Market report · Barcelona Airport · deposits
Barcelona Airport car hire deposits: what each supplier holds on your card
The deposit is blocked on the main driver's credit card for the whole rental. At Barcelona Airport it is typically €500, and it varies far more between suppliers than the price does.
Measured 57 searches How we measure
What the numbers say about Barcelona Airport
- Deposits here run from €100 (Malco Rent a Car) to €1,800 (Autounion) - about 18 times apart, far wider than the prices.
- Here the cheapest week (Malco Rent a Car, about €229) also holds a deposit at or below the typical €500 - no trade-off at the top of the list.
- Rated 8.65 and holding €100: Malco Rent a Car is the well-rated, lower-deposit choice here, at about €229 a week with a second driver.
- Unusually, 47% of cars here accept a debit card for the deposit.
Every supplier, lowest deposit first
| Supplier | Deposit held | Rating | A week, 2nd driver incl. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malco Rent a Car | €100 | 8.65 | €229 |
| OK Mobility | €150 | 7.19 | €428 |
| Goldcar Zero Excess | €200 | 7.75 | €449 |
| Alquicoche | €200 | 8.25 | €527 |
| Record go | €550 | 7.72 | €378 |
| NIZACARS | €625 | 6.87 | €431 |
| Keddy | €650 | 6.57 | €330 |
| Drivalia | €650 | 6.36 | €445 |
| SIXT | €708 | 8.63 | €555 |
| Routes Car Rental | €1,100 | 7.78 | €948 |
| Thrifty | €1,500 | 8.86 | €292 |
| Autounion | €1,800 | 8.56 | €301 |
Typical figures across our week-long searches; ratings are DiscoverCars customer reviews.
How deposits split at Barcelona Airport
- Low deposit: 34% of offers
- Average deposit: 27% of offers
- Deposit-free option available: 15% of offers
- No deposit: 10% of offers
- High deposit: 7% of offers
- Low deposit option available: 7% of offers
Barcelona Airport against other airports
Typical deposit: €500 here, against €200 at Bodrum Airport (lowest we measure) and €2,000 at Dublin Airport (highest).
What people get wrong about deposits
- It must be a credit card in the main driver's name - 47% of cars here take a debit card for it.
- Full cover bought when you book does not remove it: the desk still holds the deposit (DiscoverCars' own terms).
- A separate excess policy does not lower it either - it pays you back after a claim.
- It is released after you return the car, usually within days to a few weeks, depending on your bank.
Only low-deposit cars
Search Barcelona Airport and tap "Low deposit": cars with a low or no deposit, ranked by the total you pay.
More on Barcelona Airport: the full market report · prices by month · the deposits guide. We earn a commission when you book through DiscoverCars; it never changes the order.