Car Hire Glossary

Understanding the short codes in any industry can be annoying, especially when you read the documents and you see something like ‘DEW’ and have no idea what it means. We have compiled a list of common car hire terms for you to use as a reference.

Additional Drivers

Addition drivers really speaks for itself, if you require more then yourself to drive the hire vehicle then you may need to pay a bit extra for ‘Additional drivers’.

Damage Excess Waiver (DEW)

If you are unlucky enough to sustain any damage to your rental vehicle during your rental period you will have to pay the amount up to your collision damage waiver. You can also take out the option extra of damage excess waiver which will allow you to claim back the excess direct from the car hire company.

Insurance Excess

If you have an accident during your rental period or if you damage the vehicle you will be required to pay some money towards repair costs. This will be your car insurance excess. The cost of the excess will depend on your provider so you should contact them for more information on this.

Collision Damage Waiver (CDW)

You may also see Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) referred to as Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) is in place to protect the car hire driver from any claim (apart from the excess)

Airport Surcharges

In certain areas like airports and ferry ports car hire companies have to pay a ‘Surcharge’ this Surcharge is then passed onto their customers so you are probably going to have to pay a bit more to hire a car at an Airport or Ferry Port. This charge will have to be paid at the time of pickup, though the fee should be included with the quote you receive from the car hire company if you book in advance but you should always check this.

Personal Accident Insurance (PAI)

You can receive personal accident insurance if you choose to but it is a paid added extra and you will probably be asked if you want it on collection of the vehicle. This will cover you for accidental injuries, death, disabilities and medial expenses of you and your passengers. You must be sure to check with your car hire provider as to what this insurance actually covers because it does vary from provider to provider.

Theft Protection (THP)

This will protect you in the unfortunate even of theft, all you will have to pay is the excess charge.

Cancellation Waiver Protection (CWP)

Most car hire providers have a cancellation charge if you cancel your booking within 24hrs of collection, if however you take out CWP then you will not have to pay this. This comes in especially useful if you are

International Driving Permit (IDP)

If you obtain an international driving permit it will allow you to drive your rental vehicle abroad.

You can obtain an international driving permit from the AA.