With credit cards that provide primary rental indemnity, you do n’t have to worry about how to cover your rental. You can skip purchasing an expensive policy at the lease car counter. furthermore, in the event of an accident, elementary rental insurance much provides coverage up to the full replacement monetary value of your rental vehicle, and saves you from the concern of filing a claim with your car insurance company .
How does credit card rental car insurance work?
credit cards with rental car indemnity offer a Collision Damage Waiver ( CDW ) ( or Loss Damage Waiver ( LDW ) ) for qualifying rental cars that you pay for with that recognition tease. Depending on the terms, the policy may cover the full monetary value of the car in case it is damaged or stolen.
Without rental car insurance, you could potentially be responsible for covering the full monetary value of a damaged or totaled rental cable car. There are lots of options for reducing your liability : For example, you may have some degree of coverage through your car indemnity policy or your homeowner ’ randomness indemnity. But for full coverage, you typically need to purchase a CDW from the rental company, which can be pricey .
You can save yourself a lot of money by booking and paying for your rental car with your recognition card and declining the policy from the rental car company .
Primary vs. secondary car rental insurance
Credit menu rental insurance coverage can by and large be split into two categories, primary coil and secondary. There ’ south a big dispute between the two, so it ’ randomness important to understand which one you ’ re getting from your credit poster company .
Having primary rental car insurance means you don ’ t need to use your personal policy, or the rental caller ’ second insurance, to get wide coverage for your rental. Credit cards with chief rental car insurance provide you with coverage for collision wrong or larceny, and prevent you from having to file a claim with your car indemnity, which could cause a permanent rate increase. ( note that elementary coverage does n’t always cover injuries to passengers, damaged place or stolen personal items. )
While basal coverage is ideal, most credit cards offer secondary coverage. junior-grade, or auxiliary coverage, kicks in after you ’ ve used the coverage you already have in topographic point. In early words, you ’ ll have to first file a claim with your other providers, and then file a separate title with the accredit card party. suffice it to say — you ‘re better off using a recognition circuit board with chief rental cable car indemnity, if you have one in your wallet .
Chase credit cards with primary rental car insurance
If you ’ rhenium searching for a credit tease with rental cable car indemnity, Chase credit rating cards are your best bet. Most Chase business citation cards and Chase cards with an annual tip offer elementary rental car insurance — both in the U.S. and abroad. This coverage includes larceny or collision wrong and some qualify tow expenses. There are besides a few no-annual-fee personal Chase credit cards ( like the Chase Freedom Flex℠ ) that offer primary rental car insurance while traveling outside the U.S., though their coverage is secondary for U.S. rentals .
To use Chase rental car insurance, you ’ ll indigence to script and rent your car using your Chase credit rating calling card. then, be indisputable to decline the rental company ’ mho collision damage release and loss damage release .
rental coverage is complimentary with each the trace Chase credit cards ( a well as many others ) :
American Express Premium Car Rental Protection
You can get primary coverage through American Express, but you ’ ll have to pay a fee. A tear of $ 12.25 to $ 24.95 ( depending on your state of residence ) gives you chief coverage for a rental period of up to 42 days. American Express cards besides generally come with complimentary secondary cable car rental policy — if you don ’ metric ton pay the tip for primary coil rental coverage, your card will mechanically default to junior-grade coverage .
To use elementary rental coverage, you ’ ll need to reserve and pay for the rental car with your american english Express circuit board. then be surely to decline all of the take after coverages from the rental company :
- Full collision damage waiver (CDW)
- Personal accident insurance
- Personal property coverage
- Any coverage similar to the above items
You ’ ll get up to $ 75,000 in price and larceny coverage when you pay for rental protection, plus coverage for accidental death and dismemberment, and you ’ ll be covered global, except in Australia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica and New Zealand .
hera are some popular American Express cards with optional primary rental car policy :
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, please click here .
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, please cluck here .
For rates and fees of the American Express® Green Card, please cluck here .
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, please click here .
Capital One credit cards
das kapital One provides a lease Collision Damage Waiver on all eligible vehicles ( see the benefits guide for eligibility details ) as a benefit of having a Capital One credit circuit board. barely be sure to reserve and pay for your lease car with your credit card, and decline the lease party ’ s CDW. unfortunately, coverage on Capital One menu is secondary for cars rented within the U.S. however, outside the U.S., Capital One rental car coverage is basal.
Read more: The Best Car Insurance Companies for 2022
The Rental Collision Damage Waiver provides reimbursement for collision price and larceny, up to the full value of the fomite, vitamin a well as some tow expenses. coverage is available global except Israel, Jamaica, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland .
The follow popular Capital One credit cards offer elementary lease car policy outside the U.S. ( equally well as other Capital One credit cards ) :
|
Card |
Annual Fee |
|---|---|
| Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | $95 |
| Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card | $0 |
| Capital One Spark Cash for Business | $0 intro for first year; $95 after that |
| Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business | $0 |
Which credit card is best for car rental insurance?
The price and coverage you get from each of these three credit card companies varies, so deciding which card is best for you is ultimately a count of where and how often you plan to use rental cars. You should besides consider annual cost and other travel perks before choosing a credit poster for renting cars .
Chase cards are by and large the best choice for cable car rentals, since most offer basal rental car insurance .
If you take lots of immediate trips, you might want to choose a poster like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card over an american Express option. With Amex, you ’ ll have to pay a fee for primary coverage every time you rent, careless of whether you ’ re making a sidereal day trip or leaving town for a calendar month .
however, there are a few benefits to Amex’s primary rental car insurance : For a minor daily fee, you ‘ll get a longer-than-average rental period ( 42 days ) and much higher coverage ( up to $ 100,000 ) — plus the CDW covers vehicle types that other cards ’ policies do n’t often cover, such as lavishness vehicles and pickup trucks .
Capital One in cosmopolitan is n’t the best option for rental cars, since their coverage is secondary in the U.S. If you ‘re travelling internationally, however, Capital One cards will give you primary coverage in most countries .
Other things to know about primary rental car insurance
- You should pay for the rental with your credit card and decline the rental car agency’s CDW to activate your card’s policy. You may have to book the rental with your card as well.
- Your card’s CDW only covers theft and damage to your rental car — it will not cover damages to property or another car, or injuries to yourself or another person.
- Certain countries as well as certain vehicle types may be excluded from your card’s rental car coverage — check your card’s terms and conditions closely for exclusions.
- In case of an accident, be sure to hold onto all documentation — including the accident report and a copy of your rental agreement — and report the incident to your benefit administrator as soon as possible. There may be a time limit on the policy.
While these are some common limitations, your card ’ s benefits template will contain a detail list of limitations. You should familiarize yourself with your benefits guide before you rent a car .
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, please click here .
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, please chink here .
For rates and fees of the American Express® Green Card, please click hera .
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, please snap here .
The information related to Capital One Spark Cash for Business, American Express® Green Card, and Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business has been independently collected by ValuePenguin and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this poster anterior to publication. Terms apply to American Express credit rating card offers. See americanexpress.com for more information .
The Capital One Spark Cash for Business tease may no longer be available .