Cicar’s Deposit and Zero-Excess Insurance in Tenerife, Explained Properly

Cicar’s own terms and conditions are more specific about the deposit than most renters expect going in: only a physical credit card in the name of the person on the contract is officially accepted, no cash, no travellers cheques, no euro cheques, and the deposit itself is held on that card until the vehicle is returned rather than being charged upfront and refunded afterward. That’s the policy as written. What actually happens at the counter is a slightly different story, and it’s worth understanding both sides — the stated rule and the practical reality — before you land expecting one and get handed the other.

The Card Rules, Plainly

• Cicar’s written policy requires a physical credit card, in the contract holder’s name, for the deposit — €200 for Small/Compact/SUV/Estate categories, €400 for larger MPV and Premium categories.
• Premium and larger 7–9 seater vehicles require two credit cards for the deposit, not one — worth knowing if you’re travelling with a partner or a second cardholder who can help split it.
• Despite the stated credit-card-only rule, a meaningful number of renters report successfully using a debit card, or occasionally cash, without issue — but this isn’t guaranteed, and treating the written policy as the reliable baseline is the safer approach.
• The deposit is a hold, not a charge — nothing is actually deducted from your available funds unless there’s a genuine issue at return (unreturned fuel level, damage, missing items).
• Zero-excess is built into Cicar’s standard rate, so there’s no separate insurance product to weigh up at the counter the way there is with most international brands — but it’s still worth knowing exactly what it does and doesn’t cover.

Does Cicar actually require a credit card, or will a debit card work?

Officially, yes — a credit card, and specifically a physical one bearing the name of whoever’s signing the rental agreement. This is stated plainly in Cicar’s own terms: no cash, no travellers cheques, no euro cheques accepted for the deposit. In practice, though, a genuinely significant number of renters describe paying with a debit card, or in rarer cases cash, without the desk raising an objection — which puts Cicar in a similar position to many rental companies where the written rule and the day-to-day counter behaviour don’t always match exactly. The sensible approach is to plan around the stated policy (bring a valid credit card in your name) and treat any flexibility you encounter as a bonus rather than something to rely on, particularly if you’re travelling during a busy period when desk staff may be less inclined to bend the rule.

Why do Premium and large MPV categories need two credit cards?

Because the deposit amount for these categories effectively doubles the exposure the company is holding against, and splitting it across two cards is Cicar’s way of managing that without simply raising the deposit ceiling on a single card, which can bump against some cardholders’ available credit limit. If you’re booking a Premium vehicle or a 7–9 seater MPV specifically, it’s worth having a second cardholder in your travelling party ready with their own credit card at pickup — arriving with only one card and finding out about this requirement at the counter is an avoidable complication, and it’s exactly the kind of detail that’s easy to miss when comparing rental prices rather than reading the small print.

What does Cicar’s zero-excess insurance actually cover — and what’s excluded?

Cicar’s standard rate includes full comprehensive cover with no excess for collision and theft, which is the headline that draws most renters in, but “zero excess” isn’t the same thing as “zero exclusions” — no rental insurance product anywhere genuinely covers every possible scenario. Components like tyres, windscreens and the undercarriage are the areas most commonly carved out as separate line items across the rental industry generally, since damage to these is often treated as distinct from a standard collision claim; it’s worth reading how these specific exclusions typically work across Tenerife rental companies as general background, and confirming the specific wording on your own Cicar contract at pickup rather than assuming it matches every other provider’s fine print.

How long does it actually take to get your €200 or €400 back?

Cicar releases the hold once the vehicle is returned and the rental agreement is formally closed — that part is quick and within Cicar’s control. What happens next is largely down to your card issuer rather than Cicar itself: credit card holds commonly clear within a handful of business days, though it’s not unusual for it to stretch closer to two weeks depending on your specific bank’s processing cycle. This mirrors how deposit releases work across the rental industry more broadly, and it’s genuinely one of the more misunderstood parts of any car hire experience — the money was never actually taken from your account, so there’s no “refund” arriving in the traditional sense, just a hold quietly disappearing from your available credit once your bank processes the release. If it’s been longer than you’d expect, checking with your bank directly (rather than assuming Cicar is at fault) is usually the faster path to an answer.

Do you need to buy third-party excess insurance on top of Cicar’s cover?

For most renters, no — and this is one of the clearer practical benefits of booking with a company whose zero-excess cover is built into the base rate rather than sold separately. Third-party excess insurance policies exist mainly to protect against a different company’s high excess (the €900–€2,500+ figures common with international brands), refunding that excess if you have to claim on it. With Cicar’s structure, there’s no excess sitting there to insure against in the first place, so a third-party policy would largely be paying to cover a gap that doesn’t exist. The exception worth considering is if you specifically want cover for the excluded items (tyres, windscreen, undercarriage) mentioned above, or extra peace of mind around the kind of desk disputes covered in our piece on excess insurance claims being pushed back on at the counter — though that scenario is specifically about companies with a traditional excess structure, which doesn’t map directly onto how Cicar’s rate works.

What happens if there’s a genuine dispute over damage?

Because the deposit itself is relatively low (€200–€400) compared with a traditional excess hold, the financial stakes of a disputed damage claim with Cicar are structurally smaller than with a company holding €1,500 or more against your card while a dispute gets sorted out. That doesn’t mean disputes never happen — a small minority of reviews do describe disagreements over vehicle condition — but the low deposit ceiling limits how much can realistically be at stake in the first place. Photographing the car at pickup, the same habit worth building into any pre-rental inspection routine, remains the best protection regardless of which company you’re renting from, Cicar included.

Is it worth paying more for a different company’s insurance instead?

Rarely, once you actually compare what you’re getting rather than just the headline price. A slightly cheaper base rate from an international brand can look appealing until you add a mandatory excess waiver to bring it down to a comparable risk level, at which point the total often lands close to or above Cicar’s all-in rate — while Cicar’s structure also throws in the free second driver, child seats and unlimited mileage that would be separate charges elsewhere. The one scenario where it’s genuinely worth comparing more carefully is if a specific route or pickup point isn’t well served by Cicar’s network, or if you specifically need a vehicle category outside what Cicar’s fleet commonly offers — otherwise, the maths tends to favour the zero-excess-as-standard model more often than the headline price comparison alone suggests.

FAQ

Can I pay Cicar’s deposit with a debit card instead of a credit card? Officially no — Cicar’s written terms specify a physical credit card in the contract holder’s name — though some renters report debit cards being accepted in practice. Plan around the stated policy rather than relying on this.

Why does Cicar ask for two credit cards on some bookings? This applies specifically to Premium and larger MPV/7–9 seater categories, where the €400 deposit is split across two cards rather than held entirely on one, likely to avoid pushing against a single cardholder’s credit limit.

Does Cicar’s zero-excess insurance cover everything, including tyres and windscreens? Not necessarily — these components are commonly excluded as separate items across the rental industry, so it’s worth confirming the specific wording on your contract rather than assuming full coverage extends to every part of the car.

How long does Cicar take to release the deposit after I return the car? Cicar releases the hold on their end once the rental agreement is closed; the remaining delay is your bank’s processing time, which can range from a few days to around two weeks depending on the issuer.

Do I need extra insurance if I’m renting with Cicar? Generally no, since there’s no excess gap left to insure against — Cicar’s zero-excess cover is already built into the standard rate rather than sold as an add-on.

Is Cicar’s deposit a real charge or just a hold? It’s a hold (pre-authorisation), not an actual charge — the funds are reserved against your available credit but not deducted, unless there’s a genuine issue at return.

What should I do if my Cicar deposit hasn’t been released after two weeks? Contact your bank directly first, since Cicar typically releases their end of the hold promptly at return — the remaining delay is almost always on the card issuer’s side rather than Cicar’s.