Driver - Guide to the security deposit

What is the security deposit?

The security deposit is an amount temporarily held on your card when you pay for your rental.

The amount depends on the vehicle category and the details of the rental. It is shown on the payment page and may be reduced if you choose Essential or Premium protection (if available).

This is a card hold, not a charge: the amount is not debited from your account, but simply held by your bank.

What is the security deposit used for?

The security deposit may be used to cover rental-related costs, such as damage to the vehicle or additional fees, including late return, extra mileage, or returning the car in an unclean condition.

When is the security deposit released?

The security deposit is automatically released 7 working days after the end of the rental, excluding French public holidays, as long as no incident has been reported.

This delay allows the owner to report any potential issue, in line with regulatory requirements.

If an incident is reported, the hold on the security deposit may be extended by a few days while our teams review the situation and make a decision. You will be informed by email if this happens.

If the rental is cancelled, the security deposit is released immediately.

The scheduled release date is shown on the rental page.

Why don’t I see a refund?

The security deposit was never charged, only held by your bank. The pending transaction simply disappears from your bank statement, as it never existed.

Once we release the hold, the delay it takes for the transaction to disappear from your statement depends entirely on your bank.

In most cases, this takes 2 to 10 working days, but it can take up to 30 days, depending on the bank.

We don’t have visibility into banks’ internal processing and can’t predict or speed up this delay.

If needed, you can contact your bank and provide the receipt and transaction reference number available on the rental page.

Can the owner ask me for a security deposit outside of Getaround?

No. An owner must never ask you for a security deposit, whether by cheque, bank transfer, or cash.

The security deposit is only requested when you pay for the rental by card on the Getaround app or website.

If an owner asks you for a deposit, please contact Support to report it.