When a Rentcars reservation is canceled, the refund is processed within up to 5 calendar days after the request. The refund is issued using the same payment method used for the purchase (credit card), and the refunded amount depends on how far in advance the cancellation is made and whether the rental company’s rules have been followed. Fees may be retained in cases of late cancellation or no-show.
See below for more details about how the refund process works and other questions that may arise at this time.
How can I request a reservation cancellation and refund?
To start the process, you must first cancel your reservation. Detailed step-by-step instructions can be found in the article “How to cancel my reservation on Rentcars”.
After requesting the cancellation, you will receive a confirmation email. Once our team confirms the cancellation, the refund process will be automatically initiated.
Important: if you do not show up to pick up the vehicle (“no-show”) or fail to meet the rental requirements (such as minimum age or not having a physical credit card for the security deposit), amounts may be retained as described in your voucher. We always recommend checking that the reservation holder has a physical credit card with enough available limit for the security deposit hold at the rental company counter.
What are the timelines and refund methods for canceled reservations?
The standard timeframe for Rentcars to process a refund is up to 5 calendar days, but the availability of the funds depends on your financial institution and the refund method.
Payments made by credit card
For payments made by credit card, the amount will be refunded to the same card used when making the reservation.
The refund will be processed in a single transaction. However, if the purchase was made in installments, the original installments may continue to appear on your statement, offset by the total credited amount.
Additionally, in cases involving older transactions, some credit card providers require the refund to be processed via bank transfer. In this case, the amount will be refunded to the original payment account or to the bank account provided at the time of cancellation. After the information is provided, the refund will be processed within up to 5 days.
What amount will be refunded after canceling the reservation?
The refund amount depends on how far in advance the cancellation is made in relation to the vehicle pick-up date. The earlier the cancellation is requested, the greater the chances of receiving a full refund of the reservation amount.
In general, cancellations are free of charge if made before the vehicle pick-up date and time. However, some rental companies may charge fees for cancellations made less than 48 hours before pick-up.
This timeframe may vary depending on:
the rental company’s policy;
the type of reservation;
and the conditions stated in the confirmation voucher.
Cancellations made after the scheduled pick-up time may result in partial or full retention of the amounts paid. Always check the conditions described in your reservation voucher.
Reservations with RentalCover have specific cancellation and retention rules. Please also refer to the article about RentalCover.
Is it possible to request a refund for unused rental days?
International rental companies normally do not provide refunds for unused rental days.
Exceptionally, some companies may review refund requests in specific situations, such as illness or death, upon presentation of valid supporting documents, such as a medical certificate or death certificate.
Before submitting your request, we recommend reviewing the terms of the rental agreement and the conditions applicable to your reservation.
What happens when a reservation change results in a refund?
If the reservation change results in a reduction of the total amount, the difference will be refunded using the same payment method used for the original reservation within up to 5 calendar days after the change is confirmed.
In some cases, reservations fully paid with Cashback will have the balance returned to the Digital Wallet.
For more details about reservation changes, please also refer to the article: “Why did the rate change when I tried to modify my reservation?”
What if I do not show up to pick up the vehicle? Will I receive a refund?
If you do not show up to pick up the vehicle on the reserved date and time (“no-show”), a fee of 20% of the total reservation amount may be charged or, in some cases, the full amount paid may be retained. This policy varies according to each rental company’s rules and the conditions established at the time of booking.
The fees and conditions for no-shows are detailed in the reservation confirmation voucher. We recommend reviewing this document carefully to understand the terms applicable to your rental.
In case of problems with the refund
How can I track the refund status?
To track your refund, first confirm that the reservation appears as canceled under “My Reservations”. You can also look for the cancellation confirmation email sent shortly after the cancellation request. If you have these confirmations, you can be sure that the refund is being processed.
After the cancellation is confirmed, the credit card refund or PIX transfer will be processed within up to 5 calendar days.
Attention! Depending on the credit card provider, the refund may only appear on your next billing statement.
The refunded amount does not match the total amount paid. Why?
Make sure your reservation was canceled in advance. In some cases, fees may apply according to the cancellation policies described in the reservation’s Terms and Conditions.
If the cancellation was made after the vehicle pick-up date and time, due to failure to meet the rental requirements (such as missing documents) or failure to appear for vehicle pick-up (“no-show”), among other reasons, cancellation fees may be charged.
I could not identify the refunded amount in my account. What should I do?
First, check whether you received the cancellation confirmation email or whether the reservation appears as canceled in your account under the “My Reservations” section on the website.
If the reservation has already been canceled and the refund is not processed within 5 days, contact the credit card provider or financial institution responsible for the payment. Depending on the provider, the amount may only be credited on your next credit card statement.
How can I request proof of refund?
If you need proof of refund for your reservation, contact our customer support team to submit the request.
The timeframe for sending the proof may be 7 business days or more, depending on the credit card provider or financial institution. As soon as it becomes available, the proof will be sent directly to the email address registered with your reservation.
What to do in case of delayed refunds?
First, to confirm whether your refund is actually delayed, follow these steps:
Retain copies of your booking and cancellation vouchers and monitor email for updates. Check your email for the cancellation confirmation message, or log in to your account and check under “My Bookings”. If the cancellation has not been confirmed, the refund process will not have started yet;
Check the refund timeframe provided in the reservation cancellation email. The amount will be processed within the period indicated by Rentcars.
If the cancellation was requested after the vehicle pickup deadline, you will need to wait for confirmation from the rental company that the reservation was not actually used. Only after this confirmation will the refund process begin;
Check with your bank whether the refund amount has been credited, or if it was credited but is temporarily held.
If, after following these steps, the refund is still not completed within 5 calendar days and you have already received the cancellation confirmation by email, please contact our customer service center.