This is a question that pops up quite regularly from potential customers that have used other providers in the past.
Most car hire suppliers take a deposit before you drive away in their vehicle and for good reason, they are trusting the hirer with a car worth tens of thousands of pounds so they need some reassurance, i think we can all understand that.
Deposits can come in different forms, some suppliers will ask for a credit card and take an amount of money to be refunded when the vehicle is returned, some will only hold or freeze an amount on the card a bit like a hotel, others will not take a deposit at all providing you take out the full insurance coverage.
As for the amount of the deposit, this can vary massively for multiple reasons: The supplier, the type of vehicle, the type of insurance coverage, the payment type you are using or simply how long you are hiring for..
Here are some examples:
We use 1 supplier that will take a depsoit from your card for the full amount of the excess liability, so the bigger or better the car the higher the deposit – up to €2000 Euros. So, if you reduce your excess for the additional daily fee you may not have to leave a deposit at all.
Another supplier we use holds a standard €600 Euros on your card until the vehicle is returned no matter which vehicle you hire.
Our most popular offering is with a major name in the business who only take a deposit for fuel, so the amount depends on the size of the tank but would typically be between €60 and €100 Euros.
So in answer to the the question, Why is the deposit so high on rental cars in Spain? It doesn’t have to be, you just need to be paired with the supplier that suits your needs which is exactly what Indigo do with every customer, just bear in mind that the cheapest price at the top of the comparison list isnt necessarily the best option for you as most comparison sites do not compare anything but the rental cost and there are many other things to consider.
If you have any questions about deposits or car hire in general then speak to one of our experts, you can call us on +44 (0)113 880 0748, chat with us online or email us at sales@thealternativeagency.co.uk.