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Compare car hireThis summary is for illustrative purposes only and may not apply to all reservations. We try our best to keep it up to date and relevant, but we can't guarantee that it is accurate or error-free. If you have questions regarding a specific rental, please contact our customer care team.
Budget New Zealand accepts the following credit cards for payment:
American Express
Diners Club
Mastercard
Visa
Budget accepts any debit card which:
is issued by a bank or financial institution; and
displays the Mastercard or Visa logo; and
has the driver’s name and card number displayed on the card.
Budget does not accept:
Prepaid and reloadable debit cards
Gift cards
Travel cards
EFTPOS cards
Electronic and contactless payments — a physical credit or debit card must be presented
Cash
Budget New Zealand may levy additional fees for the following. Note that further additional charges are outlined in the Rental Agreement.
Young driver fees.
Additional driver: Each additional driver will attract a charge of $5.75 per day per driver, with a maximum of $28.75 per driver per rental.
Late return: $46.00 for each additional day or part thereof.
Roadside callout fee: Determined by callout type, the minimum charge is $235.75.
Professional cleaning: Service charge of $28.75 in addition to the cleaning cost.
Toll and parking charges, and traffic fines.
Refuelling fee.
Electric vehicle recharge fee: Returned with less than a 10% charge: $69.00, and between 10% and 77%: $34.50.
Premium location fee.
Minimum rental charge.
Per day loss of revenue fee.
Replacement battery if battery of an electric vehicle is exhausted.
Costs related to any theft, loss and/or damage costs related to the rental vehicle.
Rental extension.
One-way rentals: Associated fee will be displayed in the Rental Agreement or set at $2.30 per kilometre.
Any relevant administration charges and fees.
The primary driver can add additional drivers to the rental agreement, subject to the following conditions:
They must meet the same licence requirements as the primary driver.
If an additional driver is under the age of 25, they may attract an additional driver fee.
An additional driver fee may be applied to each additional driver at the rate of $5.75 per day per additional driver, with a maximum of $28.75 per additional driver per rental.
Budget may not apply an additional driver fee for:
The primary driver’s spouse.
The primary driver’s employer or fellow employee if it is disclosed to Budget that the vehicle is rented for business purposes and under a corporate agreement.
The minimum age to rent a car from Budget New Zealand is 21. A young driver surcharge may apply for drivers below the age of 25.
A credit card surcharge will be applied as a percentage of the total transaction charged to the credit card as follows:
American Express: 3.1%
Mastercard: 2.2%
Visa: 2.2%
If the rental vehicle is involved in an accident or otherwise damaged, it is important to follow these steps:
Do not panic.
Notify Budget New Zealand as soon as is practical, the contact details can be found in the Rental Agreement.
If it is safe to do so, take photos of the accident site and all vehicles involved.
It is essential that the procedure for accidents as outlined in the Rental Agreement is followed. If this procedure is not followed, the renter may be financially liable to compensate Budget New Zealand for any loss and/or damage.
The primary driver and any additional drivers must:
Hold a valid and current licence appropriate for the vehicle they have rented.
Have held their licence for at least 12 months prior to the date the vehicle rental.
If their licence is not in English, they must possess an International Driving Permit (IDP) or an official translation of their licence (if applicable), along with their original licence. An IDP alone is not a valid driving document.
They must be able to present a physical (plastic) licence.
Chinese licences are acceptable if accompanied by a full English translation from an approved translator.
Digital Drivers Licences (DDLs) issued by a Verification Authority in an Eligible Country may be accepted by the Budget as a valid form of identification for all purposes in which physical drivers licenses are currently accepted, provided that they meet Budget’s security and authenticity requirements issued by the issuing Verification Authority. Budget may reject or accept any DDL that does not meet, at its sole discretion, the requirements set out in this policy.
A photo of a physical drivers licence is not regarded as a valid DDL under Budget’s policy, and all digital licences will be checked live at the time of rental — a screenshot or photo of the licence is not acceptable.
The following are not acceptable licences for renting a vehicle from Budget New Zealand:
Restricted licence.
Leaner’s licence.
Provisional licence.
Probationary licence.
Pink licence.
Australian digital driver licence.
Driving on snow in a Budget rental vehicle is prohibited unless:
Appropriate driving equipment (such as snow chains), obtained from Budget New Zealand, is used; and
It is otherwise reasonably safe and responsible to drive on snow given the circumstances and weather conditions.
Prohibited uses of vehicles rented from Budget New Zealand include (though are not limited to):
Driving on unsealed roads, beaches, fire trails, sand, or on snow (see “Driving in snow”), through streams, rivers, or flood waters.
Using the vehicle for any illegal purpose.
Using the vehicle to carry more passengers than it is licensed to carry.
Driving the vehicle while having a blood alcohol or drug content in excess of the legal limit in New Zealand.
Using the vehicle to carry paying customers.
Using the vehicle while it is damaged or unsafe.
Smoking in the vehicle.
A full list of prohibited uses can be found in the Rental Agreement.
Electric vehicles cannot be driven through an automatic car wash.
Electric vehicles cannot be driven using the “automatic driver” function.
Pets or animals are not permitted in any Budget vehicle, with the exception of assistance and guide dogs for individuals who are visually or hearing impaired or who require assistance dogs for emotional or other forms of support.
Only the type of fuel specified in the vehicle manual must be used.
Vehicles are supplied fully fueled (or charged) and are expected to be returned in the same state, unless a prepaid fuel option (where available) is selected.
If an electric vehicle is returned with a charge level below 77% a recharge fee may be applied.
If the vehicle has a limited mileage condition, there may be an additional charge (generally per kilometre) if the vehicle is driven in excess of that limit. See the Rental Agreement for more information.
If you are considered a local renter by Budget in New Zealand, specific identification and payment conditions will apply to your rental.
You are classified as a local renter if you live within 50km of the rental location.
If you are a local renter, you must provide valid identification and complete a verification process before your rental can proceed.
Security Deposit: A refundable security deposit is required.
Required documentation for identity and address verification: You must provide:
Additional verification: Budget may also require:
The excess is the most the renter will pay towards repairs for damages to the vehicle’s bodywork, where the repairs are covered by the rental provider’s basic insurance. This basic insurance often doesn’t cover damage to other parts of the vehicle including (though not limited to (overhead, underbody, interior, windows, and wheels) nor additional charges related to misfuelling, loss of use, key loss, towing, roadside assistance, child seats, GPS devices, and personal belongings. The renter may be charged the full costs for repair of these expenses. The Budget New Zealand excess amount varies between $5,350 and $6,150 according to a variety of factors including the vehicle type, with the exact amount contained in the Rental Agreement.
Excess reduction can be purchased at the rental provider collection desk, or, before the commencement of the rental, throughVroomVroomVroom from Prosura.
As outlined in the Rental Agreement, the vehicle renter must return the vehicle according to the following conditions:
to the agreed upon location.
at the agreed time and date.
in the same condition it was collected in.
with the expected level of fuel or electric charge.
If roadside assistance coverage has not been arranged, the renter may be charged in the event of requiring roadside assistance. Common callout situations include (though are not limited to):
Emergency refuelling.
Tyre damage (unless Windscreen and Tyre Protection or other coverage such as Prosura has been purchased).
Electric vehicle battery recharge.
Lost keys, or keys locked in the vehicle.
Flat battery due to lights or other vehicle equipment being left on.
Note that if roadside assistance is required due to inherent mechanical issues with the rental vehicle, there will be no charge for the roadside assistance.
If paying by credit or debit card, a security hold on $200 ($400 for commercial vehicles) in addition to the total rental charges, will be charged to the nominated card. The card holder will not have access to the security deposit funds until billing is finalised upon the completion of the rental vehicle booking. It may take the renter’s financial institution 7-10 days to release the funds held by the security deposit.
Remember - this summary was prepared for illustrative purposes only - always refer to the rental provider's full rental agreement and terms and conditions for up-to-date and complete details.