Coverage & liability · Travelers + trade
Primary coverage
Also called primary insurance, primary cover
The short answerCover that pays first, without you having to claim on your own auto insurance.
What it means
Primary coverage pays a claim first, before any other policy you have. For rental cars, it usually describes a credit card benefit or standalone policy that handles damage without you filing a claim with your personal auto insurer.
Why it matters
With primary cover, a rental claim doesn't have to go through your own auto policy, which can help keep the claim off your personal policy and your premium from rising. Check which kind you have before declining the counter's waiver.
Wording by region
Mainly a US term, used with personal auto insurance and card benefits.
Related terms
- Secondary coverageCover that pays only what your other insurance doesn't, after you've claimed on that first.
- Credit card rental coverageRental car damage cover that some credit cards provide when you pay for the rental with that card.
Also related Personal auto policy coverage (US), Standalone rental car insurance