Here’s the first thing to understand about EconomyCarRentals: you won’t meet it at a desk in Lisbon Airport, because it isn’t a rental company at all. It’s a broker — a booking platform that arranges your car with a supplier and often bundles in its own cover. That model can save you money, but it changes who you deal with and what you should check. Get it clear before you book and it works smoothly.
🚗 The gist
- EconomyCarRentals is a broker, not a car rental company — it arranges, a supplier provides the car.
- You collect the car from a named supplier, whose own terms and reviews matter.
- Its optional cover product can be good value, but it works by reimbursement.
- The supplier still holds the deposit — a broker’s cover doesn’t remove that hold.
- Best for price-aware bookers who read the voucher and check the supplier.
A broker, not a rental company
EconomyCarRentals is an online car rental broker that arranges rentals with a wide range of local and international suppliers around the world, Lisbon included. It doesn’t own a fleet or run airport desks; instead, it acts as the middleman, finding you a competitive rate with a supplier and handling the booking. That’s a genuinely different proposition from the brands you actually meet at the counter — and understanding it is the key to a smooth experience. For the wider field of who you might end up collecting from, our roundup of the best companies at Lisbon Airport is a useful reference.
If the broker model is new to you, our Discovercars review explains how booking platforms work in general, since the principles are much the same across brokers.
How booking through EconomyCarRentals works
The flow is straightforward once you know the parts:
- You book online through EconomyCarRentals, choosing a car and rate.
- You receive a voucher setting out the price, inclusions and any cover you added.
- A named supplier — an actual rental company — is assigned to provide the car.
- You collect from that supplier at or near the airport, dealing with their desk.
- The supplier handles the car, the deposit and the handover; the broker handled the booking.
The voucher is effectively your contract for the price and inclusions, so read it in full before you pay.
Who you actually deal with at the desk
This is the part travellers most often miss. Because a broker assigns you a supplier, the on-the-ground experience — the queue, the upsell, the car’s condition, the deposit — comes down to that supplier, not the broker. Two bookings through the same platform can feel completely different depending on which company hands over the keys.
The practical takeaway: once you know your assigned supplier, check recent reviews for that specific company at Lisbon, and be ready for their desk practices. Our guide on avoiding rental scams in Portugal covers the tactics worth recognising, and our walkthrough on how to rent a car at Lisbon Airport explains the pickup process itself.
The cover question — read this carefully
Brokers like EconomyCarRentals often sell an optional “full coverage” product, and it can be genuinely good value compared with the supplier’s desk waiver. But it’s important to understand how it works:
- 🛡️ It usually works by reimbursement. If you’re charged for damage, you claim it back from the broker’s cover — rather than the charge never happening.
- 💳 The supplier still holds the deposit. A broker’s cover does not stop the rental company blocking a deposit on your card at pickup; it reimburses you afterward if needed. This is the same principle explained in our guide to renting without a deposit.
- 📄 Two cover types can exist. The broker’s product and the supplier’s desk waiver are different things — know which you hold, and don’t pay twice.
Our Portugal rental insurance explainer breaks down how excess, waivers and reimbursement products fit together.
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Who handles what
| Responsibility | EconomyCarRentals (broker) | Supplier (at the desk) |
|---|---|---|
| 💻 The booking | Yes | No |
| 📄 Voucher & price | Yes | No |
| 🚗 The actual car | No | Yes |
| 💳 The deposit hold | No | Yes |
| ⛽ Fuel policy | Sets nothing | Sets and enforces |
| 🛡️ Bundled cover | If you bought it | Their own waiver |
The pros — and the checks
The broker model exists because it works for a lot of people. The upsides are real:
- 💶 Competitive prices from comparing many suppliers.
- 🛡️ Bundled cover that can undercut the desk waiver.
- 🔎 One place to book across different companies.
The checks are equally real: confirm the fuel policy the supplier will apply (see our Lisbon fuel policy guide), verify the deposit the supplier will hold, and read reviews for the assigned company. A value brand you might be assigned, such as Surprice, has its own guide worth a look.
Who EconomyCarRentals suits at Lisbon
The broker route suits price-aware bookers who are comfortable doing a little homework: reading the voucher, understanding that cover works by reimbursement, and checking the assigned supplier. If you want the lowest total and don’t mind those steps, it’s a strong option. If you’d rather book directly with a single named company and deal with only one party from start to finish, a direct booking with a rental brand may feel simpler, even at a slightly higher price.
Broker or direct: which is right for you?
The choice between booking through a broker like EconomyCarRentals and going direct to a rental company comes down to how you like to trade price against simplicity. A broker’s whole reason to exist is aggregation — by pitting many suppliers against each other and adding its own cover, it can often beat what you’d pay booking a single company directly. For a price-focused traveller who’s happy to read a voucher and check a supplier, that’s a genuine saving.
The cost of that saving is an extra layer. You’re dealing with two parties rather than one, the cover works by reimbursement rather than prevention, and the desk experience depends on whichever supplier you’re assigned. None of that is a problem if you expect it, but it does mean a booking that goes wrong can be slightly more involved to untangle. If you value having a single named company responsible from booking to return, a direct rental may be worth a modest premium — and that’s a perfectly sensible preference, not a failing of the broker model.
Booking through EconomyCarRentals the smart way
A short routine keeps a broker booking painless. Read the voucher in full before paying, so the price and inclusions are clear. Note your assigned supplier and check its recent Lisbon reviews. Understand exactly what your cover is and how it works — reimbursement, not prevention. Confirm the deposit the supplier will hold and make sure your credit card has the headroom. And photograph the car thoroughly at pickup and return, because if a damage dispute arises, your evidence supports any reimbursement claim. Handle those and the broker model does what it’s designed to: get you a competitively priced car with cover, from a supplier you’ve checked in advance.
Tips
- 📄 Read the voucher — it’s your contract for price and inclusions.
- 🔎 Check the assigned supplier’s recent Lisbon reviews.
- 🛡️ Understand the cover — it reimburses, it doesn’t prevent charges.
- 💳 Expect a deposit from the supplier regardless of broker cover.
- 📸 Photograph the car to support any later claim.
FAQ
Is EconomyCarRentals a rental company or a broker? It’s a broker. EconomyCarRentals arranges your rental with a supplier rather than owning cars or running airport desks itself. You book through the platform, then collect the car from an assigned rental company.
Who do I collect the car from at Lisbon? From the supplier assigned to your booking — an actual rental company — not from EconomyCarRentals. That supplier handles the car, the deposit and the handover, so it’s worth checking their reviews once you know who it is.
Does the broker’s cover remove the deposit? No. The supplier still blocks a deposit on your credit card at pickup. The broker’s cover works by reimbursement — if you’re charged for damage, you claim it back — rather than stopping the hold in the first place.
Is booking through EconomyCarRentals safe? The broker model is widely used and can offer good value. The key is doing your part: read the voucher, understand that cover reimburses rather than prevents charges, check the assigned supplier’s reviews, and confirm the deposit and fuel policy.
Why is EconomyCarRentals often cheaper? Because it compares many suppliers to find a competitive rate and can bundle its own cover, which sometimes undercuts the supplier’s desk waiver. The advertised price is real, but confirm the total once cover, fuel and deposit are understood.
Should I buy the broker’s cover or the supplier’s at the desk? Understand both before deciding, and don’t pay twice. The broker’s product is often cheaper and works by reimbursement; the supplier’s waiver removes the excess directly but usually costs more. Know which you hold so you can decline the other confidently.
