National Car Rental

These guys are great. Super friendly and always helpful. I rented from them every week during my trips to Santa Barbara.

National/​Alamo car rentals in the Santa Barbara airport do not accept debit cards or cash.
I would ask that you sit and ponder that for a moment: The two most utilized, most reliable forms of payment in the United States and they are not accepted in exchange for services.
I might even be able to see past this illogical, counter-​intuitive policy if it wasn’t for the fact that Alamo does nothing to bring it to your attention when making your reservation.
I arrived at the SBA rental car kiosk at 9:00pm on a Sunday. I attempted to pay for my rental with a VISA debit card and was informed they do not accept debit cards. After attempting (and failing) to wrap my mind around this absurdity, I offered to pay the entire total in advance, in cash, as well as any deposit that would be necessary. I was informed they do not accept cash in any form, either.
The only form of payment that Alamo/​National rental in the Santa Barbara Airport accepts is the one with which it is extremely easy to reverse legitimate charges. I think that whatever MBA dropout that’s running the airport wing of National Car Rental needs to lay off the cocaine for a little while.

The car selection is limited but the hours are decent given its at such a small airport. The service was just okay and not that accommodating though. Nonetheless they have good rentals.

Folks here are super nice and friendly. Also, they are on top of their game. never takes me long to check out from this location. with such a small airport, cars are close. sometimes a challenge if you are looking for a bigger car for a group, but a solo or twosome is fine.
Got an upgrade this last time, at no cost because they were low on cars of my rental type.

The service at National is exceptional. I rented a car here on my 21^st birthday and, contrary to popular opinion about how dealing with car rental agents can be pushy and uncomfortable, I was met with personable customer service and a knowledgeable staff. I told them what type of vehicle I needed and the rental agents not only helped me make my reservation but also guided me through the process and fine print of renting, something important to me as a first-​time renter.
If I recall correctly, I believe I was assisted by a manager named Doug. Very helpful.

The National Rental car is located right within the Santa Barbara airport terminal. You don’t have to hop in a shuttle or walk far to find the checkout counter.
We were supposed to pick up a car from this location but missed our flight, so we had to change our pick up location to LAX. I was able to call the National Rental car number and they helped arrange that and even used the same discount codes I had in the original reservation. Although I did not pick up a rental car from this location, I did drop off the car here as our flight was still out of SBA.
Dropping the car off was quick and painless. The car rental return is a left turn right before you get to the terminal. There are a few signs indicating car rental return. Even if you miss the turn, the airport is so small that you can go around to the terminal and the car rental section is just past the baggage claim.
Pull up into the car rental lot and there are clearly marked signs for which car rental company and which section of the lot to go to. Turn left and pull into one of the National rental car spots marked car return. The counter is located inside the airport where it says «To Terminals.» Drop off the keys, get a receipt, and you’re done!