This policy provides reimbursement for rental costs you have paid out in the event of damage to the rental vehicle. You will need to pay the excess/costs first, then claim back the amount up to your policy's cover limit as printed on your Certificate of Insurance. You can download a claims form here: www.simplyexcess.com

Currently, yes.

You must be between 21 and 85 years old(inclusive) at the start date of your policy.

You must hold a valid and internationally recognised driving licence.

When renting a car, the standard coverage typically includes Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), Theft, and Third Party Liability. However, in the event of theft or damage to the vehicle, you may still be responsible for an Excess fee, ranging from £500 to £1500 or more. While you can buy Excess insurance from car rental desks for approximately £10 to £20 per day, it often excludes damage to tires, windows, roof, or undercarriage. SimplyExcess provides a more affordable option for Excess Car Hire Insurance, starting from just £5.49 per day. Their coverage extends to additional damages, unlike standard offerings. You can purchase this insurance directly through SimplyExcess; the Voyager Daysaway policy costs only £6.99 per day, while the Annual Europe policy is priced at £36.99 annually.

If you're a UK resident and are already a member of a car club, such as car2go, Zipcar or City Car Club, the SimplyExcess Car Club Excess insurance policy can help protect you from excess charges. This policy offers up to £10,000 of coverage with a single incident limit of £10,000 - so it's essential for avoiding costly excess charges which could be as high as £2,000 per claim.

Yes - our policy is valid. However, some (less scrupulous) rental companies will try to force you to accept their own policy, and tell you that it is compulsory to do so. There is no legal obligation to have an excess insurance policy (it's merely good sense) and the companies are treading a very fine legal line when they try and force the policy on you. However, it's often difficult to argue the finer legal points when you're at the counter trying to get on with your journey. If this has happened to you, then please contact us at [email protected] and we will look into the matter and (if possible) offer a refund.

No. At the moment we are unable to offer cover for van rentals.

No. At the moment we are unable to offer cover for mini-bus rentals.

No. At the moment we are unable to offer cover for motorhome, campervan or recreational vehicle rentals.

Excess is a sum of money that the driver must pay in the event of a claim, even if they have insurance coverage. Different car rental companies may use different terms to refer to it, but it is essentially the same thing.

Car rental excess fees can be charged in various countries around the world, depending on the specific terms and conditions of the rental agreement. Generally, you can expect to encounter car rental excess charges in popular tourist destinations and major cities where car rentals are common. Some countries where car rental excess fees are commonly charged include: UK, Ireland, Europe, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, parts of the Middle and Far East.

If your car is damaged due to an accident, malicious damage, or mechanical breakdown, you will be covered for the cost of towing it to the closest premises owned by the Hire Company or back to the original pick up location. Towing costs are covered up to a maximum of £1,000.

Our car hire excess insurance policy will provide coverage for vehicles rented from a car club. However, it does not provide coverage for vehicles hired from private owners.

Excess insurance is not a requirement; however it is recommended to decide if you can afford any payments for damage or theft of the vehicle. Excess insurance will reimburse these charges in the event of an incident, providing you peace of mind.

During the purchase process, you should have access to the Insurance Product Information Document and policy wording. Once you have purchased your policy, a copy of the policy wording and Certificate of Insurance will be emailed to you.

Car hire excess insurance protects you from having to pay for the extra costs associated with insuring a rental car. It covers any damage to the car during the rental period that is not covered by your rental company's insurance policy, up to a certain amount. Our policies offer coverage for those excess costs, so you don't have to worry about them.

The Daily/Single Trip policy cover one or more consecutive Car Rental Agreements within the period of insurance shown on your Certificate of Insurance, up to a maximum of 90 days. Only one rental vehicle may be covered at one time. The annual cover provides unlimited individual Car Rental Agreements, up to a maximum of 31 days per agreement during the period of insurance as shown on your Certificate of Insurance. Only one rental vehicle may be covered at one time unless you have selected the Optional Joint Cover.

You can add up to a maximum of 8 people listed on the Car Rental Agreement in addition to the Lead Named Driver. An Additional Driver cannot hire a rental vehicle independently from the Lead Named Driver, but can drive the rental vehicle unaccompanied by the Lead Named Driver and must always adhere to the terms of the Car Rental Agreement. At the time of rental, Additional Driver(s) must be aged between 21 and 85 years old (inclusive), hold a valid and internationally recognised driving licence and not be driving against the advice of a medical practitioner.

Yes – some of our annual policies have an upgrade option. Please visit your client policy management area and select the upgrade that you require.

Yes – visit your client policy management area and select the “Extend Policy” option. Please note that the option to extend is only available before your current policy has expired.

Yes, you can change the dates of your policy. Visit your client policy management area at www.simplyexcess.com and select the “Change Date” option. Please note that changes cannot be made after the policy has commenced.

Our car hire excess insurance policies includes cover for windows, tyres, wheels, headlights, undercarriage, & roof.

Annual covers unlimited individual Car Rental Agreements, up to a maximum of 31 days per agreement during the period of insurance as shown on your Certificate of Insurance. Only one Rental Vehicle may be covered at one time unless you have selected the Optional Joint Cover, please see below for details of this coverage.

The stated premium on the certificate of insurance is the total amount you will pay for the policy. This amount may be lower due to any applicable discounts.

You are covered for mechanical or electrical failure for which you are responsible under the terms of your Car Rental Agreement which results in the Rental Vehicle being immobilised.

You are covered for the cost if you or any Additional Driver(s) are locked out of the Rental Vehicle and the cost of replacing lost or stolen keys, including Membership Key(s), replacement locks and locksmith charges unless only the parts needed to be changed.

Our SimplyExcess Insurance covers rentals in your country of residence and there are no restrictions on where you can use it.

Yes

Yes

Damage or loss to the inside of the car is not covered by insurance, unless it was caused by an accident.

An Additional Driver cannot hire a Rental Vehicle independently from the Lead Named Driver, but can drive the Rental Vehicle unaccompanied by the Lead Named Driver and must always adhere to the terms of the Car Rental Agreement. At the time of rental, Additional Driver(s) must be aged between 21 and 85 years old (inclusive), hold a valid and internationally recognised driving licence and not be driving against the advice of a medical practitioner.

Yes, up to a maximum of 8 people listed on the Car Rental Agreement in addition to the Lead Named Driver. An Additional Driver cannot hire a Rental Vehicle independently from the Lead Named Driver but can drive the Rental Vehicle unaccompanied. by the Lead Named Driver and must always adhere to the terms of the Car Rental Agreement. At the time of rental, Additional Driver(s) must be aged between 21 and 85 years old (inclusive), hold a valid and internationally recognised driving licence and not be driving against the advice of a medical practitioner.

Cover is only available if you are aged between 21 and 85 years old (inclusive).

Cover is only available if you are aged between 21 and 85 years old (inclusive).

No.

Driving through a national park is usually covered by our rental excess insurance policy, provided that the roads are accessible by all types of vehicles. If you plan to drive on a road designed for a specific type of vehicle, such as a 4x4, this would not be included in the terms and conditions of your policy. If you are unsure about the type of road you'll be driving over, our customer service team can help answer the question.

Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) is explicitly excluded from coverage in this policy.

Yes.

When you get to the car rental desk, don't buy their excess insurance. You don't need to show them your policy with SimplyExcess, but they will ask for your credit card so they can block out the amount of excess you are responsible for. If the rental company charges you for something that is covered by your policy, you can make a claim with us to get reimbursed. You can download a claims form here: www.simplyexcess.com

Our policies will only cover the Excess charges imposed by your rental company. Unfortunately, we do not cover any Excess charges charged by your credit card provider.

Most Fly Drive packages usually include insurance in the price and they usually don't accept other forms of insurance. Check their policy to be sure.

You can hire a vehicle for up to 90 days with on our single trip insurance.

This Policy must have been purchased prior to the commencement of your Car Rental Agreement. This policy is invalid if the dates and times on the Car Rental Agreement are not within the period of insurance. If the dates do not match, you will not be covered regardless of when the incident or damage occurs.

The dates on the rental agreement must match the dates on the policy. Please contact us before the policy ends to extend the dates of the policy. If you contact us after the policy has expired, we would be unable to extend the policy and the entire rental period would not be covered.

SimplyExcess.com is registered with the Information Commissioners Office and compliant with the UK Data Protection Act 2018.

SimplyExcess.com offers more comprehensive policies than those at the rental desk, and can be over 60% cheaper! Our European Daysaway costs from £5.99 a day, compared to the £10 (or more!) per day you'd usually end up paying at the rental desk. Our SimplyExcess policy offers protection for theft, as well as damage to windows, tyres, wheels, headlights, undercarriage, & roof which rental company policies often do not cover. For those taking longer trips or who use hire cars frequently, our Annual Europe car hire excess policy is an excellent value at just £35.99 per year.

Our payments are handled by Stripe who accept all major credit and debit cards.

Hiring a car can be expensive, especially when you have to pay for insurance! Most companies will charge at least £9 a day in order to cover any excess payments should the vehicle get damaged. SimplyExcess, however, offers a much more cost-effective solution. With our comprehensive coverage of damage to windows, tyres, wheels, headlights, undercarriage, & roof from as little as £5.49 a day.

With SimplyExcess.com car hire excess policies, you can save money by declining the extra cover offered at the car rental company's desk. When there is damage to the vehicle, they are unlikely to charge your credit card unless the amount is small and will likely contact our claims management company instead. To ensure that all circumstances in which damage was sustained are documented, you must submit a claim form as part of your policy coverage.

Once you make a purchase, you should receive a confirmation email from us immediately. Make sure to check your spam and junk folders as the emails might end up there due to your security settings. If you don't find the emails in either folder, please contact us.

Due to our policy, we cannot provide a policy for rental vehicles that have already been collected on the same day. To arrange coverage for your rental period, please call us before collecting the hire vehicle.

If you received an error notification about a payment, please contact our customer service team for help. You can reach them through email or live chat.

If you cancel your policy before you start your trip and don't make any claims, you will receive a full refund. The money should appear in the bank account associated with the card used to purchase the policy within 3-5 working days. You may be asked to provide proof of cancellation if necessary. You can request a refund in your dedicated client area or portal at www.simplyexcess.com or contact our team at [email protected] for more information.

You must notify your insurance company as soon as reasonably possible after the incident or after the rental period ends. To initiate a claim, discuss a claim or inform us of a potential claim, please get in touch with the Claims Handler at White Horse Insurance Claims Department via email [email protected] or by telephone on 0173 322 4857 during our operational hours, Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 17:00, excluding public holidays. Alternatively, you can download a claim form from the SimplyExcess website at www.simplyexcess.com.

If the rental company charges you for damage to the vehicle, you will need to pay the charge (which will be debited from your credit card), and then you can submit a claim to us through our online claims process in order to get your money back. You can download a claims form here: www.simplyexcess.com.

Choose a car hire company online to suit your needs - consider how quickly you can pick up and drop off the vehicle, the quality of cars offered, prices (including extras), and how much luggage space is available. Don't forget to take a credit card with you when collecting the car - most companies won't accept debit or Switch cards, or cash as payment for excess.

When you get to the car rental desk, you don't need to show them your SimplyExcess policy, but they will ask for your credit card. This is so they can put a block on your card up to an amount that you are liable for if something happens. However, if they charge your card for something covered by your insurance policy, you can make a claim with us and we will reimburse you. You can download a claims form here: www.simplyexcess.com.

Before driving away in your rental car, take a moment to check its condition and take photos of it. Many customers surveyed told us they use their smartphones to avoid any unwanted fees due to damaged cars. Let the rental company know if there are any issues with the car, and bring a flashlight in case it is dark when you collect it. Keep all your paperwork after renting just in case there are unexpected charges on your Credit Card.

Before driving away from a car rental company, make sure to read their fuelling policy. Full to full policies are the most popular, meaning you only pay for the fuel you use. If there's a full to empty policy, you'll be charged for any unused fuel when returning the car. Before setting off on your journey, locate nearby filling stations so you can refuel yourself. In case of an emergency or breakdown situation, make sure to have the contact number ready.

In order to rent a car, all drivers must have a valid credit card. Debit or cheque cards cannot be accepted for the deposit. If you do not have a valid credit card, the rental company may refuse to rent the vehicle or ask for a large cash deposit.

The policy and procedures for Excess payments vary between rental car companies. Some may take an imprint of your credit card while others might block an amount equal to the Excess on your credit card.

Returning a hire car can be straightforward if you follow these brief steps to avoid extra charges.
• Ensure the car is clean and free of your belongings
• Examine and photograph any new damage before returning
• Refuel the car as per your rental agreement to avoid extra fees
• Be punctual, returning the car on the specified date and time to its original location, unless a one-way rental was arranged.
• Inform a representative of your return; if unavailable, follow the company's instructions, typically involving key drop-off and taking photographs as proof of the car's condition.
• Retain your final receipt for future reference.

The vast majority of car rental companies operate efficiently and provide outstanding service. However, we've received significant feedback from clients who have encountered issues with GoldCar and GreenMotion. These two companies have been linked with a higher number of complications, resulting in an above average number of claims. Therefore, we would suggest a degree of caution when considering the use of either of these companies.

The majority of car rental companies operate smoothly and offer top-notch service, so the deciding factor for you will often be a balance of price and whether they have the specific car you want. Certain airlines have partnerships with specific car rental companies, presenting potentially advantageous deals. But the popularity of such deals often results in long queues at the airport pick-up so it can be a good idea to explore alternatives options if you're after a quick getaway.