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The essentials in three lines

  • A card pre-authorisation is a temporary hold: an amount blocked on your account, not debited, which reduces your spending limit during your stay and sometimes for up to 30 days afterwards.
  • The amount is set by the hire company, and some cards (systematic authorisation, prepaid) do not allow it: the refusal is discovered at the counter.
  • At Carsalis, no deposit and no pre-authorisation: the contract, the check-in / check-out inspection done together and payment by bank transfer replace the hold.

You land in Agadir, you collect the car, and just as you are about to sign you are asked for your card ‘for the pre-authorisation’. The amount quoted is higher than the price of the hire. Nothing is taken, you are told. Yet three days later, your card is declined at a petrol station or a restaurant, and you do not understand why. This practice is common in car hire, but it is rarely explained before you sign. Here is what really happens on your account, and why it does not exist with us.

What exactly is a card pre-authorisation?

The word ‘imprint’ comes from everyday language. The actual mechanism is called a bank card pre-authorisation. According to the French Banking Federation, it consists of temporarily blocking an amount on your account, without any immediate debit being made. Hotels, petrol stations and vehicle hire companies use it to guarantee payment for a service still to come.

In car hire, the pre-authorisation generally serves as a guarantee for the whole duration of the contract. The hire company sets the amount itself, based on what it considers it needs to cover. The amount is not taken, but it is no longer available to you. That is the nuance that is often left unsaid: on your statement, nothing moves; on your spending limit, everything changes. At the end of the contract, the hire company turns all or part of this amount into an actual debit, or releases it.

What it changes on your account during your stay

A pre-authorisation has a direct impact on your payment limit. It may appear separately in the spending gauge of your banking app. Until the pre-authorisation is released, it counts against your limit like an actual expense. For a one- or two-week stay, that can be enough to get a card declined even though it has funds on it.

In Morocco, one more detail comes into play. The French Banking Federation points out that, when the card is used abroad in a currency other than that of your account, the pre-authorisation amount may be higher than the price displayed because of the exchange rate applied. Fluctuations between the day of the pre-authorisation and the day it is released can also cause slight variations. The figure you see at the counter in dirhams is therefore not necessarily the one that will appear in your app.

The cards that go through, and those that get blocked

Most Visa and Mastercard cards accept pre-authorisations. On the other hand, some systematic-authorisation cards and some prepaid cards do not allow them, or not over an extended period. A request can also be refused for insufficient funds or because the limit is too low, even if your balance looks comfortable to you. The refusal is discovered at the counter, with your suitcases beside you.

In France, the association La finance pour tous states that this practice is permitted provided the customer is clearly informed, at the time of booking, that a pre-authorisation will be requested on arrival, and that its amount is specified. The same reflex applies in any country: if you book somewhere other than with us, read the line about the guarantee before confirming. Then check your card limit in your app, and raise it temporarily if necessary. It is the only way to avoid an unpleasant surprise at handover, if a pre-authorisation is planned.

After the return: when the money comes back

Once the car has been returned, there are several scenarios. If no charges are billed, the pre-authorisation must be released by the hire company, and the funds become available again after a period that depends on your bank and your type of card. If charges are billed, the actual amount is debited and the difference becomes available again on your balance, usually within a few days, sometimes up to 30 days.

The point that is rarely spelt out to you: the bank generally does not release the pre-authorisation at your request; it is the hire company that has to act. It can check the transaction, but the cancellation almost always goes through the merchant. If nobody takes any action, the hold is cancelled automatically at the end of the set period, which can be as long as 30 calendar days. In the meantime, you are back home, and your limit is still reduced by an amount you never spent. If the hold drags on, the simplest thing is to write to the hire company and ask them to close the transaction.

At Carsalis: no pre-authorisation, and what replaces it

Our hire terms are clear: no deposit is requested. No security deposit, no card pre-authorisation, neither at booking, nor at handover, nor on return. You never enter your bank details on our website, as no online payment is requested there. Nothing is blocked on your card, at any point during the hire.

What replaces the pre-authorisation comes down to three things. First, payment: the preferred method is a secure bank transfer, European transfers accepted, and the booking is confirmed as soon as it is received. Payment on arrival remains possible subject to conditions, in cash or by card with a 5% bank fee, to be agreed with us at the time of confirmation. Next, the paperwork: a copy of your passport and of both sides of your driving licence sent via WhatsApp, your flight number and your landing time. What we check is not your card but your driving licence: 21 years old minimum and two years of driving for the main driver. Finally, the check-in / check-out inspection, done together at departure and on return, with a contract that clearly states who is responsible for what. As for insurance, you have third-party insurance: civil liability is included in every rate, as are unlimited kilometres and 24/7 assistance.

Point of comparison With a pre-authorisation (common practice) At Carsalis
Amount blocked on the card Yes, amount set by the hire company None
Card required A card that accepts pre-authorisation; systematic-authorisation or prepaid cards often refused No card required: bank transfer preferred, cash or card on arrival subject to conditions
Limit during your stay Reduced by the blocked amount Unchanged
After the return Released by the hire company, otherwise cancelled automatically, up to 30 days depending on the bank Nothing to release
Bank details online Sometimes requested from the moment of booking Never entered on carsalis.com

Frequently asked questions

Does Carsalis take a card pre-authorisation at handover?

No. No deposit and no pre-authorisation are requested, neither at Al Massira airport, nor at your hotel, nor at the agency. The contract is prepared from the copy of your passport and driving licence, and the check-in inspection is done together when the keys are handed over.

Can I hire from Carsalis with a debit card or a prepaid card?

A card is not needed to hire. Bank transfer is the preferred payment method, and payment on arrival remains possible subject to conditions, in cash or by card with a 5% fee. Since no pre-authorisation is taken, the type of card you have is not an obstacle.

How long does a pre-authorisation stay blocked after a hire?

According to the French Banking Federation, from a few hours to a maximum of 30 days, depending on the bank and the type of card. The hire company can release the pre-authorisation earlier; if it takes no action, it is cancelled automatically at the end of the set period.

Sources

Written by the Carsalis team, in Agadir. We have been hiring out cars from our agency at 4 Bis rue Moulay Driss since 2008. What you read here comes from our own hire terms and from what our customers ask us every week on WhatsApp.

A question about your hire in Agadir? Write to us on WhatsApp at +212 648 291 116, or use our booking request. We usually reply within a minute, and we tell you honestly whether the car is available or not.

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