Cancellations and refunds
Last updated 28 October 2026
How cancelling and refunds work on Zidi. This page sums up the rules in our Terms of Use: if anything here differs from them, the Terms apply.
Before you pay
A request costs nothing until the host approves it and you pay. You can withdraw an unpaid request at any time, at no cost.
- The host has 10 minutes to approve or decline. If they don't answer in time, the request lapses at no cost.
- Once approved, you have 10 minutes to pay by M-Pesa or card. If you don't, the car is released for others.
Cancelling a paid booking
Renters can cancel for free until 24 hours before pick-up, or until 2 hours before pick-up for bookings made less than 24 hours ahead. After that, one day's rental goes to the host and the rest is refunded. The app shows the exact free cancellation time before you pay. Cancel from your trip in Zidi Rentals.
| Who cancels, and when | Renter gets back | Host gets |
|---|---|---|
| Renter, within the free cancellation time | Everything paid | Nothing |
| Renter, after the free cancellation time but before pick-up | Everything except one day's rental | One day's rental, less Zidi's 9% |
| Host, any time before pick-up, giving a reason the renter sees | Everything paid | Nothing |
| Renter rejects the car at pick-up | Everything paid | Nothing |
| Host doesn't hand over the car | Everything paid | Nothing |
| Renter doesn't come to pick up the car | Nothing | Their full earnings |
- A card fee is never refunded, because the card company keeps it.
- Once the pick-up time has passed or the keys are handed over, the booking can't be cancelled in the app: contact Zidi.
At pick-up
After the host hands over the keys, you have 30 minutes to look the car over. If it isn't as described, reject it in the app within those 30 minutes, with a reason and at least 2 photos: the booking is cancelled and you get a full refund. If you neither accept nor reject it in time, the car counts as accepted.
If the host or the renter doesn't come
From an hour after the pick-up time, a renter can report a host who didn't hand over the car, and gets a full refund. A host can report a renter who didn't come: the host is paid and nothing is refunded. If the renter says they were there, they have 2 hours to answer in the app; Zidi then calls you both and decides, and the money stays with Zidi until then.
How refunds reach you
- Refunds go back the way you paid: to the M-Pesa number that paid, or to your card.
- M-Pesa refunds usually arrive within minutes, and Zidi pays the M-Pesa fee.
- Card refunds can take several working days to show at your bank.
- If you pay twice for the same booking, the extra payment is refunded automatically.
- If you pay after the time to pay has run out and the dates were taken meanwhile, you get a full refund.
Problems
After reviewing a problem, Zidi may cancel a booking and refund it, or release the host's money. If something goes wrong, contact Zidi first: we aim to resolve it within 14 days. Damage during a trip is covered in the Terms of Use, under Damage, accidents and insurance.