Chart: Compare credit cards' rental car insurance policies
It's no longer wise to automatically refuse extra coverage at rental counter
By Michelle Crouch
Renting a car and turning down the agency's offer of collision insurance because you're sure your card will cover you? Consider carefully: Insurance companies have begun to add fees, and card issuers' coverages vary. Here's a look at the coverages offered by the big card processing firms.
| COMPARE CREDIT CARD RENTAL CAR INSURANCE POLICIES |
|
American Express |
MasterCard |
Discover |
Visa |
Diners Club
|
| Do all cards offer coverage? |
All, except the Delta Options card (which is no longer being marketed)
|
All Gold, Platinum, World and World elite cards do; standard cards vary by issuer |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Secondary or primary?*
|
Secondary You can pay $24.95 ($17.95 for California cardholders) for Premium Car Rental Protection, which offers primary coverage plus additional benefits |
Secondary |
Secondary (Discover Escape offers primary)
|
Secondary |
Primary |
| Amount of coverage |
Coverage varies by card and does not cover liability
|
The lesser of the actual repair amount, current market value (less salvage), or $50,000 per incident |
$25,000 to $50,000, depending on the card
|
Replacement cash value of the rental vehicle as it was originally manufactured, taking into account current condition and mileage. |
Up to $100,000 |
Vehicle exclusions
|
Coverage varies by card |
Trucks, pickups, full-size vans mounted on truck chassis, cargo vans, campers, off-road vehicles, motorcycles, motorbikes, antique vehicles, limousines, sport utility trucks and vehicles with retail prices exceeding $50,000 |
Off-road, antique, limited edition, high value (more than $50,000) and high performance motor vehicles; trucks; recreational vehicles; campers; pickup trucks; and mini-buses |
Expensive, exotic and antique automobiles, certain vans, vehicles with an open cargo bed, trucks, motorcycles, mopeds, motorbikes, limousines and recreational vehicles |
Trucks, pickups, full-size vans, mounted on truck chassis, campers, off-road vehicles, recreational vehicles, antique vehicles, trailers, motorbikes, vehicles with fewer than four wheels and some SUVs |
| Country exclusions |
Australia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica and New Zealand (for small business cards, coverage if for the US, its territories and possessions only) |
Ireland, Israel and Jamaica, and where prohibited by law (World and World Elite have no exclusions) |
None except where prohibited by law |
Israel, Jamaica, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland. |
Australia, Italy and New Zealand |
| Limit on rental length |
Coverage applies for the first 30 days of the rental
|
31 days for World and World Elite cardholders, 15 days for other types |
31 days (45 days if you're an employee of an organization that provided a card for business use) |
15 days in your country of residence, 31 days outside it |
45 days
|
Fees that are covered
|
"Reasonable" towing or storage charges. Loss-of-use and administrative fees "when the rental company provides appropriate documentation" |
"Reasonable" towing charges and "reasonable loss-of-use charges substantiated by a location- and class-specific fleet utilization log." Administrative fees are not covered |
None except on the Escape card, which covers reasonable towing fees to the nearest collision repair facility.
|
Reasonable towing charges and valid administrative and loss-of-use charges imposed by the auto rental company. |
"Reasonable" towing costs and "reasonable loss-of-use charges substantiated by a location and class specific fleet utilization log." Administrative fees are not covered |
| Source: CreditCards.com research, updated March 26, 2013.
|
Primary coverage: You don't need to file a claim with your car insurance and there's no chance of a premium increase. Secondary coverage: They'll pick up what your auto insurance doesn't.
MAIN STORY: Don't automatically refuse extra rental car insurance coverage
Updated: March 26, 2013
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