FAQs - How can we help?

Find answers to the most frequently asked questions about car hire

Whether you're a seasoned car rental enthusiast or a first-time hirer, you're bound to have questions. Our comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section is here to assist you, neatly categorized for easy navigation. If you can't locate the information you need through the categories or our search feature, our team of car rental experts is available round-the-clock to provide assistance. Simply click on the icon, scroll down, and uncover answers to the most frequently asked questions related to your subject of interest

Feel free to reach out to us through various channels for prompt assistance. Utilize our Live Chat by clicking the chat bubble in the bottom right corner of your screen, give us a call, send us a Facebook message, or drop an email at info@rhinocarhire.com. Our knowledgeable team is here to provide you with clear and concise answers to any queries you may have. Whether it's about essential documents for car collection or specific car make or model inquiries, trust us as your go-to experts in the world of car hire
How do I change or extend my rental and how much notice do you need if I need to cancel?
What payment methods are there and when do I need to pay the deposit / balance?
What sort of vehicles can I hire and can you guarantee a specific make and model?
What happens if I damage the car or have to make a claim on my insurance?
How much is the car hire excess and what insurance options do I have?
Do I need an international driving permit and what are the age restrictions when hiring a car?
What extras can I book with my rental such as child seats and sat nav and how much are they?
What happens if I get a parking or speeding fine in a hire car and how do I pay toll roads?
Can I return the car somewhere else and what should I expect when collecting my hire car?
What do I need to book a hire car and how long is my quote valid for?

FAQ's trending today

How do I cancel my booking?

Last updated: 25/09/2022

If you need to cancel your car hire booking for any reason, the easiest way to do this is to visit the ‘Manage my Booking’ section accessed from the button on the top right of all pages on our website. To log in you will need;

  • Email address used at time of booking
  • Reservation number (found on your booking confirmation email)
Once logged in you can click the ‘Cancel Booking’ in the menu on the right-hand side.

Depending on which car hire company your reservation was made with, you can cancel for a full refund up to 24 or 48 hours before scheduled pick up time (local pick-up time). Bookings cancelled within the 24 or 48 hour window will incur a cancellation fee as set out in your car hire terms and conditions (this will vary depending on your rental specifics)

For customers who opted to pay a non-refundable deposit, unfortunately this cannot be refunded, however you can still cancel your rental to prevent the car hire balance being automatically debited.

If you opted for additional car hire insurance with your rental, this will be cancelled automatically and refunded in full when you cancel your car hire booking.

If you wish to cancel the car hire insurance element of your car hire only, you can log into your car hire booking as above and select the option to “Cancel” the car hire insurance policy.

You can also use our Live Chat, call us on (+44) 0345 508 9845 or email us on info@rhinocarhire.com for further assistance.

You can amend your car hire booking by visiting the ‘Manage my Booking’ section accessed from the button on the top right of all pages on our website. To log in you will need;

  • Email address used at time of booking
  • Reservation number (found on your booking confirmation email)
Once logged in you can click the appropriate change you wish to make on the right-hand side. You can amend the following parts of your car hire booking;
  • Pick-up and drop-off locations
  • Dates and times
  • Vehicle
  • Driver name(s)
  • Update flight number
  • Add or remove extras
 
When changing any aspect of your car hire booking it is possible that the cost will change, and you will be asked to confirm acceptance of a new price. If the price increases, you will need to pay the difference and if the price decreases you will be refunded the difference back to the original payment card.

We do not charge administration fees for making changes to your car hire booking. Changes are based on availability and reflect real-time pricing as though you were making a new booking and not on the pricing basis of the original booking.

You cannot amend an existing booking once the pick-up date / time has passed. Changes made within the 24 / 48 hours of pick-up may incur additional charges if a cancel / rebook is required.

When making a change to your car hire booking you may receive a new booking confirmation and booking reference number. This is the new booking reference you need to use when collecting your car, or for any future correspondence, the old reference will effectively be a cancelled reservation.

Can I hire a car if under 25?

Last updated: 25/09/2022

Yes, most of the car hire companies we work with allow young drivers under the age of 25 to hire a car. This varies by car hire company and location so you should always check the driver requirements before making a booking to ensure you are able to hire a car if under 25 and to check the young driver surcharge.

When making a booking, ensure you ‘un-tick’ the ‘Driver aged between 25-70’ box before performing a search to enable us to ensure we return only rental agents that permit drivers under 25 and display the appropriate young driver fee which is included in the final rental price

We offer a young driver discount of up to 10% off standard rates to help young drivers hire cars and offset some of the young driver fee. You can access our under 25 car hire discount here.

You must bring the following documentation as a minimum when collecting your hire car;

  • Your full driving licence (ensure you meet the driving licence requirements before booking)
  • Additional photographic ID such as your passport
  • A credit card with sufficient funds to cover the car hire excess deposit (debit cards are accepted in some locations)
  • Your car hire voucher (issued with booking confirmation email)
  • Any other documentation as set out in the terms and conditions (i.e.. International driving permit)

Please always check your rental voucher and terms and conditions prior to travel to ensure you have all required documents.

UK customers hiring a car in the UK are also required to provide a DVLA licence check code. This is simple and free to generate, see more here on how to get a DVLA check code when hiring a car.
 

Yes, you can book your hire car online using a debit card, however you need to check the terms and conditions for your chosen rental to ensure that a debit card is accepted on arrival.

Most car hire companies require a credit card to be produced on arrival for security purposes and to cover the car hire excess deposit. However, some car hire companies do permit a debit card, but usually require the customer to accept their full excess waiver insurance.

If you are unable to present a valid credit card on arrival, the car hire company may refuse to release the car and, in these cases, no refund can be offered. Please check the payment section of your terms and conditions before booking to ensure you can meet the requirements.

How to check what payment methods are accepted - Step 1

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How to check what payment methods are accepted - Step 2
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See what car hire companies allow car hire with a debit card here.

Generally speaking, we adopt the car hire industry standard ‘or similar’ policy which means that we do not guarantee an exact make and model when hiring a car. All our hire cars are grouped into categories and a representative make and model is shown when booking your hire car. This is usually the most popular make and model offered by that car hire company at that location in that vehicle class. You will always be offered a make and model in the same, or higher category of that booked.

At certain locations we can guarantee a make and model, look out for special offers in our search results or filter by ‘Guaranteed Car Model’ in the search results.

faq guanteed make and model

Read more on car hire guaranteed make and model here.

Much like a domestic car insurance policy, in the event of a claim there is an excess to pay. Hire cars typically have a higher excess than a domestic policy.

Depending on the car hire company, location and type of car the excess deposit can vary from £250 to £2500. You can check the car hire excess by clicking ‘Important Information’ and then clicking ‘Payment’.

How to find out how much the car hire excess deposit is - Step 1
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How to find out how much the car hire excess deposit is - Step 2
faq how to find out how much the car hire excess deposit is step 2
 

Whilst CDW (collision damage waiver) and TW (theft waiver) are included as standard on all rentals, there is still an excess to pay in the event of a claim. This excess is the initial amount of any claim that you are liable for and ranges from £250-£2500 depending on the car hire company, locations, and type of car.

When you pick-up your hire car, the car hire company will require the excess deposit is held against the main driver’s credit card. When the car is returned, assuming there is no damage, the deposit will be released. In the event of damage, the car hire company will retain some or all of the deposit to fix the damage.

What options do I have?

You have 3 options when hiring a car specific to the insurance available and your appetite for risk.

  1. Accept the risk and pay the excess deposit, should the car be damaged, your deposit is at risk.
  2. Accept the car hire company direct excess waiver policy (typically EUR 20-25 per day), leave no deposit, and have zero risk. If that car is damage (within acceptable use policy)
  3. Accept an excess reimbursement policy (we offer an additional policy during the booking process, other single trip / annual policies are available) whereby you leave the deposit as scenario 1, however in the event of a claim you pay the deposit in the first instance and reclaim this from your excess reimbursement policy.
You can check your excess amount by viewing the terms and conditions of your booking.