Rental Car Insurance Precautions

"That scratch was there when I picked up the car"!  It's your word against theirs....unless, you pull out your smartphone and take pictures before you leave the rental car lot. This takes just a few moments and you can be on your way.


But that brings up the choices that confront you at the rental counter when the agent asks you to initial "Accept" or "Decline" the CDW.  What is that acronym? It stands for Collision/Loss Damage Waiver. It makes your life easier if your rental car is damaged, but at a price; about $20 per day!


So what can you do to save money and protect yourself?

• Use a Visa, Diners Club, or American Express Credit Card not a debit card, since debit cards do not offer any insurance.
• Be aware that coverage on the credit card is secondary to your personal auto insurance,  unless you use Diners Club where the card coverage is primary or buy primary coverage with American Express for around $25 per rental not per day.
• Use a Travel Insurance package that includes CDW at lower rates than the car rental co.

The card companies have limits on how long they will provide coverage:
Diners Club                45 days
American Express    30 days
MC,Visa, Discover   15 days


When traveling to the beautiful, but traffic accident prone island of Jamaica, note that the credit card companies do not provide insurance on your rental.

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