Car Insurance & Deposit
This page explains how insurance and the security deposit usually work when you rent a car in Morocco through McRental. Each rental agency sets its own cover, excess (franchise), and deposit. Always read the listing and confirm details in in-app chat before pickup. McRental is not the insurer and does not hold your deposit.
Three things that are easy to mix up
- Insurance — the policy on the car. It can pay for some claims, but it almost always has limits, exclusions, and an excess you still pay.
- Excess (franchise) — the amount that stays your responsibility after an eligible claim. It is often close to the deposit, but it is not the same thing.
- Security deposit (caution) — money held (or paid) at pickup as a guarantee. The agency can use it for new damage, missing fuel, fines, lost keys, or days the car cannot be rented while it is repaired.
Insurance can reduce what you owe. It does not automatically mean the deposit comes back in full if there is damage.
Common insurance types in Morocco
Moroccan motor insurance is regulated (ACAPS). Names on a rental contract may mix French terms and English abbreviations. Ask the agency which formula is included for that car.
1. Third-party liability — RC (responsabilité civile)
This is the legal minimum in Morocco. Every vehicle on public roads must have RC. It covers injury and damage you cause to other people, other cars, and property. It does not repair the rental car you are driving.
2. Collision / extended third-party (tierce collision, tierce étendue)
Agencies often add collision damage cover (sometimes called CDW). It can limit how much you pay if the rental car is damaged in a collision. You still pay up to the excess. Extended formulas may add theft, fire, or glass — only if the contract says so. Standard collision cover usually does not include tires, rims, underbody, interior, or off-road use.
3. Comprehensive — tous risques (“all risks”)
Tous risques is the broadest common formula. It can cover more damage to the rental car, including accidents where you are at fault or no other driver is identified. It is still not a promise of a full deposit refund. An excess usually remains. Many policies still exclude or limit tires, wheels, windshield, undercarriage, roof, keys, wrong fuel, driving under influence, or use on unpaved tracks.
How the deposit is used
Most agencies take a refundable deposit at pickup — often a hold on a credit card. Amounts commonly range from about 3,000 to 10,000 MAD for economy cars, and more for SUVs or premium cars. The exact amount should appear in the booking or agency terms.
If you return the car on time, with the agreed fuel, and without new damage beyond the pickup record, the deposit should be released according to the agency’s process (your bank may take extra days). If there is a problem, the deposit may be used for:
- New damage, up to the excess or the real repair cost (whichever the contract allows).
- Missing fuel or accessories.
- Traffic fines or tolls billed after return.
- Lost rental days while the car is in a garage for repair — even when insurance will later pay for parts of the bodywork.
Online McRental payments (pay part or pay full) are separate from the agency deposit. Cancellation refunds follow our Return & Refund Policy. The deposit is handled only by the agency.
Why “all risks” does not guarantee a full deposit refund
If the car is damaged, insurance may cover part of the repair. The agency can still keep some or all of the deposit until the file is closed. Typical reasons:
- The excess stays your cost. Insurance often starts only above that amount.
- Damage on an excluded part (tires, glass, underbody, interior) is charged to you even with tous risques.
- While the car is off the road being repaired, the agency may lose booking days. Many contracts let them charge those immobilization days from the deposit. Insurance on the vehicle does not always repay the agency for lost rental income — that cost can remain with the renter.
- Insurers may need a police report, photos, and time. The deposit can stay blocked until the claim is assessed.
Example: a parking scrape that needs two days in a workshop. Bodywork might be partly covered, but you can still lose the excess plus two days of the car’s rental rate from the deposit, if the rental agreement allows it.
Practical tips before you drive
- Ask in chat: what insurance is included, the exact excess, what is excluded, the deposit amount, and whether garage downtime can be charged.
- Photograph and video the car at pickup and return (body, wheels, glass, underbody if visible, interior). Note existing marks on the contract.
- Some agencies offer a paid excess-reduction (super CDW / rachat de franchise). It can lower the deposit, but exclusions and downtime rules may still apply — get it in writing.
- Stick to paved roads unless the contract allows tracks. Atlas, desert, and rural routes often have unmarked speed bumps and gravel that damage underbody and tires.
- After an accident or theft, contact the agency immediately. A police report (constat / rapport de police) is often required for the claim. Do not leave the scene when the law requires you to stay.
- Never leave your passport as a deposit. Keep originals with you.
Need help?
If an agency asks for extra charges not shown in your booking, or you disagree about damage, message the agency in the app and contact McRental Support with photos and the booking ID.