Paid twice for car hire cover: how do you get money back for double insurance?

The booking site sold you full cover. At the desk you were told it did not count, and you left with a second policy on your credit card. Back home, you find you paid twice to protect yourself against the same excess. Whether you can get money back depends on two questions: which product you bought where, and whether you chose the desk cover or were made to buy it. This article walks through both, and what to send to whom.

What does double insurance on a rental car mean?

In most cases it means you have two products that cover the same excess. The first is cover from a broker, a comparison site or a standalone insurer, bought with the booking or separately. Which? describes how this works: the basic insurance in a European rental carries an excess, and with excess reimbursement insurance you pay up to that limit if the car is damaged, then claim the money back from your policy.

The second is the rental company's own product, sold at the desk under names like super cover or zero excess. It lowers or removes the excess with the rental company directly. ECC Malta points out the practical difference: if you buy the rental company's additional insurance, you will not have to leave a substantial amount on your credit card, and you are covered according to that company's terms. With platform insurance, the company can charge you and you then request a refund from the platform's insurer.

So the two products overlap, but they are not identical. That is why desk staff can truthfully say your broker cover does not change what they charge you, and why it can still be a waste to buy their cover on top. Our article on CDW, excess and super cover explains the layers in more detail.

Were you made to buy the desk cover?

This is the first question, because it decides who you ask. The Swedish Consumer Agency, Konsumentverket, says insurance is normally an optional extra when you rent a car, and that if a company made you buy cover as a condition for handing over the car, although the terms did not require it, you can ask for a refund of that cost. It advises contacting the company in writing and keeping all documentation.

Signs that the cover was not really optional: you were told the car would not be released without it, you were told your prepaid booking was unpaid, or a card that met the published conditions was refused until you bought the product. Write down what was said, by whom and at what time, as soon as you can. Our article on extra insurance at the rental desk shows what the desk may and may not require.

Did you choose the desk cover yourself?

Then the rental company has less reason to refund it, because you agreed to a product and received it. The more likely route is the other policy. Ask the broker or insurer whether its policy can be cancelled or refunded for that rental, since you no longer needed it. Cancellation terms differ per policy, so read them first.

A case reported by Mallorca Magazin on 19 October 2026 shows how this can work. A renter at Palma airport had booked full cover through a broker and says he was pressed into buying two add-on products at the desk for €282.38. On 15 October, the broker agreed in writing and refunded its own insurance, citing the double insurance that arose at the desk. That was one broker's decision in one case, not a rule, but it shows that asking is worth it.

What should you send with a refund request?

A short, factual message works better than a long complaint. Include:

• the rental contract showing the desk product and its price;
• the card receipt or statement line for that payment;
• your broker voucher or policy schedule;
• a few sentences on what you were told at the desk, with the date and time;
• what you ask for: a refund of a named amount, by a date.

The Austrian European Consumer Centre advised in its June 2026 press release to check that the insurance on your booking voucher matches what is in the rental contract. If it does not, mention the difference, because it helps show where the double cover came from. The sample letters give you a structure, and the deadline calculator helps you set a reply date and keep track of your card issuer's chargeback window.

Where can you go if nobody refunds?

If the rental company or the broker is in another EU country, Iceland or Norway, your national European Consumer Centre can advise you and sometimes mediate for free. When a broker is involved, it matters who sold you what, so read who to complain to when you booked through a broker first. If the desk charge was forced on you and paid by credit card, ask your issuer whether a chargeback is possible, and do it quickly.

How do you avoid paying twice next time?

Decide before you travel which cover you want and accept the deposit that comes with it. Which? found in 2024 that a week of desk super cover in Malaga cost an average of £177, against £38 for excess insurance from a broker and £23 bought directly from an insurer, and advises declining the desk's cover if you already have your own. The excess calculator helps you compare the cost and the deposit for your own trip. If you do end up paying an excess with broker cover, our guide on claiming your excess back shows what insurers ask for.