Frequently Asked Questions

When you collect your hire car, bring:

• your Wisecars booking confirmation or voucher, in digital or printed form
• a credit card accepted by the car rental company, in the main driver’s name, with enough available credit for the security deposit
• a full, valid driving licence for each driver, held for at least 12 months (some locations require 24 months or more)
• any other documents the car rental company requires, such as a passport or other ID

Expired or provisional licences are not accepted, and the car rental company may refuse to provide a vehicle if you have undisclosed driving offences. In certain countries, some car rental companies may also require an International Driving Permit (IDP). An IDP is an official translation of your driving licence. It is not a replacement for your driving licence, so you must carry both documents when required.

Requirements vary by car rental company, so check their terms and conditions before collecting your vehicle. We normally send your voucher 48 hours before your collection time.

Only people listed as drivers on the rental agreement can drive the car. If you want to add drivers, include them in your booking request. You can also add them at the rental desk when you collect your car. All drivers must present a valid driving licence at collection and carry it at all times.

If your flight is delayed or cancelled, contact the car rental company as soon as possible. You can also contact our customer support team. If you have already provided your flight details, the car rental company may be able to track your flight, but this does not guarantee that they will wait for you. Car rental companies usually allow a grace period of one hour for collection, but policies on flight delays and late arrivals may vary by company. If you arrive after the applicable grace period, your booking may be treated as a No-Show.

Wisecars is not responsible if your booking is cancelled or treated as a No-Show because of a flight delay, cancellation or late arrival.

If you want to add a driver, they must be present with you when you collect the car and provide a valid driving licence. They must have held their licence for at least 12 months (some locations require 24 months or more). If the additional driver cannot be present at collection, you will need to return to the rental desk with them later to have them added to the rental agreement.

The car rental company may charge an additional driver fee, payable at the rental desk unless your Wisecars voucher states otherwise. The same licence and age requirements that apply to the main driver also apply to additional drivers.

If your additional driver is under 25 or over 65, check the car rental company’s terms and conditions, as additional age restrictions or fees may apply.

Each car rental company has its own age requirements, but in most locations the minimum age is 21. If you’re under 25, you may have to pay a young driver fee. If you’re over 65, you may have to pay a senior driver fee. Some locations also have a higher minimum age for larger vehicles.

You can change or cancel your booking by contacting our customer support team. Scroll down to the bottom of this page and submit a support ticket, call us or use our live chat. Changes can be made up to 48 or 24 hours before collection, depending on your offer. We’ll be happy to help.

You can request a car upgrade up to 48 or 24 hours before collection, depending on your offer. You will need to pay any difference in price. As with any change to your booking, scroll down to the bottom of this page and contact our customer support team by submitting a support ticket, calling us or using our live chat.

If you would like to upgrade your vehicle after you have already collected it, you will need to request the upgrade directly from the car rental company.

As with most car hire bookings, Wisecars cannot guarantee the specific make or model of the car you will receive at the rental desk. However, you will usually receive a car in the same vehicle class. If your booked vehicle class is unavailable, we will try to offer the closest available alternative, or you can cancel your booking for a full refund. Our website includes a full description of each vehicle class, including the typical number of passengers and pieces of luggage each can accommodate. Vehicle images on our website are for illustration only.

Wisecars doesn’t have its own desks. As a broker, Wisecars arranges for your car to be provided directly by one of its partner car rental companies.

Your voucher will include the address of your car rental company. For airport collections, it will also indicate whether the car rental company has a desk inside the terminal. Some car rental companies offer a meet-and-greet service at airports. They do not have a desk inside the terminal, so a representative will meet you at the airport. You can also find these details in the collection and return information on the offer page.

You can request to change your return time up to 48 or 24 hours before collection, depending on your offer. This may change the price of your booking. Once your hire has started, any changes to the return time must be requested directly from the car rental company.

If you return the car later than the agreed time without an agreed extension, you may be charged additional fees or penalties.

Early collection depends on the car rental company and on whether the vehicle is ready.

If you know in advance that you need the car earlier, you can request an earlier collection time by changing your booking up to 48 or 24 hours before collection, depending on your offer. Changing your collection time may affect the rental price.

Yes. You can filter available offers by fuel policy on our website to find the option that works best for you. Wisecars aims to work only with car rental companies that offer a fair fuel policy, so you can avoid unexpected charges. However, always check the car rental company’s fuel policy for your offer.

If you choose this option, you pay for the fuel at pick-up and return the vehicle with as little fuel as possible. This option may be convenient if you are short on time when returning the vehicle, as you will not need to find a petrol station before returning it to the rental location.

You receive the vehicle with a full tank of fuel and must return it with a full tank. If you do not return the vehicle with a full tank, you may be charged a refuelling fee plus a higher rate for the fuel needed to refill the tank.

If you choose this option, you pay for the fuel at collection and return the vehicle with as little fuel as possible. This option may be convenient if you are short on time, as you will not need to find a petrol station before returning the vehicle.

Wisecars offers five packages to suit different protection needs: Lite, Basic, Flexible, Advanced Protection and Zero Excess.

Packages offer different cancellation periods and levels of cover, which may include protection for the vehicle excess, damage to tyres, windows and the undercarriage, lost keys and other hire-related costs. The exact cover, exclusions and limits vary by package and offer.

The packages available for your booking, together with their cover and terms, are shown during the booking process. Review them carefully before you choose a package. Your rental agreement may also require mandatory local insurance, which you will pay for at collection. A security deposit may still be required.

If the car breaks down, has a technical problem or is involved in an accident, contact the car rental company immediately for instructions and assistance. You can find their phone number in your rental agreement. Do not arrange any repairs or a replacement vehicle without the car rental company’s authorisation.

If you are in an accident, you must also contact the local police. We strongly recommend this even if the damage seems minor. Keep copies of all documents that you are asked to complete, as you may need them to make a claim.

If you do not follow these steps, the car rental company may charge you for any resulting costs. If an accident is caused by your negligence or is not covered by insurance, you will have to pay for the car rental company’s losses and costs.

Wisecars will not reimburse the cost of any vehicle repairs.

Not always. Some charges are paid directly to the car rental company at collection. These may include optional extras, additional driver fees, young or senior driver fees, mandatory local insurance and out-of-hours fees. Fuel is never included in the rental price. The terms and conditions for your offer, shown during the booking process, explain which charges apply.

The car rental company may also offer or recommend additional products at collection, such as insurance, upgrades or other optional extras. These are separate from your Wisecars booking, and you do not have to buy them unless the terms and conditions for your offer state that they are mandatory.

Review any documents, agreements or charges carefully before you sign or pay. By signing or buying something at the rental location, you are entering into a separate agreement with the car rental company.

Cancellations and changes are free up to 48 or 24 hours before collection, depending on your offer. If you cancel after this deadline, you will not receive a refund. If you have purchased Wisecars Cancellation Protection, you can cancel up to two hours before collection and still get a refund, minus the cost of Cancellation Protection.

Changes are free, but you will need to pay any difference in price, for example if you change the length of your hire or the vehicle class, or if the car rental company’s rates have changed since you made your booking. To avoid extra fees, always cancel through Wisecars customer support, not directly with the car rental company.

Check that you entered the correct email address when making your booking, and check your spam or junk folder.

If you made your booking more than 24 hours ago and still can’t find your confirmation email, contact our customer support team and we’ll be happy to help.

Your voucher is normally sent to you by email 48 hours before the collection time. If you haven’t received it by then, check your spam or junk folder. If it’s not there, contact our our customer support team and we will send you a copy.

When you invite friends to join MyWisecars, you can earn Rental Credit:

• 2% of the value of your friend’s future completed bookings, once they have used your referral code and completed their first eligible booking
• 1% of the value of your own future eligible bookings, once your referral code has resulted in a completed booking (this applies only to bookings where you do not use Rental Credit)

The Refer a Friend Programme is subject to the Refer a Friend Programme Terms and Conditions, available through MyWisecars.

Unused Rental Credit expires two years after it is added to your account.

Once your friends have opened your referral link and registered for a MyWisecars account, they will receive £15 in Rental Credit, provided they have not previously used a referral code or made a booking with Wisecars. Your friends will also receive their own referral code, which they can share with their friends to start earning Rental Credit too.

The Refer a Friend Programme is subject to the Refer a Friend Programme Terms and Conditions, available through MyWisecars.

If you used a friend’s referral code, you receive £15 in Rental Credit when you register for your MyWisecars account.

Rental Credit you earn from bookings, 1% of your own and 2% of your friends’, is added to your account on the scheduled return date of each hire, once the booking has been paid in full and the car has been returned.

Log in to your MyWisecars account and go to the “Refer a Friend” section on the “My Bookings” page to find your unique referral code.

You can share your code with friends who have not previously used a referral code or made a booking with Wisecars. For the referral to count, your friends must use your referral link to visit Wisecars and make a booking.