Vehicle Rental & Moving Van Hire Terms

Every listing states which options the provider allows. At checkout the rentee selects from the options offered, and the selected combination becomes the agreed hire terms for that booking:

Driver

Self-drive (without driver) or with a provider-supplied driver. A driver may only be omitted where the provider allows self-drive and the rentee holds a verified, valid licence for that vehicle class.

Handover

Collection by the rentee from the provider's stated address, delivery by the provider to the rentee's address, or either — the rentee chooses.

Hire period

Daily, weekly (15% discount) or monthly (30% discount) rate, with a stated start and end date and time.

Loading help (moving vans)

0–4 helpers at the provider's stated per-helper rate. The base moving fare includes 2 hours of loading time.

Extras

Any additional items the provider lists, such as trailers, straps, blankets or a second driver.

Options not selected are not included and are not billed. A change of option after confirmation requires the provider's agreement and may change the price.

• Self-drive rentees must be at least 21 years old, hold a valid South African or accepted international driver's licence for at least 12 months, and have that licence verified on eRyde.
• Moving vans and trucks may require a specific licence code; the listing states the code required and the rentee is responsible for holding it.
• Only the rentee named on the booking (plus any additional driver approved in writing by the provider) may drive the vehicle. Allowing an unapproved person to drive voids any insurance cover and makes the rentee liable for all loss.
• No driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, no racing, off-road use, towing, subletting, ride-hailing or courier use, and no crossing a South African border without the provider's written consent and a cross-border letter.

• Security deposit: the provider may require a refundable deposit, stated on the listing and paid through the app. It is refunded within 5–10 business days after the vehicle is returned undamaged, on time, with no outstanding traffic fines or fuel shortfall.
• Mileage: the listing states either unlimited kilometres or an included daily allowance plus a per-kilometre rate for excess. Moving van fares include the quoted trip distance; additional distance is billed at the listed per-kilometre rate.
• Fuel: vehicles are supplied and must be returned with the same fuel level. A shortfall is billed at cost plus a R150 refuelling service fee.
• Tolls, fines and impound costs: for the rentee's account for the whole hire period, plus a R250 administration fee per fine redirected by the provider.
• Cleaning: vehicles must be returned in a reasonably clean condition. Excessive dirt, smoke, pet hair or spillage attracts a cleaning fee of up to R750.

At both collection/delivery and return, the provider and rentee complete the in-app condition check: photographs of all four angles, the odometer and the fuel gauge. This record is the agreed baseline for any damage claim. If the rentee collects, the exact collection address is revealed in the app 1 hour before the pick-up time once payment has cleared. If the provider delivers or the vehicle comes with a driver, the rentee is notified that the vehicle is on the way 1 hour before the agreed time.

• A grace period of 59 minutes applies after the agreed return time.
• From 1 hour late, a late fee of 10% of the daily rate per hour is charged, capped at one full extra day.
• More than 4 hours late is billed as a full additional day at the standard daily rate — hire-period discounts do not apply to unauthorised extra days.
• Unauthorised late returns that cause the provider to lose a following booking also make the rentee liable for that provider's proven lost fare, up to two days' rental.
• Once a vehicle is overdue and unreturned, live location sharing from the vehicle to the owner is switched on automatically, and stays on until the owner marks the vehicle returned. This is disclosed here and in the app, and is limited to the overdue period.
• A vehicle more than 24 hours overdue with no contact from the rentee may be reported to the South African Police Service as unlawfully retained, and the account is suspended.

• Extensions are requested in the app from the booking screen, at least 4 hours before the agreed return time.
• An extension is only valid once the provider accepts it and the additional amount is paid online. Verbal or off-app arrangements are not recognised.
• Extra days are charged at the same daily rate as the original booking. If the extension takes the total period into a weekly or monthly bracket, the discounted rate applies from the extension onwards.
• A provider may refuse an extension — most often because the vehicle is already booked. A refused extension means the vehicle must be returned at the original time.
• Extensions of moving van hires include the additional loading hours requested; loading time beyond the included 2 hours is billed at the provider's stated hourly rate.

The rentee must, immediately and before moving the vehicle where it is safe to do so:

• ensure everyone's safety and call emergency services if anyone is injured;
• report the incident to the South African Police Service and obtain a case (SAPS) number — required for any accident, regardless of severity;
• notify the provider and eRyde support through the app within 2 hours, uploading photographs of all vehicles involved, the scene, and the other party's details;
• not admit liability, and not authorise repairs or towing without the provider's written approval.
• Insured and terms observed: the provider's insurance is claimed against and the rentee pays the stated damage excess (waiver amount) shown on the listing.
• Mechanical breakdown not caused by misuse: no charge to the rentee. The unused portion of the hire is refunded and the provider arranges recovery or a replacement vehicle where possible.
• Damage caused by a breach of these terms — unapproved driver, driving under the influence, prohibited use, no SAPS report, or leaving the scene — the insurance cover falls away and the rentee is liable for the full repair or replacement cost and for the provider's loss of income while the vehicle is off the road.
• Tyres, rims, windscreen, glass, undercarriage and water damage are commonly excluded by insurers and are for the rentee's account unless the listing says otherwise.
• With a provider-supplied driver: the rentee is not liable for the driver's conduct or for accident damage, except for damage caused by the rentee, their passengers or their cargo.

eRyde is a marketplace and is not an insurer. We do not underwrite the vehicle, the cargo, the driver or the trip, and we are not liable or legally responsible for any accident, injury, death or loss arising from the hire. Providers must hold valid comprehensive insurance for every vehicle they list and must state the cover and excess on the listing. Any claim lies between the rentee, the provider and their insurers.

• Report the theft or hijacking to the SAPS immediately and obtain a case number, then notify the provider and eRyde support in the app within 2 hours.
• Both sets of keys and the licence disc details must be handed to the provider. Theft with the keys, or with the vehicle left unlocked, unattended and running, is generally not covered by insurers — in that case the rentee is liable for the full retail replacement value.
• Where the theft is covered, the rentee pays the stated theft excess and the hire ends on the date of the incident. Unused prepaid days are refunded.
• Hijacking with a valid SAPS report and no breach of these terms is covered by the provider's insurance; the rentee pays no more than the stated excess and is never held responsible for injury caused during a hijacking.
• Deliberate misrepresentation of a theft is fraud: the account is terminated, the full value of the vehicle becomes payable, and the matter is reported to the SAPS.
• eRyde does not insure the vehicle and carries no liability for its loss; recovery of the vehicle or its value is a matter between the provider, the rentee and the insurer.

Neither eRyde nor the provider is responsible for personal belongings left in a vehicle. For moving van hires the rentee is responsible for how goods are packed and secured unless helpers or a driver were booked and did the loading. Providers may refuse to carry hazardous, illegal, perishable or livestock cargo, and no cargo may exceed the vehicle's licensed payload.

Cancellation windows and fees are set out in the eRyde Cancellation & Refund Policy (eryde.app/cancellation-policy). Damage, late, fuel, cleaning, fine and excess charges are raised in the app with supporting evidence and are charged to the payment method used for the booking. A rentee may dispute a charge within 7 days; eRyde reviews the condition reports and evidence from both sides and gives a good-faith view, without assuming liability for the outcome. Amounts owed to a provider are settled from the deposit first, then billed.

Questions? Contact support@eryde.app.

eRyde is a technology platform only. We introduce customers to independent transport providers and handle booking and payment. We do not own, operate, control, supervise, inspect, drive, insure or employ any vehicle, driver, provider or helper listed on the platform.

Every service is supplied under a contract between the customer and the provider. eRyde is not a party to that contract, is not a transport operator, carrier, freight forwarder, driving service or insurer, and is not liable or legally responsible for any incident, accident, injury, death, loss, theft, damage, delay, dispute or unlawful conduct that occurs before, during or after any service booked through the platform.

To the fullest extent permitted by South African law, all such risk and responsibility rests with the provider and the customer. Nothing in this document excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded, including under the Consumer Protection Act, 68 of 2008.