Check the driver and payment requirements before you arrive.
AutoReisen accepts qualifying credit and bank debit cards and says it requires neither a cash deposit nor credit-card preauthorisation. Before comparing a rental price, check that the main driver meets the minimum age and licence rules and can present an accepted card. These are separate requirements in AutoReisen’s rental terms.
Its included Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), Theft Protection (TP) and third-party cover (TI) have zero excess, but the policy still lists exclusions. Read those alongside the driver, collection and fuel conditions before booking. A reservation price alone does not tell you what happens if a tyre is damaged or a key is lost.
Who AutoReisen suits and what to check first
AutoReisen’s terms require every driver to be at least 23, to hold a driving licence valid in Spain and to have held that licence for at least two years when requesting the booking. If anyone in your party falls outside those rules, a cheaper quote is not a usable choice. Check each intended driver before you spend time comparing vehicle groups or extras.
Then choose the vehicle category around the journeys and luggage you actually expect. A compact car for a couple travelling lightly and a larger group carrying several cases have different space needs. AutoReisen says the reserved model is indicative and may be replaced with a similar vehicle in the same category, so compare categories rather than relying on one pictured model.
Check eligibility before comparing prices
If your licence was issued outside Spain, AutoReisen’s hire requirements explain which licences it accepts and when a translation or international driving permit accompanies a national licence. Check your particular document against those rules. The minimum age, licence validity and two-year holding period are three different checks; satisfying one does not replace the others.
Payment cards and named drivers
The person named on the contract, the reservation holder and the main driver must be the same person. AutoReisen accepts major credit cards and bank debit cards issued by financial institutions; it excludes prepaid cards. Its terms also require the card presented at collection to belong to its holder and be valid. Arrange the booking and payment details around the person who will drive first.
AutoReisen states that it does not require a cash deposit or credit-card preauthorisation. That makes the deposit question easier to compare, but it does not mean every card will work or that damage outside the cover is free. Take the qualifying card to the office, keep the reservation confirmation accessible and check the payment terms attached to your actual booking.
Adding another driver
An additional driver does not replace the named main driver. AutoReisen applies the same age and licence requirements to additional drivers and says only drivers authorised in the contract may drive. Its current terms include a second driver in the reservation price, while later additions can incur a charge and cannot be amended once the contract is signed. List the drivers you need before collection.
Insurance and exclusions
The reservation price includes CDW, TP and TI with zero excess, according to AutoReisen. Read this as cover for the stated risks, subject to the rental contract. The same terms separately exclude damage to tyres and wheels, loss or breakage of keys, wrong fuel, off-road driving and certain other situations. Zero excess for the included cover does not remove those exclusions.
Before accepting the car, inspect it and tell the office about any fault absent from the contract, as AutoReisen instructs. Keep the contract and any agreed condition record. The terms make the customer responsible for returning the car in the required condition; they also describe how incidents and damage are handled. If a particular risk matters to you, identify its treatment in the cover wording before paying.
Optional protection and extras
AutoReisen lists Comfort Plus Super Insurance as an optional supplement covering items such as lost keys, tyre and wheel damage, wrong fuel and accidental battery discharge. It is distinct from the included zero-excess CDW, TP and TI. Compare the supplement’s actual price and scope in your reservation rather than assuming that the standard cover includes those exclusions. Other extras should be checked separately.
Airport pickup, fuel and return
AutoReisen says the car is delivered and returned at the office, dates and times stated in the confirmed reservation. Use that confirmation to find your exact airport collection point; do not rely on a generic map pin or another traveller’s old directions. Collection is during office opening hours. Bring the driver documents and payment card, inspect the vehicle before leaving, and report any unrecorded fault to the office.
The fuel rule is to return the car with the same amount of fuel it had at collection. A lower level means paying the difference; returning extra fuel does not bring a refund for that excess. Note the starting level and plan a suitable refill before the return. Fuel is a separate cost and condition from the card and insurance terms.
Note the starting fuel level so you can return the car with the same amount.
If you return outside office hours
AutoReisen allows a return outside normal office hours under the procedure stated during booking, but collection is limited to opening hours. Check the return office, time, access and key instructions in your own confirmation. Follow that procedure rather than assuming there is a universal key box. The terms say responsibility for the car can continue until AutoReisen registers its receipt if it is not returned as instructed.
Compare AutoReisen on the same booking conditions
For a useful comparison with another Tenerife rental company, use the same dates, airport, vehicle category and drivers. Put the accepted payment card, deposit or preauthorisation, included cover, exclusions, fuel rule and return arrangements on separate lines. AutoReisen’s no-deposit and zero-excess statements answer only part of that comparison. Check each other provider’s own terms rather than transferring AutoReisen’s conditions to it.
A lower displayed price may still leave a cost or requirement that matters to your trip. For example, a traveller with only a prepaid card cannot treat an AutoReisen quote as workable under its present terms, regardless of the displayed price. Someone planning an early return should check the specific return procedure. Compare like-for-like confirmed offers before deciding which option suits you.
For a nearby rental-company guide, read Pluscar’s Tenerife rental conditions. Its payment and cover terms need their own check.
Before you reserve
Check the exact dates and offices, vehicle category, all named drivers, licence validity, payment card, included cover, optional protection, fuel rule and cancellation terms. Keep the confirmed reservation where you can retrieve it at the airport. If a condition is important but absent from your confirmation, ask AutoReisen before collection and retain its reply.
Frequently asked questions
Does AutoReisen accept debit cards?
Yes. AutoReisen says it accepts bank debit cards issued by financial institutions as well as major credit cards, but not prepaid cards. The card must be valid and belong to the person presenting it. Check the card and main-driver details against your reservation before arriving at the office.
Who can be the main driver?
The main driver must also be the reservation holder and the person named on the contract. AutoReisen requires that driver to be at least 23 and to have held a licence valid in Spain for at least two years. Additional drivers must meet the same eligibility rules and be authorised in the contract.
What does the insurance exclude?
AutoReisen’s standard cover excludes, among other things, tyre and wheel damage, lost or broken keys, wrong fuel and off-road driving. The included CDW, TP and TI have zero excess for their stated cover; this does not erase the exclusions. Read the full insurance conditions for the booking you intend to make.
Before you book or set out
Choose AutoReisen only after matching your driver and bank card to its conditions and checking how the excluded risks affect you. Confirm the collection office and time, record the car’s condition and starting fuel, and retain the return instructions. If you are still deciding whether a rental car makes sense for the trip, see when a car is useful in Tenerife.
