
Once again, your personal car insurance policy will apply in the event of this type of claim, though many rental agreements provide state minimum levels of liability insurance at no added cost.įinally, your credit card usually doesn’t cover the theft of personal items from your rental car.
#VENTURE ONE RENTAL CAR INSURANCE DRIVER#
Liability pays if you’re held responsible for an accident that injures another driver or their passengers or damages their vehicle. Note also that your credit card will not provide automobile liability coverage. Primary car insurance typically also excludes antique and exotic cars, cargo trucks and large vans, motorcycles, and cars rented through peer-to-peer or car-sharing services. So it’s not a good option for insuring a long-term car rental. Primary credit card rental car insurance is less common than secondary insurance.Ĭredit card rental car insurance provides coverage for just a limited amount of time - usually no more than 31 days. The credit card provider will pay to repair or replace the car (usually not to exceed the car’s actual cash value). So if your credit card provides primary coverage, you won’t need to file a claim with your personal car insurance provider for the rental car damage. Primary car insurance applies before any coverage under your personal car insurance policy. Secondary is the more common type of credit card rental car insurance. So if you’re responsible for damage to a rental car, you’d first file a claim with your car insurance policy, then file a claim with your credit card once you understand what the former doesn’t cover.

It usually covers expenses not paid for under your personal insurance, such as your collision or comprehensive deductible, towing fees, and loss-of-use charges (reimbursement to the rental company for having a vehicle taken out of service). Secondary car insurance applies after your personal car insurance policy provider has covered your damage claim. Secondary credit card rental car insurance They differ based on how they relate to your personal car insurance policy. There are two main types of credit card car rental insurance: secondary and primary. If you decline the CDW and the car is damaged or stolen during your rental period, this benefit helps cover your financial responsibility to the rental company. Many major credit card issuers provide rental car insurance as a cardholder benefit. What is credit card rental car insurance? You may also have insurance provided by your credit card.

In most cases, your personal car insurance policy will apply to the rental. But you should know that there are other options for rental car insurance, and they may not cost you a dime. You do need insurance when you rent a car. That would add more than $300 to the cost of a week’s rental - the equivalent of a $15,000 annual car insurance premium! That may sound good, but it comes at a price of up to $45 per day.

And that’s when you’re hit with the question: Do you want to add a collision damage waiver (CDW) to the rental? Like many travelers, you may not be sure what to do.Ī CDW, sometimes called a loss damage waiver (LDW), acts like insurance that helps absolve you of financial responsibility if the car is damaged or stolen during your rental period. After waiting in a long line at the rental counter, you’re finally face-to-face with a company agent. You’re tired and achy and just want to get your rental car and get on the road. You’ve just gotten off a seven-hour flight from Newark to Phoenix, which included a quick connection in Chicago.
