We are an independent, advertising-supported comparison service. Our goal is to help you make smarter financial decisions by providing you with interactive tools and financial calculators, publishing original and objective content, by enabling you to conduct research and compare information for free - so that you can make financial decisions with confidence.
Bankrate has partnerships with issuers including, but not limited to, American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi and Discover.
Checkmark Expert verified
Bankrate logoHow is this page expert verified?
At Bankrate, we take the accuracy of our content seriously.
“Expert verified” means that our Financial Review Board thoroughly evaluated the article for accuracy and clarity. The Review Board comprises a panel of financial experts whose objective is to ensure that our content is always objective and balanced.
Their reviews hold us accountable for publishing high-quality and trustworthy content.
Written by
Holly D. Johnson
Holly Johnson writes expert content on personal finance, credit cards, loyalty and insurance topics. In addition to writing for Bankrate and CreditCards.com, Johnson does ongoing work for clients that include CNN, Forbes Advisor, LendingTree, Time Magazine and more.
Edited by
Mariah Ackary
Reviewed by
Cathleen McCarthy
Cathleen's stories on design, travel and business have appeared in dozens of publications including the Washington Post, Town & Country, Wall Street Journal, Marie Claire, Fodor’s Travel, Departures and The Writer.
At Bankrate we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. While we adhere to strict editorial integrity , this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here's an explanation for how we make money . The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.
Bankrate logoAt Bankrate, we have a mission to demystify the credit cards industry — regardless or where you are in your journey — and make it one you can navigate with confidence. Our team is full of a diverse range of experts from credit card pros to data analysts and, most importantly, people who shop for credit cards just like you. With this combination of expertise and perspectives, we keep close tabs on the credit card industry year-round to:
At Bankrate, we focus on the points consumers care about most: rewards, welcome offers and bonuses, APR, and overall customer experience. Any issuers discussed on our site are vetted based on the value they provide to consumers at each of these levels. At each step of the way, we fact-check ourselves to prioritize accuracy so we can continue to be here for your every next.
Bankrate logoBankrate follows a strict editorial policy, so you can trust that we’re putting your interests first. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions.
We value your trust. Our mission is to provide readers with accurate and unbiased information, and we have editorial standards in place to ensure that happens. Our editors and reporters thoroughly fact-check editorial content to ensure the information you’re reading is accurate. We maintain a firewall between our advertisers and our editorial team. Our editorial team does not receive direct compensation from our advertisers.
Bankrate’s editorial team writes on behalf of YOU – the reader. Our goal is to give you the best advice to help you make smart personal finance decisions. We follow strict guidelines to ensure that our editorial content is not influenced by advertisers. Our editorial team receives no direct compensation from advertisers, and our content is thoroughly fact-checked to ensure accuracy. So, whether you’re reading an article or a review, you can trust that you’re getting credible and dependable information.
Bankrate logoYou have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades. We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to succeed throughout life’s financial journey.
Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy, so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers.
We’re transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money.
Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories, except where prohibited by law for our mortgage, home equity and other home lending products. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range, can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service.
Travel credit cards offer a broad range of perks that can make travel more convenient, more comfortable and even more affordable. One such benefit is rental car insurance, although the type of rental car coverage your credit card comes with will determine its utility and value.
But, how does car rental coverage work? The process is pretty simple. Once you sign up for a rewards credit card that offers this benefit, you’ll use your credit card to pay for the full rental agreement when you rent a car. At that point, the coverage you have with your credit card will apply to your car rental agreement. Since there are different levels of car rental coverage offered by a credit card, however, it’s crucial to know your card’s offering inside and out.
Car rental insurance, often called a Collision Damage Waiver, can be primary or secondary.
Primary rental car coverage can be used in place of your own insurance. When your credit card offers primary rental car coverage, you can decline the paid coverage at the rental counter and rest assured you’re covered up to the limits of your policy.
While primary coverage kicks in before other coverage you have, secondary coverage can only be used after you file a claim and exhaust benefits from any other insurance you have, including your own auto insurance policy.
To get the most out of car rental coverage offered by a credit card, you need to know what kind of coverage you have, understand any limitations and use your credit card to pay. You also have to be clear that you’re declining the paid coverage offered by the rental car company and that you list everyone who might drive the car on the rental agreement.
While any credit card that offers car rental insurance can be useful, some cards offer a better rental car benefit than others. The following cards offer the best primary coverage among travel credit cards on the market today.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is an excellent deal when you consider all the perks you’ll receive for its $95 annual fee.
When you’re ready to redeem your rewards, you can cash them in for gift cards, statement credits, travel through the Chase portal (with 25 percent more value) or 1:1 transfers to airline and hotel partners.
Travel benefits include a primary collision damage waiver coverage for rental cars that’s worth up to the actual cash value of the rental car. Coverage is also good for rental periods of up to 31 days, and for damage, theft, towing charges and loss of use charged by the rental car company.
Other important travel-related perks you’ll receive include trip cancellation/interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance, trip delay coverage, lost luggage reimbursement, travel accident insurance and roadside dispatch.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is the more luxurious cousin of the Preferred card, albeit with a much higher annual fee of $550.
Since these points also fall within the same Chase Ultimate Rewards program, you have the same redemption options available to you. The only difference is, you’ll get 50 percent more value for travel when you redeem points in the Chase portal, whereas the Preferred card gives you a 25 percent boost in value. This means the Chase Sapphire Reserve’s 50,000 sign-up bonus points are worth $750 in travel through the portal.
Cardholder benefits include a $300 annual travel credit, up to a $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck, one-year Lyft Pink membership and Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership.
Auto rental coverage is also primary and worth up to $75,000 in damage from collision or theft. Other travel perks you could benefit from include trip cancellation/interruption insurance, lost baggage insurance, trip delay coverage, roadside assistance, travel accident insurance and emergency evacuation and transportation coverage.
If you travel for business often, you should also consider the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. This card offers primary rental car coverage when you use your credit card to pay for a rental agreement and you are renting the car for business purposes.
Other important cardholder benefits include cellphone protection, free employee cards, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, extended warranties and purchase protection.
If you fly with United Airlines often and want to earn miles in the United MileagePlus program, you can also check out the United℠ Explorer Card.
Cardholder benefits include primary auto rental coverage that’s the same coverage you get with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. You’ll also receive trip delay reimbursement, baggage delay insurance, purchase protection, lost luggage reimbursement, trip interruption or cancellation coverage and a first checked bag free when you fly United, among other perks.
We highlighted the best credit cards for auto rental coverage above, but we only included cards with the best primary coverage. Keep in mind that plenty of other travel credit cards offer secondary auto rental coverage that can help cover losses after any other insurance policies you have are exhausted.
Most credit cards that offer rental car coverage list some fine print you should be aware of, including wording that limits the type of automobiles they’ll cover. With Chase rental car coverage, for example, antique and exotic cars may not qualify. Also, their coverage is also only good for rental periods up to 31 days.
Different credit cards may have different policies when it comes to filing a claim. However, most offer an online claims portal that lets you submit your claim paperwork and proof of your claim via the web. Make sure to gather evidence of your claim including photos of the damage, police reports and any other evidence related to your specific problem, whether it’s damage, theft or some other mishap.
The information about the United Explorer Card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.
Arrow Right Author, Award-Winning Writer
Holly Johnson writes expert content on personal finance, credit cards, loyalty and insurance topics. In addition to writing for Bankrate and CreditCards.com, Johnson does ongoing work for clients that include CNN, Forbes Advisor, LendingTree, Time Magazine and more.
