No. 11 of 21 at LIS

Budget

Name: Budget at Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport: Counterwise rating
Item: Budget (Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport)
Rating: 4.1
Author: Counterwise

at Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport

In terminal

High consensus Check prices ↓

At a glance

Budget at Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport is ranked No. 11 of 21 car rental desks at the airport, with a Counterwise Score of 4.1/10 (Poor).
The Budget desk is inside the terminal at Lisbon Airport.
The credit card rule is not confirmed yet; the typical deposit is €100–€600.
Fuel policy: not confirmed yet. Opening hours: 06:00–24:00 daily; after-hours returns on request (fee).
Main red flag from travellers: Many recent reviews (about 1 in 4) report charges added after return, often weeks later, for damage, fuel or unspecified fees, with no itemised invoice and slow or missing replies from customer support. Several also report deposits held for 6 weeks or longer..

Based on 291 reviews analysed · Last updated 12 November 2026 · How scores work

The short version

Based on about 290 Google reviews after removing 9 unreliable ones (roughly 215 with usable text), Budget's counter at Lisbon airport, inside the terminal and shared with Avis, earns praise for friendly staff, new clean cars and quick service when online pre-check-in is used. A sizeable minority report 1-2 hour queues, insurance pressure, refused rentals over card rules, and unexplained or disputed charges after return, mostly for damage, fuel or fees. Web evidence is thin and mostly undated, so the picture rests mainly on Google reviews.

AI-assisted summary of 291 recent Google reviews and web reports, reviewed by our editor on 12 November 2026. How we do it

Score breakdown

Each sub-score is out of 10. Higher is always better for you. How the weights work

Deposit & damage disputes(30% of score)

Poor2.5/10

How often travellers report surprise damage charges, slow deposit refunds or disputed scratches. Based on 75 reports · high confidence.

Counter upselling(20% of score)

Poor4.0/10

Pressure to buy extra insurance, upgrades or add-ons at the desk. Higher means less pressure. Based on 28 reports · high confidence.

Booking honoured(20% of score)

Poor3.5/10

Whether you get the car category and the price you booked, without new fees at the counter. Based on 45 reports · high confidence.

Queue time(15% of score)

Poor4.5/10

Typical wait from reaching the desk (or shuttle stop) to holding the keys. Based on 48 reports · high confidence.

Car condition(15% of score)

Mixed6.5/10

Cleanliness, mileage and mechanical state of the cars handed out. Based on 42 reports · high confidence.

How this score was built

AI analysis of reviews and web reports (the sub-scores above, weighted): 3.9 · counts 70%
Star ratings on review platforms, rescaled against all desks we rate: 4.2 · counts 30%
9 of 300 recent reviews excluded as unreliable (solicited staff praise, other locations, duplicates). How we clean reviews
Pulled 8% toward the airport average, because recent reviews are few (165 after weighting by age).

High consensusOur independent signals (AI review analysis, web reports and star ratings) point the same way.

What travellers flag

Red flags (5)

Many recent reviews (about 1 in 4) report charges added after return, often weeks later, for damage, fuel or unspecified fees, with no itemised invoice and slow or missing replies from customer support. Several also report deposits held for 6 weeks or longer.auto-jardim.com discovercars.com qeeq.com
About 25 reviews describe damage charges (typically €65-€1,000+) that travellers dispute as pre-existing or unproven. They say the damage list is signed at the desk away from the car, no agent walks around it with them at pickup or return, and after-hours key-drop returns are not checked jointly.tripadvisor.com
At least 10 reviews describe being refused a car, or forced into a costlier rental elsewhere, because of card rules that were not clear at booking (physical credit card in the main driver's name, no digital cards, sometimes two cards). Some lost the prepaid amount.bravacarhire.com lisbonairportguide.com
About 18-20 reviews report pressure to buy desk insurance or extras on top of cover already bought. Some say cover or a fuel option was added to the contract without clear consent, including through the Portuguese-language version of the contract.auto-jardim.com
Around 20 recent reviews report counter waits of one to two hours or more even with a prepaid reservation, which in some cases meant a missed plan or switching to another company. Other reviews report no wait at all.discovercars.com qeeq.com tripadvisor.com

Green flags (4)

Around 25 kept reviews describe friendly, efficient staff and quick pickup and return, often within minutes when there was no queue.
About 25 reviews describe new, clean, low-mileage cars, often with full tanks at pickup or a free upgrade.
Online or phone pre-check-in (fast lane) is reported by several travellers to cut the counter step to a few minutes and bypass the long queue.
Cars come with a toll transponder, with tolls billed afterwards. Several travellers found this convenient, and a few report receiving the toll bill with no problems.

Practical facts

Location	Desk inside the terminalsource
Opening hours	06:00–24:00 daily; after-hours returns on request (fee)source
Credit card required	Not confirmed yet
Typical deposit	€100–€600source
Fuel policy	Not confirmed yet
Shares the desk with	Avis

“Not confirmed yet” means we have not verified that fact yet. We never guess.

Sources

Web pages behind this rating’s facts and flags, found through search APIs. The review analysis also used 291 recent Google reviews of this desk, which we do not republish.

Before you go

Tick these off at the counter. (Nothing is saved; it's just for you.)

Take photos and a short video of the car at pickup, including wheels, windscreen and the fuel gauge.
Check the fuel level matches the contract before you drive off.
Decline duplicate insurance at the desk if you already have excess cover. Bring proof of your policy.
Check before you travel whether this desk accepts debit cards for the deposit (not confirmed yet).
Check the closing time (06:00–24:00 daily; after-hours returns on request (fee)). If your flight lands late, call the desk: some wait, others close on time.

Budget at other airports and stations

Same brand, different counter. We rate each location on its own.

Budget at Lisbon Airport: questions and answers

Is Budget at Lisbon Airport any good?

Budget at Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport has a Counterwise Score of 4.1/10 (Poor) and is ranked No. 11 of 21 desks at the airport. Main green flag: Around 25 kept reviews describe friendly, efficient staff and quick pickup and return, often within minutes when there was no queue.. Main red flag: Many recent reviews (about 1 in 4) report charges added after return, often weeks later, for damage, fuel or unspecified fees, with no itemised invoice and slow or missing replies from customer support. Several also report deposits held for 6 weeks or longer..

Do I need a credit card to rent from Budget at Lisbon Airport?

Not confirmed yet. We have not yet confirmed whether Budget at Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport accepts debit cards for the deposit. Check the rental terms when you book.

How much is the deposit at Budget at Lisbon Airport?

The typical deposit at Budget at Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport is €100–€600. The lowest starting deposit at this airport is at Record Go (€0–€1,100).

Where is the Budget desk at Lisbon Airport?

The Budget desk is inside the terminal at Lisbon Airport. It shares the counter with Avis.

What are the opening hours of Budget at Lisbon Airport?

Budget at Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport is open 06:00–24:00 daily; after-hours returns on request (fee). Fuel policy: not confirmed yet.

Other desks at Lisbon Airport

Ranked by Counterwise Score. Compare all 21 desks side by side