The security deposit is a temporary hold placed on your credit or debit card for the duration of your rental. It serves as a safeguard against potential extra charges, such as:
- Missing equipment
- Damage to the vehicle
- Traffic fines or tolls
- Other unforeseen costs
This deposit ensures protection for both the renter and the rental provider. The amount depends on the protection plan selected and ranges between 500 and 2,000 euros, or the equivalent amount in other currencies. You can see the exact deposit amount for your booking in your Client Area, under your booking's Payments tab.
To learn more about the available coverage options, please visit our Protection Plans article.
How is the security deposit charged?
For bookings with the Indie Campers fleet, the security deposit is placed as an authorization hold on a physical credit or debit card at the time of pick-up.
Please note the following requirements:
- We accept Visa, Mastercard, and American Express (credit or debit cards).
- Virtual cards and PayPal cannot be used to place the security deposit.
- The card must be a physical card with a 16-digit card number.
- The card must be in the name of a person who is present at the depot during pick-up.
If a hold isn't possible
In some cases, your card issuer may not support placing a hold. If this happens, the deposit amount will be charged to your card directly instead of held. If your deposit is charged rather than held, it will be returned to you as a refund once the Account Closing Process is complete, rather than simply disappearing from your pending or held amounts.
Where to see your deposit status
You can check your deposit at any time in your Client Area. Open your booking and go to the Payments tab. On a phone, scroll down past your payment breakdown to find it.
Your deposit will show one of the following:
| What it says | What it means |
| A deposit will be required at check-in | Your trip hasn't started yet. The amount shown is what will be held on your card at pick-up. |
| On Hold | Your deposit is reserved on your card. It hasn't been charged, and nothing has been taken from your account. |
| Released | The hold has been released, either in full, or the unused part of it if some of your deposit was used to cover charges from your trip. The date shown is when we released it. |
| Charged | Your deposit was fully used, or your trip's charges came to more than your deposit. Your damage report and settlement summary explain exactly what was charged. |
A few things worth knowing:
- There's nothing to pay or approve from this page. The deposit is placed on your card at the depot at pick-up. This page simply shows you where things stand.
- If your deposit shows Released but part of it was used, the amount shown is what's coming back to you, not your original deposit amount. The amount that was charged, and what it was for, is explained in your settlement summary, which may include damage costs as well as other charges such as missing equipment, cleaning fees, tolls, or fines.
- If your trip's charges came to more than your deposit, this page shows what was charged but not any extra amount you may still owe. That's covered in your settlement summary, see "What if my charges are higher than my deposit" below.
- If your deposit still shows On Hold well after your trip has ended, this usually just means our post-rental audit is still running, see the timeline below. If it's been showing On Hold for longer than expected, contact us and we'll check it for you.
When is the security deposit released?
After drop-off, we perform an internal post-rental audit to identify any damages or additional charges that may not have been identified during the check-out inspection. This review ensures that any issues are assessed accurately before the authorization hold is released. This review is part of what we call the Account Closing Process. You can read more about how it works in our Account Closing Process article.
Once the audit is complete and any applicable charges have been processed:
- If the vehicle is returned in the same condition as when it was collected, the security deposit hold will be released in full.
- If only part of the deposit is used, the remaining balance will be released automatically.
- If there's an outstanding case or additional charges are still under review, the release may be delayed until the review is complete.
What if my charges are higher than my deposit?
If the charges from your trip are higher than your deposit, the full deposit is used and the difference is charged separately to your payment method. You'll receive a settlement summary with the supporting documentation, showing exactly what was charged and why.
How long does it take?
The security deposit is released once the Account Closing Process is complete. That's our side of the process, and the part we control. Once we release it, most banks make the funds available again within 5 to 7 business days. Some card issuers take longer to process it, up to 30 days in the slowest cases, and that part depends on your bank.
Your Payments tab shows the exact date we released your deposit, and, if part of it was charged, the date we'd expect the remainder to reach you. If it hasn't arrived by that date, contact us and we'll look into it.
Please note that deposits are not released at the time of vehicle drop-off. The post-rental audit has to be completed first.
A released hold usually won't look like a refund
Because the deposit is a hold and not a charge, releasing it doesn't create an incoming transaction on your bank statement. There's no credit to watch for. Instead, the held amount simply disappears and your available balance or card limit goes back up.
Check your available balance, or the pending or held amounts section of your banking app, rather than looking for a deposit to arrive.
This only applies if your deposit was held. If your card issuer didn't support a hold and your deposit was charged instead, it will be returned to you as a refund once the Account Closing Process is complete, and you should expect to see it as a credit on your statement.