Principal Driver
The principal driver is the lead name on the rental — the person who books the car, signs the agreement, and whose card is used for the payment and the deposit. Everything else on the contract hangs off this one person.
Most conditions are checked against them: the minimum age, the licence, the length of time the licence has been held, and the card that backs the deposit usually all have to be in the principal driver’s name.
That card detail trips people up. Many agencies require the deposit to sit on a card belonging to the principal driver specifically, so you cannot book in one person’s name and pay the deposit with someone else’s card.
If two people will share the driving equally, decide in advance who is the principal driver, make sure the booking and the deposit card match that choice, and add the other as an authorized additional driver.
Related terms
Authorized Driver
Anyone named on the rental agreement and therefore legally and insurance-wise allowed to drive the car.
Additional Driver
A second person added to the contract so they can legally drive the car too, usually for a small daily fee.
Security Deposit
A sum held on your card during the rental to cover the excess, fuel, fines or any damage — released when you return the car.