The 5 Best Credit Cards for Car Rental Insurance Coverage [May 2024]
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Secondary Collision Damage Waiver Coverage
Secondary CDW 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 (Best 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.
Bottom Line: Primary rental car insurance is the superior insurance coverage you’re looking for as a benefit with your credit card. Our top pick is the Chase Sapphire Preferred®, which includes primary car rental insurance for a sub $100 annual fee.
The 5 Best Credit Cards for Primary Car Rental Insurance
Card Summary
| Card | Welcome Offer | Benefits for Car Rental Insurance | Annual Fee |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred®
 | Earn 75,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. |
| $95 |
| Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
 | Earn 75,000 miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. |
| $395 (rates & fees) |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve®
 | Earn 75,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. |
| $550 |
The Platinum Card® from American Express  | Earn 80,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. |
| $695 (rates & fees) |
American Express® Gold Card  | Earn 60,000 points when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. |
| $250 (rates & fees) |
1. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Top Pick)
A fantastic travel card with a huge welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.
Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance. With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.
- 5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Travel portal
- 5x points on select Peloton purchases over $150 (through March 31, 2025)
- 5x points on Lyft purchases (through March 31, 2025)
- $95 annual fee
- No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s over $900 when you redeem through Chase TravelSM.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase TravelSM. For example, 75,000 points are worth $937.50 toward travel.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
- Member FDIC
- APR: 21.49%-28.49% Variable
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
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 Travel (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 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.
2. Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesThe Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the premium Capital One travel rewards card on the block.
Points and miles fans will be surprised to see that the Capital One Venture X card packs quite the punch when it comes to bookings made through Capital One, all while offering the lowest annual fee among premium credit cards.
Depending on your travel goals and preferences, the Capital One Venture X card could very well end up being your go-to card in your wallet.
- 10x miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel
- 5x miles per $1 on flights purchased through Capital One Travel
- 2x miles per $1 on all other purchases
- $395 annual fee (rates & fees)
- Does not offer bonus categories for flights or hotel purchases made directly with the airline or hotel group, the preferred booking method for those looking to earn elite status
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Elevate every hotel stay from the Premier or Lifestyle Collections with a suite of cardholder benefits, like an experience credit, room upgrades, and more
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- APR: 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
CapOne’s ultra-premium credit card product is the Capital One Venture X card. This credit card, similar to the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, also 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 Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, 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 an up to $300 annual travel credit for Capital One Travel bookings (which you could use for rental cars), an annual account anniversary bonus of 10,000 miles, as well as a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit of up to $100.
It’s also one of the few credit cards with exceptional cell phone protection, up to 4 authorized user cards for no additional annual fee (rates & fees), no foreign transaction fees (rates & fees), return protection, and extended warranty protection.
3. 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.
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!
- 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 March 31, 2025
- 10x points on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $250 through March 31, 2025
- $550 annual fee
- Does not offer any sort of hotel elite status
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $1,125 toward travel when you redeem through Chase TravelSM.
- $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 TravelSM 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 TravelSM. For example, 75,000 points are worth $1125 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 PassTM Select and up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Member FDIC
- APR: 22.49%-29.49% Variable
- Foreign Transaction Fees: $0
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 Travel
- 5x points on air travel booked through Chase Travel
- 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, Silvercar, 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, or 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.
4. The Platinum Card® from American Express
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesThe Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.
Apply With Confidence
Know if you're approved with no credit score impact
If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than The Platinum Card® from American Express.
Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.
- The best airport lounge access out of any card (by far) — enjoy access to over 1,400 worldwide lounges, including the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, and many more!
- 5x points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year)
- 5x points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com
- $695 annual fee (rates and fees)
- Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)
- Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
- $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market. As of 03/2023.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Save on eligible delivery fees, shipping, and more with a Walmart+ membership. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and get up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes back on one membership (excluding Plus Ups) each month.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card®.
- $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Terms Apply.
- $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps to get you to your gate faster at 50+ airports nationwide and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card. CLEARLanes are available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues.
- Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 year period for TSA PreCheck® application fee for a 5-year plan only (through a TSA PreCheck® official enrollment provider), when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
- Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile.
- $695 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
- APR: See Pay Over Time APR
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 125k (or 150k) points with the Amex Platinum. The current public offer is 80,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)
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.
Hot Tip: 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.
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 1,300+ 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 in Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credits
- 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 (see rates & fees), purchase protection, cell phone insurance, extended warranty, and exceptional travel insurance.
5. American Express® Gold Card
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesThis is the best card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants (worldwide), order take-out and want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!
Apply With Confidence
Know if you're approved with no credit score impact
If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
The American Express® Gold Card is a game-changer.
With this card, you can earn 4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants and you’ll also earn 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x.
There isn’t another card on the market that offers a 1-2 punch like this. Of course, there are several other benefits of the Gold Card as well, including extra monthly dining rewards and more.
- 4x points per dollar at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
- 4x points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets, up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases; and 1x thereafter
- 3x points per dollar on flights purchased directly from airlines or at Amex Travel
- $250 annual fee (see rates and fees)
- No lounge access
- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required.
- Get a $100 experience credit with a minimum two-night stay when you book The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel. Experience credit varies by property.
- Choose the color that suits your style. Gold or Rose Gold.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $250.
- Terms Apply.
- APR: See Pay Over Time APR
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
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. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)
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, no additional fee for authorized user cards, purchase protection, and extended warranty (see rates & fees).
For the Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® and may vary by product. Please refer to the Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply
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 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/
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 rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.