The Clarify Car Hire cancellation charge policy is that:

Free cancellation applies until 48 hours before your pickup time.

If you cancel your booking less than 48 hours before pickup the amount paid when you book will not be refunded.

A booking cannot be cancelled once the pickup time has passed.

You can rent many of the cars available on our service with a debit card.

Having run your quotation please select the filter for debit cards titled Payment methods.

Do then read the Terms and Conditions for the specific car - as some companies have restrictions on certain types of debit card.

It will depend on the insurance arrangements in place on your rental vehicle.

Check the Cross Border section of the terms - click the View Terms section of your chosen car.

Sometimes you will find there are additional fees, insurance stipulations or mileage restrictions for cross border car rental agreements. These will be detailed in the terms.

Many customers don't like to use credit cards, don't own credit cards or don't have a high credit limit on them. Debit cards are therefore a better option for them. Some car hire companies are hesitant about renting to those who don't have a credit card and the main reason for this is that should anything go wrong with the rental, it is much easier for them to take the money owed for damage from a credit card preauthorisation than from a debit card.

Saying this, there are a number of firms who will happily hire to debit card users. We have a range of car hire companies on our website who will accept debit cards with no problems. They are normally willing to do this if the following applies:

• You have taken the car hire companies own excess insurance which reduces your deposit and excess amounts - in this case the amount you are liable for is significantly lower.
• You are willing to leave the standard, deposit amount on your debit card for the rental. This would generally mean it is in the format of a payment to the car hire company not a preauthorisation.

There are a couple of things to be aware of when using debit cards though. As we mentioned above, if you do need to leave a deposit, it will be a payment not a preauthorisation. Due to this, it can take up to 30 days to be refunded to your account after you have returned your vehicle. In addition, the amount refunded may be higher or lower than the amount originally paid, this is due to fluctuations in the exchange rates. This is not at the car hire companies discretion and will be due to banking systems.

If you do want to go ahead with a debit card car hire, it can be very easy and we have a number of companies happy to rent to you. We have a handy filter on our results pages which let you select 'Debit Card Only', on clicking this the cars shown will all allow you to use a debit card.

The majority of car hire options are offered on an 'or similar' basis. This means that whilst you may not get the lead model of the group that is listed on your quote results you will get something of a similar size from the same group and that has similar features. If it is an 'or similar' vehicle this will be shown on the results.

The 'or similar' is based on the SIPP code of the vehicle you have chosen. This is the 4 letter code which identifies the main features of the car including size, number of doors and gear transmission. If you have booked a manual or an automatic you will be offered a car with that same transmission.

If you are looking for a specific model, please feel free to use our handy filter for guaranteed vehicles. If you select this, the results will show only vehicles where you are guaranteed to get that particular make and model. Please bear in mind that guaranteed vehicles are very limited in supply.

Each car hire company has its own acceptance criteria when it comes to penalty points and driving offences. The good news is that you are unlikely to have any problems hiring a car through Clarify Car Hire if you have only had a speeding fine or two.

The rental companies do change their rules from time to time, so, if you are unsure whether your driving licence is OK, if you have more then 6 points, or if you have had a more serious driving conviction then please do contact us.

As soon as you have placed a booking and it has been confirmed you will receive your car hire voucher. On here you will be able to find the address of the car hire office as well as their telephone number. If you have any issues or delays then call this number.

This will mean you can discuss any revised arrangement directly with them and ensure a mutually agreed arrangement.

Yes, where this is an option offered by your car hire firm in the requested location, you can reserve infant or child seats when you book through Clarify Car Hire.

Do be aware that, with some bookings, child seats are included in the price of the car hire package. If this is the case we will display 'Child Seat Included' in the vehicle details in the search results.

If you choose infant or child seats as a extra in your search we will include the price of this extra (or extras if multiple items are selected) in every car we display - this means you can compare prices on a like-for-like basis.

Please note that infant, child and booster seats must be fitted by a parent or guardian.

The cost of the seats will be paid for at the car hire desk when you collect your car. Please note that there may be an extra deposit added to your pre-authorisation which will be detailed in the Terms and Conditions if you click on the 'View Terms' button on the car results page. This will also be detailed on your rental voucher.

When you search for car hire prices with Clarify we offer you the opportunity to add in any extras, such as child seats, ski racks or sat navs before requesting prices.

We will then add the costs of the extras to the base price of the car hire for each supplier, so you can properly compare real prices for your total car hire package.

Most car hire comparison services just give you the base price and they you manually have to add in any extras - and sometimes that can leave you out of pocket.

If, for example, Company A would charge you £100 for your car hire and £50 for a child seat but Company B would charge £120 for the car and £20 for the seat we will show Company B as the leading offer in our search results. All other car hire firms would rank Company A as cheaper - and unless you went to the trouble of manually checking all the deals on the page you would potentially book with them and pay more than you needed to.

We do this with all the extras that are comparable - so we don't do this with insurance products as they all differ slightly making like for like comparison impossible, but if you are looking for winter tyres, child, infant or booster seats, sat navs, snow chains or ski racks we can make your life a lot easier!

The short answer to this question is that it depends, but we realise that's not very helpful! Read on as we explain in further detail the options you have as a hirer.

If you take the car hire companies Standard Package which is generally the cheapest package shown for a company on Clarify Car Hire, normally you will need to leave a preauthorisation. The amount of this will be dependent on the company you are hiring with and the size of vehicle you are renting, the general rule is the bigger the vehicle, the bigger the deposit.

The security and if appropriate the fuel deposit will be shown alongside each car.

The reason hirers need to leave a preauthorisation (or deposit if using a debit card and the company accepts debit cards) is that within your car hire through Clarify Car Hire you have Collision Damage Waiver and Theft Protection included, however these carry an excess. As the hirer, you are liable for this excess, so if your car was to be returned damage or if it was stolen you would be required to pay the first part of the claim (aka the excess). By taking a preauthorisation or deposit from you, the car hire company have a portion or all of the excess amount, depending on whether the deposit or preauthorisation amount was the same as the excess amount. This makes it easy for them to claim the excess owed from your credit card.

However, there are ways to get away without having to leave a large deposit or preauthorisation on your card. Often, if you opt for the car hire companies Excess Waiver Package on Clarify Car Hire, the deposit is significantly reduced if not completely waived. This is because the additional excess insurance reduces your liability for the said excess in the case of a claim.

It is worth noting that many companies do require a fuel deposit that cannot be reduced so this will still be taken, however this is usually a relatively small figure and is shown on the results page on Clarify Car Hire. Additionally, there may be areas of the vehicle (such as the tyres, wheels, roof or underbody) which are not covered by the firms excess insurance, if this is the case and one of these areas is damaged you would be liable for the cost of the damage. It's always worth checking at the car hire desk exactly which areas are excluded and remember independent excess policies will often cover these parts of the vehicle.

Here at Clarify Car Hire, we very clearly display all deposit, fuel deposit and excess amounts on the results page so you can see at a glance how much you'll need to leave. If you do want a reduced deposit, there is a handy filter on the left hand side where you can select the amount you'd like to leave. If you do select a lower deposit amount, the results will automatically update to show vehicles that fit your criteria and the prices will include the cost of any excess insurance you need to purchase in order to get a reduced deposit. This is another great feature we have created here at Clarify Car Hire to help you tailor your car hire to your needs.

When hiring in the UK

For all our suppliers in the UK or Ireland, you need to get a code from the DVLA to allow them to share your driving record with your car hire company. This is available from the DVLA website where you will need your driving licence number, National Insurance number and the postcode that is on your driving licence. The code which is valid for 21 days should be given to the car hire company at the desk, together with your passport, driving licence and additional proof of address, such as a recent bank statement or utility bill. The Driver & Licence Requirements section of the rental condition shows more details. If you arrive at the desk without this information the rental company may call the DVLA to check details, but will typically levy a charge of about £15 to do so.

When Hiring abroad

You will not need to obtain a DVLA code outside the UK and Ireland.

Please note though that you will need either the photocard part of your UK licence or the older style UK paper licence. We will supply further details in the Rental Terms section of each car hire deal in the Driver & Licence Requirements section.

An excess (or deductible to use the terminology from the US) is the amount you are liable for if the car is stolen or damaged whilst hired to you.

So if the theft excess is £1300 and the car is stolen you would have to pay them £1300 unless you had protected the excess with a suitable insurance or waiver product from the car hire company. If you had an excess reimbursement product such as the policy available when you book through Clarify you would seek reimbursement of the £1300 from the insurer or product supplier.

The excess is different to the security deposit. The security deposit will be preauthorised or charged (depending on the hire firm you rent with), however the excess will only be charged should there be any damage or theft.

We work with a wide range of car hire suppliers, and fuel policies vary considerably between them.

We do not confine our deals to fairer fuel only as sometimes those which include the need to buy fuel, even at a penal rate, can prove better value. Fair fuel policies are generally considered to be those that allow you to return the vehicle with the same amount of fuel in it as was there when you picked up the car. This policy means that you only pay for the amount of fuel you use whereas with a full to empty fuel policy, for example, you would need to use a whole tank of fuel to get the most value.

What we do offer though is a filter on the left hand side of the page which will enable you to see what we define as fairer fuel cars only.

Often these will prove cheaper in the long run than a Full to Empty agreement where you paid for a full tank of petrol at an expensive rate upon collection and returned it either empty or get a refund for unused fuel, but have to pay a service charge.

We use the following fuel policies as fairer fuel:

• Full-Full – You pick up the car with a full tank and return it full.

• Return with same amount – Simply return the car with the fuel gauge reading the same as when you picked it up. If you take a photo of the gauge at time of pick up in case that will save any argument later.

• Quarter to empty – This is mainly found in smaller islands where you would be hard pressed to use a tank of fuel, such as Jersey or Gozo.

Are you looking to rent a car that is new or nearly new? When you search for a hire car with Clarify there is a unique filter which allows you to sort your results by the age of the vehicles the hire company provides in its fleet. The options to select are from under 12, 18, 24 and 36 months old, allowing you to choose your level of ‘newness’. The filter can be found by scrolling down the left-hand side of the page:

Through our great relationships with suppliers, we have been able to negotiate preferential terms for Clarify Car Hire customers with some car hire companies – even if a car hire company’s complete fleet is not all new stock, they have contracted with us that Clarify Car Hire Customers will get the newer cars (simply select the 12 month filter on your results in the normal way). Some of the companies that offer cars that are guaranteed to be under 12 months old include:

• Budget Ireland - 12 months
• Guerin Portugal - 12 months
• Hertz Greece - 12 months
• Locauto Italy - 12 months
• Olécar Spain - 12 months
• SIXT Malta - 12 months

Although not a category on our current filter, OK Rent a Car Spain go that bit further and offer cars that are guaranteed to be under 6 months old!

Perhaps with a family holiday with small children and all that entails, the thought of looking after a pristine car for a two week beach holiday fills you with dread, then simply leave the ‘Car Age’ filter blank. You will then see the full range of options available – the default age of a car hire vehicle is around 5 years. The cheaper firms tend to keep their fleets for longer periods of time and their prices reflect this.

This is a constantly evolving project for us here at Clarify Car Hire. We are continuing to liaise with our suppliers and will be updating the details of the cars on offer so that you the customer, get to choose a hire that suits you best!

When you book with Clarify you will pay in two parts.

The first is a small deposit which you will pay us at Clarify. This is so we can show to car hire firms that you are a serious hirer - people who make no upfront payment are more likely to cancel, so by taking this payment we can get a better price for you.

You can pay this by Visa or Mastercard, debit or credit card.

We do not take the full payment up front as we do not believe that car hirers should pay for their car until you get to the desk - this is for a number of reasons which you will find on our page Why we only ask for a small deposit when you book with Clarify.

The balance will be paid directly to your car hire company - together with payment for any extras such as child seats, additional driver fees, additional insurance opted for, or cross border fees etc.

In most cases the easiest way to pay will be with a credit card, as the car hire firm will take their preauthorisation from it (that's the amount they reserve on your credit card to cover any claim for damage to the vehicle on its return, the value of fuel they have supplied to you etc).

However we have many debit card deals, and if the accepted cards sections of the terms and conditions allows them to be taken you can use your debit card instead.

They will normally take your preauthorisation on pickup (or possibly charge you if using a debit card), and then charge you for the rental together with any subsequent fees when you return the car. A few companies take the pay on arrival figure already agreed on pickup and then any extra charges when you return it.

If you want to put the charges (not the preauthorisation) onto another card (say a Prepaid Currency Card or a Debit Card) discuss this when you collect the car from the rental desk team.

If you need any further help give us a call here at Clarify Car Hire and we will be delighted to help.

What happens if I exceed the daily mileage limit in my rental car?

If your rental comes with limited mileage, it will usually give you a maximum number of miles or kilometres you can drive per day. Your total mileage allowance for your rental will be your number of rental days multiplied by this daily maximum. So, if your daily allowance was 100km and you were hiring for 7 days, you would have a maximum mileage limit of 700km for your rental period.

This means that, should you have a 150km journey from the airport car hire office to your holiday accommodation, you would have 400km available to you during your stay – leaving 150km for your return trip to the airport to drop your car back.

If you go over your total mileage allowance, you will be charged a rate per mile for each mile you have exceeded the limit. This can add up, so do consider an unlimited mileage package if you think you may be doing a fair bit of exploring by car!

We work with a wide range of suppliers and look to find companies who are happy to rent to those over 70.

When you input your details into Clarify Car Hire you are asked for your age. This means we can then tailor your results to then show cars that can be rented by a driver of that age and will include in the quotes any age related fees so that you can compare cars on a like for like basis.

Please be aware that if additional drivers are over 70 then you may also need to pay a senior driver fee for them too. Not all companies will charge for more experienced drivers but with Clarify Car Hire you can compare your options with any additional fees shown.

Do check the terms and conditions before booking your rental as these will contain all the vital information about the car hire package you are considering.

If you have selected an airport location you can use the filters on the left hand side of the page to select On Airport locations only.

We also show more detail - such as whether the desk is in terminal or in a separate building on the airport.

As airport in terminal space becomes more and more valuable, car rental firms are finding themselves more and more removed to specialist car hire centres. This means a longer walk to get to the desk, but normally means that collecting the car itself is then more convenient.

The rates that we obtain from car hire firms include volume discounts already so we are unable to offer further discounts on top.

What this does mean is that you will get our best rate - whether booking one car or five.

There is no short answer to this as it is very much dependent on where you are looking to hire your vehicle. We currently have no one in the UK who will hire to a driver who has held their licence for less than two years and who is younger than 21.

Abroad, in some countries, we can offer cars to those over 18 with no experience at all. In other countries, drivers are required to have held their licence at least a year. Do check out the terms and conditions when running a quote as these will clearly state how much driving experience you need.

As with the above, you will also need to comply with age restrictions. Some companies do also have an additional daily surcharge for new drivers.

You will be charged for any extras at the car hire desk when you arrive. These will be charged for in the local currency, and will have been detailed on your voucher.

Sorry but our suppliers do not offer the ability to add roof racks to car hire bookings.

Yes, where this is an option offered by your car hire firm you can reserve this when you book through Clarify Car Hire.

Do be aware that with some bookings a Sat Nav or GPS is included in the price of the car hire package. If this is the case we will display 'Sat Nav Included' in the vehicle details in the search results.

If you choose a Sat Nav or GPS as a extra in your search we will include the price of this extra in every car we display - this means you can compare prices on a like-for-like basis.

The cost of your Sat Nav or GPS will be paid for at the car hire desk when you collect your car. Please note that there may be an extra deposit added to your pre-authorisation which will be detailed in the Terms and Conditions if you click on the 'View Terms' button on the car results page. This will also be detailed on your rental voucher.

Yes. Once you have entered the details on your car rental on the quote form and received results you can select a specific car hire company using the supplier filter down the left hand side of the page.

The logo of the company that you will be using is also detailed in the search results.

Yes, where this is an option offered by your car hire firm in the requested location you can reserve a ski rack to be added to your booking through Clarify Car Hire.

Do be aware that with some bookings ski racks are included in the price of the car hire package. If this is the case we will display 'Ski Rack Included' in the vehicle details in the search results.

If you choose a Ski Rack as an extra in your search we will include the price of this extra in every car we display - this means you can compare prices on a like-for-like basis.

The cost of the ski rack will be paid for at the car hire desk when you collect your car. Please note that there may be an extra deposit added to your pre-authorisation which will be detailed in the Terms and Conditions if you click on the 'View Terms' button on the car results page. This will also be detailed on your rental voucher.

Yes, where this is an option offered by your car hire firm in the requested location you can reserve this when you book through Clarify Car Hire.

Do be aware that with some bookings snow chains are included in the price of the car hire package. If this is the case we will display 'Snow Chains Included' in the vehicle details in the search results.

If you choose Snow Chains as a extra in your search we will include the price of this extra in every car we display - this means you can compare prices on a like-for-like basis.

The cost of the snow chains will be paid for at the car hire desk when you collect your car. Please note that there may be an extra deposit added to your pre-authorisation which will be detailed in the Terms and Conditions if you click on the 'View Terms' button on the car results page. This will also be detailed on your rental voucher.

After a change in the law in 2023, it is normal practice to find a transponder included in your hire but do check at the desk. These regulations mean car hire companies must provide toll devices with their vehicles. However, if you will be using the toll roads, you will need to inform the car rental company and pay the daily charge for the device to be activated.

When the toll transponder is activated, it will register any usage of the toll roads and charges will be added to your car rental bill at the end of your hire.

Portugal has recently reduced the number of toll roads in its transport network. The A22, the main road through the Algarve region, is now toll free so do consider whether you will need a transponder or not. You may be staying in an area where you are unlikely to use one and therefore can save yourself money!

If you are planning to drive to other locations in Portugal or use the motorways, then hiring a transponder may save you the headache of finding alternative routes or paying fines for non-payment of toll charges. There are two types of electronic toll roads - those indicated by the blue signs showing a car with a Euro symbol above it, and the Via Verde lanes indicated by a green sign or V symbol. A transponder will allow you to use BOTH types of electronic toll road.

Ask your car hire company how toll roads will be charged when you collect your car. It takes 48 hours for toll charges to be made, so any you incur in the last couple of days of your car hire will almost certainly be charged straight to your credit card after you have returned the car.

The transponder device is often already fitted in your hire car and will normally be located on your windscreen behind the rear view mirror. You will need to have paid any hire charges for it to be activated. Rental charges for the device are in the region of €12 for a week. The toll charges will depend on how much you use them. As a guide, the journey between Lisbon and Porto on the A1 will cost you about €25. The A28 between Porto and Valencia about €5.

There are still some more 'traditional' toll roads in Portugal where you pay at booths but these are becoming less common.

We work with many suppliers and look to find companies who are happy to rent to those under 25.

When you input your details into the Clarify Car Hire search engine we will ask you your age. We then display cars available to drivers of that age and will include in the prices displayed any age related fees so cars can be compared on a like for like basis. Please be aware that if any additional drivers are under 25 or over 70 then you may have to pay young driver or senior driver fees for them too.

When reviewing results from a search we will only show vehicles available to a driver of your age.

Do click onto the 'View Terms' button of your chosen car and review the 'Drivers Age' section and the Driving Licence section for more details of fees, insurance requirements and any extra stipulations that may apply.

The arrangement we have with our car hire suppliers is that you will pay us a small upfront deposit, together with payment for any Clarify Car Hire supplied extras. This amount will be expressed and charged in £ sterling.

We will clearly explain the amount to be paid today before you commit yourself.

The remainder will be paid directly to the car hire firm at the desk in their local currency.

If you want to know why we do not take full payment upfront see Why we only ask for a small deposit when you book with Clarify.

All Clarify Car Hire booking have Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) Theft Protection (TP) and Third Party Cover (TPI) included

Many packages enable users to upgrade this cover, for example to cover any excess liability there may be.

Full details are shown in the Terms and Conditions for each car.

The excess insurance product we have chosen has been picked on the basis that it meets the needs of the vast majority of our users. However this does not mean it will cover everyone or every situation so please do check it carefully.

Many of our users do choose it however because:

1. It's very much cheaper than buying most car hire companies in-house excess waivers

2. It covers a wider range of risks - damage to tyres and wheels, windscreen, mirrors, underbody, roof, lost keys and misfuelling.

3. We have chosen it to complement the car hire packages we have put together.

As an alternative, however, you might choose to consider these articles:

Why buy additional Insurance products through your car hire firm?

Why buy additional Insurance products from another company

To make it clear - we are not recommending this policy as right for you - as we do not know you to the degree we need to to say that you are fully eligible for this policy. Do therefore read the eligibility criteria and terms and conditions carefully before purchasing.

Yes - most driving licences are happily accepted at the desk.

You will need a full driving licence - provisional licences are not accepted.

Do read the terms and conditions for the car you are looking to hire though as sometimes additional supporting documentation such as a international driving permit (IDP) may be require according to local rules and regulations for the country you are visiting.

Yes, where this is an option offered by your car hire firm in the requested location you can reserve winter tyres as an optional extra when you book through Clarify Car Hire.

You can also run a quote through this page where cars offered with winter tyres will be displayed.

In some locations winter tyres are mandatory over the winter and, if this is the case, we will only show prices with winter tyre charges already included. This will be shown on the results page.

If you choose winter tyres as an extra in your search we will include the price of this extra in every car we display - this means you can compare prices on a like-for-like basis.

The cost of the winter tyres will be paid for at the car hire desk when you collect your car.