Car Repair: Alternative Ways to Pay

Dec 18
11:33

2010

Andrea Avery

Andrea Avery

  • Share this article on Facebook
  • Share this article on Twitter
  • Share this article on Linkedin

If you are in need of car repair, your first thought is likely whether you will be able to pay for it. Many people do not have lots of money saved up just for repairs, but most people need their vehicle to be in good shape so that they can get to work every day of the week.

mediaimage
If you are in need of car repair,Car Repair: Alternative Ways to Pay Articles your first thought is likely whether you will be able to pay for it. Many people do not have lots of money saved up just for repairs, but most people need their vehicle to be in good shape so that they can get to work every day. Before you despair, consider the best ways to pay for your repairs. 

Most car repair shops understand that many customers do not have a lot of money to pay upfront. For this reason, some offer credit cards that you can only use for their company. If you have decent credit, you may be able to get your repairs done fast without paying upfront. This will allow you to get to work while being able to pay your regular bills for the month, as you can just pay a little toward your card balance every month. Just be sure that the interest rate is comparable to that of other cards so that you do not end up paying a lot more over time than you would upfront. 

If the car repair shop that you go to does not offer special credit cards, you can ask about other payment options. For example, most accept both cash and at least the most popular credit cards. If the card that you have is not accepted and you do not have cash, find out if personal checks are accepted, as many shops do take these with proper identification. You should also ask about payment plans, as some shops that do not offer their own special card do allow customers to pay some of the balance every month. Of course, this option usually requires that you either know the owner, such as in a small town, or offer some kind of collateral. 

If you are faced with a sudden large expense when it comes to fixing your vehicle, know that you do not always have to have the cash up front. Talking to the owner of the shop that you frequent may allow you to work out a way to pay your bill. This may include relying on your credit to either open a new card or use an existing one, or just finding out what other payments the business takes. Be sure to find out this information before any services are completed since some companies do not accept anything other than cash or a limited number of cards.