Credit Cards / Rental Car Coverage

Seems like the credit card companies continue to scale back on benefits to travelers. Today an email from Capital One:

Effective September 1, 2021, the following benefits are being discontinued:

• MasterRental® Coverage
• Extended Warranty Coverage
• Price Protection
• Travel Assistance Services
• Master RoadAssist® Service
• $100,000 Worldwide Automatic Travel Accident Insurance

This is the third card I've got that has rescinded all rental car coverage in the past few years.

Then you've got Amex's new "Premium Car Rental Protection" program which is essentially leading to making Car Rental Insurance a paid purchase as opposed to a no-cost card benefit.

Seems like the landscape is changing out there!

Yes, it has been happening. Discover dropped rental coverage some time ago. My Cap One VISA still offers rental car coverage but something tells me it will come to an end soon as well.

Only my Visa and Mastercard Business cards still offer collision. My Aviator one still did last i checked last month.

All depends on the CC that you have. Have a CC for years that provides primary coverage worldwide at no charge. Annual fee is $95. But the coverage is what I want and for the fee, that is fine.

Had the card for years, just about deleted it, but then it went to Mastercard worldwide. Requires a pin, etc for all purchases even in the US.

The deal is "Primary Coverage".... that is not the same as secondary coverage. So even in the US it would never go against my personal insurance.

Eric

Sounds like the United World MasterCard. I always use it for car rentals because of the primary coverage.

It's hard enough to convince people that their credit cards don't include Liability Insurance. I just wonder how many people simply believe in the same uninformed manner that their credit card covers "collision" because "everyone" says it does, when in fact, their card may have dropped it long ago.

I trust nobody in life, with the possible exception of my wife. I check credit cards before I use them for rentals. Every single time. If you don't check, then you don't know. I have a card which is still Primary, and I have the Amex $29/rental (I think) backup.

Yes. I called on all of mine before I left and found out which ones still did and which one one longer offer it. I had the ones that did email me confirmation that they covered it for my records.

Bahston and Scubaman - I wonder what percentile you'd fall into on the "Traveler Diligence Scale"? 99%+, I'm sure!

I use a Visa CC from USAA. They still cover rental liability worldwide. Great company, great card.

Do they cover liability or just collision worldwide? I have their AMEX and it only covers collision here in SXM, altho' I use the COSTCO visa that offers collision and 3% back.

You may want to double check that.

Chase Sapphire Reserve still
Has primary collision coverage, AMEX Platinum has secondary. We have worldwide liability through Chubb on our home policy. They were the only company we could
Find that offered it. Thanks

I think you might have collision and Liability mixed up.

USAA credit cards cover: Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver


When you use your USAA credit card to rent a vehicle, you’ll get built-in Auto Rental Coverage. You’re covered for physical damage, theft, reasonable and customary towing and loss-of-use charges. Decline the collision damage waiver coverage offered by the rental agency and make sure your name is listed as the primary renter on the auto rental contract. Any additional drivers must also be listed on the auto rental agreement.

I just checked and my Barclay's Jet Blue Master Card still does cover collision for rental cars. Plus no yearly fee for the card! Unfortunately we had to use it last March - used the card to pay the rental place but once all my paperwork for the damage was submitted, I was reimbursed 100% within a few days!!