How long does it take to get the deposit back?

When you collect your vehicle, you'll need to provide a deposit that covers any additional expenses like refueling, extra mileage or damage. No money is actually withdrawn from your account at this point (except for debit card users; more details below).

Here's what happens during pickup:

If you're using a debit card (in countries where it is accepted, see more info in T&Cs), we'll immediately charge the deposit to your card. Please ensure you have sufficient funds in your account to cover the full deposit amount, including rental charges and security deposit, as we'll deduct them directly. If you're using a credit card, we'll use a pre-authorization. This temporarily holds funds on your card without actually taking any money from your account.

What happens after the vehicle return:

The deposit amount held on the credit/debit card is released when the vehicle has been returned to Goldcar and the rental agreement has been closed.

You have used a “Debit card” at pickup

Only extra charges such as refueling, extra mileage, damage will be kept, and the remaining portion of the deposit will be released and refunded. It may take a few days for your bank to reflect the amount as available again in your bank account.

You have used a “Credit card” at pickup

Only extra charges such as refueling, extra mileage, damage will be debited from the deposit and a notification is sent to your bank to release the remaining balance of the deposit amount not used.

When it's released, it won't appear as a credit. If you don't see the pending amount on your account anymore, it means the pre-authorization has been lifted, and the money will be available in your balance again.

You won't receive a notification from your bank because no refund is being issued, and there's no actual transaction taking place. You can verify the availability of funds by checking your credit card balance. The timeframe for this process isn't determined by Goldcar. If you have any questions about these holds, please reach out to your bank. The time it takes for your bank to release the deposit varies. Most banks take 7-10 business days, but some may take up longer based on their policies/procedures.

In summary:

For both debit and credit cards, the deposit amount is released by Goldcar once the rental is completed. After you return the vehicle, it usually takes about 48 hours for the bank to be notified, except for rentals in Portugal where the notification to your bank is not sent until 15 days after vehicle return to cover potential toll charge requests that we may receive from the authorities at a later stage and that need to be deducted from the deposit).