💳 Why am I seeing extra charges, holds or penalties on my Donkey Republic account?
Most unexpected charges or holds come from one of a few things: a temporary authorisation hold on your payment method, a fee for how a rental was ended, charges after your included time or pass has run out, or if you forgot to end your rental. Here’s what each one means and how to avoid them.
🔒 Temporary authorisation holds
When a rental starts, we may place a temporary hold on your payment method. This is a safety measure for the community.
A hold is not an actual charge. It’s released once the rental ends successfully.
How long it takes for the money to show up again depends on your bank.
Make sure you have enough money available to cover the hold.
If you have a free membership (such as a student plan), you can still use bikes without extra rental charges. The hold doesn’t change that.
If the hold isn’t released within a reasonable time after your rental ends, contact your bank.
Please note that authorisation holds can take up to 30 days to be released with PayPal, while for credit cards this is typically up to 7 days)
📍 Ending a rental outside a drop-off location
The app warns you if you try to end your rental outside a valid drop-off location.
If you dismiss the warning and end your rental there anyway, a return charge is added to your account. The amount depends on the distance to the nearest valid drop-off location.
If you later return the same bike to a valid drop-off location with a new rental, the charge isn’t removed.
Return charges are non-refundable.
🔚 Rentals that aren’t ended in the app
Locking the bike isn’t enough. If you don’t fully complete End Rental in the app, your rental stays active and charges keep adding up, even when the bike is locked.
While your rental is active, other riders can’t rent the bike. That’s why these charges can’t be refunded unless the rental was properly ended in the app.
⏱️ Going over your included time (memberships and passes)
Many memberships include daily included time (for example 2 hours). Once you’ve used it, your ride continues at Just Ride pricing.
Your daily included time resets at midnight.
Once the included time from your membership, pass or free ride runs out, your ride continues at Just Ride pricing.
These are standard charges and can’t be refunded or removed.
Free rides and discount codes only apply to future eligible rentals. They can’t remove charges from past rides.
🛡️ Insurance on top of a pass
If you’ve bought a pass and add insurance to a rental, the insurance fee is charged on top of the pass price and is in most case charged per hour.
Check the insurance options before you confirm your rental.
⏸️ Paused accounts and unpaid fees
If there’s an unpaid balance on your account, your account is paused. You can’t start new rentals until all outstanding fees are paid.
Extra fees you see while your account is paused are likely linked to specific bookings or reservations. Support can’t waive these fees.
If a relocation fee or other charge isn’t paid on time, a late payment fee may be added.
✅ How to avoid unexpected charges
End your rental at a drop-off location shown in the app, and pay attention to the in-app warnings.
After locking the bike, fully complete End Rental in the app.
Keep an eye on your included time or how long your pass lasts.
Check insurance options and extra fees before confirming a rental.
Keep enough money on your payment method to cover temporary holds.
Check with your bank how long it takes for holds to be released.
Keep your payment method valid and up to date, and pay outstanding balances, so you avoid late payment fees and a paused account.