Before you book
Deposit and excess, explained
The two words that cause most of the arguments at car-hire desks. On this site both figures are published before you book, and they're the same number — what we hold is exactly what you'd be liable for, nothing more.
What's held on each cover level
Essential cover
€held at pick-up
Included in every rate
Full comprehensive insurance, included in every price. The damage excess and deposit depend on the car class.
- Collision Damage Waiver included
- Excess & deposit by class (€1,800 – €4,000)
- Roadside assistance, day or night
- Theft protection
Zero Excess Protection
Popular€300held at pick-up
+€21/day (€35 on 7-seater & minibus)
Zero excess on damage, theft and fire — tyres, glass, roof, undercarriage and keys all covered, with the deposit down to €300.
- Eliminates damage excess (CDW)
- Eliminates theft & fire excess (TLW)
- Covers tyre damage
- Covers glass & windscreen
- Covers roof & undercarriage
- Reduces the security deposit to €300
- 24/7 tow truck & roadside assistance
- Driver & passenger accident cover
What the excess actually is
Every rental here includes comprehensive insurance and a collision damage waiver. The excess is the part you'd still be responsible for if the car were damaged or stolen — a ceiling on your liability, not a fee. Drive the car back in one piece and it never comes into play.
Where the industry gets a bad name is the gap between a headline rate and what happens at the counter: a low price that quietly assumes you'll buy excess cover on arrival, sold under time pressure with your luggage at your feet. Both our levels are priced on the site, and Essential is genuinely included rather than a placeholder to upsell from.
How the hold works
At pick-up we pre-authorise the excess amount on the main driver's card. That's a hold, not a charge — the money stays in your account but is reserved, so your available balance drops by that figure until it's released.
It's worth planning for. A hold of €1,800 – €4,000 by class on a card you're also using for hotels and restaurants can be an unpleasant surprise mid-holiday. The way round it: Zero Excess Protection eliminates the excess and brings the hold down to €300 on every class.
| Category | Essential — excess & deposit | With ZEP |
|---|---|---|
| Category B · City Car | €1,800 | €300 |
| Category A · Toyota Aygo — Automatic | €1,800 | €300 |
| Category C · Economy | €1,800 | €300 |
| Category M1 · Opel Corsa or Similar — Automatic | €1,800 | €300 |
| Category N · Compact | €2,100 | €300 |
| Category D · Compact SUV | €2,300 | €300 |
| Category J · SUV | €2,500 | €300 |
| Category N1 · Peugeot 3008 — Automatic | €2,500 | €300 |
| Category S · Large / Saloon | €2,600 | €300 |
| Category F · Leisure Van | €4,000 | €300 |
| Category G1 · 7-Seater | €3,000 | €300 |
| Category G · Minibus (9-seat) | €4,000 | €300 |
Deposit and excess — the questions we get
- What's the difference between the excess and the deposit?
- The excess is the most you'd pay towards damage or theft. The deposit is the amount held on your card to cover it while you have the car. On Essential they're the same figure, and it depends on the class — from €1,800 on a City Car up to €4,000 on the largest vehicles (the full table is on this page). Zero Excess Protection eliminates the excess entirely and holds just €300 on every class.
- Is the deposit actually charged to my card?
- No. It's a pre-authorisation — the amount is held, not taken. It never leaves your account, but it does reduce your available balance until it's released, which matters if you're travelling on a card with a modest limit.
- How long until the hold is released?
- We release it when the car comes back undamaged. How quickly it then clears is your bank's decision rather than ours — usually a few days, occasionally longer over a weekend or a bank holiday.
- What isn't covered by the standard excess?
- On Essential, damage to tyres, glass and the underbody typically sits outside the standard cover, as do losses from driver negligence, wrong-fuel incidents and traffic fines. Zero Excess Protection brings tyres, glass and windscreen, and roof and undercarriage all in — along with theft & fire excess and driver & passenger accident cover.
- Do I need a credit card in the main driver's name?
- Yes for the hold. The card presented at the desk must be in the main driver's name, alongside the licence and a passport or ID. On Zero Excess Protection the hold is only €300, which is the main reason some drivers choose it.
- Is there anything else to budget for?
- Only if it applies to you: drivers aged 21–24 pay a young-driver supplement of €7 a day, and optional extras like a child seat or an additional driver are priced when you book. Fuel is full-to-full, so there's no fuel charge if you bring it back full.
The rental agreement you sign at the desk sets out the exact terms for your vehicle and prevails where it differs from this page.
Ready when you are
The island's 7,000 years of history will still be here next year. Your holiday won't. The car is the easy part.
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