Guide

Online deposits: how do they work?

Verihost: create and manage your deposits online

With Verihost, generate a secure deposit link and send it to your renter. Then track each case from your dashboard.

Short-term rentals, cars, vans, campervans, boats or equipment: simplify deposit management for your rentals.

No subscription. You only pay for secured deposits.

How does Verihost work?

1
Create your request
Enter the rental details, the dates and the deposit amount.
2
Send the link
Share the secure link with your renter.
3
Track your case
Follow the deposit validation from your dashboard, then close the case or handle a claim in the event of damage.

The deposit cheque is gradually giving way to digital solutions. Yet the phrase “online deposit” covers very different mechanisms, which have neither the same effects for the renter nor the same limits for the owner. Here is what to understand before choosing.

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What is an online deposit?

An online deposit is a guarantee taken remotely, by bank card, instead of a cheque or cash handed over in person. The owner creates a request, the renter enters their card on a secure page, and the guarantee is recorded before arrival.

Depending on the method chosen, the money may remain fully available in the renter's account, be temporarily held, or actually be charged and then refunded. That difference matters most in practice.

“Deposit” or “security deposit”?

In everyday language, “deposit” refers to the sum left as a guarantee. In law the term is narrower, and the sum is called a security deposit. “Online security deposit” therefore means the same thing as “online deposit”.

This page explains how the available solutions work technically. It does not replace legal advice: the applicable rules depend on your activity, your contract and the country concerned.

Why the deposit cheque is fading

The deposit cheque is still common, but it sits poorly with remote booking and short-term rental:

it requires handing over in person, so a physical meeting on arrival, or posting;
it must be kept, found again, then returned or destroyed — quickly unmanageable with several rentals a month;
cashing it in is slow, and nothing guarantees it will clear.

A guarantee taken by card, remotely and before arrival, answers those three limits — provided you know which one to choose.

The most widely used methods today

Card registration and pre-authorisation both let you manage a deposit online, each working differently for the renter and the rental business.

Card registration	The renter's card is stored securely, with their consent. No amount is held or charged. In the event of documented damage, and in accordance with the contractual framework, the owner may request a later charge. That charge is not guaranteed and may fail.
Bank pre-authorisation	An amount is reserved on the card for a limited time. The funds stay with the renter but are no longer available, which reduces their limit. At the end of that period the pre-authorisation expires or is released: the reserved amount then becomes available again, subject to the bank's processing times.

None of these methods guarantees payment. A stored card is not a charge: at the time of the charge, the card may be expired or blocked, or the account insufficiently funded.

What does “free online deposit” really mean?

The phrase comes up often in searches, but it covers different realities. Before concluding that a solution is free, check three points:

who pays — the owner, the renter, or both;
what is billed — a subscription, each case, each charge, or a percentage of the amount;
what remains payable when no incident occurs, which is the vast majority of the time.

Verihost's model

Verihost works without a subscription. The conditions shown on the site are as follows:

After your free requests: 0.20% of the deposit amount + €0.25 per secured deposit (VAT not applicable, art. 293 B of the French General Tax Code (CGI)).

Billed automatically at the end of the month, after your free requests.

Details and example amounts appear in the Pricing section of the home page.

Card registration or pre-authorisation?

In one sentence: card registration stores the card without touching the funds, a pre-authorisation holds a sum for a limited time. The first is more flexible for the renter; the second makes charging more direct if you need to act quickly.

Both mechanisms are compared in detail in our dedicated article.

Points to watch

Validity period. A pre-authorisation expires after a few days to a few weeks depending on the bank. A stored card also has a time limit.
Card limit. A held sum reduces the renter's available limit for the whole duration of the reservation.
A later charge can fail. Expired card, blocked card, insufficient funds: a charge requested afterwards may fail.
Evidence and consent. The amount, the dates and the conditions must be stated clearly before the renter enters their card.
Supporting evidence. If you withhold anything, keep dated records: inventory, photos, quote or repair invoice.

No online deposit solution promises guaranteed payment. It secures the process and keeps a record of it; it does not guarantee the renter's solvency.

Depending on your activity

Constraints differ from one trade to another. Three pages detail how it works, which methods are available and the common questions:

Frequently asked questions

Is an online deposit a charge?

Not necessarily. With a stored card, no amount is charged or held: a charge only happens if the owner requests one. With a pre-authorisation, a sum is reserved without being charged. Only a charged deposit results in a real debit, refunded afterwards.

Can you still ask for a deposit cheque?

Yes, nothing forbids it. But it requires a physical handover, archiving and slow cashing, which sits poorly with remote booking.

Does the owner see the renter's card number?

No. The card is entered on a secure banking page. The owner only holds a reference, never the full number.

What happens if there is no damage?

The case is closed without a charge. With a pre-authorisation, the reserved sum is released. With a charged deposit, it is refunded.

Is a “free online deposit” realistic?

It depends on who pays and what is billed. Some solutions charge a subscription, others each case, others a percentage. Above all, check what remains payable when no incident occurs.