Which credit card has the best car rental insurance?

The best credit card for car rental insurance will offer primary car rental coverage. You will also want the coverage to include damage to the rental car, loss of use coverage while the car is being repaired, towing, and theft. If we had to select 1 card that tops the list for car rental insurance, it would be the Chase Sapphire Preferred card for its elevated earnings on travel, a generous welcome bonus, and flexible redemption options. Other great options include the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, Capital One Venture X card, Amex Platinum card, and Amex Gold card. Alternatively, if you are renting for business, you’ll love the Ink Business Preferred card, Ink Business Unlimited card, Ink Business Cash card, United Business card, and Amex Business Platinum card. With that said, all of the cards we’ve mentioned in the article carry primary car rental coverage or make this coverage easily available. Selecting the card that aligns with your spending and that offers other benefits you can readily use will make sure you’re getting the maximum value from the card.

Does my credit card have car rental insurance?

The quickest way to find out if your credit card has car rental insurance is to call the number on the back of your credit card. You can also access the Guide to Benefits that came with your card. All of the terms and conditions, limits of coverage, and exclusions will be spelled out clearly in that document. Some guides are available online but you can request a new copy by logging into your online credit card account or by calling the number on the back of your card.

What is the difference between primary and secondary car rental insurance?

Put simply, secondary car rental insurance requires that you submit a claim to any other car insurance you might have access to before the credit card coverage kicks in. Primary car rental insurance becomes effective immediately and does not first require you to file a claim elsewhere.

If I use points for the car rental, am I still covered?

Yes. If you use points that are associated with your credit card, you will still be covered, provided you have complied with other requirements. You must have reserved and paid for the entire rental with points, a charge on your associated card, or a combination of both. You must also decline the rental car agency’s CDW/LDW coverage. Additionally, any driver you want to be covered must be added to the rental agreement.

10 Best Credit Cards for Car Rental Insurance Coverage [2023]

You’re faced with several decisions when renting a vehicle, but none is more important than whether to purchase the car rental insurance coverage offered by the rental car company.

The representatives are pros at telling you why you need their coverage, so unless you’ve done your homework in advance, you’re likely to just accept the coverage to ensure you’re covered during the rental period. Purchasing the car rental agency’s coverage can be expensive, though — as much as $30 per day.

Having car rental insurance on your credit card allows you to confidently decline that coverage, forego the added expense, and potentially save hundreds of dollars. In order to accomplish these savings, you’ll need to be prepared and pay for your rental with a credit card that offers primary car rental coverage.

Our objective in this article will be to help you understand car rental coverage and recommend a few credit cards that offer great car rental insurance.

Let’s get started on our journey.

Table of contents

What Is Primary Car Rental Insurance?
The 5 Best Personal Cards for Car Rental Insurance
The 5 Best Business Cards for Car Rental Insurance
Chase Primary Car Rental Insurance
Capital One Primary Car Rental Insurance
American Express Premium Car Rental Protection
American Express Secondary Car Rental Insurance
How To File a Claim
Everything Else You Need To Know
Final Thoughts

Table of Contents

What Is Primary Car Rental Insurance?
The 5 Best Personal Cards for Car Rental Insurance
The 5 Best Business Cards for Car Rental Insurance
Chase Primary Car Rental Insurance
Capital One Primary Car Rental Insurance
American Express Premium Car Rental Protection
American Express Secondary Car Rental Insurance
How To File a Claim
Everything Else You Need To Know
Final Thoughts

What Is Primary Car Rental Insurance?

There are 2 levels of car rental coverage that can be offered on your credit card — secondary and primary. A single credit card could even apply both types of coverage. For example, a card could offer primary coverage when you rent a vehicle outside your country of residence and secondary coverage within your country of residence.

Car rental insurance is also referred to as Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) or Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) by the car rental companies and also by some credit card companies.

This is because CDW/LDW coverage is not really insurance, although it functions similarly because it waives your responsibility to pay for damages, theft, or other related charges you could incur during a rental car incident.

Before we discuss the best credit cards for primary car rental insurance, let’s first define the difference between secondary and primary coverage and how these coverages may be applied.

Secondary Collision Damage Waiver Coverage

Secondary CDW coverage — also referred to as “excess” coverage — requires you to first file a claim with any insurance that might be applicable to the situation before the secondary coverage kicks in. This is important because your own insurance company could potentially penalize you for an accident if you file a claim.

You may also have to pay a high deductible when filing a claim with your own insurance company, depending on the coverage you have.

Primary Collision Damage Waiver Coverage

Primary CDW coverage does not require you to file a claim with your own insurance company before coverage kicks in. It functions as the primary coverage for the car rental incident.

Requirements To Ensure Coverage

For the CDW coverage that is offered on credit cards to be valid, most credit card coverage requires the following:

Reserve and pay for your rental car with the qualifying credit card
Decline the rental car company’s CDW/LDW coverage
List all drivers on the rental agreement

Make sure you know the requirements before you rent a vehicle and call the benefits administrator if you have questions.

You can even ask for a letter detailing your CDW coverage to show when renting a vehicle.

Bottom Line: Credit cards can offer CDW/LDW coverage that is secondary or primary. Some credit cards offer a combination of both, applying primary coverage outside of your residence country and secondary within your country of residence, for example. Another scenario is that primary coverage may apply if you do not have your own car insurance or if the coverage you do have does not cover you outside of your resident country.

The 5 Best Personal Cards for Car Rental Insurance

Car on road — Your business credit card can cover you for personal use outside of your resident country. Image Credit: Alex Mares via Unsplash

Card Summary

Card	Welcome Bonus and Annual Fee	Benefits for Car Rental Insurance
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card	Earn 60,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $95	Primary rental car insurance 5x points on car rentals booked via the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal 2x points on all other travel
Chase Sapphire Reserve®	Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $550	Primary rental car insurance 10x points on car rentals booked via the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal 3x points on all other travel Rental car privileges with Avis, National, and Audi on demand
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card	Earn 75,000 miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $395	Primary rental car insurance 10x miles on car rentals booked through Capital One Travel 2x miles on non-bonused categories Complimentary Hertz President’s Circle status
The Platinum Card® from American Express	Earn 80,000 points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. Annual fee of $695 (rates and fees)	Secondary rental car insurance with the ability to purchase primary rental car insurance 1x points on car rentals Fantastic rental car privileges with Avis, Hertz, and National Complimentary Hertz President’s Circle status Amazing luxury travel benefits, including worldwide lounge access and hotel elite status
American Express® Gold Card	Earn 60,000 points when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. Annual fee of $250 (rates and fees)	Secondary rental car insurance with the ability to purchase primary rental car insurance 1x points on car rentals Terrific everyday earning categories

1. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is our #1 pick because it’s one of the few personal credit cards offering primary rental car insurance. It solidifies itself at the top thanks to its mild annual fee and its tremendous rewards categories.

As you can imagine, this credit card offers an exceedingly attractive welcome bonus and up to 5x Ultimate Rewards points on purchases:

5x points on all travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards (including rental cars)
3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries
2x points on all other travel
1x points on all other purchases

After every account anniversary year, cardholders receive a 10% anniversary rewards bonus on their total amount spent on the card.

Enjoy a discounted hotel stay when you book through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal with a $50 annual credit towards hotel stays, as well as stellar travel insurance (which includes primary rental car coverage).

This credit card also offers state-of-the-art purchase protection, extended warranty, and zero liability fraud protection, as well as no foreign transaction fees and no additional annual fees for authorized users.

Hot Tip: There is no charge for adding an authorized user to the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, and they receive the same primary CDW coverage when renting a vehicle with their card. Keep in mind that authorized users driving a vehicle rented by the primary cardholder need to be listed as a driver to be covered. Read more about maximizing car rental insurance benefits with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

Why We Like Earning Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

We are huge fans of Chase Ultimate Rewards points simply because of how valuable and versatile they are. Worth 2.0 cents each according to our valuations, these points can be redeemed with transfer partners for tremendous value when booking award flights and hotels.

But if you were looking for alternative ways to use points and were willing to accept a lower redemption value, you can also book travel through the Chase travel portal, get gift cards, earn statement credits, make charitable donations, and buy online merchandise.

2. Chase Sapphire Reserve®

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card is Chase’s flagship ultra-premium credit card. It earns Chase’s own Ultimate Rewards points, just like the Chase Sapphire Preferred card; the difference is you’ll get up to 10x Ultimate Rewards points:

10x points on rental cars, hotels, and dining booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
5x points on air travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
3x points on all other travel purchases
3x points on dining
1x points on all other purchases

Earning 10x points on car rentals is exceptional, worth a return on spending of 20%!

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card comes with excellent primary rental car insurance and rental car privileges at National, Audi on demand, and Avis. It also comes with the same worldwide primary CDW coverage as the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, but with a maximum of $75,000 coverage for the rental vehicle. And the most compelling reason to use the Chase Sapphire Reserve card for your rental car is that you can pay for the rental with Ultimate Rewards Points and receive 50% more value for your points!

The card also has some incredible benefits, like an easy-to-use up to $300 travel credit every cardmember year, complimentary Priority Pass Select membership, the best travel insurance from a single credit card (including primary rental car coverage), and a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck/NEXUS application fee credit of up to $100.

Lastly, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card offers access to the Chase Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection, a 50% redemption bonus in select rotating categories when using Pay Yourself Back, no foreign transaction fees, purchase protection, roadside assistance, and extended warranty coverage.

3. Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

CapOne’s ultra-premium credit card product is the Capital One Venture X card. This credit card, similar to the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, earns up to 10x miles:

10x miles on car rentals and hotels purchased through Capital One Travel
5x miles on flights purchased through Capital One Travel
2x miles on all other purchases

The Capital One Venture X card boasts primary rental car insurance, complimentary Hertz President’s Circle status (one of the only cards that offers this top-tier elite status), and up to 10x miles on car rental bookings (assuming they’re made through Capital One Travel).

There’s also up to a $300 annual travel credit for Capital One Travel bookings (which you could use for rental cars, too), an annual account anniversary bonus of 10,000 miles, access to Capital One Lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, and Priority Pass lounges, as well as a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit of up to $100.

It’s also one of the few credit cards with exceptional cell phone protection, travel insurance, up to 4 authorized user cards for no additional annual fee, no foreign transaction fees, purchase protection, and extended warranty.

Why We Like Earning Capital One Miles

Capital One Miles is one of the best transferable currencies available. And it shows with our valuation of 1.8 cents apiece. That means a 10x miles accrual structure is worth a whopping 18%!

In general, the best way to use Capital One miles is to transfer them to travel partners for award travel, but you can also redeem them for travel purchases, online merchandise, statement credits, gift cards, and more.

4. The Platinum Card® from American Express

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 150,000 points with the Amex Platinum card! (The current public offer is 80,000 points.)

The Amex Platinum card is one of our favorite cards, thanks to its abundance of luxury travel perks. Although it offers secondary rental car coverage by default, you can easily purchase primary rental car coverage for around $12.25 to $24.95 per rental.

And sure, getting primary rental car insurance technically isn’t free, but if you look past that, you’ll probably end up being happy to pay for the primary rental car insurance if you utilize all of the card’s other perks.

The Amex Platinum card offers complimentary rental car privileges and benefits with Avis, Hertz, and National, which could help you get upgrades, discounts, and elevated service. Plus, you’ll receive complimentary Hertz President’s Circle status.

But looking past the car rental benefits, you’ll find that the Amex Platinum card’s rewards and benefits will probably make you gravitate towards this card if you’re into luxury travel:

5x Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines or with Amex Travel (up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year)
5x Membership Rewards points on prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel
1x Membership Rewards points on all other purchases (including rental cars)

Furthermore, the Amex Platinum card offers access to Fine Hotels & Resorts and The Hotel Collection (to make you feel like a VIP when booking hotel stays around the world) and the American Express Global Lounge Collection to access some of the most exclusive lounges, including Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs (when flying on a same-day Delta flight), and Priority Pass lounges upon enrollment.

To add to that, there’s complimentary hotel elite status, upon enrollment, with Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite.

Cardholders can also take advantage of a series of statement credits, including:

Up to $200 in airline fee credits
Up to $200 in prepaid hotel credits on eligible stays
Up to $200 in Uber Cash
Up to $240 in digital entertainment credits
$189 in CLEAR credit
Up to $100 Global Entry or $85 TSA PreCheck application fee statement credit
Up to $100 in Saks Fifth Avenue credits
Up to $12.95 in monthly Walmart+ credits
Up to $300 in Equinox credits

Cardholders will also enjoy no foreign transaction fees (rates and fees), purchase protection, cell phone insurance, extended warranty, and exceptional travel insurance.

Why We Like Earning Amex Membership Rewards Points

We are of the opinion that Amex Membership Rewards points are the most valuable out there. By our valuations, we peg Amex points at 2.2 cents each, which outperforms both Chase Ultimate Rewards and Capital One Miles.

In fact, we’ve compiled a huge guide on how to extract as much value from Amex points as possible.

But if you’re looking for other ways to use Amex points outside of travel, you can also get gift cards, cash-back, statement credits, merchandise, and book travel through Amex Travel using Pay With Points.

5. American Express® Gold Card

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 90,000 points with the Amex Gold card! (The current public offer is 60,000 points.)

The last personal card product we’ll include in this article is the Amex Gold card. It happens to be one of the most exceptional cards for everyday spending. It offers secondary rental car coverage, but there are so many other reasons why you’d want to get this card!

Even with secondary rental car insurance, you can purchase Premium Car Rental Protection from $12.25 to $24.95 per rental, so you still have the option to enjoy primary coverage with the Amex Gold card.

Let’s first note that the welcome bonus is consistently awesome — and you’ll earn up to 4x points:

4x points at restaurants, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.
4x points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year)
3x points on flights purchased directly with the airline or Amex Travel
1x points on all other purchases (including rental cars)

By earning 4x points, you can get a whopping return on spending of 8.8%! The Amex Gold card also comes with up to $240 in statement credits every year:

Up to $120 (up to $10 per month) in Uber Cash for rides or Uber Eats orders in the U.S.
Up to $120 (up to $10 per month) in dining credits at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Milk Bar, Wine.com, and select Shake Shack locations (enrollment required)

In addition, you can access room upgrades and property credits when booking eligible stays at The Hotel Collection, which will undoubtedly enhance your travel experience.

The Amex Gold card has travel insurance, no foreign transaction fees, fee-free authorized user cards, purchase protection, and extended warranty (rates and fees).

The 5 Best Business Cards for Car Rental Insurance

Business cards handle car rental insurance coverage a bit differently than personal cards. You’ll receive primary car rental coverage if you are renting primarily for business purposes and use your associated card to pay for the rental.

You are also covered for personal use when renting a vehicle outside of your resident country. If you rent for personal use within your country of residence, you will not have primary coverage.

Card Summary

Card	Welcome Bonus and Annual Fee	Benefits for Primary Car Rental Insurance
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card	Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $95	Primary rental car insurance when renting for business or outside of the U.S.; secondary coverage for personal rentals in the U.S. 3x points on select business categories, including travel (up to $150,000 per cardmember year)
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card	Earn $750 cash-back after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $0	Primary rental car insurance when renting for business or outside of the U.S.; secondary coverage for personal rentals in the U.S. 1% cash-back on car rentals
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card	Earn $750 cash-back after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months Annual fee of $0	Primary rental car insurance when renting for business or outside of the U.S.; secondary coverage for personal rentals in the U.S. 1.5% cash-back on all purchases
United℠ Business Card	Earn 75,000 miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months Annual fee of $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99	Primary rental car insurance when renting for business or outside of the U.S.; secondary coverage for personal rentals in the U.S. 1x miles on rental cars
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express	Earn 120,000 points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $695 (rates and fees)	Secondary rental car insurance with the ability to purchase primary rental car insurance Fantastic rental car privileges with Avis, Hertz, and National Amazing luxury travel benefits, including worldwide lounge access and hotel elite status 1x miles on rental cars

1. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

We affectionately refer to the Ink Business Preferred card as the king of small business credit cards and it has a huge welcome bonus. The card comes with primary rental car insurance when renting for business and outside of the U.S. and secondary coverage for when you rent a vehicle for personal use in the U.S.

Cardholders have the ability to earn 3x points on up to $150,000 in combined purchases on these select business categories every cardmember year:

Ads purchased with search engines or social media sites
Internet, cable, and phone services
Shipping expenses
Travel (including rental cars)

You’ll also earn 5x points on Lyft purchases through March 31, 2025.

So when you book car rentals that code as travel, expect to get a return on spending of 6%!

This credit card also offers cell phone protection, purchase protection, extended warranty, no foreign transaction fees, and fee-free employee cards.

2. Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

The Ink Business Cash card is one of the few credit cards that offers primary rental car insurance when renting for business purposes or outside of the U.S., all without an annual fee! The card also has secondary coverage when you rent a vehicle for personal use in the U.S.

But there’s so much more to this card, starting with the enormous welcome bonus. There’s also a 0% introductory APR benefit, travel insurance, and up to 5% cash-back on purchases:

5% cash-back on Lyft purchases through March 31, 2025
5% cash-back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services every cardmember year
2% cash-back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants every cardmember year
1% cash-back on other purchases (including rental cars)

If you have an Ultimate Rewards card, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred card or Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you can convert your rewards at a 1% to 1x ratio, making a 5% cash-back structure double in value to a 10% return on spending!

Other perks include zero liability fraud protection and fee-free employee cards.

3. Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

The Ink Business Unlimited card is the other major Chase card that offers primary rental car coverage without an annual fee. As with the other Ink cards, this primary coverage applies when renting for business purposes or outside of the U.S., with secondary coverage when you rent a vehicle for personal use in the U.S.

Similar to the Ink Business Cash card, there’s a mind-bogglingly good welcome bonus; the difference is the earning structure:

5% cash-back on Lyft purchases through March 31, 2025
1.5% cash-back on all other purchases (including rental cars)

Like the rewards from the Ink Business Cash card, you can convert your cash-back to Ultimate Rewards points with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, Chase Sapphire Reserve card, or Ink Business Unlimited card.

Of course, there’s a 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; variable 17.74% – 23.74% thereafter, as well as purchase protection, extended warranty, travel insurance, and fee-free employee cards.

4. United℠ Business Card

The United Business card is a unique choice that you should consider if you frequently fly United for business purposes.

Currently, there’s a fabulous welcome bonus available. This card offers primary rental car insurance when renting for business or outside of the U.S. (secondary, otherwise), making it one of our top choices for business credit card holders.

You can earn up to 2x United miles on a wide variety of purchases:

2x miles on United purchases, at gas stations, on dining (including eligible delivery services), at office supply stores, and on local transit (including rideshare services, taxis, train tickets, tolls, and mass transit)
1x miles on all other purchases (including rental cars)

If you also have a personal United credit card along with the United Business card, you’ll get a better together bonus of 5,000 miles after every card anniversary.

This credit card offers a variety of United benefits:

2 United Club 1-time passes per year
Free first checked bag for you and a companion (terms apply)
Priority boarding (terms apply)
The ability to earn 500 Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) after spending $12,000 on your United Business card (up to 1,000 PQPs per calendar year)
25% back on United inflight purchases
$100 United travel credit after making 7 United flight purchases of $100 or more every cardmember anniversary year

Jam-packed with United benefits, the United Business card even offers perks at the Chase Luxury Hotels & Resort Collection, no foreign transaction fees, travel insurance, purchase protection, and extended warranty.

Why We Like Earning United MileagePlus Miles

United’s frequent flyer program is called MileagePlus. Currently, United miles are worth around 1.3 cents each, which makes it possible to earn a return on spending of around 2.6%.

United miles can be used for domestic flights on United, but we believe that the best way to redeem these miles is for international business or first class flights on various partner airlines. In fact, with United miles, it’s possible to book SWISS business class, Lufthansa first class, and even ANA first class!

5. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a huge welcome bonus offer of up to 150,000 points with the Amex Business Platinum card! (The current public offer is 120,000 points.)

Amex’s ultra-premium business card is none other than the Amex Business Platinum card. The Amex Business Platinum card offers secondary rental car insurance with the ability to purchase primary rental car insurance.

But don’t let that discourage you from giving this card some consideration because it has some of the best travel benefits available. Let’s talk about the rewards first:

5x Membership Rewards points on flights and prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel
1.5x Membership Rewards points on eligible purchases in key business categories, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else (up to $2 million of these purchases every calendar year)
1x Membership Rewards points on all other purchases (including rental cars)

In a similar fashion to the Amex Platinum card, the Amex Business Platinum card confers access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, Fine Hotels & Resorts, hotel elite status, car rental privileges with Avis, National, and Hertz, and more than $1,000 in statement credits every year:

Up to $400 in Dell credits
Up to $200 in airline fee credits
Up to $189 in CLEAR credits
Up to $360 in Indeed credits
Up to $150 in Adobe credits
Up to $120 in wireless credits

Lastly, you’ll enjoy no preset spending limit, no foreign transaction fees, superb travel insurance, purchase protection, extended warranty, and cell phone protection (rates and fees).

Chase Primary Car Rental Insurance

What’s Covered — Chase Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver

Primary coverage for damage or theft of the rental vehicle up to the actual cash value of the vehicle ($75,000 limit on Chase Sapphire Reserve card)
Towing charges related to the loss that are reasonable and customary
Loss of use charges levied by the rental agency due to the vehicle not being in service
Coverage is valid for rental periods not exceeding (or intending to exceed) 31 days
Coverage is effective in the U.S. and most foreign countries; call the administrator before you rent outside of the U.S.

Who’s Covered

The primary cardholder and any driver listed on the rental agreement are covered.

You can be confident you’ll have proper car rental insurance coverage with any of the Ink business cards as all 3 offer a primary car rental coverage benefit when renting for business or outside of the U.S. and secondary coverage for personal rentals in the U.S.

What’s Excluded

Certain expensive, antique, and exotic vehicles
Cargo vans, motorcycles, recreational vehicles
Certain countries may be excluded where prohibited by law
Leases, mini leases and car-share services
Loss or theft of belongings
Liability coverage

Capital One Primary Car Rental Insurance

What’s Covered — Capital One Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver

The Capital One Venture X card offers primary rental insurance when renting for a period of up to 15 consecutive days in your country of residence or 31 days outside your country of residence with a maximum of $75,000 in coverage.

You’ll need to pay for your entire rental car reservation with your Capital One Venture X card to get coverage.

Who’s Covered

In general, the primary cardholder, as well as any additional drivers listed on the car rental agreement are eligible for coverage.

What’s Excluded

Expensive, exotic, or antique cars, cargo vans, trucks, motorcycles, mopeds, motorbikes, limousines, and others
Israel, Jamaica, the Republic of Ireland, and Northern Ireland are excluded from rental car coverage

American Express Premium Car Rental Protection

Amex Car Rental Insurance — You can secure primary car rental insurance for pennies a day with American Express. Image Credit: American Express

You’ve likely heard that American Express cards do not come with primary car rental insurance. While it’s true that you won’t find primary car insurance on American Express cards, secondary car rental insurance is included. Fortunately, there is an easy and affordable option for securing primary coverage on most American Express cards.

Sign up for Premium Car Rental Protection coverage in advance, then use the enrolled American Express card to reserve and pay for your rental. The premium (primary) coverage will automatically be applied.

You’ll be charged only when you actually rent a vehicle and the cost will be between $12.25 and $24.95 depending on your coverage selection, for the entire rental period, up to 42 days. For a 30-day rental, that’s as low as 41 cents per day.

What’s Covered — American Express Premium Car Rental Protection

Primary car rental coverage for damage or theft to the rental vehicle, loss of use, and applicable related charges
Coverage limit of up to $100,000 for damage/theft but less can be selected
Up to $100,000 for accidental death/dismemberment ($250,000 for California residents)
Up to $15,000 in excess property damage and $5,000 in excess medical expenses per person
Up to 42 consecutive days of coverage (30 days for Washington state cardholders)

Who’s Covered

The primary cardholder and any authorized driver listed on the rental agreement are covered under the plan. In addition, passengers are covered for the associated medical benefits.

Please note that coverage descriptions have been abbreviated. You can access a sample of the Premium Car Rental Protection plan with full terms and conditions here.

What’s Excluded

Australia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, and New Zealand are excluded from rental car coverage

Hot Tip: The cost of purchasing American Express Premium Car Rental Protection for your entire rental period could be less than the cost of 1 day of CDW/LDW coverage purchased directly from the rental car company.

American Express Secondary Car Rental Insurance

Complimentary CDW is included on most American Express credit cards. But for the complimentary CDW coverage to be effective, the following must be done:

Reserve and pay for the entire car rental with the qualifying American Express card
Decline the car rental company’s CDW/LDW coverage

To find out if your American Express credit card has complimentary CDW coverage, review your benefits guide here.

What’s Covered

Damage or theft of a rental vehicle up to a maximum of $50,000
Loss of use, appraisal fees, towing
Rentals of 30 days or less

Who’s Covered

Drivers covered for CDW under the complimentary coverage on your credit card include:

Primary cardholders and additional drivers listed on the rental agreement
Any additional drivers listed on the rental agreement

For CDW coverage to apply, the car rental must be reserved and paid for with the American Express card.

Exclusions

Cars rented in Australia, Italy, New Zealand, or any OFAC-listed country (due to economic or trade sanctions)

How To File a Claim

insurance agent working during site car accident claim process people car insurance claim — Image Credit: jcomp via freepik

Report the Claim

Your first step in the process will be to report the claim to the credit card claims administrator as soon as possible after the incident. This can be started by calling the number on the back of your credit card.

You’ll be asked some initial questions regarding the claim and then sent a claim form to complete.

Be sure to obtain a claim number and the name of the person who initiated your claim in case you do not receive the claim form promptly and need to follow up.

Gather the Documentation

Before you embark on your journey, it may be helpful to read up on what will be required should you have a rental car claim. Gathering the documentation you need at the time of the accident is much easier than trying to do so after you return home.

You may be asked to submit any, or all, of the following:

A copy of your credit card statement validating that the rental car was paid for entirely with the associated card
A copy of the full car rental agreement
A statement from the rental company stating the damages you’re responsible for
A police report
Photos of the damage
Repair estimates
Any additional documentation the benefits administrator requests

Know the Deadlines

There will be several dates you’ll need to adhere to during the claim process. Failure to meet any of them could jeopardize your benefits.

The deadline to report the initial claim
When the completed claim form needs to be submitted or received
The dates all required documents need to be submitted and/or received

Follow Up

Claims personnel are busy handling several claims each day. Plan to follow up to ensure all the required documents have been received and that the claim is progressing.

Bottom Line: It is your responsibility to initiate the claim with the credit card claims administrator and adhere to the deadlines for submitting the required documents. It’s also a good idea to follow up to make sure your claim is progressing and all required documents were received.

Everything Else You Need To Know

Requirements To Ensure Coverage

Adhere to these requirements to ensure the car rental coverage on your card is activated:

Reserve and pay for the entire car rental reservation with the associated credit card.
Decline the rental car agency’s CDW/LDW coverage.
List all drivers you want to be covered on the car rental agreement.

Hot Tip: If you use points that are associated with the credit card to pay for your car rental, or a combination of points and charging the remainder on your card, you will still have coverage if all the other conditions are met.

Exclusions

The coverage on your credit card may exclude certain countries.
Liability insurance that covers damage to the property of others and medical injuries to passengers and pedestrians is not included in coverage that comes with your credit card. The good news is that because this coverage is mandatory it is usually included in your rental car’s daily rate.
Certain types of cars are normally excluded from coverage. These can include high-value luxury cars, commercial vehicles, off-road vehicles, motorcycles, and others. Check your specific card exclusions before renting.

Additional Information

If you do not have your own personal auto insurance, many credit cards default to applying primary car rental coverage, even if the card normally offers just secondary coverage. Check the coverage on your specific card for the terms and conditions.

Coverage periods vary. You may find that some CDW coverage covers rentals of 31 days or less, others just 15 days. Check for the rental period limit on your card before renting a vehicle.

Before renting a vehicle outside your country of residence, ask the card issuer’s claims administrator for a letter of coverage to carry with you. This letter can serve to validate existing coverage when declining the car rental company’s coverage.

Final Thoughts

Insurance can be inherently complicated and car insurance especially so.

If you have your own car insurance, the best CDW coverage for domestic car rentals is primary credit card CDW coverage. This is because it’s best to avoid filing a claim with your own insurance company, which could mean potentially having to pay a high deductible and having your rates increased.

You may, however, be responsible for a deductible on the car rental company’s coverage. If you have questions about the coverage on your card, you can always call the administrator before you rent a vehicle.

In all cases, you should purchase liability insurance from the rental car company if you don’t already have it, or be sure it is included in your rental agreement, as it is not included in CDW coverage that comes with your credit card.

Arming yourself with a little knowledge of car rental insurance and having a card in your wallet that affords primary rental car insurance can go a long way towards saving you money, yet keeping you protected, during your next car rental.

The information regarding the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

For the car rental collision damage coverage benefit of The Platinum Card® from American Express, car rental loss and damage insurance can provide coverage up to $75,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car rental loss or damage coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. For the extended warranty and purchase protection benefits of The Platinum Card® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. For the cell phone protection benefit of The Platinum Card® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

For the car rental collision damage coverage benefit of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, car rental loss and damage insurance can provide coverage up to $75,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car rental loss or damage coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. For the extended warranty and purchase protection benefits of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. For the cell phone protection benefit of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

For the car rental collision damage coverage benefit of the American Express® Gold Card, car rental loss and damage insurance can provide coverage up to $50,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the commercial car rental company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car rental loss or damage coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. For the extended warranty and purchase protection benefit of the American Express® Gold Card, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.

What Is Primary Car Rental Insurance?

Secondary Collision Damage Waiver Coverage

Primary Collision Damage Waiver Coverage

Requirements To Ensure Coverage

The 5 Best Personal Cards for Car Rental Insurance

Card Summary

1. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Why We Like Earning Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

2. Chase Sapphire Reserve®

3. Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Why We Like Earning Capital One Miles

4. The Platinum Card® from American Express

Why We Like Earning Amex Membership Rewards Points

5. American Express® Gold Card

The 5 Best Business Cards for Car Rental Insurance

Card Summary

1. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

2. Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

3. Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

4. United℠ Business Card

Why We Like Earning United MileagePlus Miles

5. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

Chase Primary Car Rental Insurance

What’s Covered — Chase Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver

Who’s Covered

What’s Excluded

Capital One Primary Car Rental Insurance

What’s Covered — Capital One Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver

Who’s Covered

What’s Excluded

American Express Premium Car Rental Protection

What’s Covered — American Express Premium Car Rental Protection

Who’s Covered

What’s Excluded

American Express Secondary Car Rental Insurance

What’s Covered

Who’s Covered

Exclusions

How To File a Claim

Report the Claim

Gather the Documentation

Know the Deadlines

Follow Up

Everything Else You Need To Know

Requirements To Ensure Coverage

Exclusions

Additional Information

Final Thoughts

Frequently asked questions

Which credit card has the best car rental insurance?

Does my credit card have car rental insurance?

What is the difference between primary and secondary car rental insurance?

If I use points for the car rental, am I still covered?

About Christine Krzyszton

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