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Car hire suppliers worldwide apply an excess amount to the insurance on your hire car. This car hire excess is simply the amount of money that you will have to pay in the event of an accident of a claim. This amount is sometimes referred to as the first part of the claim and the amount payable will depend on the company you are with, the size of car you are driving and your hire car pick up country. The excess can be applied to any aspect of your claim including theft waiver, vehicle damage or personal liability. Always read the terms and conditions before you book to see what car hire excess is on your booking as the amounts vary between companies.

For example, your car hire supplier may have an excess on the policy of €500. If you have an accident or need to claim, you will be required to the pay the first €500 of any insurance claim, the supplier and or their insurance company will pay the remainder. Where an excess is required on your booking, this amount will be reserved on your credit card and released when you return the hire car without incident. Note that companies will not accept debit cards, laser cards etc, it must be a regular Visa Credit card or Mastercard. Pre-paid credit cards are also not accepted.

If you are not happy to be exposed to the risk of having to pay this excess yourself, then there is always the option of buying an excess insurance policy with your booking. This insurance will cover the cost of the excess in the event of an accident. When you are booking your hire car with Car Booker the best way to purchase your excess insurance is at the booking stage, just click the button to add it on (read your terms and conditions). You will still be required to have the amount of the excess placed on your card, but should you need to make a claim, then you will be refunded the excess amount from your insurance company.

There is usually also the option to get car hire excess insurance cover when you are picking up your hire car at the desk. Car Booker cannot guarantee what prices you will be charged for this excess insurance as it is up to each supplier to set their own pricing for these products, however, it is generally considered to be more expensive than buying it as part of your booking.

When you get to the rental desk, if you are offered excess insurance and you already have taken out car hire excess insurance cover when booking, we recommend that you politely decline the hire provider insurance to avoid double coverage.

If you have any questions, it is likely we have already an answer for you in our FAQ or simply contact us. Or read more about why you should purchase excess insurance.