Browse cars →Your questions, answered
What we ask of you, how the one-time check works, and how your money is protected. Written to match exactly what the product does. For the short version of the whole journey, start with how Selo works.
What we ask of you, and why
What do I need to book?
Three things you already have: an email address, your driving licence, and a payment card. You create your account inside your first booking with a one-time email code, no password. Browsing cars and picking dates needs no account at all.
Why do you check my licence?
It is half of what makes Selo work. Because every renter is verified before arrival, the operator skips the desk paperwork and hands over in minutes. We ask for the driving licence specifically because it proves both who you are and that you can drive.
How does the licence check work?
Two ways, your choice. The fast way is an automated check of your licence and a quick selfie, cleared in about a minute; the images go directly to our verification provider (Stripe) and Selo never sees or stores them. Or you can upload photos of the front and back and a person at Selo reviews them, usually within a few hours. Either way it happens once, ever.
Is my card charged when I book?
No. At booking your card is only saved, through Stripe; the number never touches Selo. The rental total is charged only once your account is cleared, and we email you the moment that happens. If we cannot clear you, the booking is cancelled and nothing was ever taken.
The one-time check
What happens after I confirm my first booking?
Your booking is reserved and your account goes for its one check: instant if you used the automated verification, usually within a few hours if a person is reviewing your uploads. On approval, everything fires automatically: the rental is charged to your saved card, your booking is confirmed, and the confirmation lands in your inbox.
And after that?
You never wait again. Approval belongs to your account, not the booking, so every future booking is sign in, pick dates, confirm. Two steps.
What if my card is declined when you charge it?
Your booking stays reserved. We email you a link to re-confirm your card and finish the booking; nothing else changes and no other amount is taken.
Your deposit, protected
Who holds my deposit?
Selo does, not the rental company. And it is never a charge: the excess is a pre-authorisation placed on your card at pickup. The operator cannot touch it.
When do I get it back?
Automatically. After a clean return the hold is released with a target of within one hour. If the operator files no claim within 48 hours of the sealed check-out, it releases anyway. You never have to chase it.
What if the operator claims damage?
Claims are decided against the sealed photo check-in you both signed at pickup, not against who argues loudest. If a claim is upheld, only the adjudicated amount is captured, always capped at the excess, and the rest releases automatically. Either way you receive the decision with its written reasoning.
What is the sealed check-in?
A guided two-minute photo walkaround at pickup that you and the operator complete and sign together. It is then digitally sealed so neither side can alter it. It protects you exactly as much as them: pre-existing damage is on the record before you drive off, so it can never be pinned on you later.
This page describes how the product behaves today, and you will always see the complete terms before you sign anything. Questions we missed: hello@selohire.com. How we handle your data: privacy.