The short answer
With a deposit, the rental company blocks a sum on your credit card at handover, often several thousand dirhams for a supercar, and releases it weeks after you return the car. With a no-deposit rental nothing is blocked: you pay only the agreed rental price, and any Salik tolls or fines are settled at cost afterwards. In both cases insurance and its excess decide what you pay after damage, so read those terms first.
How a security deposit works
A security deposit is usually a hold on your credit card, made when the car is handed over. The money stays in your account but you cannot spend it, and it reduces your available credit for the rest of the trip.
The company keeps the hold to cover what may come after the rental: traffic fines, Salik tolls, parking, fuel, extra kilometres or damage. Some of these reach the company from the authorities days or weeks later, which is why the hold is often released only two to four weeks after the car comes back.
For a supercar the hold is often several thousand dirhams. On a short holiday that can be a large part of a card's limit, and the release can land after you have flown home.
How a no-deposit rental works
With a no-deposit rental nothing is blocked on your card. You pay the agreed rental price, and the car is delivered with its insurance already included.
Costs that arrive after the rental are still yours to pay. At Billionaire, Salik tolls, paid parking and traffic fines from your rental period are passed on at cost, extra kilometres beyond the 250 km per day are charged from AED 20 per km, and the car goes back with the same fuel level. The difference is only that no money is held in advance to cover them.
Billionaire applies the same terms to every car, from sedans to Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce. See no-deposit car rental in Dubai for the conditions and the most popular cars.
Deposit vs no deposit, side by side
Money at handover: with a deposit, the rental price plus a hold on your credit card; without a deposit, the rental price only.
Your card limit: with a deposit, part of it is blocked until the hold is released; without a deposit, it stays free for hotels, restaurants and shopping.
After the rental: with a deposit, tolls and fines are taken from the hold and the rest is released later; without a deposit, they are passed on at cost when they arrive.
Damage: in both cases the insurance and its excess decide what you pay. A deposit does not replace insurance, and a no-deposit rental does not mean that damage is free.
What to check before you book
Ask for the total price in writing: daily rate, delivery, mileage allowance and insurance. A low daily rate with a large deposit and little mileage can cost more in the end. Our guide to Lamborghini rental prices in Dubai shows how the total adds up for one brand.
Read the insurance terms, above all the excess: the amount you pay yourself if the car is damaged. At Billionaire comprehensive insurance is included in every rate, and the excess for your car is written in your booking terms before you pay.
Know the road rules that lead to fines. Dubai's radars and Salik gates are everywhere; our guide to Dubai speed limits, radars and Salik explains them.
Which is better for a visitor?
For most visitors a no-deposit rental is simpler: your card stays free, there is no refund to wait for after you fly home, and you still get full insurance. The rules of the road and the insurance excess matter far more than the deposit, so drive carefully in either case.
Your licence and documents are the same with or without a deposit. Check the rental requirements before you travel, then choose your car on the fleet page.
Frequently asked questions
Is a deposit the same as insurance?
No. A deposit is money held on your card to cover costs after the rental. Insurance covers damage to the car, minus the excess written in your booking terms.
Can I rent a supercar in Dubai without a credit card hold?
Yes. Billionaire rents every car, including Lamborghini, Ferrari and Rolls-Royce, with no security deposit, so nothing is blocked on your card.
Who pays traffic fines and Salik with a no-deposit rental?
The renter. Fines, Salik tolls and paid parking from the rental period are passed on at cost, and some arrive from the authorities a few days after the car is returned.
Does a no-deposit rental cost more per day?
Not at Billionaire. The no-deposit terms are part of every published daily rate, with insurance and 250 km per day included.
