Glossary of Rental Car Terms

Below is a glossary of terms that are commonly used on the Kemwel site. The definition for these terms will assist in understanding what is involved with your car rental from Kemwel. If you have any questions that are not answered in the glossary, you can visit our FAQs page, or feel free to contact us for assistance.

A

Airport Surcharge
This surcharge is for picking up your rental car at the airport. The surcharge is assessed either as a flat fee or as a percentage of the rental charges. The fee varies depending on the pick up country and the rental car supplier.

B

Basic Rate/ Inclusive Rate
Kemwel offers two different types of car rental rates. The Basic rate will include the public liability and fire insurance (you would have to use your credit card in order to cover the CDW and Theft). The Inclusive rate includes public liability, fire insurance, CDW and Theft Protection. Be sure to check your voucher or ask a reservation agent for the deductible amount on the CDW and Theft if taking the Inclusive rate.

C

CDW (Collision Damage Waiver)
CDW is a provision in car rental contracts in which the renter is charged an extra fee for coverage and in turn the rental company agrees to waive its right to recoup losses due to damage that has been caused to the vehicle. Most policies come with a non-waiverable deductible that the renter is responsible for if damage is done to the rental vehicle. Often times the deductible amount can be lowered by purchasing Super CDW or zero excess insurance at time of pick up. Many major US and Canadian credit cards will cover this insurance for 30 days and 45 days, respectively. Please be sure to check with your credit card company to make sure they cover CDW. CDW is also known as LDW (Loss Damage Waiver).

Child Seat
Most European countries require children under a certain age to use a child seat. Child seats can be reserved in advance. The proper child seat will be given at time of pickup, depending on the age and/or weight of the child. Equipment supplied by the rental car supplier will incur a local charge and the equipment is on request until confirmation is received from the supplier.

Covered Hatch
Rather then an enclosed trunk, some of the smaller rental vehicles have a hatchback luggage compartment with a board or shade that covers the luggage when the hatch is closed. A covered hatch is normally found in economy and compact vehicles.

D

Delivery/Collection
Some car rental companies offer a delivery or collection service to port offices or hotels. Delivery and collections will incur an extra fee above the rental cost. The fee is normally based on the distance from the rental location. Deliveries and collections are considered to be on request until the supplier confirms.

Driver Profile Form
This form is used when special arrangements are made with the rental car supplier for a hotel delivery or out of hours pickup. The driver profile form will expedite the check out process as much as possible. The form will provide most of the information required to check out a rental vehicle. Here is where you can find the Driver Profile Form.

Drop Box
Most major rental locations have an out of hours drop box, which allows the renter to return their vehicle when an office is closed. If you should require the use of a drop box at the end of your rental, please advise your reservation agent or the rental counter before you pick up your rental car, so you may be properly advised of the process.

E

EU (European Union)
The European Union is an institutional framework of 25 countries that were brought together over the last ten years to further economic and political communication for the European nations. Most of these countries now use the Euro as their local currency.

F

Full Prepay
Kemwel requires a full prepayment in order to confirm the rental vehicle with the supplier. All local taxes and surcharges are paid directly to the supplier at the end of your rental. There is no fee to cancel a reservation provided that you contact Kemwel three days prior to your date of pick up. 

A fee of $75 USD will occur with any cancellations within three days. If you fail to notify Kemwel of your cancellation and are considered a 'no show,' the cancellation fee is 100% of the rental.

G

Grace Period
Car rentals are based on 24 hour periods, in which the rental supplier will normally allow a grace period after the 24 hours are up to return the vehicle, without being charged an extra day. Most rental companies will allow a grace period of 30 minutes to 1 hour. Be sure to check with the rental car supplier upon pick up, as it does vary by company.

I

IDL (International Driving License)
A translation booklet that is carried with your government issued drivers license when driving outside of the US. It is intended for the foreign officials to be able to read your actual state issued drivers license. IDL's are typically translated into French, Spanish, English, Italian, Russian, Arabic, German, Chinese, Japanese, and Portuguese. Some countries do require that you present an IDL at time of pick up, in order to check out the rental vehicle. The cost of an IDL is usually around $20 USD and can be purchased at your local AAA office.

L

Licensee Location
A location subcontracted by a franchise to another business that is allows them to use the franchise name. These locations are normally in smaller towns and operated with minimal staff.

Liability Insurance
Insurance that covers the renter for damage or bodily harm to persons and/or property outside of the rental vehicle. In the case of driver negligence, liability insurances are rendered void.

N

No Show Fee
If you fail to notify Kemwel of your cancellation and are considered a 'no show,' the cancellation fee is 100% of the rental.

O

On Request
Special services such as hotel deliveries or last minute rentals are considered on request until confirmation has been received by the rental supplier. A credit card it necessary to make the request for special services or last minute rentals, but it is not charged until everything is confirmed. All vehicles for pick up within 48 hours are considered a last minute rental.

One Way Rentals
When a rental car is returned to a location different from its origin, it is considered a one way rental. There are two types of one way rentals: domestic one ways are within the same country and international one ways is when the vehicle is returned to a different country. Domestic one ways are generally free of charge, if a fee applies for a domestic one way, you will be advised. International one ways almost always incur a fee. There are also restrictions on what type of vehicles are allowed on one ways. If you are booking a one way rental, you will be advised if it is allowed and if a fee applies.

P

PAI (Personal Accident Insurance)
Insurance that covers the driver and passengers while in the rental vehicle in the event of bodily harm to themselves. This insurance can be purchased at time of pick up from the rental car supplier. The cost of the insurance and the amount of coverage varies by supplier.

PEC (Personal Effects Coverage)
In the event that personal belongings are stolen or destroyed in the rental vehicle, PEC will cover up to a predetermined amount. This insurance can be purchased at time of pick up from the rental car supplier, in most cases PAI must be purchased first. The cost of the insurance and amount of coverage varies by supplier.

R

Rental Agreement
In order to check out the rental vehicle, the rental agreement must be signed. It is a contract that is typically in both English and the local language of the pick up country. This contract deals with requisites such as car type, rental period, and insurance coverage, etc. Please be advised that your Kemwel voucher is not a rental agreement.

Rental Period
The period of time in which you are responsible for the rental vehicle. Rental periods are based on 24 hour increments from the time of check out. In most cases, Kemwel has a 3 day minimum rental period. There is often no difference in price for 5, 6 and 7 day rental periods.

Road Tax / Vehicle License Fee
When registering vehicles in Europe, a tax is charged in an effort to raise money for restoration and maintenance of roads in that country. Suppliers are also taxed a fee to license the vehicle to others. These taxes are then charged to the renters of the vehicle in order to recoup the fees already paid on the rental vehicle.

Roadside Assistance
In the event that your rental vehicle were to become un-drivable during your rental, the supplier will provide you with roadside assistance for breakdown and towing. The phone number for the roadside assistance is usually on the contract, keychain or in the glove box.

S

Security Deposit
At time of pick up, the rental car supplier will block an amount of money on your credit card. This amount is in correlation to the deductible on the insurance, local fees, gas and key deposit. Provided the vehicle is returned with no damage, full tank of gas and with the keys, at that time any local fees will be charged and the remainder of the block is released back to your credit card.

Short Term Lease
Short term lease or "buyback program" is a tax exempt program that provides you with a factory new Peugeot and includes unlimited mileage, non-deductible fully comprehensive insurance. In order to qualify for a short term Peugeot lease, you must live outside the EU and carry a US passport. To learn more, visit our Peugeot lease page.

SIPP Codes
(Standard Interline Passenger Procedures)
The travel industry standard for coding the type of car type that is being rented. SIPP codes are made up of four letters which depict the size, type, transmission and a/c. Below is breakdown of SIPP codes:

Supplier
The company that a consolidator such as Kemwel works with to provide you with your car rental. Kemwel works with many major European car rental companies to provide you with the lowest price available.

T

Theft Protection
In the event that the rental vehicle is stolen, this insurance covers the renter. Just like CDW, theft protection will also come with a non-waiverable deductible. If your rental vehicle is stolen, a police report must be filled out within 24 hours of the theft and the car rental company must be notified. Many US credit cards will provide this insurance for European rentals, along with CDW. Please be sure to check with your credit card company to find out what kind of coverage you are provided.

Transfer
Transporting passengers from one location to another by means of a chauffeur. For more information on chauffeur services Kemwel offers, please visit our chauffeur and transfer pages.

U

Upgrade
When you pay for a certain class of vehicle and receive the next class vehicle at no extra cost. An example is if you were to pay for an economy car and you receive a compact for the same price. Kemwel will offer these special promotions from time to time. To see if any upgrade promotions are running at this time in your country of travel, please visit our specials page.

V

VAT (Value Added Tax)
The VAT in Europe varies from as low as 7.6% up to 25% depending on what your pick up country is. Value added tax is comparable to the different sales tax in the United States. The value added tax is included in the Kemwel rates.

Voucher
The Kemwel voucher shows that the rental has been paid in order to confirm your vehicle. There are two types of vouchers, the first is a Quotation Only Voucher. Once payment is made to confirm you will the receive a Confirmation Voucher, this voucher is to be presented to the rental car supplier at time of pick up. The Kemwel voucher is not a rental agreement which you will receive and sign upon checking out your rental. You can access your voucher by visiting our Voucher Lookup page.

W

Walk-In
This term is used when you are picking up at the airport or rail station, but you are not arriving by flight or train.