Deposit and excess: the two words nobody explains properly
One waits on your card, the other hopefully never comes up. Know the difference and nothing surprises you.
Money, 5 min read
Most rental questions come from these two words, and so does most of the friction. Both are simple.
Deposit: your money waits, it doesn't leave
A deposit is a guarantee, not a payment. It is blocked on your credit card at pick-up: it doesn't leave your account, you just can't spend that amount for a while. Bring the car back undamaged with the fuel you took it with and the block is lifted. Depending on your bank, that can take a few working days to show.
The amount depends on the class: lower for small cars, higher for an SUV. Every class page shows the exact figure before you book, not after.
Excess: your share if something happens
The damage cover in your price (CDW) takes on most of the cost if the bodywork is damaged. The excess is the most that can be left to you. If the damage costs less than the excess you pay the damage; if it costs more, you pay the excess and no more.
Across the industry, standard cover often leaves out glass, headlights, tyres and the underside. Our packages list exactly what is in, so you never have to guess.
How to lower the excess
Upgrade the protection package when you book. The excess falls as the package grows and reaches zero at the top one, which also brings tyres, glass and headlights into cover. A small difference per day, a lot of calm on the road.
When something is kept from the deposit
In three cases: the car comes back with less fuel, the daily kilometre allowance is exceeded, or there is new damage. Each is checked against the report we write together at handover. No mark on that report is ever charged to you.