Deposit and excess are two different things on a Kefalonia car rental. A deposit is a refundable hold on your card at pickup; the excess is what you stay liable for if the car is damaged, even when the deposit is zero. A company can block nothing and still leave you owing up to EUR 890. Eleven companies take direct bookings on Kefalonia, and their terms differ sharply. Greekstones Rent a Car blocks no deposit and includes SCDW by default, so both deposit and excess are zero; cash and debit are accepted and no credit card is required. Just Rent It also advertises full cover with no excess as standard. AutoKefalonia, Simotas Car Rental and DiffeRent Car Rentals block no deposit either, but Simotas keeps a fixed excess of EUR 600 to 1,200 and states in its own terms that there is no option to make the excess zero. Kefalonia Rent a Car, trading as M. Pefanis Bros and operating since 1981, and CBR Car Rental both block EUR 590 to 890 by vehicle group, which is the size of the excess they secure; CBR's SCDW option brings the blocked amount down to EUR 150 to 250. Drivers aged 75 to 80 carry a raised EUR 790 excess at Pefanis. K&G Rent a Car requires a credit card in the main driver's name and cancels the booking without refunding the prepayment if you do not have one; its excess is EUR 500, 700 or 1,200 by class and cannot be reduced to zero. ACE Rent a Car Kefalonia carries an excess of EUR 700 to 2,500 and sells reduction at EUR 35 per day, except on Tesla rentals which keep a EUR 500 excess. Eco Rent a Car is the only company with a genuine deposit hold, EUR 300 to 1,500 by class, with theft and fire covered without excess. Thalassa Rent a Car claims full cover but does not publish its deposit or excess figures. Collection at Kefalonia Airport works three ways. International brands hold desks inside the terminal. Pefanis and CBR run offices 40 to 100 metres past the main gate. Greekstones, AutoKefalonia and Simotas meet you in the arrivals hall with the car on short-term parking. K&G advertises fast track airport delivery, but reviews describe pickup outside the airport perimeter. On ferries the cover usually stops: AutoKefalonia and Simotas state their insurance does not apply while the car is aboard, and Pefanis insurance and roadside assistance are valid only on Kefalonia. K&G is the only company whose 24-hour roadside assistance extends to Ithaca. Almost every company requires written permission in advance before a rental car boards a ferry. Terms read September 2026.