Deposits and card authorisations

We release the deposit as soon as the car is back and everything matches the rental agreement. How quickly the money actually reappears is then down to your bank, and that depends on which card you used.

If you used a credit card

The amount was reserved against your limit rather than taken as a completed purchase. After ETERNAL releases it, banks commonly take 5–10 business days to show the funds as available.

1. Ask your bank to look for the ETERNAL authorisation, with the amount and the date
2. If the bank’s expected availability window has passed and the hold remains, contact us with your reservation number so we can check the release

If you used a debit card

Depending on the card and payment provider, the amount may have been charged or reserved. After ETERNAL processes the release or refund, your bank commonly takes 5–10 business days to make it available.

1. Check every billing document or receipt provided — if an amount was due under the agreement, part of the deposit may have covered it
2. Ask your bank to look for the ETERNAL refund, with the amount and the date
3. If your card has since been replaced or expired, check the statement anyway — banks normally forward the refund to the new card on the same account, so it is often already there under a different number
4. If more than 10 business days have passed and nothing has arrived, get in touch with your reservation number

Note: a hold that is still showing has very often already been released on our side and simply not cleared yet by the bank. Checking with them first usually answers it in one call.

Next step

Find your reservation number under "Manage bookings" on the ETERNAL website before you contact your bank.

The deposit depends on one thing only: the protection plan you chose. It is 500 EUR if you take no extra protection, and 200 EUR with any of our protection plans.

Important: the car you end up driving makes no difference. If we upgrade you to a bigger or more expensive vehicle at the handover, your deposit stays exactly as it was — it follows your protection plan, not the car.

How it is taken

• It is blocked on a credit or debit card in the name of the main driver — cash is never accepted for the deposit
• It is a separate transaction from the rental payment, so you see two amounts rather than one
• It is released once the car is back and everything matches the rental agreement

What it covers

The deposit is card security, separate from the deductible and not a liability cap. Amounts due under the signed agreement—including missing fuel, extra days, cleaning and documented damage where applicable—may be settled from it; the unused balance is released or refunded after assessment.

Where to see yours

Your deposit is shown in the price summary at checkout, in your confirmation email, and on the rental agreement you sign at the handover.