Required Rental Deposit for a Car Rental in Germany?

Agi asks:

I am thinking of getting a car rental in Germany. It says that I have to put deposit down to cover collateral damage. How much is the car rental deposit I have to leave on my credit card?

I'm looking to rent with Thrifty car rental for an economy car. My credit card (Chase, business)provides LDW coverage and I obtained a written statement from my credit card company stating my detailed coverage. Are they going to accept this?

My Response:

I had to guess at a city, so that I could check the terms and conditons for car rental in Germany, so I chose Munich, as an example.

I first checked for information for the rental deposit at the time of pickup. Under the terms and conditions for an economy rental car in Munich, the Thrifty website stated:

Deposit required at time of rental is the amount of the insurance excess for the vehicle. Amount varies by car type from EUR 1200 to EUR 2200.

Because you are looking at an economy rental car, your deposit would be on the lower end of those two figures.

I then looked up information with regards to the Loss Damage Waiver offer on the rate quote, specifically as it applies to Thrifty locations in Germany. The terms and conditons stated:

To decline Thrifty's optional LDW, renters must have US issued Gold/ Platinum MasterCard or Canadian issued Gold/Platinum Visa Card and provide WRITTEN PROOF by the credit card insurance company that the card has relevant coverage for GERMANY specifically.
These cards are only accepted for rentals of less than 28 days.

If you do not have the acceptable credit card AND cover letter then you must buy the LDW offered by Thrifty. They do NOT accept insurances purchased on third party websites.

So, as long as your Chase Card is a gold or platinum one, and you provide your letter, it will allow you to decline the Loss Damage Waiver for a car rental in Germany.

*Note: Car rental companies can modify policy at any time; I make every attempt to maintain up-to-date info, but always check with an individual company to verify any policy. See: Disclaimer

Pages from this site, relating to this topic:

Car Rental Deposits

CDW and LDW Car Rental Insurance Coverages

Car Rental Credit Card Coverages

International Car Rentals

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