Seychelles car hire debit card and payment rules

How much is paid when you book?

The online advance is 15 to 20 percent of the total rental cost. The remaining rental amount is paid to the rental agent when you collect the car. This split comes from the booking rules and applies separately from any security deposit attached to an offer.

When comparing car hire at Seychelles airport, look at the complete rental total before focusing on the smaller payment due online. The advance secures a booking under its terms; it is not the full cost of using the car.

Check the payment information while viewing the car rather than working backwards from the amount charged online. You need to know what remains due, the accepted method for that balance and whether a deposit is required. Those are distinct parts of your preparation.

Deposit amounts and accepted cards vary by offer. The chosen car’s payment conditions apply to its booking.

When can you use a debit card?

The country terms allow for rental companies accepting debit cards in some cases. That acceptance must be specified during booking and in the voucher. If the offer requires a credit card, arriving with a debit card does not satisfy that requirement.

An accepted debit card must be physical, personalised, embossed and issued in the main driver’s name. You must have it with you at collection. A digital wallet or the memory of a previous online transaction is not a substitute for the physical card described in the conditions.

A mandatory credit card, where required, must also be physical, embossed and in the main driver’s name. Check the selected car and voucher before travelling. Card requirements apply at collection.

The same approach applies to car hire on Mahé that starts later in the holiday. The selected offer specifies card acceptance for its collection arrangement.

How is the deposit different from the advance?

The advance is part of the rental price. A security deposit is a separate condition of the selected car. Keep the two concepts separate when assessing what you need to pay online and prepare for collection.

A no-deposit offer has its own card requirements and insurance conditions. Those details appear with the selected car alongside its rental price.

Compare the car’s cover and exclusions alongside the payment conditions. The absence of a deposit does not remove standard insurance exclusions, the paved-road restriction or the duty to report an insured event.

What happens if you cancel?

The booking rules set the ordinary penalty-free cancellation deadline at no later than seven days before the rental starts. For luxury cars and convertibles it is thirty days. A booking that includes the “Free cancellation” option has a deadline of twenty-four hours before the start for all categories.

Cancellation still carries the payment service fee specified in the rules: six percent of the amount paid. The fee is calculated on the amount already paid.

If you cancel or modify later than the applicable deadline, the advance is retained in full as compensation for the unfulfilled order. The applicable deadline determines the advance refund.

The rules say an eligible advance refund is returned within fourteen days after the refund request is received, to the same account that made the payment unless otherwise agreed. Use the cancellation contact in your booking documentation and include the booking voucher with the request.

Can you change an existing reservation?

The stated modification process is to cancel the old reservation and create a new one under the general terms. The previously booked car becomes available to other customers when the original booking is cancelled. Availability for the replacement booking is determined by the new search.

Check the cancellation deadline before using that process. A modification made too late can result in the advance being retained. If a flight or travel plan has changed, contact the relevant booking or rental contact promptly rather than leaving the appointment unresolved.

There is also a separate rule for cancellation by either party within the first twenty-four hours after confirmation and payment of the advance. It provides for return of the advance under the referenced booking provision and requires advance notice before pickup. Consult the complete booking terms for that case rather than applying the ordinary deadline alone.

The rental and booking terms distinguish the country conditions from the platform’s booking rules. This distinction matters because driver and vehicle-use requirements are not the source of cancellation deadlines.

What counts as a no-show?

Failing to arrive at the booked location and time without prior coordination with the rental company or booking representatives is treated as a late cancellation. The advance is retained as compensation for the unfulfilled booking.

The booking phone number must include its country code and remain reachable. A change to the collection appointment requires coordination with the rental company.

Before travelling, complete the licence, age and card checks as well. Driver eligibility and the collection-card requirements both apply.