Car Rental Deposit in Georgia: Amounts and Refunds

A security deposit is not part of the rental price. It is a hold that the rental company keeps in case of damage, unpaid fines, or other charges. Most companies refund it right after you return the car or within a few days, but terms vary widely, and so do the amounts — from nothing at all to several hundred dollars.

What a Deposit Actually Is

A deposit is a guarantee for the rental company, not a fee you pay for using the car. The amount is either blocked on a card or handed over in cash when you pick up the vehicle, and once you return the car the hold is released or the cash is handed back. While it's held, the deposit isn't spent and doesn't go toward the rental: it's a separate sum sitting on top of the rental price.

The reasoning is straightforward: a company is handing a car to a stranger for several days, and the deposit covers risks that aren't always obvious right away — a small scratch, a flat tire, or a parking fine that shows up a couple of weeks after the renter has already left the country.

Typical Deposit Amounts in Georgia

There's no single standard rate; the amount depends on the company and the car class.

Local Georgian rental companies most often ask for $100–230, with the exact figure depending on the car class.
International airport chains (Hertz, Avis, Europcar, and similar) tend to charge more, $500–800, and only accept a credit card for the hold.
Through aggregators you can find cars with a deposit of $0 to $300, sometimes with no deposit at all — this is listed on the individual car's page.

The pattern is simple: the bigger and better-known the company, the higher the deposit and the stricter the rules, while smaller local operators charge less but sometimes spell the terms out less clearly. It's worth confirming the deposit separately before booking, since it isn't always included in the headline rental price. On MY.DRIVE, the deposit amount is shown right on the car listing at the selection stage, with no need to message the rental company separately.

How the Deposit Is Collected: Card or Cash

There are two ways it works. The first is a hold on a bank card: no money actually leaves your account, but the amount is temporarily unavailable until the company releases it after inspecting the car. The second is cash, handed over at pickup and returned at drop-off if there are no issues.

Local Georgian companies more often accept both options, card and cash, while international airport chains are stricter: they only accept a credit card for the hold, and you can't block the amount with cash or a debit card. Russian Mir cards are not currently accepted in Georgia. If you don't have a Visa or Mastercard issued by a foreign bank, it's worth checking with the rental company in advance how else you can put down the deposit.

How the Deposit Gets Refunded

This is where practices differ the most, and it's the main thing worth understanding in advance.

If you paid in cash, the money is usually handed back on the spot, once staff inspect the car and confirm there's no damage and the fuel tank is filled to the same level as at pickup. If the deposit was a hold on a card, releasing it takes longer, usually anywhere from a few days to two or three weeks, depending on your bank and how quickly the rental company processes the release on their end.

One important point: if the trip went smoothly but the money hasn't reappeared on your card after two to three weeks, contact the rental company directly rather than your bank — the delay is usually on the company's side, not the payment system's.

When Money Gets Withheld From the Deposit

You won't get the full amount back in two cases: damage and fines.

Damage. Cars are inspected at pickup and again at return, often photographed or logged on a condition report. Hiding a chip in the bumper or a scratch won't work, since inspections are usually thorough enough to catch even minor marks. If something happens during the rental, it's better to tell the company right away rather than wait for them to find it at drop-off — it makes the conversation easier and often reduces what gets withheld, especially if the car is insured.

Fines. Some fines in Georgia, such as illegal parking or a speed camera ticket, don't arrive immediately but a week or two after the trip. The rental company is notified as the car's registered owner and deducts the fine from the deposit, even after the renter has already flown home. Before returning the car, it's worth asking the company whether there's a way to find out about fines in advance, since some companies check the database before releasing the deposit.

Insurance Is Almost Always Included, Use It

Nearly every rental car in Georgia is insured; that's standard practice across the market. Insurance doesn't replace the deposit, but it reduces the amount ultimately withheld for damage: it's often a fixed excess rather than the full repair cost. It's worth confirming the excess amount before your trip, not at the moment you return the car.

If you're unsure whether to tell the company about a scratch or a minor bump, it's better to say so. Hiding damage is almost impossible, cars are inspected carefully, and if the fact comes out after the customer stayed quiet, negotiating compensation through insurance will be harder than if it had been reported right away.

Quick Checklist to Avoid Losing Your Deposit

Photograph the car from every angle at pickup, including small scratches and the state of the interior.
Ask the rental company about the insurance excess and exactly what it covers.
Return the car with the same fuel level you received it with — a common reason for withheld deposits.
If something happens on the road, tell the company right away, not when you return the car.
Keep your correspondence and rental agreement; they'll come in handy if the refund is delayed.
Confirm in advance how the deposit is collected, card or cash, so you're not looking for a solution at the last minute.

If you're planning trips outside Tbilisi, renting a car remains the most predictable way to reach places where taxis or marshrutkas run rarely or cost a lot — which is exactly why it's worth understanding a specific company's deposit terms in advance rather than sorting them out after the fact.

Worth Knowing

A car rental deposit in Georgia is a temporary hold, not part of the trip cost. Amounts differ widely between companies, from nothing to $800. Cash is returned right after the inspection, while a card hold is released within one to three weeks. Money gets withheld for damage and unpaid fines, so photograph the car at pickup and report anything that happens right away rather than staying quiet and hoping it goes unnoticed.