Frequently Asked Questions

If you have received a reservation number (e.g. 4321-1234-ZA-1), your rental car has been booked and confirmed. There is nothing left for you to do but collect it.

You will need to have the following when collecting your car:

• Credit card in the driver's name
• Valid driver's licence

If you have pre-paid for your car rental you will need to produce the same credit card that you used for the rental as well as the pre-paid voucher (unless stipulated that no voucher is required).

International visitors to South Africa will need to produce a valid passport as well.

You can pay online or at the rental counter when you collect your vehicle, using a Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners and hybrid cheque cards (debit card are not accepted).  If you have paid online, please don't forget to bring the same card you made your booking with when you collect your rental car.

At the rental counter we simply hold an authorisation amount on your credit card which will only be debited for the final amount once the car has been returned.

When collecting your rental car Avis will place a authorisation hold on your credit card.  The amount depends whether you chose to pay upfront when you booked your vehicle or later over the counter. 

• If you paid upfront, we place a hold on your card for the costs of any extras, fuel and services that have not already been paid for.
• If you chose to pay later, we will hold the full cost of the hire plus extras and estimated cost of a tank of fuel. 

Authorisation Amount Explained

When collecting the car

• Avis requests your bank to reserve a hold against the funds on your card. 
• Your bank with usually present this as a pending transaction that reduces the money you have available to spend. This might appear to be a debit on your statement but it is not. 
• We do not charge your card. No funds are actually taken from your account. 
• This hold will be the estimated cost of your rental (including a tank of fuel and extras) less any amount paid in advance. 

When returning the car

• Once your card is charged with the invoice amount, the hold will be released by your bank. 
• As this was a temporary hold and not charged, the return funds will not be shown as a transaction on your statement, instead your available balance will increase.
• Depending on your bank, it can take up to 30 days before this is reflected on your account balance. 
• The time to release the hold is not within our control. 

Please contact your bank for any authorisation hold queries. 

If you are renting over a weekend an additional "weekend authorisation" will be taken for the duration of the rental as follows:

• Coastal Branches -  R3,500 (on all car groups)
• Inland Branches - R7,500 on Car Groups A-E and R10,000 on Car Groups F - N

The additional weekend authorisation will be waived from airport locations upon presentation of a valid airline boarding pass/e-ticket printout and for all Avis Preferred customers. 

Remember to factor in the amount that will be held against your credit card, so you have enough to spend on your journey.

The Avis Brand Ambassador will offer the following additional options when collecting your rental car:

• Personal Accident Insurance
• Windscreen and Tyre Damage Waiver
• Super Waivers (if you have not booked on super waiver inclusive rates already)

While we recommend purchasing these they are not mandatory.

We will do our utmost to meet your request however we cannot guarantee a specific vehicle make or model.

If you have prepaid for your rental and cancel the booking a cancellation fee will be charged as follows:

• At least 3 complete days before 'pick up'  - The lower of (i) the full amount you have paid us, or (ii) R450.00.
• Less than 3 complete days before 'pick up' - The lower of (i) the full amount you paid us, or (ii) 3 days' worth of your booking.
• On day of 'pick up' or if you do not cancel and fail to show-up - No refund. We will retain the full amount.

If you have chosen to pay for your rental when you collect your vehicle there will be no cancellation fee if you cancel before 'pick up' but should you fail to collect the vehicle without cancelling a 'non-cancellation' fee of R450.00 will be charged.

Avis Prestige

Please note - if you have booked an Avis Prestige vehicle the following cancellation fee's will apply:

• Cancellation or amendment to check-out date and check-out date less than 7 days before the check-out will attract a cancellation fee of up to 50% of the confirmed rental.
• If your rental is confirmed within the cancellation period, the full charges will be applied if cancelled.
• Once a rental is in progress, the full number of days booked will be charged if the vehicle is returned ealier.

Yes, all you need to do is contact Avis and we will extend your car rental to the date and time advised. When extending a rental an additional authorisation will be reserved on your credit card straight away for the extra costs.

If you have been in an accident you need to take care of yourself and your passengers first and foremost. If there are any injuries please contact emergencies services straight away.

When you are able to please call the 24 hour Avis Roadside and Emergencies call center on 0800 001 669 or +27 11 387 8432 to report the accident. We will provide assistance with emergency services if required and arrange for the vehicle to be towed.

Standard procedures need to be followed with all accidents, please take all the details of any third parties involved and report the accident to the police. We also recommend taking photos of the accident to assist with your claim.

Unfortunately, with the nature of any vehicle, mechanical faults do occur from time to time.

If your rental car happens to break down please call the 24 hour Avis Roadside and Emergencies call centre on 0800 001 669 or +27 11 387 8432 where agents are on standby to assist you.