Renting with Wahdah in Ipoh: A Guide to Stress-Free Car Hire
Finding a reliable car rental in Ipoh can be tricky, as many “big-name” international players don’t have a presence here. For our latest trip, I decided to take a chance on Wahdah. While new to me, I discovered they’ve been around since 2016 and have a strong regional footprint across Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
Coming off a recent trip to Norway—where I learned the hard way that paying for damage repairs is no fun—I scrutinized every detail of this rental. Here is how our experience went.
🛡️ The Liability Dilemma: Understanding LRO
Wahdah does not offer a “Zero Liability” option. Instead, they provide a Liability Reduction Option (LRO). For our rental, the choice looked like this:
| Coverage Level | Default Excess (Your Liability) | Cost Per Day |
| Without LRO | Up to RM 5,000 | RM 0 |
| With LRO | Reduced to RM 2,500 | RM 30 |
By paying the RM 30/day fee, your potential out-of-pocket maximum is cut in half.
⚠️ Crucial Note: Wahdah requires a police report to be filed within 24 hours for any incident to qualify for these protected rates.
💸 Breaking Down the Total Cost
While the base rate for a Perodua Axia is budget-friendly, the final price “balloons” slightly once you add protections and delivery fees.
- Base Rental: RM 130.00 / day (Perodua Axia 1.0)
- LRO Protection: RM 30.00 / day
- Pick-up/Return Fee: RM 30.00 (Wahdah Mini Hub to Ipoh Old Town)
- First-Time User Discount: -RM 19.50 (15% off via App)
- Daily Total: RM 170.50
The Upgrade: One week before our booking, Wahdah offered a free upgrade to a Perodua Myvi (3rd Gen)—which normally starts at RM 185.00/day. The 1.5L engine was a welcome boost for our day trips!
🧘 The “Worry-Free” Strategy: Layering with AXA
Even with LRO, I was still on the hook for RM 2,500. To close this gap, I used a “double-layered” insurance approach:
- Layer 1: Wahdah’s LRO reduced my immediate liability to RM 2,500.
- Layer 2: An AXA Travel Policy (approx. THB 706) that included “Rental Car Excess” coverage up to THB 20,000.
This combo gave me complete peace of mind for just a few extra Ringgit a day.
🔑 The Experience: From Collection to Return
- Communication: Coordination happened via SMS, calls, and WhatsApp from multiple numbers. It felt slightly fragmented, but the staff was highly responsive.
- The Handover: Punctual and professional. The staff called at 7:20 AM for our 8:00 AM slot. We did a quick damage check (take your own photos/videos!), a rundown of the keyless entry, and a verification photo.
- The Vehicle: Our Myvi was 2–3 years old (132k km mileage), extremely clean, and had ice-cold air conditioning. It handled our route to Papan, Tronoh, and Pusing without a hitch.
- Fuel: After a ~100km trip, refueling cost just RM 14.50 (subsidized rate with Malaysian ID).
⚠️ The Deposit “Trap”: It is NOT Automatic
This is the most important part for international travelers: Wahdah’s RM 300 security deposit refund must be manually initiated. They hold the funds for 10 days to check for hidden damages or traffic summonses.
How to Request Your Refund:
- Wait 10 Days: The “Withdrawal” button only becomes active 10 days after you return the car.
- Log In: Access your account via the app or website and go to your Profile.
- Initiate: Click on “WaCash/Deposit,” then select the “Withdraw” button.
- Provide Details: Enter your bank account details as a backup and submit.
Refund Timelines (Expected):
| Payment Method | Processing Time |
| PayPal | Within 24 hours |
| Online Banking / Fiuu | 3 – 5 working days |
| Credit Card (Xendit/Stripe) | 10 – 14 working days |
My Experience: I initiated the withdrawal exactly 10 days after the rental. It took an additional 4 days (including a weekend) to reach my Thai credit card. Altogether, they held my RM 300 for about 8 working days.
🏁 Final Verdict
Despite the multi-number communication, the service was professional and the vehicle was in top-tier condition. If you want to avoid “no-name” local operators in Ipoh, Wahdah is a solid, trustworthy choice.
Ready to book? You can use my referral link https://www.wahdah.my/c/bm2pc if you’re new to the platform!!
