was close to the travel date I opened my bank app and checked the history. I saw that the rest of the rental amount was charged automatically. It was around one or two days before my trip. Not too early and not last second. The balance and the limit on my card were still in the range I planned. There was no shock moment. I thought to myself good thing I used this plan. If not it would have been a few big payments all together and the pressure would be high.
When I landed in Miami around midday on February 14 I walked to the Avis counter with my suitcase. They already had my booking in their system. I just needed to show my documents and my credit card. While I was standing there I felt a bit proud because the most painful money moment was already over and it was spread out. Now it felt more like I was just checking in to a plan I had set up weeks ago. The staff typed on their keyboard and I was thinking if I did not have this one dollar booking way I might have waited until the last minute or maybe not booked this model at all.
After I got the car I put my bags in the trunk of the RAV4 and sat in the driver seat. Holding the steering wheel I felt a small sense of victory. I felt like I managed my budget pretty well this time. The trip on the road was just starting but I was already looking back at the booking process in my head. I realized the key step was that moment when I dared to lock the car with only 1 dollar even though all my plans were not final yet.
When the trip was almost over and it was time to return the car around midday on February 20 I drove back to the return area in Miami and parked the car. After the staff checked the car I pulled my suitcase and walked toward the terminal. On the way I thought again about this payment style. It felt like this big cost was cut into two stages. It did not hit me all at once. For someone like me who often has to use a credit card first and then pay it back this really helped. There was no interest and my limit did not feel locked up.
During the whole thing I worried about money less than before. I could think more about where to go and what to see and not just about the card charge. When I look back I feel that if I book with them again I will still try to use a way like this where I only pay 1 dollar at the start. It lets me keep my plan flexible and keeps the big payment close to the start date so the pressure on my card stays low.
One-Dollar FreezeCan I really book a car with just one dollar first? That was my first thought when I saw the One-Dollar Freeze option on the site. I was planning a trip in Greece and I did not want my credit card to get hit by a big charge at once so I decided to book with them from Thessaloniki to Athens. I made the booking on the evening of the twelfth and when I checked my card I saw they only took 1 dollar. I even opened my banking app again to make sure and I felt a lot more relaxed. Around the fourteenth when it was close to my pickup time they charged the rest in one go and there were no extra fees. In my head I was thinking this payment way is really nice because I do not feel pressure before the trip even starts. The whole thing felt very easy for me. I just needed to decide the car and the dates and they handled when to charge the money. When I saw the final payment notification on my phone I felt this booking with QEEQ was really friendly for someone young like me.
One-Dollar FreezeWhen I made the booking, I felt a bit stressed. I was taking my kid to Lanzarote in Spain and there were many things to pay for. I did not want my credit card to be hit by a big charge at once. I booked through QEEQ and saw the One-Dollar Freeze option. I only needed to pay 1 dollar first and the rest would be charged automatically before the rental started. This felt really good for a parent like me who needs to plan every penny.
I chose to pick up the car at Lanzarote airport on the evening of February 11. I booked a Kia Rio from TOP CAR Canary with manual gear. I can drive manual and a four door five seat car is just right for my family. When I placed the order, they only took 1 dollar. When I checked my card I felt much more relaxed. My credit card limit was not locked up and I could keep the money for hotel and other tickets first.
A few days later I logged in again to check the booking. Everything was still confirmed and the car details were clear so I felt safe. My kid asked me what the car looks like. In my mind I was thinking that it was so good I only paid 1 dollar at the start. If I had paid the full amount at once I would be doing lots of math and worrying about the next bill. Now it was calm and simple. Before we returned the car on the afternoon of February 18 the rest of the money was already prepared and there was no extra interest or heavy feeling on the card.
What stayed in my mind is that this payment plan made the whole thing easy. When I booked, I did not feel that big pain of a large charge in one moment. I could plan my travel budget step by step and I felt more relaxed so I could focus on my kid instead of always thinking about the credit card bill.
One-Dollar Freeze"You really booked the car with just 1 dollar?" My friend looked at my phone bill and was so surprised. I was also a bit proud inside, because this time I booked the car on QEEQ with the One-Dollar Freeze plan.
A few days before I had to pay the full amount, I kept watching my card limit. I was afraid a big payment would hit all at once. For someone like me who is still learning how to manage money, this kind of tension is not fun. I wanted to rent a Peugeot 3008 automatic in Copenhagen Denmark. I planned to pick it up on February 17 in the early morning around seven and return it the next day around five in the afternoon in the same city. When I clicked confirm, the payment page only showed 1 dollar to pay first. I felt so relaxed at that moment and a lot of pressure went away.
I checked my bill a few times to make sure it really only took that 1 dollar first. The rest of the money would be charged automatically closer to the pickup date. I did not see a long line of numbers on my credit card bill at once. My mind felt much calmer. During that time I could still use my card for other daily costs and I did not worry that my whole limit was locked.
When the trip date was near and I got the payment reminder, I felt okay. I was already prepared and I had saved the money. For me the most important part was that my credit card stress was smaller. I was not scared by a big charge at the start.
So when my friend asked how I could book a car with just 1 dollar, I explained that it was because of the One-Dollar Freeze payment plan. It lets me lock the booking first and then pay later step by step. For a young person like me who does not have a huge budget and still wants to plan expenses in a smart way, this feels very friendly.
Dedicated customer serviceMy feelings were pretty mixed at the start. I booked my car in Bangkok through QEEQ for a business trip. I picked up a Nissan Almera from Europcar around the morning of January 6 and dropped it off a few days later, late at night around January 8. The pickup and return were smooth. The real problem came after I got home when I saw my deposit did not come back. My heart sank. Twelve thousand THB is not a small amount. I checked my bank, stared at the statement again and again. The balance just did not move. As a business traveler I care a lot about cash flow. I was annoyed and kept thinking in my head that this money could not just disappear.
So I contacted their customer service. I first thought it would be just some cold email replies. But after I got in touch, I noticed it felt like one to one help. Every time I sent a new screenshot or a bill, the person on the other side knew my case. I did not need to explain my story from zero each time. It felt like someone was really following my problem.
The rental counter staff said the deposit was already released and told me to ask my bank. My bank staff then gave very unclear answers. I felt like a ball kicked back and forth. A few times I wanted to just give up, but every time I looked at my statement I got upset again. Their support kept following up though. They checked every slip and every page of my bank record that I sent. They helped me sort out the key points and then went back to the rental company with that. I could feel they were talking to both sides and trying to clear things up.
Sometimes the update was not instant. I would sit there thinking maybe there was no progress. Then I would get a new message saying they were still checking and that I needed to ask my bank for a more formal proof that the refund or release was not received yet. The whole thing was not easy and I was a bit stubborn too. But when you feel there are people who remember your case and stay on it, it really feels like someone is on your side.
Even when the rental company sounded very standard and cold, I did not feel I was fighting a big company alone. It was more like I had a teammate who knew the rules and could speak for me and push things forward. As a business traveler I care most about time and results. In this deposit issue, what I remember most is this feeling that I was looked after all the way by dedicated customer service.
