Car rental without deposit or credit card: what happens instead

DRAIV takes no deposit, and we block no amount on your card. You pay by card, TWINT, Apple Pay, Google Pay or Link, and a credit card is not a condition.

Why the rental desk asks for a credit card

Every desk in the arrivals hall runs the same routine. Before you get the keys, the company reserves a deposit on your credit card. The money does not change hands, it sits blocked, often for days after you bring the car back, until your bank releases the hold. On a credit card that eats into your available limit. On a debit card it eats into your balance, because your bank sets aside real money for it. That is where the credit card rule comes from: the desk needs a payment method that can carry a large amount parked on it for the whole rental, and a debit card or a prepaid card is a poor fit. If you moved to Switzerland in the last year and your bank handed you a debit card, that rule is the wall you keep hitting.

What happens to your payment method at DRAIV

We skip the reservation. You store your payment method when you book and pay for the rental with it, and after that it stays on file for a single purpose: costs that only appear once the drive is over. Damage to the car, missing fuel, or a fine that reaches us weeks later. Since we block nothing in the meantime, a debit card is enough, and if you would rather not type a card number at all, there is TWINT, Apple Pay or Google Pay. We charge your payment method again only when something is open after you return the car, and you learn what for.

Your ceiling is the deductible you pick

How large a later charge can get is your decision at booking. The ceiling is your deductible. CHF 2000 comes preselected, and for a daily fee you can lower it to CHF 200. Take that lowest tier and you cap your risk in a damage case at CHF 200. The third tier at CHF 5000 costs nothing, but it is open only to renters with their own comprehensive cover, whose policy we check and approve in advance. Dent the car, bring it back with an empty tank or collect a fine, and the bill still arrives. What changes is the timing: you tie up no money in advance against damage that may never happen, and you know your ceiling before you book.

No desk, so no opening hours

Without a deposit there is no desk where somebody swipes your card, and without a desk there are no opening hours. You book on the web or in the app, unlock the car with your phone and drive off, at six in the morning or at eleven at night. Prices start at around CHF 59 per day. If you are comparing companies right now, two questions settle it: does this company block an amount on my card during the rental, and how much can it charge me after I hand the car back? Both of our answers sit at the top of this page. With other companies, look in the rental terms, usually the section on deposit and deductible.

Which providers in Zurich require no deposit

Classic rental companies in Zurich almost all block an amount on your card, and how much varies widely. DRAIV holds the line at CHF 0 deposit, nothing is reserved on your card at all. Europcar blocks the expected rental amount plus at least CHF 350 according to its own deposit policy, CHF 1000 to CHF 2500 for premium and luxury classes. Sixt does not publish a deposit amount, it depends on vehicle category and booking type and only shows during Sixt's own booking process. At GoMore a deposit can be requested at booking, and how much varies by vehicle type, rental length, your age and other booking details. Mobility, the classic carsharing service, states no deposit, but according to its terms and conditions its deductible runs up to CHF 3000 per damage case, with new and young drivers paying up to CHF 1000 more (as of 15 April 2026).

Whoever asks this question usually wants to know which provider avoids a card hold altogether. Among the day-rental providers in this comparison, that is DRAIV alone, with no membership required: no amount is reserved on your card upfront, your deductible only sets the ceiling for costs that arise after you return the car. Mobility also avoids a card hold, but through a Mobility membership with an activation fee rather than through day rental.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a credit card to rent a car from DRAIV?

No. You pay by card, TWINT, Apple Pay, Google Pay or Link. A credit card is not a condition, because we never block a deposit on your payment method.

Will an amount be blocked on my card when I book?

No. We take no deposit and reserve nothing on your card during the rental. You pay for the rental itself, and your available limit or your balance stays untouched.

Can I pay with a debit card?

Yes. We block nothing during the rental, so a debit card works. After you return the car we can charge it, up to your chosen deductible.

Can I pay with TWINT?

Yes. Alongside TWINT we take card, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Link.

What can DRAIV charge after the rental?

Costs that only appear once the drive is over: damage to the car, missing fuel, or a fine that reaches us later. We charge your stored payment method after you return the car, and you learn what for.

How high is my deductible?

CHF 2000 comes preselected. For a daily fee you can lower it to CHF 200 while booking. The third tier, CHF 5000, is free but not freely selectable: it requires your own comprehensive cover, whose policy you send to [email protected] beforehand for us to approve. Whichever tier you end up on is also the ceiling for anything we can charge you after the rental.

Where and when do I pick up the car?

At the location you choose when you book. If you are arriving at Zurich Airport, start on our Zurich Airport page. You unlock the car with your phone, so there is no desk and no opening hours, six in the morning or eleven at night.

Which car rental in Zurich does not require a deposit?

DRAIV charges CHF 0 deposit, nothing is blocked on your card. Other providers differ widely: Europcar blocks the rental amount plus at least CHF 350 according to its own deposit policy, CHF 1000 to CHF 2500 for premium and luxury classes. Sixt does not publish a deposit amount, it only shows during the booking process. GoMore can request a variable deposit at booking, and according to its own terms and conditions, the carsharing provider Mobility charges no deposit at all, but its deductible runs up to CHF 3000 per damage case, with new and young drivers paying up to CHF 1000 more (as of 15 April 2026).

Sources

All sources retrieved on 25 August 2026.

• Europcar Switzerland: deposit policy, CHF 350 Mini to Fullsize Elite, CHF 1000 Premium/Luxury, CHF 2500 Luxury Elite/Oversize/Special
• Sixt: deposit, blocks automated fetches (HTTP 403), no figure taken from Sixt
• GoMore: rental deposits, amount depends on vehicle type, rental length and age, refunded automatically 4 days after the rental ends
• Mobility: terms and conditions, clause 18 lit. i and j, effective 15 April 2026: no deposit, deductible up to CHF 3000 per damage case, plus up to CHF 1000 more for new and young drivers