It's a scam, albeit a legal scam, to float your money. In a majority of cases, there is no legitimate reason to place an excessive hold on your credit or debit card, and the extended release time just adds to severity of the scam. That's why I only rent cars from Alamo or National whenever possible. They don't tie up your ability to use your funds (credit or debit) so they can float your cash for weeks at a time. It's not their money.