Surprice car rental reviews: deposit, insurance and pickup

Surprice Car Rentals is a franchise-based rental brand with its densest network in Greece and branches in Portugal, Croatia, Cyprus, Italy, Spain and beyond. Anyone reading Surprice car rental reviews usually wants four answers: is the company real, how large is the deposit, which card will the desk accept, and where is the car after landing. This guide gives the official Surprice rules for each, country by country.

Our sources are Surprice’s own website, the “Full rental terms” on its official booking site and the pickup instructions Surprice supplies with its cars, all read on 30 September 2026. Local franchisees run each region, so where rules differ, we name the country.

Is Surprice car rental legit?

Yes. Surprice Car Rentals grows through master franchisees: local rental firms that operate the Surprice branches in their region using the brand’s guidelines, booking system and support team. The counters on the Surprice homepage show 46 countries, 143 cities, 350 pickup points and more than 500,000 customers.

Greece is the heartland, with branches in Athens, Thessaloniki, Crete (Heraklion, Chania, Rethymno and Agios Nikolaos), Rhodes, Corfu, Mykonos, Santorini and Zakynthos. The official destination list also includes Malta, Montenegro, Albania, Iceland and the State of Florida.

Most travellers meet Surprice through a booking site: the brand says it is sold through online brokers and travel agencies worldwide. It offers 24/7 phone assistance and a customer care mailbox (customercare@surpricemobility.com), and it supports Floga, a Greek parents’ association for children with cancer, as its charity partner.

What travellers value about Surprice

When a Surprice rental goes well, reviewers tend to describe it in much the same words:

• Friendly, personal service at the branch.
• A quick handover at pickup and return.
• Staff who wait when a flight lands late, which counts at island airports with evening arrivals.
• Good value for money, which matches Surprice’s own emphasis on affordable rates.

SMART, FLEX and ULTRA: the Surprice rate options

Surprice’s official booking site sells each car under several rate options. On 30 September 2026 we saw:

• SMART: maximum savings for fixed plans. Non-refundable, with the standard deposit. We only saw it at Greek airports.
• FLEX: free modifications and flexible cancellation, with the standard deposit, which equals the excess.
• ULTRA: zero excess and the minimum deposit.

The options differ in excess, deposit and flexibility, not in the car. On FLEX the deposit equals the excess of the car group, while ULTRA takes the excess to zero and lowers the deposit to the minimum. The exact amounts depend on the airport and the car, and your booking shows them before you pay.

Surprice deposit amount and refund

The deposit is a pre-authorisation on a card in the main driver’s name. On the standard rate it matches the excess, so it grows with the car group: small cars carry the lowest deposit and large cars and vans the highest. With a zero-excess option the deposit drops to a much lower amount. Your booking confirmation shows the exact figure for your car.

On the refund, the official terms for Greece, Portugal, Croatia and Tenerife agree: lifting the block can take 15 to 25 working days. Two more rules are easy to overlook:

• Card expiry: the card must stay valid after your return date, for at least one month in Greece, two months in Portugal, three months in Tenerife and six months in Croatia.
• Too little room on the card: the Greek and Croatian terms say that if the deposit cannot be blocked, extra cover at the desk may become compulsory.

Credit card or debit card: the rule per country

Whether you can rent without a credit card depends on where you pick up:

• Greece: the deposit is taken only on a Visa or Mastercard credit card. Debit, Amex, Maestro, cash and prepaid cards can pay for the rental itself (cash up to €500), not for the deposit.
• Portugal: the deposit goes on a Visa or Mastercard credit card through Stripe. Surprice asks customers, mainly from the Netherlands and Luxembourg, to carry their bank’s physical card reader, as the banking app is not enough. A debit card works only with the complete protection package bought at the counter.
• Croatia: a Visa or Mastercard credit card only.
• Tenerife South: debit Visa and Mastercard, Amex and Maestro are accepted for the deposit too.
• Larnaca: the official booking site listed no location policies on our check date, so follow the terms on your voucher.

Insurance and full insurance: what is included

In all four countries whose terms we read, a Surprice rental includes third-party liability plus a collision damage waiver (CDW) and theft protection, both with an excess. From there you can lower the excess:

• Greece: SCDW reduces it and FDW takes it to zero, though a deposit can still be held. A separate Extra Plus option covers tyres, glass and mirrors for a daily charge.
• Portugal: the counter offers SmartCover (lower excess), TopCover (zero excess plus tyres, locks and windows), EasySwap (a replacement car brought to you) and FDW.
• Croatia: SCDW and FDW are available. Under the basic CDW, tyre damage is charged at a minimum of €500, so the higher levels are worth comparing.
• Tenerife South: FDW brings the excess to zero; a deposit may still apply.

What people call Surprice full insurance is therefore FDW, or ULTRA when booked as a rate. The terms for Greece, Portugal and Croatia list tyres, rims, glass, clutch, interior, undercarriage and roof outside the standard waivers; Extra Plus (Greece) and TopCover (Portugal) add cover for tyres and glass. After an accident Greece requires a police report, and in Croatia FDW is not valid without one.

Surprice young driver fee and age limits

From the official terms:

	Greece (Heraklion)	Portugal (Lisbon)	Croatia (Split)	Tenerife South
Minimum age	20	21 (25 for some car groups)	18	18
Young driver fee	€10 per day under 23	€15 per day under 25, max €300	€10 per day under 23	€12 per day under 24
Senior driver fee	€10 per day from 73	€10 per day from 76, max €100	€10 per day from 66	€15 per day from 72
Maximum age	99	99	75	99

In Greece, drivers under 23 can only rent car groups A to D. The Greek and Portuguese terms also ask for a licence held for at least one year.

Surprice cancellation policy and changes

• SMART is non-refundable. FLEX includes free modifications and flexible cancellation; the exact deadline is in your booking terms.
• On non-refundable options, a no-show or last-minute cancellation is charged in full.
• In Greece, Croatia and Tenerife, you count as a no-show when you are over 4 hours late without phoning the branch. In Lisbon the car is held for 60 minutes, or 120 with your flight details.
• Early returns are not refunded. Returns get a 2-hour grace period in Greece, Croatia and Tenerife; in Greece, later than that counts as an extra day.

Fuel, ferries and borders by country

• Greece: same fuel level back, otherwise a €15 refuelling fee plus the missing fuel. No border crossings and no ferries from any Greek location. Mileage is unlimited; one-way between Heraklion and Chania costs €150.
• Portugal: full-to-full, so keep your last fuel receipt; electric cars go back with at least 70% charge or the level received. Every car has a Via Verde toll transponder: tolls are billed afterwards plus €2.15 per day, capped at €21.52. Spain is allowed on request for €10 a day (minimum €50, maximum €100).
• Croatia: same fuel level; EU and neighbouring countries on request for €70 per country, island ferries €40 per island. One-way from Split Airport to Dubrovnik Airport costs €250. Mileage is unlimited.
• Tenerife South: full-to-full; the other Canary Islands for a €100 fee; no one-way rentals. Mileage is unlimited.

Landing late? Out-of-hours pickups cost €30 in Greece, €40 in Portugal, €45 in Tenerife and €60 in Croatia.

Surprice airport pickup: where to meet the team

At most airports Surprice meets you just outside the terminal. From the official terms and Surprice’s pickup instructions:

• Athens: free shuttle bus. The representative waits outside the Arrivals Hall at Exit 5; the ride takes about 7 minutes.
• Heraklion: leave arrivals, cross the street and walk past the roundabout to the entrance of the parking area. The shuttle takes you to the office, less than 700 metres away.
• Chania: meet and greet in arrivals, then a shuttle to the AirGreece parking.
• Rhodes: a representative stands right outside arrivals gate 5 holding a sign with your name.
• Split: free shuttle. Follow the rent-a-car signs, cross the glass bridge and take the lift down to the rent-a-car area.
• Dubrovnik: walking distance. Leave by the main exit and turn left along the terminal to the next road; the office faces the petrol station.
• Lisbon: free shuttle from the AEROBUS stop outside Arrivals exit 4.
• Faro: walk roughly 150 metres to Car Park 4, then a shuttle of about 4 minutes.
• Larnaca: meet and greet on the departures floor at the SegaFredo coffee bar.
• Tenerife South and Alicante: meet and greet in row B6 of the public car park across the street (Tenerife) or near Starbucks on the departures floor (Alicante).

If the meeting point is unclear or your flight is late, ring the branch number on your voucher.

Before you fly and at the desk

A few habits help with any rental company, Surprice included:

1. Pack your physical passport or ID card and driving licence; the Greek and Portuguese terms do not accept digital copies. Non-EU customers, and licences in a non-Latin alphabet, need an International Driving Permit too; UK drivers need the photo card. Portugal also asks for a return ticket home.
2. Add your flight number to the booking.
3. Before driving off, make sure every mark is on the damage report, and photograph the tyres, wheels and windscreen.
4. Photograph the fuel gauge and mileage at pickup and at return.
5. At return, do the inspection together and keep the signed report.

Where you can book Surprice on Vrooem

On 30 September 2026, Surprice was available on Vrooem at 12 airports in six countries: Athens, Heraklion and Rhodes in Greece; Split and Dubrovnik in Croatia; Lisbon and Faro in Portugal; Larnaca in Cyprus; Alicante and Tenerife South in Spain; and Olbia and Milan Malpensa in Italy. Depending on your dates, Porto, Cagliari and Valencia can appear too.

Before you pay, Vrooem shows the Surprice options for your car: the basic rate with its excess, and at ten of those twelve airports a full cover option with zero excess and a lower deposit. In Split and Dubrovnik only the basic rate was listed on our check date, so extra cover there is arranged at the desk. Every booking on Vrooem also includes a free travel eSIM, handy for calling the branch on landing.

Our verdict

Surprice is an established franchise brand with a wide Greek network and a growing footprint across southern Europe, and its rate options let you choose how much excess to carry. What matters is local: the deposit card, its expiry, the fuel rule and whether ferries or borders are allowed. Settle those before you travel and a Surprice rental is simple to plan.

Surprice FAQ

Is Surprice a legitimate car rental company? Yes. Surprice Car Rentals is a franchise network whose homepage lists 46 countries and 350 pickup points.

How much is the Surprice deposit? On the standard rate it equals the excess of your car group, so it is higher for larger cars. With ULTRA or full cover it drops to a much lower amount. The exact figure is in your booking.

How long does the Surprice deposit refund take? The official terms say releasing the pre-authorisation can take 15 to 25 working days.

Can I rent a Surprice car with a debit card? In Tenerife South, yes. In Portugal only with the complete protection package bought at the counter. In Greece and Croatia a credit card is required for the deposit.

What does Surprice full insurance include? FDW, or the ULTRA rate, brings the excess to zero. Tyres, rims, glass, undercarriage and roof sit outside the standard waivers; Extra Plus in Greece and TopCover in Portugal add tyres and glass.

What is the Surprice young driver fee? €10 per day in Greece and Croatia (under 23), €12 in Tenerife (under 24) and €15 in Portugal (under 25, capped at €300).

What is the Surprice cancellation policy? SMART is non-refundable; FLEX includes free modifications and flexible cancellation. A no-show or last-minute cancellation on a non-refundable rate is charged in full.

Sources

Checked on 30 September 2026: Surprice homepage, About Surprice, Surprice car rental destinations, Surprice franchise network, Surprice contact details, the “Full rental terms” on the official Surprice booking site for Heraklion, Lisbon, Split, Tenerife South and Larnaca airports, and the pickup instructions Surprice supplies with its cars on Vrooem.