Best credit cards with rental car insurance in September 2024
Published 6:26 PM EDT, Thu February 29, 2024
To buy rental car insurance or not to buy? That is the question when you’re reserving a car. Luckily, credit card rental car insurance can help make the decision an easier one — and help you save in more ways than one.
We sought out and vetted the best credit cards for car rental insurance. Read on to learn more about the credit cards that will help you gas-and-go with more peace of mind — wherever your travels next take you.
Note that all of the cards on our list offer primary coverage, which means you won’t have to file a claim with your personal car insurance before using the benefit. Credit card car rental insurance typically covers theft or collision damage to your rental vehicle.
We receive compensation from our partners for Featured Offer placements, which impacts how and where their offer is displayed.
Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening
Credit Score ranges are based on FICO? credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.
Our team of experts evaluated over 20 cards that offer primary or secondary rental car insurance, evaluating factors such as rewards value and travel benefits. Using a data-based approach, we narrowed down the list to the top eight credit cards that scored highly based on our weightings. Read our full methodology below.
-
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Best credit card with rental car insurance
-
Bilt Mastercard?: Best no-annual-fee card
-
U.S. Bank Altitude? Reserve Visa Infinite? Card: *Best for mobile wallets
The information for the U.S. Bank Altitude? Reserve Visa Infinite? Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
-
Chase Sapphire Preferred? Card: Best mid-tier travel rewards card
-
Chase Sapphire Reserve?: Best for flexible travel credits
-
United Club? Infinite Card: Best for United Airlines loyalists
-
Capital One Venture X Business: Best small-business card
-
Ink Business Cash? Credit Card: Best no-annual-fee small business card
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
The CNN Underscored Money editorial team has developed a star rating so you can see the best card for specific categories. While we believe this card excels in this category, its overall star rating may differ.
Bilt Mastercard?
The CNN Underscored Money editorial team has developed a star rating so you can see the best card for specific categories. While we believe this card excels in this category, its overall star rating may differ.
U.S. Bank Altitude? Reserve Visa Infinite? Card
*The information for the U.S. Bank Altitude? Reserve Visa Infinite? Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The CNN Underscored Money editorial team has developed a star rating so you can see the best card for specific categories. While we believe this card excels in this category, its overall star rating may differ.
Chase Sapphire Preferred? Card
The CNN Underscored Money editorial team has developed a star rating so you can see the best card for specific categories. While we believe this card excels in this category, its overall star rating may differ.
Chase Sapphire Reserve?
The CNN Underscored Money editorial team has developed a star rating so you can see the best card for specific categories. While we believe this card excels in this category, its overall star rating may differ.
United Club? Infinite Card
The CNN Underscored Money editorial team has developed a star rating so you can see the best card for specific categories. While we believe this card excels in this category, its overall star rating may differ.
Capital One Venture X Business
The CNN Underscored Money editorial team has developed a star rating so you can see the best card for specific categories. While we believe this card excels in this category, its overall star rating may differ.
Ink Business Cash? Credit Card
The CNN Underscored Money editorial team has developed a star rating so you can see the best card for specific categories. While we believe this card excels in this category, its overall star rating may differ.
Our picks at a glance
| ? | Annual fee | Welcome bonus | Best for | Primary or secondary car rental insurance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
| $395
| 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening
| Rental car insurance
| Primary
|
Bilt Mastercard?
| None
| None
| No annual fee
| Primary in US and abroad (but secondary in the US for New York residents)
|
U.S. Bank Altitude? Reserve Visa Infinite? Card * The information for the U.S. Bank Altitude? Reserve Visa Infinite? Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. | $400
| 50,000 points after spending $4,500 in the first 90 days of account opening
| Mobile wallets
| Primary
|
Chase Sapphire Preferred? Card
| $95
| 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel?
| Mid-tier travel rewards
| Primary
|
Chase Sapphire Reserve?
| $550
| 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠
| Flexible travel credits
| Primary
|
United Club? Infinite Card
| $525
| 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
| United Airlines loyalists
| Primary
|
Capital One Venture X Business
| $395
| 150,000 miles after spending $30,000 in the first three months of account opening
| Small businesses
| Primary
|
Ink Business Cash? Credit Card
| $0
| $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening
| Small business owners seeking a no-annual-fee card
| Primary
|
What is credit card rental car insurance?
Credit card rental car insurance coverage, often called an auto rental collision damage waiver, typically offers protection if your vehicle is stolen or damaged in a collision. You’ll need to use the card to pay for your rental and decline the collision damage waiver (CDW) or loss damage waiver (LDW) from the rental car company.
This credit card perk can translate to significant savings because you can get valuable theft and collision coverage without paying your rental car company for it. Depending on the car and your rental period, savings can add up. Budget Car Rental’s LDWs, for example, start at $9 per day.
If your card provides primary coverage, as every card on this list does, your savings could be even greater because you won’t have to file a claim with your personal car insurance first. This feature can help you avoid premium increases.
In addition to the car itself, your credit card’s policy may also cover tow costs (within reason), charges the rental car company imposes for loss of use of the car and other related fees. In rare cases, your credit card’s car rental insurance will go beyond theft or damage to the rental car. For example, the The Platinum Card? from American Express may offer financial coverage1 if a driver or passenger of the rental car is injured or killed in an accident.
How credit card rental car insurance works
After your covered rental car is stolen, or if you get into an accident, report the incident. You can expect to find a phone number to call in the card’s guide to benefits.
Be sure to call in a timely manner (this may be within 45 days, 60 days or some other period, depending on your card). If you report the incident too late, you probably won’t get coverage.
From there, you’ll need to file a claim either online or by phone. Expect to provide thorough documentation, including an account statement proving that you booked the car with your card, a copy of the accident report form from the rental car company and a police report, if you filed one.
When all’s said and done, you should receive coverage up to a limit set in your benefit terms. For example, the Bilt Mastercard offers up to $50,000, while Sapphire Preferred says it will cover most rental cars up to their actual cash value.
If your credit card coverage is secondary, you’ll have to go through your own car insurance, if you have it, before you can get anything covered through your card. Even if you don’t have a car, you can still have personal coverage with non-owner car insurance.
Credit card rental car insurance for international rentals
If you rent a car outside the US, your credit card rental car insurance will typically still apply. In fact, it may get even better: Some cards that offer secondary coverage for rentals in the US offer primary coverage abroad. Even if your card doesn’t say this explicitly, your personal car insurance likely won’t cover you abroad, so you’ll wind up using your card’s coverage anyway, if it applies.
Even if your card covers international rentals, there may be exclusions. For instance, coverage may not apply in Israel, Jamaica, the Irish Republic or Northern Ireland. In some cases, the insurance that comes with your card may not meet a country’s requirements. Before making rental arrangements abroad, you can call your credit card company to find out about any geographic or other limitations.
We receive compensation from our partners for Featured Offer placements, which impacts how and where their offer is displayed.
Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening
Credit Score ranges are based on FICO? credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.
What is excluded from credit card rental car coverage?
While credit card car rental insurance covers quite a bit, it doesn’t cover everything or every type of vehicle rental. Check your card’s guide to benefits for the full list of exclusions, but you probably won’t be covered for luxury cars, antique vehicles, motorcycles or trucks (besides pickup trucks). The context of an accident can also affect coverage. You won’t be covered if you were driving under the influence of alcohol, for example.
Credit cards offering coverage for theft and collision damage also aren’t a substitute for liability insurance. If you’re at fault in an accident, these policies will cover your rental but not the damage to another vehicle or injuries caused to others not in your car.
Primary vs. secondary rental car coverage
As we’ve mentioned, credit card rental insurance comes in two flavors: primary coverage and secondary coverage. While you don’t necessarily get to pick the flavor, you’ll enjoy some tasty travel benefits either way.
The difference comes down to how your credit card’s coverage interacts with your personal car insurance. If your credit card car rental insurance provides primary coverage, it’s first in line to pay claims if the unthinkable happens during your rental. That means you won’t have to file a claim with your personal auto policy first.
All the cards on this list offer primary coverage, but this level of protection is fairly uncommon. Most credit cards with rental car insurance benefits offer secondary coverage that kicks in after your personal car insurance, assuming you have such a policy.
Once the policy in primary position pays its share of the claim, you can file a claim with the secondary car rental insurance through your credit card, often to get repaid for your deductible.
What didn’t make the cut
- American Express cards with car rental insurance: Unfortunately, American Express cards only offer secondary insurance.
- Co-branded small business cards: These cards could be terrific choices if you’re already loyal to these brands, but they didn’t pull ahead of the broader benefits of the brand-agnostic business cards that made our list.
- United? Explorer Card: This is a solid card for United loyalists, but the United Club Infinite offers more perks (though for a higher annual fee).
- United Quest? Card: This card also comes in with a lower annual fee than United Club Infinite, but the latter card’s superior perks still won out.
- Citi? / AAdvantage? Executive World Elite Mastercard? * The information for the Citi? / AAdvantage? Executive World Elite Mastercard? has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. : This card is a strong choice for American Airlines loyalists, but its rental car protection is secondary.
Methodology
Our money and data analytics teams evaluated over 20 credit cards with car rental insurance. We then narrowed down our list of the best cards with car rental insurance by giving them a star rating out of five, based on the following factors and our editorial judgment:
Rewards value (25%)
Not all credit card points and miles are worth the same amount. We used spending data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and estimates of rewards values from The Points Guy to determine which cards dole out the best rewards value.
Sign-up bonus value (25%)
Many cards offer bonus cash back, points or miles to consumers who spend a certain amount in their first months with the card. We calculated how much those bonuses are worth using points valuations from The Points Guy, and boosted cards that offer more value.
Benefits (25%)
We were especially interested in travel benefits, such as trip delay insurance, baggage delay insurance and travel accident insurance. Cards that offer other benefits, such as cell phone protection, purchase protection and extended warranty, received a boost as well.
Select fees (25%)
Cards with higher annual fees and foreign transaction fees weren’t rated as well as no- or low-fee cards in this category.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Your card’s rental insurance activates when you use the card for your entire car rental transaction and decline the rental car company’s collision damage waiver (CDW) or loss damage waiver (LDW).
Policies may vary, but you can typically file a claim online or by phone. You’ll need documents including the accident report, the police report, if you have one, and a copy of the rental agreement for your claim.
To find out if your credit card offers rental insurance, you can review your card’s guide to benefits or contact customer service. You can easily find your card issuer’s customer service phone number on the back of your card. Whether you call or read the fine print, you can get information about your card’s rental car benefit, often called an auto collision damage waiver, including coverage limits and whether coverage is primary or secondary.
1Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please 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.
All information about Citi? / AAdvantage? Executive World Elite Mastercard? and U.S. Bank Altitude? Reserve Visa Infinite? Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored.
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines, hotel chain, or other commercial entity and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of such entities.
This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended and should not be understood to constitute financial, investment, insurance or legal advice. All individuals are encouraged to seek advice from a qualified financial professional before making any financial, insurance or investment decisions.
Note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed or may no longer be available.
