What You Need to Know When Renting a Car

If you've rented a automobile, you've probably been warned by salespeople at the counter about the possible consequences of walking abroad without buying their company's rental car insurance. Put on the spot, y'all might not feel confident about exactly what coverage you already take. And that'southward what rental companies are counting on — forth with their commissions for selling you the coverage.

Note that rental motorcar insurance isn't the same as rental car reimbursement coverage , a common auto policy option that covers the toll of a auto rental if your vehicle is beingness repaired as function of a claim.

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The data beneath will help yous sympathise whether you need rental motorcar insurance and how to get information technology before you arrive at the rental counter.

Do y'all need insurance to rent a car?

You don't need to have your own auto insurance policy to hire a automobile. However, rental agencies typically have minimal coverage on their vehicles, and then if you lot get into an accident, you could be responsible for significant expenses.

Other options include buying boosted insurance from the rental car visitor, using a credit card for coverage or getting a standalone policy through a third party.

Rental motorcar insurance vs. your own car insurance

Here are the typical insurance options from rental car companies, forth with how to determine if you already accept coverage inside your ain auto insurance policy.

Nerdy tip: Coverage from your own policy applies when you lot are using a rental automobile for personal, nonbusiness purposes. The rules may exist dissimilar for business employ of a rental auto. Check with your insurer or employer for details about coverage when using a rental car for concern.

Crashes and car theft

At the counter: A loss-damage waiver or LDW, likewise called a standoff impairment waiver or CDW, gets yous off the hook for damage to the rental vehicle or theft of the machine. Information technology'south technically non insurance but rather a waiver that says the rental car visitor won't come after yous.

Your policy: If you lot have collision and comprehensive coverage on your own policy, information technology generally volition extend to a rental car as long as you're renting within the U.Southward. or Canada. However, y'all will all the same exist responsible for your deductible , and filing a claim on your auto insurance policy could raise your premium.

If you don't take comprehensive and standoff on your regular policy, or you're renting in a location where this coverage isn't in effect, you'd have to pay for the impairment unless you purchase the LDW.

Impairment you do to others

At the counter: Supplemental liability protection will pay for damage y'all do to others' vehicles or property. Typical limits range from $300,000 to $1 meg. If you lot don't have auto insurance (for case, if you don't ain a car), or if you lot're traveling in a land where your ain policy doesn't offer coverage, y'all should buy this.

Your ain policy: Your own liability insurance will typically cover you when y'all're driving rental cars inside the U.S. and Canada. If you lot have minimal liability coverage on your automobile policy, y'all could buy the supplemental protection to boost your coverage.

Injuries to you

At the counter: Personal accident insurance covers medical costs for you and your passengers if you're involved in an accident. This includes ambulance, medical care and death benefits.

Your ain policy: If you have personal injury protection or medical payments coverage through your auto policy, you likely won't demand personal accident insurance as long as you're renting in the U.S. or Canada. Your own wellness insurance may besides cover you if y'all're staying within the U.Southward. Overseas, yous probably don't need personal accident insurance if you have travel medical insurance .

For death benefits, consider buying a life insurance policy. Yous can go life insurance quotes online.

Your stolen stuff

At the counter: Personal furnishings coverage pays for your belongings if they're stolen from the rental car, upwards to a set dollar amount.

Your own policy: A homeowners or renters insurance policy volition generally comprehend your possessions if they are stolen, even when traveling out of the country. To make a theft claim, you'll typically demand to file a police study, and your deductible corporeality will use. As with machine insurance claims, filing a property claim could cause your rates to get up.

Using your credit card for rental car coverage

Credit cards oftentimes provide coverage for rental cars, bold you used the card to pay for the rental and the rental is in your name. They can be a especially useful option overseas in places where your personal motorcar insurance won't cover you lot.

Yous'll automatically have this coverage if it's included with your credit card — no need to call or sign forms. Just it's usually secondary coverage, meaning your own auto insurance policy will pay out first if it's available. NerdWallet assessed credit cards that offering expert rental car insurance .

If you're planning on credit card coverage, call your credit card issuer to confirm the details.

Buying rental car insurance on your own

Some companies sell standalone policies for rental cars if you don't want to buy insurance at the counter. By and large, you need to reject the rental company'due south coverage to utilise these.

Allianz Global Assistance

Allianz Global Aid sells a Rental Auto Damage Protector for $eleven a twenty-four hours that pays out upward to $75,000 for impairment and loss. It's chief coverage, so it pays out before your own auto insurance and includes 24-hour emergency assistance.

Bonzah

Bonzah sells insurance starting at $vii.99 per day that pays out for up to $35,000 in repairs or replacement of the vehicle. It's primary insurance, and then it pays out earlier your own insurer. Policies generally embrace travel abroad, but check the fine impress.

Insure My Rental Automobile

Insure My Rental Car offers loss damage waivers roofing upwards to $100,000 in impairment to your rental vehicle. You can purchase coverage for anywhere from a day (starting at $9.75) to a twelvemonth. The policy provides primary coverage and then you lot don't need to use your own machine insurance first. Policies may also extend to rentals exterior the U.South.

Rental Cover

Rental Encompass offers no-deductible policies that count as chief coverage so you wouldn't need to make a claim to your auto insurer first. Coverage options vary by country. Rental Cover doesn't list prices on its website but claims to be upwards to l% cheaper than the rental desk.

Sure

Sure offers rental auto insurance that covers upward to $100,000 worth of damage to a vehicle, plus any of your belongings inside of it. The coverage besides includes apartment tires and lost keys, and yous tin go an online quote from its website.

The bottom line: Do you demand rental machine insurance?

Y'all may not need to purchase the rental automobile company's insurance if:

• You're traveling within the U.S. or Canada and your own auto policy provides sufficient coverage.

• Your credit card offers rental car insurance.

• You've bought standalone coverage through a dissever company.

Yous may want to purchase the rental car company's insurance if:

• You're worried about having to pay a deductible or a college rate on your motorcar insurance if you harm a rental car.

• You don't take your own machine insurance or coverage through a credit carte.

• You're traveling overseas where your personal motorcar policy won't comprehend you.

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Source: https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/insurance/rental-car-insurance