Deposits and excess
The part of car hire that causes the most anxiety, set out in full before you book rather than explained at the desk.
A hold, not a charge
At pick-up we pre-authorise a deposit on the main driver's card. The money is held by your bank, not taken by us — it does not leave your account, and no transaction appears on your statement. When the car comes back as agreed, the hold is released in full, normally within seven working days.
The amount is the damage excess for that class: the most you could be asked to pay if the car were damaged. Take Zero Risk Protection at €12 a day and the excess disappears — the deposit drops to €300 for most cars, and covers tyres, glass, the underbody and the interior too.
What is held, by car
These are the same figures shown on your quote and on your voucher. Nothing is added at the counter.
| Class | Cars | Standard | With Zero Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | Toyota Aygo, Fiat 500 | €1,800 | €300 |
| Small | Opel Corsa | €2,100 | €300 |
| Medium | Citroën C3 Aircross | €2,200 | €300 |
| Medium | Corsa Hybrid | €2,100 | €300 |
| Medium / Large | Peugeot 308, 308 SW, Berlingo, 3008, Frontera, 5008 | €2,300 | €300 |
| Large | C3 Aircross MPV, 5+2 | €3,000 | €300 |
| Electric | Hyundai Inster | €2,650 | €300 |
| Minivan | Peugeot Traveller, 9 seats | €3,000 | €350 |
| Minivan | Ford Tourneo Custom, 9 seats | €5,000 | €400 |
| Electric | Citroën ë-Dispatch, 8 seats | €5,000 | €400 |
Which card the desk needs
This catches more people out than the amount does, and the rule depends on whether you have taken cover:
- Without Zero Risk Protection — a credit card in the main driver's name, Mastercard or Visa. A debit card cannot be used, because the hold is a real pre-authorisation against a large sum.
- With Zero Risk Protection — a debit or credit card, still Mastercard or Visa, still in the main driver's name. The deposit is €300, and a debit card copes with that.
In both cases it must be a physical card in the main driver's own name. Not a spouse's card, not a phone wallet, not a prepaid or virtual card. If the person paying is not the person driving, the hold cannot be taken.
How Malta compares
Malta's deposits look alarming to anyone used to hiring in Spain or Portugal, and they are genuinely high across the island — the typical damage excess quoted here is in the low thousands, and published figures across Maltese operators run from a few hundred euro to €4,800 depending on the class and the cover taken.
What varies is not really the number but what it costs to make it go away. Ours is €12 a day flat, on any class, and it takes the excess to zero rather than merely reducing it.
What Zero Risk Protection actually does
- Removes the damage excess and the theft and fire excess in full — you pay nothing towards damage to the car.
- Reduces the deposit to €300, or €350 to €400 on the largest vans.
- Extends cover to tyres, glass, the underbody and the interior — the four things most often excluded elsewhere.
- Lets you leave the deposit on a debit card.
What no cover can include, here or anywhere: damage caused in breach of the agreement. Driving under the influence, an unnamed driver at the wheel, off-road use, putting the wrong fuel in the tank, or wilful damage all remain the renter's responsibility in full.
Getting it back
The hold is released after the car is returned in its agreed condition, normally within seven working days — the timing is your bank's rather than ours. Deductions are only made for things agreed with you: damage, missing fuel, a late return, cleaning beyond normal use, or traffic fines and the administration they carry.
Deposits, answered
Is the deposit charged to my card?
No. It is pre-authorised — held by your bank, not taken by us. It does not appear as a transaction and it is released in full when the car comes back as agreed, normally within seven working days.
Can I use a debit card?
Only with Zero Risk Protection, which brings the deposit to €300. Without it the deposit needs a credit card in the main driver's name. Either way the card must be a Mastercard or Visa, physical, and in the driver's own name.
Can my partner's card be used?
No. The card has to be in the main driver's name. If your partner is paying, name them as the main driver and put you on as the additional driver instead — that costs €5 a day and solves it.
Is Revolut or a similar card accepted?
If it is a physical Mastercard or Visa in the main driver's name and it supports a pre-authorisation, yes. Virtual cards, prepaid cards and phone wallets cannot be used for the hold.
Can I use my own excess insurance instead?
You can buy one, but understand what it does: the deposit is still held on your card, and you would pay first and claim it back from your insurer afterwards. Collision damage waiver is included in every rental here and cannot be declined, which is what most third-party policies expect you to do.
How long until the money is back?
We release it as soon as the car is checked in. After that it is your bank's timetable — usually a few days, up to about seven working days.
See your deposit before you book.
Pick your dates and the class, and the deposit is on the quote — with and without cover.