Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) – autoportugal.co.uk
In this section you can view answers to frequently asked questions. We have broken these down into categories and subcategories.
Why book through autoportugal.co.uk?
We compare prices from approximately 52 rental car companies in cities, airports, vacation destinations, train stations, destinations in Portugal. We search for rental cars in cities and towns such as: Porto, Algueirão, Setúbal, Cacém, Amadora, Queluz, Funchal, Vila Nova de Gaia, Coimbra, Braga, Lisbon and at airports such as Lisbon-Portela Airport, São Jorge Airport, Ponta Delgada-João Paulo II Airport, Faro Airport, Lajes Field, Madeira Airport, Porto Airport.
Payment policy
When will I have to pay for the rental?
There are different payment options available which are clearly stated in the booking process:
Prepaid Deposit – Pay an amount now to secure the vehicle and pay the balance of the car rental booking within 7 days of pick up date.
Part Paid – Pay a small deposit at the time of booking to secure the vehicle and pay the balance at the time of pick-up at the car rental desk.
Pre-Paid – Pay the full amount for the vehicle at the time of booking.
Post-Paid – Confirm the vehicle without payment. The balance is paid in full at time of arrival at car rental desk.
Can I book without a credit card?
Yes. You can make a booking without a credit card. Note that, even if you choose to pay by debit card, you will have to provide a valid credit card in the driver’s name at the time of pick-up since the rental agent requires a credit card from which to take the rental deposit. Credit cards accepted for pick-up are MasterCard, Visa, and in some cases American Express.
I haven’t received the final rental invoice from the car rental agent
You should receive the final rental invoice as soon as you drop the rented vehicle off. If you haven’t received the final invoice at drop-off, please contact the car rental agent directly.
I received an email from your fraud department – what should I do?
The fraud department protects your personal information against unauthorised access and disclosure. We are working closely with law enforcement organisations to prevent online criminal activity and to ensure the security of our booking engine. In some cases you may be contacted by our fraud department regarding a security check if there is any inconsistency in your booking details/ history.
Should this happen, please contact us immediately in order to validate your details and process your transaction securely.
Car rental insurance
Where can I purchase car rental insurance?
We recommend purchasing the damage refund insurance at the time of booking. Our insurance partners offer a complete damage refund insurance package which is up to 50% cheaper than what you would pay at the rental supplier’s desk. The insurance cost and conditions will be displayed at the time of booking.
What does the car rental insurance cover?
In most cases, the damage refund insurance package covers:
• Car hire excess
• Accidental damage to windows, tyres, undercarriage, and roof
• Loss or damage of rental car key(s)
• Loss of personal Possessions.
Further information, as well as the exact costs covered, can be found in the Damage Refund Insurance Terms and Conditions at the time of booking.
Please note that, regardless of your insurance, the car rental agent will block the excess amount on your credit card as a deposit. If you return the vehicle undamaged, the deposit will be released immediately. In the unfortunate event that the car is damaged during the rental, the agent will retain the deposit in order to cover the cost. If you purchased our insurance product, you will be reimbursed for the excess amount charged by the car rental agent. Make sure you have sufficient funds on your credit card at the time of pick-up to cover the deposit. This deposit, or excess amount, can vary depending on the rental conditions, but will be clearly stated in your rental voucher.
How do I make an insurance claim?
All claims should be submitted directly to your insurance provider. Contact details and information on how to make a claim are provided in your insurance documents.
Price and additional charges
Which costs are included in the rental price?
In the majority of cases the rental price includes collision damage waiver, third party liability protection, tax, airport fee, unlimited mileage and breakdown assistance. Please note that the costs included may vary depending on the car rental agent and destination country. The car rental agent may also choose to ask you for a deposit or excess at the rental desk. Make sure to check the rental conditions at the time of booking.
Which additional charges could apply?
Please note that each car rental agent has its own policy on additional charges which will be clearly stated in the rental conditions at the time of booking. Generally, additional charges may be applied for:
out-of-hours pick-up/drop-off,
border crossing,
one-way rentals,
young drivers or senior drivers and
winter tyres.
Any additional charges will need to be paid directly at the rental desk in the local currency.
How much do you charge for excess?
The excess amount depends on the car rental agent and the rented vehicle and it will be refunded within 10-28 days after the rental if there has been no damage. We offer damage refund insurance in association with our insurance partners, which will allow you to claim for reimbursement in the event that you have been charged for collision damage or theft. This damage refund insurance can be purchased at the time of booking.
Are there extra charges for drop-off at a different location?
Yes, in most cases the car rental agent will charge an extra fee if you wish to return the vehicle at a different location. We will clearly state whether the one-way fee is included in the rental price or what additional cost may arise at the time of booking.
Are there extra charges for late pick-up or drop-off?
If you wish to pick-up or return your car outside the normal rental desk office hours, the car rental agent may choose to charge an extra ‘out-of-hours fee’. We will clearly mention any additional charges at the time of booking.
Can I get a discount for returning the car earlier?
No, as per our terms and conditions we are unable to provide a refund for the unused days should you return the hired vehicle earlier than originally arranged.
Are there any cross-border charges?
The car rental agent may choose to charge you for cross-border travel. Any fees will need to be paid at the rental desk in local currency. We will state whether cross-border travel is allowed and in which countries at the time of booking under rental conditions.
Are there additional charges for mileage?
This depends on the car rental agent. We will state whether unlimited mileage is included in the price or not at the time of booking under rental conditions. If it is a limited mileage product then we will state the charges in the rental conditions.
Fuel policy
How much will I need to pay for fuel?
The fuel policy is determined by the car rental agent and in most cases is also dependent on the rental duration. There are different types of fuel policies and we will clearly state which one applies at the time of booking. The most common fuel policies are:
Pick up full, return empty – Your vehicle will be supplied with a full tank of fuel and can be returned empty. On pick-up, the rental agent will charge you for a full tank of fuel. The price per litre charged by the rental agent may be higher than the price at the local service station. Fuel charges are payable at the rental counter. There is no refund for unused fuel.
Pick up full, return full – Your vehicle will be supplied with a full tank of fuel. To avoid incurring fuel charges you will need to return it full. You may be required to leave a fuel deposit reserved on your credit card that will be released when you return the car full. Missing fuel will be charged on your return. Please note that the price per litre charged by the rental agent may be significantly higher than the price at the local service station. Fuel charges are payable at the rental desk unless otherwise stated. This fuel policy may also be referred to as Pick up quarter full, return quarter full or Pick up half full, return half full.
Pre Purchase Fuel with Partial Refund – Your car will be provided with a full tank of fuel for which you will need to leave a deposit at the rental desk. Upon return of the car you will be refunded for the unused fuel and charged an admin fee. Please find the fuel admin fee charge in the above paragraph . The admin fee is non-refundable regardless of the amount of fuel upon return. The admin fee may fluctuate depending on car rental supplier.
We recommend checking the policy details during the booking process under Rental Conditions to avoid unexpected charges.
Can I change the fuel policy?
Unfortunately this is not possible as the car rental agents determine their fuel policy individually.
I think I have been overcharged for fuel by the car rental agent
If you feel that you have been overcharged by the car rental agent at the rental desk or after drop-off, please contact us, so we can investigate your case.
Vehicle information
Will I get the exact car model displayed during the booking?
During the booking process, we will display images of similar cars in the same category. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that the car rental agent will have the exact same model available. However, you are entitled to a vehicle in the same category, holding the same amount of passengers and with the same luggage capacity. If the car rental agent does not provide you with a car of the same category, you are entitled to a refund. For more information, please contact us. In some circumstances, the car rental provider may be providing us with a special offer that guarantees the make and model that is displayed in the search results. If this is the case then this will be tagged beside the price of that car. Fleet list in Portugal: Convertible (Convertible), Economy (Economy), 5 seat minivan (5 seat minivan), Luxury (Luxury), Compact (Compact), Premium (Premium), 7 seat minivan (7 seat minivan), Cargo van (Cargo van), Moped (Moped), Fullsize (Fullsize), Estate (Estate), Minivan (Minivan), Mini (Mini), 9 seat minivan / Minibus (9 seat minivan), Standard (Standard), Intermediate (Intermediate), SUV / Jeep (SUV).
How do I find out about the luggage capacity of a vehicle?
The luggage capacity will be displayed at the time of booking.
Can I request an automatic car?
Yes. When searching for a car, you can use our search filters on the left hand side and choose to display cars with ‘Automatic Transmission’ only. The specific transmission type will be displayed. Please note that outside of the US and Canada, many car rental agents have limited availability for automatic cars.
My rental car was damaged at pick-up – what should I do?
We highly recommend that you thoroughly check the car for any imperfections at time of pick up and notify the car rental supplier of any issues immediately. If you notice that the reserved vehicle is damaged at pick-up, raise this issue with the car rental agent immediately and request an alternative. If the matter is not resolved, contact us so we can try and arrange a suitable substitute with the car rental agent. Any damages on the car might affect your excess if not addressed before the rental.
My rental car was in a bad condition at pick-up – what should I do?
If the reserved vehicle is in a bad condition at pick-up, raise this issue with the car rental agent immediately and request an alternative. If the matter is not resolved, contact us so we can try and arrange a suitable substitute with the car rental agent.
Models and vehicle sizes in Portugal
Cars you can rent in Portugal are e.g. Mini: e.g. Toyota Aygo, Smart Fortwo, Citroen C1, Volkswagen Up, etc. Economy: e.g. Smart Forfour, Citroen DS3, Opel Corsa, Fiat Panda, etc. Compact: e.g. Hyundai i30, Citroen C4 Cactus, BMW 1 Series, Opel Astra, etc. Intermediate: e.g. Mercedes A Class, Ford Mondeo, Toyota Avensis, Skoda Octavia, etc. Standard: e.g. Audi A4, Opel Insignia, Volkswagen Passat, etc. Fullsize: e.g. Mercedes E Class, BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C Class, etc. Luxury: e.g. Ferrari 458 Speciale, Porsche Panamera Turbo S, Ferrari F12 Berlinetta, Porsche 911 Targa 4, etc. Premium: e.g. Mercedes E280 CDI, Fiat 500 Abarth, Mercedes C Class, Audi A6, etc. Minivan: e.g. Mercedes Vito, Volkswagen Sharan, Mercedes Viano, etc. Cargo van: e.g. Vauxhall Astra Combo Van, Ford Transit LWB, Peugeot Partner, Renault Master Cargo Van (10m3), etc. Moped: e.g. Scooter 110cc, Scooter 50cc, Scooter 125cc, Scooter 125cc Electric, etc. Convertible: e.g. Opel Astra Convertible, Opel Cascada, Audi R8 Spyder, Mercedes E Class Convertible, etc. Estate: e.g. Skoda Fabia Estate, Mercedes C Class Estate, Renault Clio Estate, Ford Focus Estate, etc. 5 seat minivan: e.g. Citroen C4 Picasso, Ford C-Max, Citroen Berlingo, Citroen C3 Picasso, etc. 7 seat minivan: e.g. Ford Galaxy, Volkswagen Touran, Citroen C4 Grand Picasso, Mercedes Viano, etc. 9 seat minivan / Minibus: e.g. Mercedes Vito, Mercedes Vito Traveliner, Fiat Scudo, etc. SUV / Jeep: e.g. Audi Q7, Ford Explorer, BMW X5, Range Rover Vogue, etc. In smaller cities the range is smaller, however.
Optional extras
Which optional extras are available?
The availability of optional extras depends on the car rental agent and even if they are booked online they are not guaranteed. The following extras can be booked online:
• Additional driver
• Booster seat /
• Child toddler seat /
• Infant child seat
• GPS – Satellite Navigational System
• Ski Rack
• Snow Chain Set
• Snow Tyres
• Wi-Fi Access
• Luggage / Roof Rack.
Please note that most of the optional extras are not included in the rental price and can be purchased at the time of booking or at the rental desk. The cost of the optional extras are displayed at time of booking in the Rental Conditions.
When will I be charged for optional extras?
For optional extras that you select as part of your booking, you will be charged by the supplier when collecting your car. Payment will be in the local currency. The cost of optional extras is not reflected in the online price. Optional extras can also be reserved via the online portal once a booking is made. To access the portal, click on the link that appears on your booking voucher.
I reserved an optional extra but it was not available at pick-up – what should I do?
In the rare event that pre-booked optional extras are unavailable for collection at pick-up, please contact us and we will investigate the query on your behalf with the car rental agent.
Where can I reserve an optional extra?
Some optional extras can be purchased online at the time of booking and some can only be purchased at the rental desk. Once a booking is made, optional extras can also be reserved via the online portal. To access the portal, click on the link that appears on your booking voucher. To guarantee availability of optional extras, always purchase the desired optional extra online where possible.
Important documents
Which documents do I need to bring to the rental desk?
The rental voucher we will send you as part of the booking confirmation contains all documents required at the time of pick-up. In most cases, in order to release the reserved vehicle, you need to bring:
• Credit card in the name of the driver. Credit cards accepted for pick-up are MasterCard, Visa, and in some cases, American Express. Please consult your Booking Confirmation for list of accepted Credit Cards.
• Driving licence. Please note that only a full licence held for minimum of 1 year with no major endorsements will be accepted. Read more about requirements for driving licence
• Booking voucher. This will be sent to you within 48 hours after booking and must be printed out.
• Any other forms of identification requested by the car rental agent in their terms and conditions. Details can be found on your rental voucher.
Do I need an international driver’s licence?
If your licence is not printed in the Roman alphabet (i.e. Arabic, Greek, Russian or Chinese) you will need to bring an international driving licence and your domestic licence. If you are renting abroad (outside your country of residence, or outside where your license was issued), an international drivers licence is usually required regardless of the alphabet. International driver’s licences must be accompanied by the original domestic licence of the driver. UK driving licence holders must present their photocard when hiring a vehicle within the UK.
Is it sufficient to present a copy of my driving licence?
No. A copy of your licence will not be accepted by the car rental agent. The original document must be presented at pick-up.
Cancellation and refund policy
What is your cancellation and no-show policy?
What is the cancellation policy for fully prepaid or part-paid bookings?
1. If you cancel up to 24 hours prior to your pick up, you will be refunded in full. If you cancel less than 24 hours in advance, you’ll receive a refund minus €50 for fully prepaid bookings.
2. If your online payment is less than €50, no refund will be made for your car hire booking.
3. If your booking is made less than 24 hours before pick up, the cancellation policy will automatically apply to your booking.
4. All cancellations should be made on our online portal and not with the car hire agent. Should you agree to cancel directly with the car hire agent on arrival, you must also inform us of this change to your booking.
5. Amending your booking or cancelling optional extras may not be possible less than 24 hours before pick up.
What is a no-show?
A ‘no-show’ occurs for the following reasons:
1. You didn’t inform us about your cancellation prior to your pick up date.
2. You failed to pick up the car at the arranged time and date.
3. You failed to provide the documentation that’s required to pick up the car.
4. You failed to provide a credit card in the main driver’s name with enough available funds on it.
In the event of any of the above, no refunds will be made to you.
The car rental company reserves the right to refuse a car to any customer who fails to arrive on time with all necessary documentation and a credit card with enough available funds for the car’s security deposit. In such cases, unless the car rental has been cancelled at least 24 hours in advance, the customer will not be entitled to a refund.
Booking process
Can I choose a specific car rental agent?
In most cases, the name of the car rental agent is displayed within the search results. In some instances the car rental agent is not displayed within the search results and can only be confirmed after the booking.
Can I place more than one booking at a time?
Unfortunately, you cannot book two cars in the same booking process, as each vehicle booked has its own reference number and rental agreements. Please note that if you have booked several vehicles on the same date with a single car hire company, bookings must be made under different driver’s names. As long as you book each vehicle separately, however, you can book as many rentals at a time as you want. For more information, please contact us with your specific query.
Can I rent a car if I’m under 25 or over 75?
Yes, most car rental agents have a minimum age limit of 21 years for rentals. However, requirements may vary depending on the car rental agent and destination country. Please note that there may be additional charges if the main driver is under 25 or over 75 years old to cover the extra insurance cost. Any additional fee will be mentioned at the time of booking under summary of charges before you confirm the reservation.
Can I rent a car with a provisional driving licence?
No, unfortunately the car rental agents we are working with don’t accept provisional driving licences. You must hold a full driving licence in order to be able to rent a car.
Why do I need to enter my flight details?
By providing your flight number, the car rental agent at the pick-up location will be informed about your arrival time and also about possible delays. This will help secure your reserved vehicle in case of a flight delay.
Some agents only confirm a reservation if a flight number is provided. If this applies to your rental, we will contact you separately.
I haven’t received my booking confirmation – what should I do?
Once you complete your booking, we will send you a confirmation of your reservation within 48 hours via email. Please check to see if the email accidentally went into your email spam folder. If you haven’t received the confirmation email please contact us.
My booking status is “on request” – what does this mean?
This means that we still have to confirm the availability of the vehicle with the car rental agent. Once confirmed, we will send a booking confirmation. In cases where the requested vehicle is not available, we will contact you to advise you on other options.
99% of all our reservations are confirmed, however, you can still decide to cancel your reservation free of cost at this stage via our online portal.
My booking status is “denied” – what does this mean?
This means that unfortunately the car rental agent could not confirm the availability of the requested vehicle. If your reservation has been denied by the agent, we will contact you to discuss alternative options. If we cannot contact you we will set the status of your reservation to “denied”. To book another vehicle, just contact us.
If you have already paid a deposit during the booking and we are unsuccessful securing the requested vehicle, we will refund the funds back on to your credit card immediately.
My booking status is “provisionally confirmed” – what does this mean?
If you receive information that your booking has been provisionally confirmed, this means that we experienced some difficulty trying to charge the card you provided. This might be due to you providing us with incorrect card details, having insufficient funds on your card, your bank not authorising the transaction due to a limit on the card etc. If your booking status is set to provisionally confirmed, we will contact you to reprocess the transaction and confirm your booking. Alternatively if you want to confirm, you can contact us.
Can I change my booking?
Yes, you can easily change your booking details. You just need to file an amendment request on our online portal. Please note that amendments can take up to 48 hours to be processed, depending on the nature of the amendment. In some cases we might need to get in touch with you regarding your request, so please indicate a valid email address or phone number in the form.
We do not charge an administration fee for changing or amending bookings, but, depending on the nature of the changes you want to make, additional cost might occur. For example, in cases where the date needs to be changed we cannot guarantee the same price as originally quoted. For further information, you can also contact us via phone.
Please note for some Hertz/Thrifty/Firefly bookings, the following cancellation policy applies: Free cancellation up to 48 hours prior to your pick-up. Thereafter a cancellation fee of €55 will apply. No cancellations are allowed after the pick-up date and time.
