Deposit, mileage and fees
by company
The charges that decide what a rental actually costs.
The daily rate is the easy number. These are the ones that catch people out — what is held on your card, how many kilometres are included, and what a company adds when it pays your Salik or your fine. Every figure here links back to the company page it was read from.
The daily rate is the easy number. The ones that decide what you actually pay are the deposit held on your card, the kilometres included, what each kilometre over that costs, and the fee added to Salik and to traffic fines when the company pays them on your behalf.
10 of 13 companies in this directory publish any of it, and only those are listed below. Every figure was read from that company's own pages and links back to where it was found. TripReview sets none of these charges and estimates none of them — a blank cell means that company has not published that particular term.
What the rental costs
The deposit held against your card, the kilometres the rate includes, and what each company adds when it pays your tolls and fines for you.
| Company | Depositheld on your card | Mileagekm per day | Extra kmeach km over | Salikat cost, or plus a fee | Finesadmin fee added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Key Rent Car LLC13 of 14 terms published | "An amount of 1500 AED serves as a refundable security deposit", returned to the same card within 21 working days. Left blank on some vehicles.gkcarrental.ae | "Mileage Limits: Daily: 250 kilometers"gkcarrental.ae | "Extra Kilometers: AED 3" on the vehicle checked; their monthly page quotes "from 7 AED/km". Set per vehicle.gkcarrental.ae | "Salik (Toll Gates): 5 AED" — the gate price itself, billed at cost with no admin fee published.gkcarrental.ae | "an extra AED 20 fee for each fines". A flat fee, not a percentage.gkcarrental.ae |
| Thrifty Car Rental12 of 14 terms published | AED 1,000–5,000 held on a credit card, by vehicle. AED 10,000 for the Range Rover.thriftyuae.com | Not published | AED 0.25–1.00 per extra kilometre, by model.thriftyuae.com | Salik and DARB charged at the actual toll plus a 25% administration fee, plus VAT.thriftyuae.com | Traffic fines charged at the actual fine plus a 10% administration fee, plus VAT.thriftyuae.com |
| Speedy Machine Car Rental9 of 14 terms published | "A refundable security deposit of 1000-1500 AED is required at the time of rental" — though their home page banner reads "No Deposit Required - T&Cs apply".speedymachine.ae | "Rentals include 250 kilometers per day."speedymachine.ae | "Excess mileage is charged at 5 AED per kilometer."speedymachine.ae | Tolls are passed to the renter. No toll-specific fee is published — their AED 20 fee is worded as applying to "violations or fines".speedymachine.ae | "An administrative fee of 20 AED applies for processing violations or fines." A flat fee, not a percentage.speedymachine.ae |
| X Car Rental9 of 14 terms published | No amount published. Selected cars can be rented with no deposit for "an additional daily fee ranging from AED 40 to AED 100 per day"; sports cars and supercars always require one.xcarrental.com | "The Hirer is allowed to drive 350 km per day"xcarrental.com | "above that we will charge 0.5 AED per km"xcarrental.com | "Salik will be charged at AED 5/- per crossing." The gate itself is AED 4 or 6.xcarrental.com | "A service charge of AED 10/- will be levied on each fines/penalty". A flat fee, not a percentage.xcarrental.com |
| Afamia Car Rentals8 of 14 terms published | Their listings read "Security Deposit: No" and the site banner "No Deposit · No Credit Card Required", while their terms say a refundable deposit "may be required depending on the vehicle", released within about 30 days. No amount is published.afamiacars.com | 250 km a day on the listing checked. Set per vehicle.afamiacars.com | Set per vehicle and shown on each listing — AED 2/km on the Audi A6, AED 10/km on the Range Rover Sport.afamiacars.com | Salik and fines are billed at the end of the rental and may come out of the deposit. No admin fee is published.afamiacars.com | Not published |
| Superior Car Rental6 of 14 terms published | No cash deposit. A credit-card hold is confirmed, with its release timing, before booking.superiorrental.ae | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Explore Car Rental4 of 14 terms published | Not published | "Most cars have either 250 to 300 KM allowed per day, varying from car to car."explorecarsrental.com | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Uptown Rent a Car3 of 14 terms published | "Your deposit type, amount and method of payment will vary by agreement type." No amount published.uptowndxb.com | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| VIP Rent A Car2 of 14 terms published | Not published | 250 km a day, stated on the company's own vehicle cards.vipcarrental.ae | Not published | Not published | Not published |
What it costs when something changes
The charges that only appear once a plan does — an accident, a cancellation, a second driver, or a car brought to your hotel. Collected 27 September 2026.
| Company | Excessyour share of a repair | Cancellationnotice, and what returns | Second driverwhat it costs to add one | Deliveryto you, and the charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Key Rent Car LLC13 of 14 terms published | Collision Damage Waiver covers bodywork and carries what they call an "excess claim amount" — the most the renter contributes towards repairs. Gears and transmission are excluded. The amount is not published.gkcarrental.ae | "Consumers won't be entitled to any refund in the case when they return the car earlier or do not spend all of the rental days that have been paid for."gkcarrental.ae | Not published | Standard delivery covers locations inside Dubai city limits; other emirates may be possible on request and cost extra. Charges depend on the location and are given during the reservation, with more for deliveries outside business hours.gkcarrental.ae |
| Thrifty Car Rental12 of 14 terms published | Basic insurance is included in the rate; with no added cover the hirer pays the full insurance excess, and buying Super Collision Damage Waiver waives that liability. The excess amount itself is not published. A licence held at least 6 months is required to buy SCDW, and a police report is required or the full repair is charged.thriftyuae.com | Prepaid bookings: free to cancel 24 hours or more before pick-up, AED 105 inside 24 hours. Changing a booking is free 24 hours out and AED 52.50 inside it. Refunds go back to the original card within 30 calendar days. Once a daily or weekly rental has started there is no refund for unused days.thriftyuae.com | "A second driver may be added at an extra cost." The passport copy and driving licence of the second driver are required. No figure is published.thriftyuae.com | "Delivery and collection services may be provided upon request, and will be charged accordingly." No figure is published.thriftyuae.com |
| Superior Car Rental6 of 14 terms published | "Tire and rim damage is not covered by basic insurance or CDW coverage." Even with CDW, a hirer found at fault pays the daily rental charge for every day the car is in repair. No excess amount is published.superiorrental.ae | "In case of cancellations, we do not offer refunds and we do not charge a cancellation fee. However, the amount paid is kept as a credit note valid for up to 1 year from the date of cancellation."superiorrental.ae | Listed among the optional extras as "additional driver options". No figure is published.superiorrental.ae | "Complimentary delivery to your hotel, residence, or airport terminal", including the DXB terminal.superiorrental.ae |
| Al Emad Car Rental — Marina4 of 14 terms published | "In case of any accident if hirer is at fault AED 1,500 to 3500 max liability depends on car category", and a police report is mandatory. If the vehicle is written off the hirer pays a further 20% of its purchase price.al-emadcars.com | A reservation is treated as a no-show once that day's operating hours have finished. No cancellation fee is published.al-emadcars.com | "Hirer will be charged AED 100 for each additional driver."al-emadcars.com | Not published |
| Explore Car Rental4 of 14 terms published | "In the case where the driver (customer) is deemed at fault, an excess claim applies, as per the insurance policy." No amount is published.explorecarsrental.com | Not published | Not published | "Any deliveries or pickups outside of Dubai is subject to fees (depending on the location)." Airport handovers take place in the car park, as RTA rules require. No figure is published.explorecarsrental.com |
| VIP Rent A Car2 of 14 terms published | Not published | Not published | Not published | "Doorstep Delivery Is Available", with what the company describes as quick delivery and free collection. No figure is published.vipcarrental.ae |
Terms change. Each figure links to the page it was read from, with the date it was read — check there before you book, and tell us if one is out of date. Companies that publish none of these terms are not listed: 3 of 13.
What these charges mean
Why are some companies missing from this table?
Because they publish none of these terms on their own sites, so there would be nothing to put in the row. That is worth knowing in itself: a company that will not say what it holds on your card until you are at the counter has told you something. A company appears here as soon as it publishes any one of these terms.
What is an administration fee on a fine or a toll?
When you go through a Salik gate or pick up a fine in a rental car, the company is billed and passes it to you. Many add a percentage on top for doing so. It is charged after the car is back, which is why people are surprised by it. Where a company publishes that percentage, it is in the table.
Is the deposit the same as the rental cost?
No. It is held on your credit card and released after you return the car, usually within a few weeks. It still has to be available on your card at pick-up, so it matters as much as the rate if your limit is tight.
Does TripReview set or check these charges?
No. We read them from each company's own pages, link to where we found them and record the date. We do not negotiate rates, take bookings or add any fee of our own.
A figure here is wrong or out of date. What now?
Tell us and we will re-read the source and correct it. Companies can also publish their own terms through their TripReview dashboard, which is the fastest way to keep a row accurate.