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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 booked 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 our payment filter titled 'Debit Card Accepted'. Once this filter is used, any results shown when you run a quote will be for car hire packages where you can use a debit card and you will not need a credit card.

Do then read the Terms and Conditions for the specific car - as some companies have restrictions on certain types of debit card. The card will need to a physical card in the name of the lead driver.

It will depend on the insurance arrangements in place on your rental vehicle and you will need permission from the rental company.

Check the Cross Border section of the terms and conditions of the rental package you are considering. If cross border travel is possible you will need to notify the car hire company that you wish to take the car out of the country and this is likely to include paying fees. We can assist with notifying the rental company.

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 credit card with a high credit limit. 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 the rental companies 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 problem. They are normally willing to do this if the following applies:

• You have taken the car hire company's 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 form 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. The time taken to refund is not a delay by the car hire company, it is 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 lets you select 'Debit Card Accepted'. 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 shown 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.

To explain further, 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.

Very shortly after 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.

As they have your vehicle, they are best placed to discuss any revised arrangement directly with you and ensure a mutually agreed arrangement. This includes if your arrival to pick up is delayed (perhaps due to your flight), or if you would like to extend your rental.

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 add infant or child seats as an extra in your search criteria, 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 to tailor your search once your general results are shown. This facility is at the top of the results page.

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 then you manually have to add in any extras - and sometimes that can make it a lengthy process to compare your true car hire prices.

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 - 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!

This will depend on the car hire package you have chosen. Clarify Car Hire can offer no deposit car hire in many locations.

If you take a car hire company's 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 deposit and, if appropriate, the fuel deposit will be shown alongside each car when you get car hire quotes through Clarify. You will need to leave both amounts as a preauthorisation if listed.

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 can carry an excess. As the hirer, you are liable for this excess. What this means is, if your car was to be returned damaged or if it was stolen, you would be required to pay the first part of the claim (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 or not 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.

If you would prefer to avoid a large deposit, you can use our low deposit filter after you have run your car hire search to tailor your results to those with lower or no security deposit. Many car hire companies offer a premium or excess waiver package which means you do not need to leave a large deposit on your card.

It is worth noting that any fuel deposits cannot be reduced or removed. These are usually much smaller amounts however.

Please check the terms and conditions of your car hire for any specific requirements for your rental.

When hiring in the UK

For all our suppliers in the UK or Ireland, you should 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 in certain circumstances 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 those that 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 it can 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 tends to provide 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.

This filter gives you a steer on the likelihood of the age of the vehicle based on our experience with and knowledge of these car hire companies. As cars are rented on an 'or similar' basis and we are not notified when a fleet is changed, we cannot guarantee the age of the vehicle you will be given.

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.

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

The first is a small reservation deposit which you will pay us at Clarify Car Hire. 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 upfront as we do not believe that car hirers should pay for their car until they 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 states they can be used, 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 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 can mean a longer walk to get to the desk, but normally means that collecting the car itself is then more convenient. Sometimes these on airport locations are still a short bus ride away from the terminal!

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 one year 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 you decide to add at the car hire desk when you arrive. These will be charged in the local currency. If you have added them to your hire when you booked through Clarify, they will be detailed on your voucher and the cost will be part of your 'pay at desk' amount.

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 a Sat Nav 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 an extra in your search criteria 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. Alternatively you can reserve a gps to your package as you go through the booking process.

You can also ask to add a satnav at the desk on pick up and the cost will then be added to your rental charge. 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. You can also click on the company logo at the top of your results page to see results from just one particular company.

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.

If you choose a Ski Rack as an extra in your search criteria 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. If you add a ski rack to your booking, the cost will be included in your Pay at desk amount. You will see it listed in your price breakdown.

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 these 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 criteria 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 as part of your rental charge 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.

It is normal practice to find a transponder device already fitted in your car but you will need to pay a charge for it to be activated if you believe you will need to use the toll roads.

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.

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.

3rd party liability levels can depend on which country you are hiring in. Please read the terms and conditions of any hire you are considering and contact us if you need help with your options.

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 choose it 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.

Please read the driving licence section of the terms and conditions of your rental before booking.

Any driving licence requirements will be listed there. There is usually a minimum length of time you must have held a licence for. You will need a full driving licence - provisional licences are not accepted.

When you read the terms and conditions for the car you are looking to hire, sometimes additional supporting documentation such as a international driving permit (IDP) may be required according to local rules and regulations for the country you are visiting. You may be asked for documents such as a recent bill if you are a local hirer. If you have 6 or more penalty points or a more serious driving conviction, you should contact us so we can discuss your options.

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 destinations they only supply cars with winter tyres during the colder season so, your booking with them is likely to be confirmed immediately. Some car hire companies, however, only have a selection of their fleet fitted with winter tyres, so they need to check that they have a vehicle available before confirming your booking. In these cases, when you book through Clarify Car Hire, you will receive an acknowledgement of your booking which will say 'Awaiting Confirmation'. Once the car hire company are sure they have a suitable car for you, you will receive a second email updating the status of your booking to 'Confirmed'.

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 criteria 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 as part of your rental payment as outlined on your Clarify Car Hire voucher.