How to Avoid Car Hire Excess
July 2018
If you want to understand car hire excess and how to ensure you’re protected, you’ve come to the right place. We've compiled the most common queries we receive and answered them for you to make sure that the only thing you will have in excess on your holidays is fun.
So, let’s start with the basics…
What does car hire excess mean?
Car hire excess is the amount of money that is not covered by your insurance policy that you would need to pay in the case of accident, damage or theft during your car hire period.
Where can you find car hire excess information?
You can find the excess amount of each car type and car hire brand by clicking on “Important Information” - once you have found the car you like on our website. All details about the insurance policy can be found under “Insurance coverage”.
If you have already made a booking, you can find the excess amount on your booking voucher or in the ‘Manage booking’ section on our website.
How much is the car hire excess amount?
The car hire excess amount varies and depends on car types, locations and suppliers. That is why it is important to read through the ‘Insurance Coverage’ information, before and/or after making the booking to avoid any surprises.
Is the deposit amount and car hire excess amount the same thing?
No, they aren’t. The deposit is the amount blocked on your credit card when you pick-up your car and held throughout the duration of your rental period. This amount is released once you return your car without any issues such as damage. The excess amount is only charged to your credit card in case of accident, damage or theft.
Ensure you bring your credit card in the name of the main driver in order to leave the deposit amount for the rental duration. If you do not have a credit card in the main driver's name or with the correct amount of money, the car hire brand that you have rented with via Holiday Autos may not release the car to you.
How can you avoid or reduce excess?
It’s a common query among customers and there are two alternatives to avoid or reduce car hire excess:
1) Adding our Damage Refund Insurance to your car hire will ensure that any excess paid in case of accident would be refunded to you.
The Damage refund Insurance can be added on our website while making the booking, or afterwards through our ‘Manage booking’.
*To avail of any required refunds for your insurance provider, the Terms and Conditions listed on the insurance policy need to be adhered to as well as providing all listed and relevant documentation to support your claim. Refunds are not guaranteed.
2) Purchasing the full insurance, offered by car hire brands at the car hire desk, to reduce the excess to zero. Bear in mind that their own insurance policies are often more expensive and unnecessary to take out if you have our cover and are ready to leave your deposit.
More information about your car hire booking can be found on our Manage booking section on our website.
Search on HolidayAutos.com to find the best car hire deals.
