Coverage & liability · Travelers + trade
Credit card rental coverage
Also called credit card car rental insurance, card rental cover, card CDW
The short answerRental car damage cover that some credit cards provide when you pay for the rental with that card.
What it means
Some credit cards include cover for damage to or theft of a rental car when you pay with the card and meet its conditions. Common conditions: you decline the rental company's damage waiver, the main renter is the cardholder, and the rental is within a set length and country list. It usually doesn't include liability for injury or damage to others.
Why it matters
It can replace the counter's damage waiver, but only within the card's terms. Read the benefit guide before you travel; the counter can't tell you what your card covers.
Wording by region
Exclusions vary by card: some countries, vehicle types and rental lengths are often left out.
Related terms
- Primary coverageCover that pays first, without you having to claim on your own auto insurance.
- Secondary coverageCover that pays only what your other insurance doesn't, after you've claimed on that first.
- Collision Damage Waiver (CDW)An agreement where the rental company waives some or all of its right to charge you for damage to the car, usually above an excess. It's not insurance.
- Loss Damage Waiver (LDW)A waiver covering damage to and theft of the rental car, common in the US and Canada; it can come with a deductible or none.
- Third-party liabilityCover for injury to other people and damage to their property that you cause while driving.