Does My Credit Card Cover Car Rental Insurance in Florida?

Drivers in Florida and nationwide may have a credit card cover car rental insurance, saving them the expense of purchasing it at a high price from a rental agency.

What is Car Rental Insurance?

Car rental insurance is coverage that applies when a consumer rents a vehicle. Esurance says there are generally four car rental insurance optionsavailable: loss damage waiver, liability coverage, personal accident insurance and personal effects coverage.

A loss damage waiver or collision damage waiver is an agreement between the renter and the rental agency that waives a consumer’s financial responsibility if anything happens to the rental car. These waivers also cover other costs, such as loss of use charges, towing charges and more. Although this coverage seems ideal, it comes with a high price tag, averaging between $9 and $19 a day.

Liability coverage is more basic and provides protections similar to those provided by regular auto insurance. This insurance protects renters from potential lawsuits and will cost between $7 and $14 a day.

Personal accident insurance functions similar to health insurance and will compensate renters for medical costs sustained during an accident. This coverage typically runs between $1 and $4 a day.

Personal effects coverage resembles renter’s insurance in that it protects a driver’s belongings that are kept in the car. This insurance option may cost between $1 and $4 a day.

Do I Need Car Rental Insurance?

In some cases, purchasing additional insurance through a car rental agency may be redundant based on your pre-existing coverage. For example, a Florida driver may already be covered by their auto insurance meaning that they have no need for liability coverage.

Similarly, NerdWallet explains, personal accident insurance may be unnecessary based on a driver’s health insurance and a driver’s items may be protected under their renter’s insurance, meaning that there is no need for personal effects coverage. In other cases, a driver’s credit card company may provide some coverage for their rental car.

Some consumers report they’ve been pressured by car rental employees to purchase insurance that they didn’t really need. In 2012, customers of Dollar Thrifty filed a class-action lawsuit claiming they were tricked into purchasing unnecessary insurance.

Does my Credit Card Cover Car Rental Insurance?

Certain credit cards may provide insurance coverage for rental cars. This coverage is often secondary, meaning that a driver’s auto insurance policy will pay to cover an accident before the credit card insurance kicks in.

Several credit card options are available for consumers looking to get rental car insurance coverage, including the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve Card, United MileagePlus Explore Card, United Mileage Plus Club Card, Ritz-Carlton Visa Infinite Card, and the J.P. Morgan Reserve Card.

Consumers can review credit card documents and/or speak to the card-issuer to find out if they have a credit card to cover rental insurance.

How Can I Use My Credit Card to Cover Car Rental Insurance?

The first step to cashing in on credit card car rental insurance is declining any collision damage waiver offered by the rental company. Assuming you are the primary renter of the car, and pay for the car in full with the credit card, the credit card should cover rental insurance.

If you aren’t sure about your situation, you may want to speak to a qualifying Florida rental car insurance attorney who can help you examine your rights and determine your best course of action.

Join a Free Florida Rental Car Insurance Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you purchased optional car rental insurance from National, Alamo, or Enterprise in Florida within the last four years, you may be eligible to participate in a Florida Rental Car Insurance Class Action Lawsuit Investigation.

Fill out the form on this page for a FREE case evaluation.

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