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You probably already know that most travel credit cards offer some form of rental car insurance. It’s a great benefit because it can save users significant money in the case of damage or theft to your rental.
But you may not know how dramatically different these coverages can be, depending on the card. Having the right insurance can be the difference between reporting an accident to your personal insurance (with possible hikes in your premium) and handling it with a third party who will never tell your insurance provider.
We’re focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won’t be worth it if you’re paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it’s important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.
Best overall credit card for primary rental car insurance: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Best beginner travel credit card: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Best premium travel credit card: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Best card for premium coverage: The Platinum Card® from American Express
Best small business credit card: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Best no annual fee business card: Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
Best no annual fee personal card: Bilt Mastercard®
Best airline credit card: United℠ Explorer Card
Best hotel credit card: Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
Compare the best credit cards for primary rental car insurance
Chase Sapphire Reserve
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® has a welcome bonus offer of Chase Sapphire Reserve®. This bonus is worth Chase Sapphire Reserve® in travel, based on Insider’s points valuations. You can receive much more value per point if you know the best ways to redeem Chase points.
It comes with top-notch travel insurance that covers you for delayed flights, missed connection, delayed baggage, and much more. It also offers primary rental car insurance when paying for your reservation with the card.
You’ll be extra motivated to make this card your dedicated car rental payment method now that it earns 10 points per dollar for this expense when reserving through the Chase Travel Portal. Insider estimates Chase points value to be 1.8 cents each when used for travel — so earning 10x points equates to an 18% return.
The card also earns:
10 points per dollar on Lyft rides through March 202510 points per dollar on Chase Dining purchases through Ultimate Rewards10 points per dollar on hotel stays purchased through Ultimate Rewards5 points per dollar on air travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards3 points per dollar on other travel (after earning the $300 travel credit) and dining1 point per dollar on everything else
This card comes with a Chase Sapphire Reserve® annual fee, but justifies its price tag with benefits such as:
Access to Chase Sapphire Lounges by The Club (when open)Access to Reserved by Sapphire restaurant reservations Priority Pass Select airport lounge membershipGlobal Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee credit$15 per month in Instacart credit (through July 31, 2024, activation required)$5 per month in DoorDash in-app credit (through December 31, 2024, activation required)
Review: Chase Sapphire Reserve review
Chase Sapphire Preferred
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card comes with Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. Insider’s valuations estimate this bonus to be worth Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card in travel.
It’s often said the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the best starter travel credit card — and primary rental car insurance is a big reason why. It’s one of the most powerful benefits a card can have to save the casual traveler big money. Even by renting a car for just a few days, you could save $50+ by waiving the rental agency’s in-house insurance CDW and instead covering your rental by paying with this card.
Here are some other reasons this is the best beginner travel card:
It earns flexible points that are easy to useIts bonus is valuable and easy to achieve for manyIt covers you for common travel headaches like trip delays and lost/delayed baggageIt complements other Chase credit cards wellIts annual fee is just Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The card’s bonus categories also appeal to a wide demographic. Here’s the return you’ll get for your spending:
5 points per dollar on Lyft rides through March 20255 points per dollar on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards3 points per dollar on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out 3 points per dollar on select streaming services3 points per dollar on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)2 points per dollar on other travel 1 point per dollar on everything else
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card even comes with up to $50 in statement credits toward hotel stays booked through Chase. You’ll even get complementary DoorDash DashPass membership through December 31, 2024 (activation required), and up to $15 per quarter in Instacart credit through July 31, 2024 (activation required).
In other words, this is a heavy-hitting Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card annual fee card.
Review: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card review
Capital One Venture X
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. This bonus is worth at least Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card in travel — and significantly more if you know the best ways to use Capital One miles.
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is another rewards-earning monster when it comes to car rentals. Not only will you receive primary rental car insurance, but you’ll earn 10 miles per dollar on rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
The card also earns:
10 miles per dollar when booking on Turo (offer ends May 16, 2023)10 miles per dollar on hotels booked through Capital One Travel5 miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One Travel2 miles per dollar on all other purchases
This card incurs a Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card annual fee and comes with valuable travel benefits such as:
Up to $300 per year in statement credits toward Capital One Travel bookings Priority Pass, Plaza Premium, and Capital One airport lounge access10,000-mile bonus each account anniversary (worth at least $100 in travel)Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
By using these benefits, you could easily receive $700+ in value each year.
Review: Capital One Venture X review
Amex Platinum
The Platinum Card® from American Express comes with a welcome bonus offer of The Platinum Card® from American Express. Insider estimates Amex points value to be 1.8 cents each when used for travel, making this bonus worth The Platinum Card® from American Express.
The card doesn’t offer primary rental car insurance by default. However, you can receive primary premium car rental protection for a flat rate between $15.95 and $24.95 per rental period (not per day). It’s not free like the other insurances on this list, but premium rental car benefits may fit your situation better:
You’ll be covered for up to 42 consecutive days, whereas most other cards won’t allow your rental to exceed 31 consecutive days.You’re insured for up up to $100,000 of primary coverage against damage or theft — a higher number than several other credit cards.
You can enroll your The Platinum Card® from American Express and automatically be covered whenever you rent a car. You’ll be charged this flat rate whenever you pay for a rental with your card.
The The Platinum Card® from American Express annual fee is notably high at The Platinum Card® from American Express. But the value you can get from this card’s benefits is much greater. Here are some of the best ongoing perks:
Up to $200 in airline fee credits each calendar yearGlobal Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit**$189 per year in credits for CLEAR® membership**Up to $200 in credits per year toward prepaid hotel bookings through Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts or The Hotel Collection (minimum two-night stay)Up to $100 in Saks Fifth Avenue credits each calendar year**Up to $240 in annual credits (up to $20 per month) toward eligible digital subscriptions (Hulu, ESPN+, Disney Plus (including the Disney Bundle), Audible, SiriusXM, Peacock, and The New York Times)$12.95 in credits each month toward Walmart+ membership**Up to $200 in Uber Cash each calendar year**Gold elite status with Hilton and Marriott (enrollment required)Airport lounge access (Priority Pass**, Centurion lounges, and more)Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts (benefits at exclusive luxury properties)Cell phone protection
It’s unlikely you’ll use every single one of these benefits, but maximizing just four or five can easily make this card a keeper.
Review: Amex Platinum card review
Chase Ink Business Preferred
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card touts one of the best welcome bonus offers in the credit card world — Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. Insider estimates Chase points value to be 1.8 cents each when used for travel, making this bonus worth Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.
This card offers primary rental car insurance — but with a catch. You must be renting your car for business purposes. If you rent a car for leisure and ding the car, Chase does not have to entertain your insurance claim. Be sure you’re ready to prove that your trip is business-related.
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card charges a Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card annual fee, and comes with benefits like:
3 points per dollar on shipping purchases, advertising purchases on social media sites and search engines, internet, cable, and phone services, and travel (up to the first $150,000 in combined purchases spent each account anniversary year (then 1 point per dollar)1 point per dollar on all other purchasesCell phone protectionExcellent travel insuranceNo foreign transaction fees
You can qualify for small business credit cards whether you own a big corporation or have a part-time venture. Even if you’ve got a side-gig as an Uber driving, babysitter, freelance writer, or DoorDash driver, you can be eligible.
Review: Chase Ink Business Preferred review
Chase Ink Cash
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card comes with Ink Business Cash® Credit Card. That’s an incredible bonus for a Ink Business Cash® Credit Card annual fee credit card.
This is one of the only no-annual-fee credit cards that offers primary rental car insurance. Simply charge your rental car to this card, and you’ll be covered against theft and damage. However, it comes with the same catch as the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card — you’re only covered when renting a car for business purposes. If you use the card to rent a car during a personal trip, you’re not covered.
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card delivers the following return rates:
5% cash back at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services (on up to $25,000 in combined purchases each year, then 1% back)2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants (on up to $25,000 in combined purchases each year, then 1% back)1% cash back on all other purchases
This card is marketed as a cash-back card, but in reality it earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points. For example, the card earns 5 Chase points per dollar at office supply stores — which you can redeem for cash back at a rate of 1 cent per point.
This is critical to understand, because you can unlock excellent value from your rewards if you also hold one of the following cards:
Chase Sapphire Preferred® CardChase Sapphire Reserve®Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
These credit cards make it possible to transfer the points you earn with the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card to valuable airline and hotel partners, such as Hyatt, Southwest, United Airlines, and many more.
Review: Chase Ink Business Cash credit card review
Bilt Mastercard
Another rare no-annual-fee card with primary car rental insurance, the Bilt Mastercard® is a bit of a niche product in that it’s geared to renters (though you certainly don’t have to be one to open the card). This is the only card that allows you to earn points for paying rent without additional fees, and it’s got great travel benefits to boot, including primary car rental insurance.
Cardholders earn rewards as long as they make at least five transactions per statement period, as follows:
1 point per dollar on rent payments (with no fees) on up to $50,000 in rent payments every year2 points per dollar on travel booked directly with airlines, hotels, car rentals, or cruise lines3 points per dollar on dining (including food delivery services like Uber Eats and GrubHub)1 point per dollar on all other purchases
The Bilt Mastercard® doesn’t offer a welcome bonus, but it does award 25,000 points for every five friends or family members you refer to this card (with a maximum of 1 million points). You can redeem points for rent discounts, merchandise, fitness classes, or toward the down payment on a mortgage.
The Bilt Rewards program also has an impressive list of airline and hotel partners you can transfer points to at a 1:1 ratio, like American Airlines, Hyatt, and United Airlines. In addition to primary car rental insurance, it offers World Elite Mastercard benefits, trip cancellation insurance, cell phone protection, trip delay insurance, and purchase protection.
Review: Bilt Mastercard review
United Explorer card
The United℠ Explorer Card welcome bonus offer is United℠ Explorer Card. Insider estimates the value of United miles to be an average of 1.3 cents each — making this bonus worth United℠ Explorer Card.
This card offers primary rental car insurance when declining the rental agency’s CDW and using your card to pay for your rental car bill. Unfortunately, its bonus categories don’t incentivize you to use this card for rental cars. Here is what’s on offer:
2 miles per dollar on eligible United purchases2 miles per dollar on dining and hotel stays booked directly with the hotel1 mile per dollar on everything else
Where this card really shines are its ongoing benefits. For a United℠ Explorer Card annual fee, you’ll receive:
Two United Club one-time passes per anniversary yearFree first checked bag on United flights* Priority boarding on United flights25% back on United inflight purchasesGlobal Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee creditComplimentary Premier upgrades500 Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) for every $12,000 you spend on purchases****Expanded access to United award flights
The United℠ Explorer Card is a very well-rounded credit card. Its travel coverage, like primary car rental insurance, is an excellent cherry on top.
Review: Chase United Explorer credit card review
Hilton Aspire Card
The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card offers Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card. Insider estimates Hilton points value to be worth 0.5 cents apiece, on average. That makes this bonus worth Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card in Hilton hotel stays.
Similar to the The Platinum Card® from American Express, you can enroll this card in primary premium car rental protection. You’ll pay a flat rate between $15.95 and $24.95 per rental period (again, not per day).
The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is one of the absolute best hotel credit cards on the market. For a Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card annual fee, you’ll get the following perks:
Hilton Diamond elite statusFree weekend night certificate each year on your card anniversaryAnother free weekend night certificate after you spend a total of $60,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar yearPriority Pass Select airport lounge membershipUp to $250 in airline incidental fee credits per calendar yearUp to $250 in Hilton resort credits each cardmember yearUp to $100 in on-property credits for minimum stays of two nights at participating Waldorf Astoria and Conrad properties
The card also has high earning rates for the following purchases:
14 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Hilton hotels7 points per eligible dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or Amex Travel, on car rentals booked directly with select car rental companies, and at eligible US restaurants3 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
Review: Amex Hilton Aspire review
Primary vs. secondary car rental insurance
There are two kinds of rental car insurance that come with many popular rewards credit cards.
The first (and most common) is secondary insurance. This offers coverage benefits that are secondary to your personal auto insurance policy. Many of these benefits allow you to decline the Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) and/or the Loss Damage Waiver (LDW). Waiving the rental agency’s CDW will generally save you $10-$35 in charges tacked on to the cost of the rental.
While secondary car rental insurance is great, it is limited. In the event of damage due to theft or collision, car renters still have to file a claim through their personal auto insurance policy, and the secondary insurance is there to cover a portion of leftover costs. So, although this is a nice perk, it doesn’t ease the sting of having to report to your personal insurance — again, often with resultant premium hikes.
Primary car rental insurance means that coverage for loss or damage will be taken care of by the credit card company without you having to make a claim with your personal policy. In the long run, this could save a car renter significantly on both CDW and LDW, and it could help avoid raising premiums on their personal auto policy.
What primary car rental insurance does and does not cover
There are some important things to remember to get the most out of your credit card’s car rental insurance benefits.
You must pay for the entire transaction with the credit card you’d be filing the insurance under. Some cards even require that renters are booking the entire trip on the card, so read the fine print carefully.This primary insurance generally doesn’t include liability, damage to other cars, damage to personal property, personal bodily injury, or injury to others. See Insider’s guide to shopping for auto insurance to get this liability coverage.Check for not-so-obvious limitations on coverage. For example, if you’re traveling between countries, you will need to know if the coverage extends to those areas. Or if your rental lasts more than 31 days, some cards won’t cover you.Perhaps the most unexpected limitation is the type of car. Before assuming you’re covered, check to see if your car has any constraints on make and model.If you’re using a business credit card that offers primary car rental insurance, you need to be renting a car for business purposes in order to receive the coverage.
Regardless of coverage, you should always snap a few pictures of the vehicle when you pick it up and drop it off in case there is a dispute over damage.
Credit cards with primary rental car insurance frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Should I get rental car insurance?
You almost certainly won’t need rental car insurance — but it’s a great thing to have. While your dozens of previous rental experiences may have emboldened you to ignore covering your rental car, it only takes one incident to receive a crippling bill in the mail. Whether your coverage comes from a credit card, the auto rental agency, or your personal insurance plan, you should get rental car insurance.
Is rental car insurance worth it with a credit card?
Of all rental car insurance options, primary insurance with a credit card is the best value. It’s (almost always) free, so you won’t have to pay $15+ per day for the rental agency’s in-house coverage. And if you do fall victim to damage or theft, your personal insurance agency doesn’t even have to know about it.
Is American Express rental car insurance automatic?
American Express’s primary rental car insurance is not automatic. To receive primary insurance, you’ll have to enroll your card here. You’ll then be charged a flat rate of up to $24.95 for your entire rental period (for up to 42 consecutive days).
Does your car insurance cover rental cars?
Not all personal insurance plans cover rental cars — especially if you’re traveling overseas or renting in specific countries. If you choose to waive the rental agency’s CDW and you’re not using a travel credit card to cover your rental, it’s worth calling your insurance provider to ask them if you’ll be covered during your upcoming travel.
What kinds of cars are not covered with rental car insurance?
Many exotic or antique cars are not covered with credit card rental insurance. Other expensive cars or large trucks and vans may also not be covered, depending on your card. Inside your credit card’s benefits guide, you should be able to find a general outline as to which cars are excluded from coverage. You can call the number on the back of your card if the answer is still fuzzy.
Can I use rental car insurance with Turo?
Credit card issuers stipulate that you won’t be covered when renting cars on peer-to-peer platforms like Turo. You’ll have to buy coverage through the Turo app to receive insurance — or list your personal insurance provider to completely waive coverage.