Sync gives you the option to protect yourself from claims by the host of the vehicle in case damages occur during your booking.

The possibility of damage cannot be ruled out, and it's natural for the host of the vehicle to want to be compensated if it happens. When you book, we give you the option to choose a protection plan through which we take on, partially or fully, your obligation to compensate the host.

The plans

Booking protection plans

During your booking, you'll see the available protection plans for the vehicle you've selected. The plans we typically offer are:

No protection: you pay no additional cost. In this case, if damage occurs to the vehicle, the host can request compensation after the booking ends — the process for this is described below.
Protection plan (named differently depending on the vehicle type): you pay a small additional amount and we take on your financial liability for damages you may cause to the vehicle.*

No guarantee (security deposit) at booking

Whichever plan you choose, we don't hold any deposit on your card. You're only charged the cost of the booking plus the protection plan you've selected.

This means that in the normal case — when your booking is completed without issues — no additional charge will be made to your card after the vehicle is returned.

Why we don't hold a deposit: Traditional rental companies block several hundred or several thousand euros on your card for the duration of your booking. At Sync we chose not to follow this practice, because in the vast majority of bookings nothing happens, and we don't think it makes sense to tie up your money without reason. If you'd prefer to have zero financial liability upfront, you can always choose a protection plan at booking.

What happens if damage occurs

If you've chosen a protection plan

We take on your financial liability, according to the terms of the plan you selected. No additional charge is made to your card, with the exception of the cases listed at the end of this article (fines, fuel, cleaning, etc.).

If you haven't chosen a protection plan

In this case, the host can request compensation after the booking ends. However, no automatic charge is made to your card. The process we follow is:

The host submits a claim to Sync with photos of the damage and a cost estimate from a repair shop. They don't contact you directly for payment.
Our team reviews the claim, comparing it against the handover and return photos that are mandatory in every booking's protocol, and assesses whether the request is reasonable and properly documented.
We contact you before any charge is made. We inform you about the claim, show you the documentation, and give you the opportunity to respond or dispute it.
A charge is made only after your liability is confirmed through this process.

In any case, the charge cannot exceed the actual documented damage, and is subject to a maximum limit currently set at €700 per booking. Beyond this limit, you have no further financial exposure to the host.