Budget car rental companies compared: Goldcar, Green Motion, OK Mobility and Sicily by Car

Goldcar, Green Motion, OK Mobility and Sicily by Car are four names that come up again and again when you look for a rental car at a holiday airport in southern Europe. They are usually grouped together as budget car rental companies: you book a basic rate for the car, and each company sells its own packages on top for a lower excess, a smaller deposit or more flexibility. The package names differ from one company to the next, and so do the rules for the deposit, the card you need and the fuel.

This page sets those rules side by side, taken from each company’s own terms and help pages. The Goldcar and OK Mobility details come from their conditions for Spain, the Sicily by Car details from its conditions for Italy, and the Green Motion details from its international pages, because every Green Motion country is run by a local franchisee. We checked them on 30 September and 2 October 2026; the dates per source are listed at the bottom. Terms can change by country, by office and by booking channel, so the conditions on your own booking confirmation always come first.

How budget car rental companies build up a rental

Whichever of the four you book, the rental is made of the same three layers:

1. The basic rate. The car for your dates, third-party liability insurance and a damage waiver that caps what you owe for damage to the car at a fixed amount, called the excess.
2. The company’s own packages or covers. Each company has levels that reduce or remove that excess. In all four sets of terms, these packages are also what brings the deposit down.
3. The deposit and the fuel rule. The deposit is an amount held on your card while you have the car, or on some routes charged and paid back afterwards. The fuel rule tells you how much fuel the car should have when you bring it back.

That is why comparing brand names on their own says little. What tells you more is the package you plan to book, the deposit that goes with it, the card the company accepts for that deposit and the fuel rule. For a general explanation of how holds and excess work, see our guide to the deposit and excess on a rental car.

The four companies at a glance

Company	Background	Terms used on this page
Goldcar	Part of Europcar Mobility Group, which presents Goldcar as its holiday rental brand for the Mediterranean leisure market	Rental terms for Spain, September 2026 edition
Green Motion	Car and van rental brand of Green Motion Limited, operated in each country or region by a franchisee	Packages page, FAQ and pickup page on greenmotion.com
OK Mobility	Mobility group active since 2004, with more than 80 stores in 16 countries	General conditions for Spain (excluding the Canary Islands) and the FAQ
Sicily by Car	Italian company listed on Euronext Growth Milan, with offices at airports such as Milan Malpensa, Venice, Rome Fiumicino, Naples, Bari, Palermo and Catania	General rental information for standard cars in Italy and the debit card terms

Goldcar

Packages. Every Goldcar rental includes the Basic Cover with a collision damage waiver. You can add Relax, which brings the excess for bodywork damage down to zero, or Super Relax, with which no excess deposit is held on your card at all. Goldcar’s help centre also lists three rates: Key’n Go, where you collect the key from a machine and the rate includes cover without excess; Full-Full; and Crazy Full/Full, which works like Full-Full but cannot be changed or cancelled.

Deposit. Under the Spanish terms the damage deposit follows the car group: €950 for small and mini cars, €1,400 for compact and intermediate cars, and €2,000 for full-size and premium groups. With Relax it becomes €300, and with Super Relax there is none. Separately, Goldcar takes a fuel deposit equal to the value of a full tank, which comes back once the fuel level has been checked at return.

Card. Goldcar accepts Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards in the name of the main driver. On a credit card the deposit is blocked; on a debit card it is charged and refunded after the rental. Prepaid cards, gift cards, Maestro, American Express, Diners Club, Postepay and cash are not accepted. A block on a credit card lasts at most 30 working days from the start of the rental, and a deposit charged to a debit card is refunded within 15 days of the return.

Fuel. For petrol and diesel cars, the Spanish terms use the Classic Return System: you return the car with the same fuel level it had at pickup, and Goldcar’s help centre says cars are handed over full. At the desk you can add the Smart Return service, which lets you bring the car back without a minimum fuel level; the service covers the refuelling and you pay for the fuel Goldcar puts in. Goldcar notes that conditions can vary by rental office, so open the terms for your own pickup location.

Green Motion

Packages. Green Motion sells the same car in four packages. Basic comes with a higher deposit and fixed terms: it is non-refundable and cannot be changed. Plus+ lowers both the deposit and the excess and allows changes and cancellation under the terms. Premium adds unlimited mileage and requires a credit card. Premium Plus has zero excess, a low deposit, unlimited mileage, free extras such as an additional driver, GPS or a baby seat (subject to availability), and free cancellation up to 48 hours before the rental.

Deposit. Green Motion’s FAQ puts the typical deposit between £150 and £1,500, depending on the car type, the age and driving experience of the driver, and the excess level you agreed. Your voucher states the amount for your booking. Most deposits are released within 5 to 14 days of the return.

Card. The deposit needs a valid credit card in the main driver’s name. The FAQ explains that a deposit cannot be secured on a debit card, that debit and prepaid cards are in most cases not accepted for it, and that cash is not accepted for either the rental or the deposit. Visa debit cards are typically accepted to pay for the rental itself.

Fuel. Green Motion works with a Like for Like policy: the tank should hold the same amount of fuel at return as at pickup. Green Motion suggests a photo of the fuel gauge before you leave the station, and the rule printed on your confirmation is the one that applies to your booking.

OK Mobility

Rates and covers. Booked directly, OK Mobility has four rates: Lite, Standard, Smart and Premium. The FAQ states that Smart and Lite are non-refundable, and the conditions let you cancel Standard and Premium free of charge until pickup. On top of the rate you can add OK Premium Cover, which removes the excess for most car groups, the wider OK Super Premium Cover, or OK Limited Cover, which partly reduces the excess.

Deposit. The amount blocked at pickup depends on the car group and is made of two parts: the excess and a separate deposit. Without extra cover both parts are blocked; with OK Premium Cover, only the deposit part remains for most groups. Our OK Mobility deposit guide lists the amount for every group. According to the FAQ, it takes 14 to 31 days for the amount to come back, depending on your bank.

Card. OK Mobility asks for a credit card in the main driver’s name, and the excess can only be blocked on a credit card; the conditions specify a physical card. Payments can be made by credit or debit card. If you only have a debit card, the FAQ says to choose OK Premium Cover or OK Premium International.

Fuel. Depending on the rate, the policy is Full/Full, where you collect the car full and return it full, or Full/Refund, where you pay for a full tank at pickup and the fuel left at return is refunded minus a management fee.

Sicily by Car

Packages. Sicily by Car’s rates include a reduced liability for damage and theft and, unless stated otherwise, unlimited mileage. Four optional clauses go further. Car Protection Plus removes your liability for bodywork damage and for theft or fire. Pai Plus covers glass, tyres, underbody and roof and adds personal accident insurance. Super Gold Protection combines a wider damage and theft waiver, including mechanical parts, vandalism and keys, with personal accident insurance. Road Assistance Plus covers the tow truck fee after a breakdown or accident. Each clause has exclusions and regional exceptions, which are set out in the terms.

Deposit. For standard car groups, the deposit is the rental cost (if you did not prepay online) plus €200. With Car Protection Plus or Super Gold Protection, the fixed part is €100.

Card. The deposit is a pre-authorisation on a physical credit card in the main driver’s name: American Express, Visa or Mastercard. Digital cards, cash and cheques are not accepted. The rental itself can be paid with a credit, debit or prepaid card. Without a credit card, certain car groups can still be rented with a debit or prepaid card, including Visa Debit, Mastercard Debit, Maestro, V Pay, PagoBANCOMAT, UnionPay and JCB, as long as you take the Debit Package, which includes Car Protection Plus, Pai Plus and Road Assistance Plus. On that route the card needs a chip and PIN and must show an IBAN (or you provide one), a deposit of €300 or €500 is charged depending on the car group, and it is paid back within 6 working days of the return.

Fuel. The standard rule is Full to Full: the car leaves with the gauge at 8/8 and should come back full. At the desk, when the contract is drawn up, you can choose the Prepaid Fuel Option instead, which allows you to return the car with less fuel.

Deposit, card and fuel side by side

Company	Deposit with the basic rate	Deposit with the company’s own cover	Debit or prepaid card for the deposit	Fuel rule
Goldcar (Spain)	€950 to €2,000, by car group	€300 with Relax, none with Super Relax	Debit yes (charged, then refunded); prepaid no	Same level as at pickup, plus a refundable fuel deposit
Green Motion	£150 to £1,500, set per booking	Lower with Plus+ and Premium, low with Premium Plus	Credit card needed; debit and prepaid in most cases no	Like for Like
OK Mobility (Spain)	Excess plus deposit, by car group	Deposit part only for most groups, with OK Premium Cover	Debit only with OK Premium Cover or OK Premium International	Full/Full or Full/Refund, by rate
Sicily by Car (Italy)	Rental cost plus €200	Rental cost plus €100	Debit and prepaid only with the Debit Package, for certain groups	Full to Full, or the Prepaid Fuel Option

For Sicily by Car, the rental cost is only part of the deposit when you have not prepaid online. All amounts apply to standard passenger cars under the terms named above.

How to compare them for your own trip

A fair comparison puts the same things next to each other:

• The same car group and the same dates at every company you consider.
• A similar level of cover. A basic rate at one company and a full package at another are two different products.
• The deposit for that package, checked against the card you will carry. With a credit card, make sure the limit covers the hold. Without one, look at the debit routes above: Goldcar in Spain, OK Mobility with its cover, or Sicily by Car with the Debit Package.
• The fuel rule on your voucher, and how much fuel to put in before you return the car.

A separate excess policy from another insurer is a different route from the packages above: the rental company still holds the deposit for your car group without its own cover, and any damage costs are claimed back under that policy’s terms. If you book through a broker such as Vrooem, read the conditions shown before you pay, because they are part of your booking. You can compare the suppliers that serve your airport side by side on Vrooem. Driving in Spain or Italy? Our guides to renting a car in Spain and renting a car in Italy cover the local rules, and the fuel policy guide explains the fuel rules used across the industry.

Free eSIM with every Vrooem rental

Whichever company you end up with, you will want mobile data from the moment you land: to call the station or wait for its shuttle, to open your voucher at the desk and to find your way out of an unfamiliar airport. That is why every rental booked through Vrooem comes with a free eSIM with mobile data, so you are connected on arrival without hunting for airport WiFi or a local SIM card.

Frequently asked questions

Which budget car rental company is the best?

There is no single answer. It depends on which companies serve your airport, which package you want and which card you travel with. Compare the same car group with a similar level of cover at each company, and look at the deposit and fuel rule that come with it.

Do budget car rental companies accept debit cards?

Each company has its own rule. Goldcar’s Spanish terms accept Visa and Mastercard debit cards and charge the deposit instead of blocking it. Green Motion needs a credit card for the deposit, although a Visa debit card is typically accepted to pay for the rental. OK Mobility blocks the excess on a credit card and asks debit card holders to take OK Premium Cover or OK Premium International. Sicily by Car accepts debit cards for certain car groups through its Debit Package.

Can I use a prepaid card?

Of the four, only Sicily by Car names prepaid cards for the deposit, and only through the Debit Package for certain car groups. Goldcar’s Spanish terms exclude prepaid cards, Green Motion says they are in most cases not accepted, and OK Mobility asks for a credit card in the main driver’s name.

How do I get a lower deposit?

By booking the company’s own package or cover: Relax or Super Relax at Goldcar, Plus+, Premium or Premium Plus at Green Motion, OK Premium Cover at OK Mobility, and Car Protection Plus or Super Gold Protection at Sicily by Car. A policy from another insurer does not change the amount the rental company holds.

How long does it take to get the deposit back?

Goldcar: at most 30 working days from the start of the rental on a credit card, and within 15 days of the return on a debit card. Green Motion: usually 5 to 14 days after the return. OK Mobility: 14 to 31 days, depending on your bank. Sicily by Car on the debit route: within 6 working days of the return.

What fuel policy do these companies use?

Goldcar in Spain: return the car with the same level as at pickup, with a refundable fuel deposit. Green Motion: Like for Like. OK Mobility: Full/Full or Full/Refund, depending on the rate. Sicily by Car: Full to Full, with an optional Prepaid Fuel Option at the desk. The fuel policy guide explains each type.

Do I get internet with my rental car?

If you book through Vrooem, yes. Every rental includes a free eSIM with mobile data, so you are online for maps and calls from the moment you arrive.

Where can I compare these suppliers?

On Vrooem, where the suppliers available at your airport appear side by side for your dates.

Sources

Checked on 2 October 2026: Goldcar terms and conditions (rental terms for Spain, September 2026 edition), Goldcar help centre articles on the deposit, coverage and rates, Europcar Mobility Group, Green Motion packages, the Green Motion FAQ, collecting your Green Motion car, Green Motion locations, the OK Mobility FAQ, the OK Mobility corporate site, Sicily by Car terms and conditions, the Sicily by Car general rental information and the Sicily by Car debit card terms. Checked on 30 September 2026: the OK Mobility general conditions for Spain excluding the Canary Islands, version of 11 August 2025.