Do I still have to provide my credit card for the excess on my hire car when purchasing a policy through you?

Not necessarily. The car hire company will normally need to take a pre-authorisation (often the excess amount) and this is usually on your credit card but a number of car hire companies will now allow a debit card to be used. You would need to have booked a car hire which will accept a debit card for this to work.

When you use a credit card, the amount is just put on as a 'hold' which ensures that you will have the funds available should they need to charge you for any damage.

If your car hire allows the use of a debit card they will usually take the money out of your account and credit it back when you return the car. This can take up to 30 days to go back on your account. Some companies are able to just reserve the amount. If you take their insurance at the desk, they may take a smaller pre-authorisation but would still want your credit or debit card.

By rejecting their full/Super CDW insurance (not the CDW that has come with your car hire) you are accepting responsibility for the excess and, should the worst happen, you would have to pay. This is because the excess insurance works on a reimbursement basis. You would then raise a claim on your insurance to cover the charges you have had to pay and they will reimburse you. This means that no car hire company can refuse to accept your insurance because you are insuring yourself and not their car. The insurance has nothing to do with the car hire company.

We always recommend reading the policy wording of your insurance before you purchase as this will inform you of both what you are covered for and also any limitations of your insurance.

If you do not have a credit card then it is possible in many destinations to book a car using a debit card. Use the filter at the top of your car hire quote to find those car hire firms who are happy to accept a debit card and where no credit card is needed.

If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact our team via the phone or our online chat service within our office hours and we will be happy to assist you!

Compare the costs of car hire insurance using the MoneyMaxim car hire insurance comparison service.