Running a car hire business in the UK or Ireland means doing the same few things very well, every day: taking the booking, checking the driver, handing over a car in a known condition, holding a deposit and getting paid. Corsiva OS puts all of it in one place, in English, from the first enquiry to the final invoice. It was built inside Corsiva, a rental company that runs its own fleet, so every screen was used on real hires before it was offered to other operators.
What car hire software has to do
- Bookings and a fleet planner: every vehicle on one schedule, no double bookings, and pick-ups, returns and transfers you can see at a glance.
- Condition reports on a phone: timestamped photos, existing damage, mileage and fuel recorded at pick-up and return.
- Hire agreements signed online: the client signs on their own phone; the agreement stays attached to the booking.
- Deposits held on the card: the amount is reserved, not charged, then released or partly captured on return.
- Invoices numbered in sequence, with a copy sent to your accountant if you wish.
- Delivery and collection scheduled with the hire itself, to a hotel, an airport or the client's door.
Checking the driver before the keys go out
The renter's licence and ID are collected and reviewed before the handover, and they stay on file with the booking. For licences issued in Great Britain, drivers can use the GOV.UK service to view their driving licence information and create a licence check code to share their driving record with a car hire company; the code is valid for 21 days. You run that check on GOV.UK, then keep the result with the booking in Corsiva OS. Our guide to vetting renters before the handover lists the other checks that matter.
Deposits: hold, don't charge
The security deposit is taken as a card hold through Stripe, approved with 3-D Secure. Nothing leaves the client's account unless something genuinely warrants it. According to Stripe's documentation, an online card authorisation is typically valid for seven days, and a partial capture automatically releases the rest of the amount. That is how you recover an excess or a fuel charge without a card terminal and without asking the client for a bank transfer. Our page on the car rental security deposit covers amounts and disputes, and the one on charging damage and the excess covers what happens after a return.
Evidence that settles disputes
Most disputes in car hire come down to one question: was the scratch there before? A digital condition report answers it. Photos are timestamped, the client confirms the report with an e-signature at pick-up and again at return, and the whole file sits next to the hire agreement and the payments. You can send it to the renter, to your insurer or to anyone who asks.
Pricing and VAT for a UK or Irish business
Corsiva OS has three plans: Lite €59, Business €98 and Ultra €199 a month excluding VAT on a one-year commitment, billed monthly, or €70, €117 and €237 with no commitment. The price stays the same whatever the size of your fleet, with no commission on your bookings. One month of OS Business is free when you subscribe, and migrating your data from your current tool is free too. Details are on the pricing page.
- Business established in the UK: the UK is outside the European Union, so the invoice is issued without French VAT.
- Business established in Ireland: if your EU VAT number is entered in Corsiva OS before you subscribe, the invoice is issued without French VAT, under the reverse charge.
How you then account for the service is a question for your accountant.
Language and support
The interface is in English, and also in French, German and Spanish. Demos and phone calls are in English or French, 7 days a week, from 9am to 6pm Paris time, which is 8am to 5pm in London and Dublin. Your advisor sets up payments and imports your fleet with you when you subscribe.