*Updated for 2024*
Hiring a car should be simple. Book your car, hop in and away you go! Unfortunately, it often gets more complex than that. Here at Zest, we’ve worked tirelessly to make sure you know exactly what you pay when booking and how much you pay locally upon collection, showing the real car rental costs.
With so many potential local fees, we have compiled a guide to help you wade through the jargon.
Remember that car hire brokers (such as Zest) work with many different car rental providers. The individual terms, fees and opening hours vary from provider to provider.
When collecting your car…
1. Younger/Older Driver Surcharges
Most of the providers we work with don’t charge an additional fee for being over 70. However, some car rental providers will set minimum and maximum age limits, usually around 25 – 75. If the main driver or any additional drivers are aged outside this bracket, then it’s likely you’ll be charged locally. Different countries have different rules. Restrictions also vary from company to company.
How to avoid: When getting a quote, enter your age accurately (if your birthday is between the quote date and rental date, enter the age you’ll be when you collect the vehicle). Some car hire companies will levy a surcharge, some will require you to buy their insurance. Make sure you read the rental conditions thoroughly!
Book with us and we’ll only show you companies where a surcharge is not applicable.
2. Out of Hours/Delivery Fee
These fees cover any costs incurred by the provider in getting your hire car to you. You may incur a charge for collection or return outside of normal operating hours. Want your car delivered to your hotel? A locally payable charge may be applied for this too.
How to avoid: Different car rental providers have differing operating hours. Check each available company and see which option best fits your required dates and times.
Not every local company charge for delivery either, just check the rental conditions first. If they have a local office, you could collect from there!
3. One-Way Charges
This fee is levied when you arrange to pick up your hire car from one location but drop it off at another. The charge covers getting the hire car back to its original location.
How to avoid: In most cases, a one-way fee is somewhat unavoidable. The best thing to do is compare different car hire companies and make sure you are getting the best deal.
4. Extra Equipment
You can reserve certain items during the booking of your rental car which will be billed locally upon collection.
• Baby/child/booster seats- You will have to fit these yourself.
• GPS/sat nav system.
• Ski/roof rack.
• Snow chains/winter tyres. Mandatory in certain countries at certain times of year. They may even be included for free sometimes.
How to avoid: We always advise that you take your own baby/child/booster seats. You can usually pop these in the hold when flying.
Instead, use a navigation app with a phone dock for directions. Or simply bring your own map or Sat Nav! The use of winter tyres may be unavoidable if mandatory and not already included. Reserve them when making your booking and pay locally.
5. Additional Drivers
The person named as the main driver will be responsible for the vehicle throughout your hire period. Although most of our bookings include a free additional driver, you may incur a local charge for certain car rental providers.
How to avoid: Check all the available companies and find the best value deal if you can’t find any suitable quotes that include a free additional driver.
6. Cross Border Rental
Insurance restrictions (or even law) may limit which countries you are allowed to take the car into. Some may charge a locally payable fee to cover these. Always make the car hire company aware of your intention to cross a border in advance to avoid heavy penalties!
How to avoid: Check all available companies as not all providers charge you for crossing a border.
7. Toll Road Charges/Transponder/Vignette
Electronic Tolls will detect a Toll Transponder if there’s one placed in your vehicle (collectable from the hire counter, payable locally). A Vignette is slightly different, but usually compulsory.
How to avoid: The only sure-fire way to dodge this fee is to avoid driving on a toll road (check out how to avoid the Algarve toll roads and driving in Spain: a guide to avoid toll roads).
If that is impossible, then have a transponder and load on some credit when you collect the car.
8. Car Rental Insurance
If you haven’t bought appropriate insurance upon booking, you can usually buy insurance from the car rental company upon collection.
How to avoid: Understand exactly what you have paid for. Read our guide to car hire insurance if you’re not sure. We always include collision damage waiver with zero excess liability in our prices. If you have purchased top-up insurance, you do not need to buy any further insurance upon collection.
Whatever cover you have arranged, if you don’t want it, stand your ground and just say “no”.
9. Deposit
Upon collection, you must have a credit card in the name of the main driver to enable a security deposit to be authorised. The amount of this deposit is influenced by several factors: car group, rental duration, and fuel costs.
How to avoid: This is pretty much unavoidable. If the deposit is debited, be mindful that there may be currency fluctuations, leaving you out of pocket.
10. Extra Roadside Assistance
Breakdown cover is included as standard with us. If you book elsewhere, some companies include it, some don’t! In certain countries, they may try to sell you enhanced breakdown assistance too.
How to avoid: Understand what is included in your booking. Do you really need enhanced breakdown cover? Contact us if you’re not sure.
When dropping off…
11. Fuel
If you’ve not adhered to the hire company’s fuel policy, you will be charged for fuel at inflated local rates and potentially a refuelling fee.
How to avoid: Follow the fuel policy and you’ll be fine. If you have a collect full, return full fuel policy, ensure that you have returned the car completely full of fuel. Keep any fuel receipts and take a picture of the fuel gauge.
12. Additional Mileage
Check whether your vehicle comes with unlimited mileage. If it doesn’t, make sure you know how many kilometres you’re allowed to travel each day and what the cost per mile/kilometre is if you exceed this.
Some companies charge you extra for unlimited mileage, but automatically add it to your quote. Check if you’re being charged for something you don’t need.
How to avoid: We always include unlimited mileage (subject to fair usage) in our prices. Not everyone does though, so check the terms so you don’t get caught out.
13. Administration Fees
These cover costs for dealing with things such as damage, repairs, cleaning fees or handling of traffic violations.
How to avoid: Bring the car back clean and know your speed limits! (Read our driving guides before travel!)
If in doubt about the real car rental costs on your booking…
Make sure that when making your booking, you understand what fees are being levied. Always be prepared for what you must pay for when you collect the car.
First and foremost, read the T&Cs carefully when making your booking. If in doubt, get in touch and we can advise you on the best available option for your situation!
We’ve been using zest since before they were called zest! And they have been consistently great – clarity of booking process, prices, and customer service. Top marks for zest – we’ll never go elsewhere!
Having provided details of my credit card as a Security Deposit when collecting the hire car. How can I prevent the car hire company from deducting money from my credit card without my knowledge when there is no damage, sufficient fuel etc. If they do so, what steps do I take to get the money reimbursed when I am home and they are in say Spain?
Good afternoon,
In the event of additional charges being placed on your card by the supplier, please contact us immediately. In most cases we’re able to access the supplier’s system to check charges and can liaise with them to obtain invoices, damage reports etc. If the charge applied is accidental or you have evidence that the charge is unjustified, we can work with them to refund this amount. Alternatively, if the charge is for damage, and you have our top-up insurance in place, you could make a claim on this post-rental.
Kind regards,
Jessica
Zest Car Rental
I am pleased you are now a ‘no nonsense’ car hire company. That is important in Spain. I’m sure we will hire from you next time.
Was in process of booking a car with Argos 5 days ago when at a later stage in process it requested my age, it just happens to be 74 and when entered prices rose by about a third.
Now booked with Carrentals!
I will be booking again in October and will give Zest a try.
Hi there,
Thank you for your comment and we apologise that you didn’t feel able to book with us this time around. Different car hire suppliers have different minimum/maximum age restrictions. Please feel free to phone in and a member of our reservations team would be more than happy to discuss the options with you for your trip in October.
Kind regards
Jessica
New Item – Always take digital photos at the start and finish of hire.
All of the outside of the car, inside including the dashboard and of spare tyres & tools.
Great proof if Hire company claims damage that was actually pre-exisiting.
Item 8) – Excess insurance should always be pre-bought as it will be a fraction of the charge at the hire desk