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The essentials in three lines

  • A credit card is there to block a deposit : that is its only function in a standard rental.
  • At Carsalis, no deposit is required, so no card is blocked and no imprint is kept.
  • What you need instead: a passport and a driving licence held for at least two years.

It is one of the questions that comes up most often before a stay in Morocco: can you hire a car in Agadir without a credit card? The answer depends entirely on one thing: whether the agency asks for a deposit. If it does, it needs a way to block it, and the credit card is the only instrument that allows this. If it does not, the question disappears on its own.

Why agencies ask for a credit card

A credit card is not a payment card like any other. It allows what is known as a pre-authorisation : the agency reserves an amount on your credit line without debiting it. That amount stays frozen for the whole rental, and often for several weeks after the vehicle is returned.

It is this mechanism, and this alone, that makes a credit card compulsory at most rental companies. A debit card generally does not allow this hold, and cash even less so. Hence the refusal at the counter, sometimes at the last minute, just after the flight has landed.

The amounts charged in Morocco are most often between €1,000 and €2,000 depending on the vehicle category. There is no legal ceiling: each agency sets its own.

What happens at Carsalis

We ask for no deposit, and therefore for no credit card. Nothing is blocked, no imprint is kept, and there is nothing to recover after you leave Morocco. Our rental conditions say so in as many words: « No deposit is required. We count on our customers' trust to cover repairs in the event of damage for which they are responsible. »

The other side of the deal has to be said just as plainly: we do not sell insurance covering damage to the vehicle. Only third-party liability is included. If you are responsible for damage, the repair remains at your expense, on a quotation and an invoice. That is the exchange, and we would rather write it down beforehand than discover it together on the return.

What you need to provide instead

What we ask for Why
A copy of your passport The driver's identity on the contract
A copy of your driving licence, both sides Validity and how long you have held it
Delivery and return times Getting the vehicle ready at the right moment
Flight number and departure city Tracking a delay without you having to call
Phone number, WhatsApp preferably Reaching you on arrival

The main driver must be at least 21 and hold a licence issued at least two years ago. These documents are sent by WhatsApp before you arrive, which allows the contract to be prepared in advance. The details are on our booking request.

And what about payment?

Let us not confuse two different things: blocking a deposit and paying for the rental are not the same operation. You cannot pay with a deposit, and you do not need a credit card to settle up.

  • Our preferred method of payment is a secure bank transfer, European transfers accepted. The bank details are sent to you when the booking is confirmed.
  • The payment on arrival remains possible under conditions, to be agreed with us when the booking is confirmed: in cash, or by bank card with 5% bank charges.
  • No online payment is required, and there is no account to create.

The questions to ask any agency

Whether you hire from us or elsewhere, these four questions answered in writing spare you the nasty surprise at the counter:

  1. Do you ask for a deposit, and for exactly how much?
  2. Is that amount blocked on the card, or debited and then refunded?
  3. How long does it take to be released after the vehicle is returned?
  4. Do you accept a debit card, and if not, why?

An agency that answers these four questions clearly and in writing is already a good agency. The one that answers « we will see when you get here » is announcing the problem in advance.

Frequently asked questions

Can you hire a car in Agadir with a debit card?

At Carsalis the question does not arise: since no deposit is required, no card is blocked. For payment, a debit card is accepted on arrival, with 5% bank charges, or you pay by bank transfer.

Do you have to pay a deposit to book?

No. Booking is done by a simple request, with no online payment and no advance payment.

What happens if I damage the car?

The repair is at your expense, on a quotation and an invoice. Only third-party liability is included in the rate: it covers damage caused to others, not damage to the hired vehicle.

Is there a minimum age for the driver?

Yes: 21, and a driving licence held for at least two years. A second driver is possible, for a supplement.

Read next

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

Sources

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

Further reading