What is car operational leasing?
Car Operational Leasing, or long-term operational vehicle rental, is the mobility solution that allows you to benefit from full use of the car you have chosen by paying a fixed monthly rent. And all this without having to worry about the costs associated with its use as they are all included in the service. For both private or business professional use.
With car operational leasing, you get all the advantages of having a car without the usual worries! You can drive the car (s) of your choice and all the costs are included in the monthly rent, even unforeseeable ones.
The monthly rent is calculated in line with your choices:
- The car you wish to drive (make, model, color)
- Its usage (the term of the agreement and the number of kilometres you plan on carrying out)
- The services that you wish to include
With operational leasing, you know exactly how much you are going to pay per month and no surprises!
All the costs related with use of the car are included in the service on just one invoice (preventive and corrective maintenance, car insurance and financial guarantee, roadside assistance, tyres, replacement vehicle, IUC (road tax), MOT inspection (mandatory periodic check-up), claim management, driver helpline 24h per day and personalised assistance), affording you greater cost control and financial availability to meet other private expenses or business needs.
At the end of the agreement, you have the flexibility to decide what you want to do:
- You can enter into a new operational leasing contract and drive a brand new model
- Lengthen the duration of your agreement
- Ask to buy the car
Not all renting agreements on the market cover the same services. Always bear this in mind when you are comparing different offers. Find out which services are usually included in LeasePlan operational leasing.
The services included in the LeasePlan monthly fee:
Preventive and corrective maintenance
All preventive maintenance is included, in other words, that which is scheduled and which follows the service plan set out by the manufacturer, as well as corrective maintenance, it means, any unforeseen repairs deriving from car breakdowns or wear and tear.
Insurance
Set of covers including: civil liability, damage to own vehicle, financial guarantee (if the vehicle is a total write-off), driver protection, occupant protection, windshield and glass claims, acts of vandalism and natural phenomena, premium full warranty (damage caused or increased in the car owing to negligent usage by the driver) and reconditioning insurance for the sum of 500€ + VAT (intended to protect you upon agreement termination from any costs associated with any damage to the car).
Roadside assistance
Roadside assistance is covered and is available on request and as from kilometre zero of the agreement in force, nationwide and internationally (it includes a breakdown service, towing and the repatriation of the occupants).
Tyres
Unlimited tyre replacement with their alignments and calibration provided that the safety conditions so require.
Replacement car
You can benefit from use of the replacement car in the event of an accident, repairs, breakdowns, services, theft or robbery.
IUC (Road Tax)
Payment of IUC, as well as the sending of that documentation legally required in order to drive the car.
MOT inspection (IPO)
The IPO amount is included (mandatory periodic check-up). You can rest assured, LeasePlan will warn you in advance so you don't forget to put in your car for its periodic service.
Accident management
Permanent support in the event of an accident. We deal with the commencement of the procedure, loss adjustments and the monitoring of repair until its completion.
24h Support contact
Available 24 hours per day for any matter pertaining to your car (s), contact us on the driver helpline 800 20 42 98 in Portugal or +351 214 40 09 10 abroad; the LeasePlan Mobile App or by e-mail servico.cliente@leaseplan.com.
Personalised assistance
We ensure personalised assistance upon delivery of the car (s) and throughout the agreement. You are assigned a dedicated manager who shall be available to help you about any matter relating to your car or agreement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ask for your quotation request online easily and speedily directly on the webpage of the car that interests you and we’ll get in touch with you as soon as possible to follow up your request. Find out about our special offers. If you prefer, you can ring us on 800 10 70 70 (from Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. and on Fridays until 5 p.m.).
You can configure your car. You can choose any car (make and model), in the light passenger, mixed or commercial segments, with a gross weight up to 3,500 kg, up to 9 seats and available in mainland Portugal. You can also opt for one of our pre-configured special offers.
Yes, you can have a test drive. Get in touch with us on 800 10 70 70 (from Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. and on Fridays until 5 p.m.), or by e-mail renting.auto@leaseplan.com and we’ll schedule one.
You will need to pay the monthly fee and strive for the appropriate use and maintenance of the car. Besides that, you should also:
– Check the pressure and general condition of the tyres;
– Check the oil and water levels
– Take the car to any preventive maintenance (in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions) or corrective maintenance that the car requires;
– Notify LeasePlan about any incident that affects the proper upkeep of the car;
– If the time-frame so justifies, take the car for a MOT inspection.As a rule, the LeasePlan offers do not require any down payment.
There are many advantages of the operational leasing when compared with buying a new car. Find out the differences between operational leasing and buying and do the maths yourself!
Although it is the customer who chooses the car that wishes to drive, it is LeasePlan which owns it and, by a payment of a monthly fee, makes it available for use.
To drive the car, you must hold a current driving licence and you must look after the car throughout the contract period and follow the rules of the highway code.
This is an optional service which you may include in your contract with the attendant extra cost.
The minimum term of an operational leasing contract is 12 months and there is no maximum limit. Generally speaking, contracts last for 48 months. However, the time-frames are flexible and may be adjusted to each person's needs.
If you need more flexible or short-term rental, you have the Flexiplan available with a duration from 1 month up to a maximum of 12 months, with unlimited mileage and which you may rescind whenever you want without any cost.The operational leasing contract specifies a price per kilometre. The kilometre adjustment is always made when a contract ends. The adjustment value is calculated by making a comparison between the kilometres contracted upon contract termination and those traveled on said date. So, the surcharge amount (amount payable per extra km traveled) or deduction (amount receivable per km not traveled) is multiplied by the difference between the kilometres contracted and traveled.
For example, your contract includes 25.000 kilometres with a duration of 30 months:
If, as at the contract termination date, in other words, after 30 months, it is observed that you have traveled a total of 30.000 km, it means 5.000 km more (+20%) than those initially contracted, if the price per extra kilometre is, for example, € 0.05, when multiplying by the difference in kilometres, it would have a cost of € 250 (5.000 km x € 0.05). If the extra kilometres traveled exceeds 25% over and above those initially stipulated, the surcharge cost per extra km increases by 50%.
if you travel less kilometres than those initially contracted, you will receive the deduction amount per km not traveled multiplied by the difference in kilometres, up to a maximum of 25% of the kilometres billed. If upon the contract termination date, it is observed that you have traveled a total of 20.000 km, 5.000 km less (-20%) than those initially contracted, if the price per kilometre deducted is, for example, € 0.02, when multiplying by the difference in kilometres, you would receive € 100 (5.000 km x € 0.02).
These values are provided by way of example, you must always confirm the surcharge and deduction amounts under your contractual conditions.
However, at any time of the contract, you may request an update of the terms of your contract by way of a recalculation, and adjust the number of kilometres owed to a significant deviation in them, with the respective rectification of the monthly fee amount. As from a deviation of 15% you are recommended to do so as in this way you will avoid any unexpected costs at the end of the contract.
At the end of the contract you have the following options:
– Start a new operational leasing contract, returning the car to LeasePlan at the end of the contract;
– Extend the duration of your contract;
– Ask to purchase the car from LeasePlan. Three months before the end of the contract, LeasePlan shall inform you of the amount for which you may acquire the car that you have driven.Yes, there is always the option of cancelling the LeasePlan operational leasing contract before contracts ends. This option will involve an extra cost regulated in the contract whereby LeasePlan shall apply a 40% penalty to the value of the remaining rents, applied after 12 months of the contract. In other words, the first 12 months must always be paid in full.
For example, you have contracted the operational leasing of a new car with a duration of 30 months, 25.000 kilometres and a rent of €200 per month. If you wish to end and cancel your contract:
8 months before contract termination, a 40% penalty is applied to the value of the rents yet to fall due. So the calculation would be: € 200 (monthly rent inc. VAT) x 8 months = 1.600 x 0.4 (40% penalty) = € 640. In this case, the penalty for early rescission would be € 640;
Once only 10 months have elapsed since the start of the contract, you must assume payment of the two monthly missing to make up the initial 12 months: € 200 (monthly rent inc. VAT) x 2 months = € 400. The 40% penalty calculation is then applied to the missing rents, in this case to the value of the rents pertaining to the remaining 18 months (30 months contracted – 12 initial months = 18 months). And it is applied in the following manner: € 200 (monthly rent inc. VAT) x 18 months (missing) = 3,600 x 0.4 (40% penalty) = € 1.440. Hence, the penalty for cancelling the contract 10 months after its start would be a total of € 400 + € 1,440 = € 1.840.
In the case of an operational leasing contract for used cars, it is necessary to pay the initial 6 months in full (instead of 12 months in the case of a new car) and a 20% penalty (instead of 40% in the case of a new car) on the value of the rents to fall due.
In addition to the penalty for early termination, you must also consider any reconditioning costs calculated if the car has suffered any damage, as well as the adjustment to the kilometres to which, in this case, there shall be an adjustment, solely including those kilometres billed and not those initially contracted.
When you return the car, a report shall be drawn up about the general condition of the car and a Returns Form shall be signed by both parties confirming the handing over of the following elements:
– Keys (main and spare)
– Road tax document
– Service history
– Instructions’ manualThe aforementioned report shall be drawn up in line with the LeasePlan Reconditioning Manual for commercial vehicles and passenger vehicles which documents, with text and photos, the scope of the damages regarded as acceptable, distinguishing them from those whose repair costs is quantified as they have an impact on the devaluation of the car.
As a rule, the special offers of LeasePlan already include reconditioning for the sum of € 500 + VAT. In other words, an insurance policy that protects you, upon contract termination, from any costs associated with damage to the car up to a maximum amount of € 500 + VAT. For example, if damage is identified for the sum of € 800, the cost shall be the difference for the sum of € 185. In other words, € 800 in damages - € 615 on protection under the reconditioning insurance (€ 500 + VAT) = €185.
If you have any queries about the condition of the car, before returning it you may ask for a pre-inspection for an additional cost. This means that an inspection shall be carried out on the car and the damage shall be identified, if there is any. So, you’ll know what to expect when you return the car.
You also have the option, when signing the operational leasing service, of increasing the reconditioning insurance cover to be more worry-free at the end of the contract.
If you have not taken out the reconditioning insurance, LeasePlan's policy exempts the customer from any cost in the case of damage estimated at less than € 250. If this amount is exceeded, it shall be liable for the whole cost estimated and not only for the amount that exceeds the € 250 pay-out. For example, when returning the car, if the report refers to damage valued at € 400, the customer must pay the whole €400 and not only the €150 difference.
When you return your car(s), all damage shall be calculated and it may be assessed as acceptable or non-acceptable and may or may not incur extra costs. Find out in further detail about what damage is acceptable in the LeasePlan Reconditioning Manual for commercial vehicles and passenger vehicles.
Find your next business car
We have selected some of the special offers on company cars for leasing.
