Car hire deposits explained
When you book a car with R3ntal Central, you pay two deposits: a £100 booking deposit, which comes off your hire price, and a refundable security deposit. Here's how each one works.
The booking deposit: £100
The booking deposit secures your car for your dates while we check your licence. It isn't an extra charge: it comes off your hire price, so you pay less at the balance stage.
- Amount: £100.
- When it's taken: when you book.
- What happens to it: it's deducted from your hire price.
- If you cancel: it's refunded if you cancel 48 hours or more before your hire starts. If you cancel within 48 hours, it isn't refunded.
The security deposit
The security deposit is held while you have the car and returned after the return inspection.
| Driver and car | Security deposit |
|---|---|
| Drivers aged 23 and over | £500 |
| Drivers under 23 | £1,000 |
| Performance and luxury cars, any age | £1,000 |
Some cars can be hired by drivers under 25, depending on the vehicle. Call us to discuss before you book.
When your security deposit comes back
- At return, the car is inspected with you and photographed.
- After a clean check-in, half of the security deposit is returned.
- 14 days later, the rest is returned.
If there's damage or anything outstanding from the hire, it's taken from the deposit balance. Damage is always recorded with photo evidence, so you can see exactly why.
The balance
The rest of your hire price, after the £100 booking deposit, is the balance. You can pay it from your customer account any time before collection, or when you collect the car. The car can't go out until the balance is paid.
An example
Say you book a car for a weekend, and you're 30.
- When you book, you pay the £100 booking deposit and the £500 security deposit.
- Before you drive away, you pay the balance: the hire price minus the £100 you've already paid.
- After a clean return, half of the security deposit comes back, and the rest 14 days later.
The exact hire price for your dates is shown before you book.
Why we work this way
A small, fixed booking deposit makes it simple to secure a car without paying the whole hire up front. Returning half the security deposit straight after a clean return, and the rest after 14 days, means most of your money comes back quickly while anything outstanding from the hire can still be settled.
If you have a question about a deposit on your booking, call your customer experience manager or our support line, open from 8am to 8pm.