Chase Sapphire Reserve Card: Maximizing Your Car Rental Insurance & Benefits

The Chase Sapphire Reserve^® is one of the top credit cards on the market (and one of our personal favorites). This credit card exploded out of the gate a few years ago with a huge welcome offer and has continued to be a powerhouse among travel rewards cards ever since.

The perks that come with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card are a dream for any frequent traveler — an annual $300 travel credit, a Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck credit, Priority Pass Select membership for lounge access, travel insurance, and 50% more value from your points when booking travel through the Chase Travel portal.

With so many great benefits, it can get a bit overwhelming to decipher. So, we’ll break it down for you and focus on 1 benefit at a time.

This post will show you everything you need to know about the car rental insurance and benefits that come with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. We’ll review primary versus secondary coverage, what the insurance includes, who is covered, and how to submit a claim.

Card Benefits Summary

Before we get to the nitty-gritty of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card car rental insurance benefits, let’s take a quick look at the main benefits this card offers.

This premium credit card comes with premium perks — but also a hefty price tag. The Chase Sapphire Reserve card has an annual fee of $550. While this is a lot of money, the benefits that come with it can more than offset the price tag. That’s one of the reasons it remains a very popular card among travel enthusiasts.

Chase Sapphire Reserve^®

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns 3x points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.

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Chase Sapphire Reserve^®

A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns 3x points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

60,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,200

Annual Fee

$550

APR

21.74% - 28.74% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Excellent (740-850)

Why We Like This Card

If you’re looking for an all-around excellent travel rewards card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve^® is one of the best options out there.

The card combines elite travel benefits and perks like airport lounge access, with excellent point earning and redemption options.  Plus it offers top-notch travel insurance protections to keep you covered whether you’re at home or on the road.

Don’t forget the $300 annual travel credit which really helps to reduce the annual fee!

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase TravelSM immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually
• 10x points on Lyft purchases through March 31, 2025
• 10x points on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $250 through March 31, 2025

Cons

• $550 annual fee
• Does not offer any sort of hotel elite status

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
• Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel.
• 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
• Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $120 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck^®
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 21.74% - 28.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Ongoing Perks of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card:

• $300 annual travel credit
• Earn 10x points on car rentals, Chase Dining, and hotels booked through the Chase Travel portal
• Earn 10x points on Lyft rides (through March 31, 2025)
• 10x points on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $250 (through March 31, 2025)
• Earn 5x points on airfare booked through the Chase Travel portal
• Earn 3x points on travel and dining purchases
• Earn 1x points on all other purchases
• Global Entry ($120, as of October 1, 2024), NEXUS ($50), or TSA PreCheck ($78) fee credit (every 4 years)
• Points are worth 50% more: 1.5 cents per point value when redeemed through the Chase Travel portal
• 1:1 point transfers to lots of Chase travel partners
• Travel insurance, including trip cancellation/interruption insurance, baggage delay and lost luggage insurance, travel accident insurance, and emergency medical coverage
• Airport lounge access through Priority Pass

Hot Tip: For more information and a full explanation of all of the benefits offered by this card, see our article on the valuable benefits of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

If the price tag is still too steep for you despite all of these great benefits, consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card. This card also earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points and has similar benefits, but the annual fee is only $95.

Car Rental Insurance

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card comes with an Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, often referred to as CDW. That’s basically just a fancy term for car rental insurance. It covers damage or theft of most rental vehicles worldwide.

Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver

The auto rental collision damage waiver (CDW) provided by the Chase Sapphire Reserve card applies to more than just the primary cardholder. You’re also covered if you’re an authorized user and listed as the primary renter.

To be eligible for the insurance that comes with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you must do 2 things:

• Decline the collision insurance offered by the car rental company
• Charge the entire rental cost to your Chase Sapphire Reserve card

Hot Tip: When you pay for your entire rental car cost on your Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you’ll be eligible for primary car rental insurance and earn 3x to 10x Ultimate Rewards points per dollar! You can then transfer those points to one of Chase’s hotel or airline partners or use them to book travel through the Chase Travel portal. 

Primary vs. Secondary Coverage

The coverage offered by the Chase Sapphire Reserve card is primary coverage.

This means that you do NOT have to file a claim with any other insurance company you may have before you can take advantage of this Chase Sapphire Reserve card benefit.

Other Chase credit cards offering primary car rental coverage are:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
• Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card
• Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card
• Ink Business Unlimited^® Credit Card

Who and What Is Covered

So, what and who is actually covered when you take advantage of the insurance offered by the Chase Sapphire Reserve card?

The Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) applies to:

• The cardholder (this can be the primary cardholder or authorized user, but they must be listed as the primary renter on the car rental contract)
• Any additional drivers listed on the rental agreement

The CDW will cover up to $75,000 in physical damages and/or theft of the vehicle for rentals that are 31 consecutive days or less. Other covered expenses include reasonable towing charges and loss of use charges incurred by the rental company.

What’s Not Covered

As with most insurance policies, there’s a long list of things that aren’t covered. Here are just some of the things that are NOT covered by the insurance offered by the Chase Sapphire Reserve card:

Bottom Line: The auto rental collision damage waiver provided by the Chase Sapphire Reserve card will cover up to $75,000 in damages for the primary cardholder, plus any authorized drivers (on most rentals).

How To File a Claim

If you experience an accident or theft of your rental car, you must notify the benefits administrator within 60 days of the incident.

You must submit a completed claim form within 100 days of the damage or theft. And any and all supporting documentation must be submitted within 1 year of the damage or theft.

Here’s how:

• File a claim over the phone: 888-675-1461
• File a claim online: eclaimsline.com

You may be asked to supply supporting documentation with your claim. This could include any or all of the following documents:

• Car rental agreement showing that you declined the CDW offered by the rental company
• Credit card statement showing you paid for the entire rental with your Chase Sapphire Reserve card
• A police report
• Repair estimates
• Photos of the damage
• Any other documents deemed necessary by the benefits administrator

Important Dates To Remember

The timing of your claim is essential. For your claim to be approved, it must comply with the following timeline:

• You must contact the benefits administrator within 60 days of the incident
• You must file a claim within 100 days of the incident
• You must submit all supporting documentation within 365 days of the incident

Bottom Line: To file a claim with your Chase Sapphire Reserve card, call 888-675-1461 or go online to eclaimsline.com.

Special Car Rental Privileges and Discount Codes

Along with collision and theft protection, your Chase Sapphire Reserve card offers you special privileges and discount codes with different car rental agencies.

National Car Rental

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card comes with complimentary Emerald Club Executive Level membership with National Car Rental.

You can also save up to 25% on qualifying rentals in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean using code 5030849. To be eligible for this discount, you must book directly through National on its website or call 800-227-7368.

Avis

Once you’re enrolled in Avis Preferred, you can save up to 30% on qualifying rentals with Avis.

To receive this discount, you must book directly through Avis — the discount doesn’t apply when booking a rental car through the Chase Travel portal.

The discount applies to the base rate only and will vary based on location, date, and type of car. You must make your reservation 24 hours in advance to receive these benefits.

Because the Chase Sapphire Reserve card is a Visa Infinite card, cardholders also get complimentary Avis Preferred Plus membership. They can earn free weekend rentals and receive up to 10% off base rates on Select Series rentals, too.

Bottom Line: The discounts and benefits offered by Avis and National are only available when booking directly through the car rental agency, but a discount code may be required. These discounts can’t be applied when booking a rental car through the Chase Travel portal.

How To Find and Activate These Benefits — A Step-by-Step Guide

These special car rental privileges require you to sign up with each car rental agency individually. Thankfully, links to sign-up are easy to find in your online Chase account.

Step 1: First, sign in to your online Chase Ultimate Rewards account and click on the menu icon in the upper left-hand corner.

Step 2: If you have more than 1 Chase credit card, be sure to select your Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

Step 3: Scroll to the bottom and click on Card Benefits.

Step 4: Scroll down until you get to Special Car Rental Privileges. You’ll find more information and links to sign up with the 2 programs that offer discounts — National and Avis.

Final Thoughts

Renting a car can be stressful, but having the right credit card in your wallet can help make the process a little easier.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card comes with many benefits, including primary rental car insurance. This policy is activated if you decline the collision damage waiver (CDW) offered by the rental company and pay for the entire cost of the rental using your Chase Sapphire Reserve card.