SimplyExcess: car hire excess cover from £4.99 a day or £31.99 a year

Shopping at SimplyExcess? See all current SimplyExcess discount codes and deals, checked regularly.

SimplyExcess sells car hire excess insurance to UK residents. When you hire a car, the rental company can charge you an excess of well over £2,000 if it's damaged or stolen, and the cover sold at the rental desk to reduce that can cost a lot for a short trip. A standalone excess policy works differently: if the rental company charges you for covered damage, you pay it and then claim the money back. SimplyExcess policies reimburse up to £10,000 and include tyres, windscreens, wheels, headlights, the roof and the undercarriage.

It suits anyone hiring a car on holiday or for a UK trip, and especially people who hire several times a year, since the annual policies cover unlimited rentals. Prices are fixed and listed in full on its prices page, so there's no quote form to fill in. The site says SimplyExcess is a Which? Best Buy for car hire excess insurance in 2026.

What's worth a look

Here are six SimplyExcess policies, from single trips to a year's worldwide cover.

Annual UK & IrelandUnlimited UK and Ireland rentals for a year£31.99View at SimplyExcess Annual EuropeUnlimited European rentals for a year£35.99View at SimplyExcess European WeekawaySeven days' cover for one rental in Europe£16.99View at SimplyExcess Annual AmericasA year of rentals in the Americas and Caribbean£41.99View at SimplyExcess Annual VoyagerA year worldwide, excluding the Americas£43.99View at SimplyExcess Annual GlobalA year of rentals worldwide, Americas included£45.99View at SimplyExcess

The maths is simple. A European Daysaway policy is £5.49 a day, so a one-week trip costs more than the European Weekaway at £16.99. And if you hire a car twice or more in a year, the Annual Europe policy at £35.99 will usually beat buying single trips. Europe cover includes Morocco and Tunisia.

Pick the region carefully. Voyager covers worldwide excluding the Americas, while Global adds North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. Some countries are excluded from all policies, including any with UK government travel warnings, so check the list on the cover page before you buy.

Two things these policies don't do: they don't replace the Collision Damage Waiver or third-party liability cover included in (or sold with) your rental, and they don't cover vans. They also apply only to UK residents. Claims are made online after you've paid the rental company, so keep your rental agreement, the damage report and your card statement together.

Current offers

• 10% off single-trip excess cover (Daysaway and Weekaway) when you hire an electric or hybrid car.
• Annual Europe car hire excess cover for £35.99, covering unlimited rentals for a year.

How to save more

• Count your hires. Two week-long trips in Europe on Weekaway policies cost £33.98, close to the £35.99 annual policy, which also covers any extra weekend hires.
• Add a partner to an annual policy for £20.00 rather than buying a second policy.
• Book an EV or hybrid on single trips to get the 10% discount.

Products, prices and offers checked on the store's own website on 6 Nov 2026. Prices and stock can change.

Ad: affiliate links. If you buy through links in this article we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. SimplyExcess didn't pay for this article or check it before we published it. How we make money.