ReduceMyExcess vs the hire desk, Questor and iCarhireinsurance: excess cover compared
Car hire excess cover from £2.15 a day, up to £10,000 of reimbursement and tyres and windscreen included. Here's how ReduceMyExcess compares with the hire desk, Questor and iCarhireinsurance.
50% of our commission goes to .Change
Pick a charity and we'll give them 50% of our commission.
Pick up a hire car and there's a good chance you'll be offered an extra product at the desk to reduce your excess, the amount you'd pay towards any damage. The alternative is a standalone car hire excess insurance policy, bought before you travel, which pays you back if the hire company charges your excess.
ReduceMyExcess is one of the UK providers selling that kind of cover. We've compared it with buying the hire company's own excess reduction, using Enterprise as an example, and with two other UK specialists, Questor Insurance and iCarhireinsurance. Every detail comes from each company's own website, and prices were checked on 27 October 2026. This is a comparison of what each provider's pages say, not advice on what to buy: always read the policy wording before you buy.
At a glance
- From £2.15 a day for single-trip car hire excess cover, and from £2.87 a day for van hire.
- Up to £10,000 of excess reimbursement on car and van policies.
- Extras included as standard: tyres, windscreen and undercarriage, plus set limits for misfuelling, towing, keys, personal possessions and more.
- UK hires included on every single-trip policy, with up to eight additional named drivers.
- The trade-off: it works by reimbursement, so if the hire company charges your excess, you pay it first and claim it back.
How they compare
| ReduceMyExcess | Questor | iCarhireinsurance | Hire desk (Enterprise UK) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Car excess cover | Up to £10,000 | Up to £10,000 | Up to £7,500 | Excess of £1,750-£2,250 reduced to £100-£250 |
| Advertised price | From £2.15 a day | Quote needed | Europe from £3.49 a day (10+ days); annual from £41.99 | Price not shown on its costs page |
| Van hire excess cover | Up to £10,000, trips up to 30 days | Up to £2,500, first £200 not covered, trips up to 14 days | Van hire cover offered | See hire company terms |
| Car value limit | £65,000 | £100,000 | £100,000 | Not applicable |
| Key cover | £500 | £750 | Not listed on homepage | See hire company terms |
| Underwriter | AIG | Fortegra Europe | Sold by Cover-More Insurance Services | Hire company product |
A fraction of a typical desk price
ReduceMyExcess says a typical hire company charges £21.36 a day to reduce the damage excess to zero. That's based on prices it collected from six leading rental companies' own websites on 12 February 2026, for a 40-year-old UK resident hiring a compact car from Madrid Airport for 14 days. Its own cover starts from £2.15 a day, and it puts the average saving on that trip at £255.
By our own sums, for a seven-day hire, £21.36 a day comes to £149.52, while ReduceMyExcess's starting price of £2.15 a day comes to £15.05. The price you're quoted will depend on your age, where you're going and the cover you choose, so treat these as a guide.
Enterprise's UK costs page explains that its standard excess is £1,750-£2,250 depending on the vehicle, and that its Excess Protection reduces this to £100-£250. It doesn't show the daily price on that page.
Higher limits on van hire
ReduceMyExcess's van policy reimburses up to £10,000 of excess for one or more back-to-back van hires of up to 30 days. Questor's van hire cover reimburses up to £2,500, doesn't cover the first £200 of a claim and covers single hires of up to 14 days. If you're moving house or hiring a larger van, that difference in limits is worth looking at closely.
ReduceMyExcess's van cover doesn't extend to business use, including carrying goods for work, and only covers hires in the UK.
Plenty included as standard
Every ReduceMyExcess policy includes tyres, windscreen and undercarriage, parts that Questor and iCarhireinsurance both say hire companies often exclude. It also lists £1,000 for misfuelling, £1,000 for towing, £1,000 for road rage and carjacking, £500 for keys and lockout, £300 for personal possessions, £300 for curtailment, £300 for drop-off charges, and loss of use.
Single-trip policies can last up to 180 days and include UK hires as standard. Annual policies cover unlimited hires in a year, with UK cover as an optional add-on. ReduceMyExcess says it has been named a Which? Best Buy three years running. It's a trading name of Eversure Limited, which is based in Guildford, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and has been trading since 2008.
Where the others have the edge
- No claim to make: with the hire desk's own product, your excess is reduced up front with the hire company, so there's nothing to claim back afterwards. Enterprise's Excess Protection lowers the excess rather than removing it entirely.
- Pricier cars: Questor and iCarhireinsurance cover cars worth up to £100,000. ReduceMyExcess's limit is £65,000.
- More cover options: Questor offers £750 key cover, a collision damage waiver add-on up to £75,000 and business hire on single-trip policies. iCarhireinsurance offers collision damage waiver cover up to £100,000 on its USA and Canada and Worldwide Plus policies.
- Simpler cancellation: Questor gives a full refund if you cancel before the policy starts. ReduceMyExcess refunds the premium less an administration fee, and charges £10 to cancel an annual policy after the 14-day cooling-off period.
Which should you choose?
That depends on your trip, and the policy wording matters more than the headline price. ReduceMyExcess may be worth a quote if you hire cars in the UK or Europe, want a £10,000 limit with extras such as tyres and windscreen included, or are hiring a van in the UK.
Questor may be worth comparing if you're hiring a car worth more than £65,000, need business hire cover or want a collision damage waiver add-on. iCarhireinsurance may suit annual cover with longer continuous hires, as its annual policies cover 65 days. The hire desk may suit you if you'd rather deal with one company and not make a claim afterwards.
FAQs
Does the hire company need to see my ReduceMyExcess policy?
No. ReduceMyExcess says the hire company doesn't need to see your certificate of insurance.
Who can buy ReduceMyExcess cover?
UK residents. Drivers must be aged 21 to 84. ReduceMyExcess points EU residents to its sister brand, Cover4Rentals.
What isn't covered?
Exclusions on ReduceMyExcess's car cover include vehicles with more than nine seats, cars over 10 years old, off-road driving and damage to third parties or their property. Read the full policy documents before buying.
Ways to save at ReduceMyExcess
Single-trip car hire excess cover starts from £2.15 a day, and van hire excess cover from £2.87 a day. You'll find every current offer on our ReduceMyExcess voucher codes page.
Sources: ReduceMyExcess, ReduceMyExcess single trip, ReduceMyExcess annual, ReduceMyExcess van hire, ReduceMyExcess FAQs, Questor car hire excess, Questor van hire excess, iCarhireinsurance, Enterprise hire costs explained
Ad: affiliate links. The codes and deals below link to the stores, and we may earn a commission if you buy, at no cost to you. How we make money.
Codes & deals for this story
ReduceMyExcessRepresentative cost for a 30-day policy. Not for business use. Exclusions and eligibility apply.
Representative from-price; your price depends on trip length, destination and cover. Exclusions and eligibility apply.
The Thursday email
Every Thursday: the best codes from the brands you shop at. After you sign up, pick your brands and whether you want codes, hot deals, free delivery or student offers. No spam, unsubscribe in one click.
Keep reading
Artificial Christmas trees compared: Dunelm vs B&Q and M&S, from £20 for a 6ft tree
A 6ft artificial tree costs from £20 at Dunelm and B&Q, and M&S's pre-lit trees start at £30. We've compared 16 trees across the three, whether pre-lit is worth it, and how artificial stacks up against real.
Mike Dodd
Team RH vs Fiit, Peloton App and LES MILLS+: price, features and kit compared
A year of food tracking, coach support and workouts for £79.99, plus its own scales and walking pads. Here's how Team RH compares with Fiit, Peloton and LES MILLS+, and where they have the edge.
Mike Dodd
Heated airer vs dehumidifier vs tumble dryer: the cheapest way to dry washing this winter
An average heat pump tumble dryer costs about 35p a load to run on Which?'s figures, the same as six hours on Dunelm's £35 heated airer. We've compared airers, dehumidifiers and dryers before new dryer rules start in January.
Mike Dodd