What should I do at the rental desk?

 

Renting a car overseas? Sort out the insurance and warranty protection before you go, and you’ll get better coverage at a better price. Insurance products and full protection products may differ based on where you live and where you’re going, so choose your destination from the country list below and we’ll help you compare a typical rental car company policy, often called Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), to what you’d get with RentalCover.com.

 

Popular destinations

Australia    Canada    China    France   Germany   

Italy   Japan     Mexico   UK    US       

Other destinations

 

Við hjá RentalCover.com bjóðum upp á leiguverndina og erum í samstarfi við tugi bókunaraðila sem bera ábyrgð á bílaleigunni þinni.

Til að gera breytingar á bílabókun þinni, tengiliðsupplýsingar samstarfsaðila okkar eru hér að neðan.

ATH: Til að gera breytingar á RentalCover vörninni, skráðu þig inn á rentalcover.com/account. Ef þú ert með spurningu sem ekki er svarað í hjálparmiðstöðinni okkar og ekki um bókun á bílaleigu, svaraðu bara einhverjum tölvupósti okkar.

At RentalCover.com we provide the rental protection and our partners are responsible for the rentals (a lot of our partners have very similar names to RentalCover.com, so it’s easy to get us mixed up). This means that for most customers we also handle cancellations and other changes on RentalCover.com. Read this article for step by step instructions on how to cancel or modify your RentalCover.com policy.

The first major difference is that rentals in the US do not always include CDW at the time of booking (as explained in our Rental Guides, CDW - or Collision Damage Waiver - waives most of the rental car damages in the event of an accident). Instead it is available at the rental desk. This is because Americans (and Canadians) are covered by their own car insurance (in most other countries car insurance is tied to the vehicle rather than a driver). RentalCover.com's CDW policy is available for Americans and visitors to the US and is equivalent to those sold at the desk, for up to 50% less.*

Secondly, CDW policies are typically zero - or low - excess (called a "deductible" in the US), meaning the amount to pay in the event of an accident is smaller than other countries if you have CDW. Our "Extra Cover for USA" policy covers that amount for US visitors and also includes roadside assistance, which is also at the rental desk for up to 50% extra cost.

Thirdly, if you have an accident in the US and are found to be at fault, you are liable if there's damages to other vehicles or injuries to their drivers. Unfortunately, those costs can be significant because rental companies are only required to carry a small amount of third party liability cover for their vehicles (the amount differs from state to state). Supplemental Liability Insurance ("SLI") mitigates the third party liability risk. Equivalent policies are available for US residents and visitors alike and are sold by rental companies and RentalCover.com. 

US rental cars typically have a lower excess (called a 'deductible' in the US).  

it is not mandatory for car owners (i.e. the rental companies) to insure hired cars nor is it mandatory for them to insure the drivers against third party personal & property damage (this is called "Liability Insurance" or "Supplementary Liability Insurance"), nor personal injury to the driver (called "Personal Accident Insurance"). Those responsibilities fall to the renter. This is not the case in the EU, Australia, NZ and most other countries so it is important that you understand the options and purpose of each insurance product that you will be offered by the rental companies! The other main difference to other countries is that the rental companies do not offer "Super CDW", "Super LDW" or equivalent "premium" insurance products. When sold in Europe and most of the World, these products are designed to reduce your excess towards zero from an amount that is usually between €/£/$1,000-4,000. In the US all rentals are sold with either the renter being liable for the full amount of the vehicle, or there is zero deductible excess: there's nothing in between! Our "Extra Cover for USA" fills the considerable "out of pocket" costs that still remain even when there is no deductible excess.

CDW/LDW

SLI (Supplementary Liability Insurance)

Theft Protection

PAI (Personal Accident Insurance)

Roadside Assistance

Eins og fram kemur í USA FAQ eru tryggingarvalkostirnir fyrir Bandaríkin ólíkar flestum Bretlandi / ESB og Ástralíu / NZ og Asíu. Vegna þess að US leiga sem seld eru til alþjóðlegra ferðamanna eru almennt núll frádráttarbærar (þ.e. ekkert umframgreiðslur vegna slysa) verður boðið upp á valfrjálst vegagerð í leiguborðinu.

Vegaraðstoð okkar veitir umfjöllun um allar tegundir kostnaðar sem þú gætir þurft þ.mt dráttarvegg, álagsgjöld, lykilskiptingu, rafhlöður og framrúður / dekk / ljósviðgerðir eða skipti og auðvitað hringingargjaldið og aðrar viðgerðir. Þú getur einnig krafist einhvers ónotaðs hluta ferðalagsins sem stafar af því að þú leigir snemma. Við bjóðum einnig upp á kostnað vegna aukakostnaðar sem leigufyrirtæki sækja um vegna atviks þíns, aðallega kreditkortagjöld, "gjöld" / vinnslugjöld og "tap á notkun" (leigufyrirtækin batna tekjur sem tapast á meðan ökutækið er af veginum sem er fastur).

The following information is for US visitors only. In most other countries, renters are not liable for injury or damages to  other vehicles. Please refer to our Rental Guides for more information.

Supplementary Liability Insurance (SLI) insures you against injuries you may cause to other drivers and damage to their vehicles. In some countries this "third party" insurance is compulsorily provided by the vehicle owner, i.e. the rental companies. However in the US, rental cars have minimal third party liability coverage, meaning the driver is potentially liable for injuries to other people and their property.

If you are renting in the US you will be offered SLI (also called Accident Liability Insurance/ALI or LIS or Renter Liability Protection) by the rental company, which will normally provide $1,000,000 coverage. SLI is also available on RentalCover.com. Prices at the rental desk can be up to 50% higher.†

How much coverage is needed?

Rental companies typically provide the minimum amount of third party coverage required by each state, which can be quite low. SLI, including that offered by RentalCover.com, tops up that minimum, up to $1,000,000.

 

	Coverage included with a rental, as determined by state law
State	Individual	Multiple Persons	Property
California	$15,000	$30,000	$5,000
Florida	$10,000	$20,000	$10,000
Nevada	$15,000	$30,000	$10,000
New York	$25,000	$50,000	$10,000
Other	$10-50 thous.	$30-100 thous.	$5-25 thous.

 

When am I insured by SLI?

With SLI you would only claim if you were the driver at fault and caused third party damages and/or injuries. The only exception to this would be if you were deemed by a court to be responsible for a third party accident even if it is not caused by you directly, though this may vary - please check your policy wording.

How does the claims process work?

To make an SLI claim you will need to contact the insurance provider provided by our claims team. Visit rentalcover.com/claim to get started.

You will be asked to fill out a statement of claim, and to provide some form of documentation relating to your insurance and the claim being made (usually a certificate of insurance, receipts of payment, copies of invoices and police reports as well as other details from the third party showing evidence of damages or injuries sustained).

Please refer to our Rental Guides for more information.

1. Við ábyrgjumst það að skilmálar okkar eru 50% ódýrari en hjá öðrum leigufyrirtækum!
2. Njóttu þess að ferðast án þess að þurfa að hafa áhyggjur af því að fyrirtækin rukki of mikið vegna skemmda!
3. Skilmálar okkar eru hannaðir til þess að mæta einstökum kröfum bílaleigufyrirtækja í hverju landi fyrir sig.
4. Slysatengd gjöld eru dýr - við greiðum þau að fullu.
5. Ábyrgðaraðilar okkar eru þekktustu tryggingafyrirtæki í heimi.
6. Margra bíla árekstrar geta verið flóknir. Við sjáum um trygginguna frá upphafi til enda og endurgreiðum þér strax svo þú getir slakað á (sjá kröfuleiðbeiningarnar okkar).

Leiguhandbókin okkar útskýrir hvernig þetta virkar allt.

Tryggingaskilmálar eru alltaf reiknaðir í fullum dagatalsdögum til að ganga úr skugga um að þú sért tryggð/ur alla ferðina, jafnvel þótt þú skilir bílnum seint!

Leiguhandbókin okkar útskýrir hvernig þetta virkar allt. 
 

To shorten or extend your policy please follow these steps:

1. Visit My Account.

2. Next login. To do this you will need your booking reference number which ends with “-INS”, this can be found in the subject line of your confirmation email.

3. Lastly, choose your policy and select Extend / Reduce Cover dates. 

Reducing Days
You can only reduce unused days, This means refunds are not available for today and other preceding days. If you reduced the number of days we will refund you the difference to your original payment card. 

Adding Days
If you are extending your dates you will just need to pay the additional amount.
However, you will not be able to extend your policy if the policy’s end date has already passed (i.e. you cannot extend your booking if it is January 2, and the policy ended on January 1). If you have extended your rental and need extra protection, please create a new policy for the remaining days of your rental.

RentalCover.com is an alternative to the excess waivers (also called "Super Collision Damage Waiver" and various other names) that are offered at the rental desk for at least twice the price. Your options differ by country - try our Rental Guides for more information.

Here’s a comparison of what you can purchase at the rental desk:

 

	What you get with RentalCover.com††	What you get at the rental desk
Multi vehicle accidents	✓	✓
Single vehicle accidents	✓	Sometimes
Fire, car theft and vandalism	✓	Sometimes
Towing, lockout & keys	✓	x
Windshield and headlights	✓	x
Tyres and underbody	✓	x
Weather-related damages	✓ Fire, rain, snow etc.††	x
Animal collisions	✓	Sometimes
Driving conditions	✓ Inc. gravel, sand, ash etc.††	x
Standard excess / deductible	$0	Up to €/£/$1,000 Excess waivers often do not waive the full excess, meaning there's an excess still to pay
Total cover amount	Covers rental company’s excess charges. Refer to your policy wording.	See rental guides for details
Price per day	50% cheaper than at the rental desk*	$20-$40 per day (add 10-25% for airport surcharges)

 

† RentalCover.com policies vary by country. Local factors like road and weather conditions are sometimes addressed within your policy wording which can be accessed in your RentalCover.com account.

Yes we do. You can choose your vehicle type on the RentalCover.com homepage. While cars are available for any destination, you might find that we do not have Motorhome/RVs, Campervans, Buses and 4x4s in selected countries. 

We do not provide coverage for motorcycles or quad bikes. 

For more specific information on coverages in Iceland, please see the Iceland Rental Guide.

  Car

This includes cover for vehicles with fewer than 10 seats, including the driver’s seat, as well as vehicles with disability modifications. If you are planning on driving on unsealed roads in accordance with the permissions set out in your rental agreement, add 4x4 cover via the My Account page. 

Our policies do not cover supercars, high end sports vehicles (including but not limited to, those made by Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, Aston Martin and Bentley), classic cars and cars where the intention of the rental includes use at race tracks or for other special events.

  4x4

Going off road? Then select this coverage. RentalCover.com’s 4x4 protection covers you for any vehicle that you plan to drive on unsealed roads in accordance with the permissions set out in your rental agreement. If you have a policy without 4x4 coverage, you will need to cancel that policy and purchase 4x4 coverage instead.

Adding a tent on top of your 4x4? First select campervan as the vehicle type. From the bottom of the quote page then add “4x4” as a vehicle type and you will be covered. 

  Campervan

Does it have two or more in-built sleeping berths and no in-built shower or toilet? If so it’s a campervan. If you are planning on driving on unsealed roads in accordance with the permissions set out in your rental agreement, add 4x4 cover via the My Account page.

  Motorhome / RV

Select this if your vehicle has a built-in shower and / or toilet. If you are planning on driving on unsealed roads in accordance with the permissions set out in your rental agreement, add 4x4 cover via the My Account page.

  Minibus

Group trip? Select minibus if your vehicle has between nine and 14 seats, including the driver’s seat.

  Van 

A van has no more than three seats at the front with no in-built sleeping berths, shower or toilet. We can cover vans that are not used for commercial use and don’t need a special license to be driven. Select 'car' as your vehicle type to insure your van.
 

Follow the tips below to avoid the hassle and have a safe, stress-free trip:

1. Your RentalCover.com policy is valid

If you are told by the rental company that they don’t recognise your RentalCover.com policy, don’t worry: They don’t need to! Our policies are an independent alternative to the rental company’s waivers and they are valid worldwide. They have no hidden exclusions and are 50% cheaper than the rental company’s waivers.

2. Be prepared

Have all required documents ready for your check-in and take a look at your country’s Rental Guide so you know what to expect at the rental desk.

3. Be confident

In buying a plan from us, you have chosen to be insured by a fully underwritten, global distributor of insurance products with a proven track record of assessing claims in a timely fashion. We have been doing this since 2014 and our customers rate us "excellent" on consumer review website, TrustPilot.

4. If they still refuse to give you a vehicle

If for any reason your rental company refuses to give you a vehicle we recommend speaking to your rental booking agent. 
 

Renting in the US? Please read this article for US-specific information. You can also check our rental guides at any time for more information.

Collision Damage Waiver (CDW)

CDW (and Loss Damage Waiver, which adds Theft Protection to CDW) is usually included in the rental rate that you see on a website. Note that these “waivers” just reduce your risk from a high amount (similar to the full value of the car) to somewhere between US$/£/€1500 and US$/£/€3000 depending on the car and the rental company. That lowered amount is called the "excess" and it's payable in the event of an accident.

"Super Collision Damage Waiver" (SCDW) and our Full Protection

SCDW (also called "Damage Liability Waiver" and many other names) is sold at the rental desk and it lowers the excess towards $0 (the amount payable can still be as high as US$/£/€500 depending on the rental company, plus other charges for administration fees, towing, loss of use and more). Our "Full Protection" policy provides equivalent protection up to 50% cheaper, with $0 to pay in the event of an accident and it also covers the additional accident-related fees charged by rental companies.

Most Full Protection policies require that you take out the rental company's CDW.

We understand that insurance, and especially insurance acronyms, can be confusing! Here's the key ones.

CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) 

CDW protects you if there’s damage to your rental however there is usually a remaining excess that can be as high as $7,500. The excess can be waived with SCDW. Read on for more information about how RentalCover.com works with CDW and SCDW.

SCDW (Super Collision Damage Waiver) 

SCDW is sold outside of the US. It waives the excess that’s payable if you have CDW. RentalCover.com policies are designed to do the same thing, for 50% cheaper than the rental companies’ SCDW.

SLI (Supplemental Liability Insurance) - US only
SLI provides coverage for damages or injuries you may cause to another person or their property while operating a rental vehicle.

Excess ("deductible" in the US)

A deductible (or “excess” outside of the US) is the amount payable by you if there’s damage to the rental vehicle. There is a deductible/excess for CDW that is waived by SCDW. RentalCover.com policies do not have a deductible/excess.

LDW (Loss Damage Waiver) 

This is the same as CDW but it adds theft and vandalism protection.

Loss of Use, Relocation & Towing Fees

Renters are often charged additional fees by rental companies if the rental requires repairs that keep it off the road (these “loss of use” fees are also called “demurrage”) or if the vehicle is a distance from the intended dropoff location (“relocation fees”) or if there’s costs incurred for towing the vehicle or processing a claim. These are usually payable even if you have CDW and SCDW (i.e. they are “exclusions” in CDW and SCDW policies). These are covered by RentalCover.com policies (i.e. they are “inclusions”).

Administration Fees & Other Charges
 
Rental companies often charge additional fees if there’s damage to the vehicle. These are usually payable even if you have CDW and SCDW. These are covered by RentalCover.com policies.
 
Want more information? Our Rental Guides explain how everything works

Á meðal ábyrgðaraðila okar eru heimsþekkt vörumerki á borð við þau sem eru talin upp hér að neðan.   Astrenska Insurance Ltd, Canopius, Chubb, Intact Insurance, Lloyds, US Fire
  Leiguhandbókin okkar útskýrir hvernig þetta virkar allt.

If you make changes to your RentalCover.com policy or create several quotes over time you may notice a small difference in price from when you originally booked. While we make every effort to make pricing consistent for our customers, there are multiple factors that impact claims and therefore the price that we charge, including travel dates, lead times, trip duration, car pricing and the fees charged by our underwriting partners. There may also be broking or other fees applied to your bookings.

 

If you see a charge from RentalCover.com on your credit card statement that you don’t recognise, it is likely because you added rental insurance through one of our approved partners, and it has been charged separately to your rental. Our list of partners includes Rentalcars.com, Booking.com and many more. 

You can cancel or modify your insurance directly by logging into your RentalCover.com account. 
 

At RentalCover.com we support our millions of customers via our Help Centre. Should you wish to contact us you can also reply to any of our emails. 

We provide rental protection and partner with dozens of booking agents who are responsible for your car rental - get in touch with them if you need to make changes to your car booking. 

We often get asked if we protect the following rentals. When you purchase via RentalCover.com you may see options for the vehicle types below. If you don’t see them they unfortunately aren’t available for your location.



You can select a Vehicle Type on the homepage.



If you have a quote or booking you can add vehicle types - if available - within your RentalCover Account.



If you have a quote or booking you can add vehicle types - if available - on the RentalCover.com Payment page.

If you purchased RentalCover via one of our partners (some of whom specialise in campervans, motorhomes, RVs and offroad 4x4s), their automated systems will ensure you have the right protection for your rental. You can check your coverages and, if available, upgrade to include these vehicle types at any time, just login to your RentalCover Account or get a quote.

Your rental needs to be booked with an authorised rental company, peer to peer rental platform (such as like Drivy, Getaround, Goget, Turo, Carnextdoor, Zipcar, HiyaCar etc), car dealership, accident replacement service or loan cars from an authorised mechanic. Depending on your country, RentalCover Protection is available for the following when you get a quote on RentalCover.com. The meaning of each may differ based on your country. To view your wording, click the link in your RentalCover account or on the quote page.

✓ Cars: “Cars” are the default coverage on RentalCover.com. 
✓ Recreational vehicles (RVs), motorhomes and camper/campervans.
✓ Offroad 4x4s for use on unsealed roads. You do not need to select this if you intend to drive any type of 4x4 on normal sealed roads. If you choose “Offroad 4x4” you must have rented a 4x4.
✓ Caravans are covered in selected countries.

When are you not covered?

This is a general summary only and may not apply to your RentalCover Protection. Please login to your RentalCover Account or get a quote to view your policy wording. 

Depending on your country, RentalCover may not cover the following. 
✗ Misfueling 
✗ Out of pocket costs like phone call fees, taxis and accommodation 
✗ Charges incurred through service providers that aren't authorised by your rental company 
✗ Loss or damage to accessories/equipment
✗ Interior damage like spillage or tears 
✗ Personal Property: We don't cover theft or loss of items that you own.
✗ Liability: Please read the Rental Guide to better understand how this works in your travel country. 
✗ Personal Accident Insurance (PAI) for drivers: This is usually covered by your travel insurance
✗ Annual protection: We no longer offer annual protection. You are however still covered if you previously purchased Annual Protection on RentalCover.com and it’s still active.
✗ Personal vehicles or others that aren’t from authorised vehicle rentals or car share platforms, as outlined above.
✗ Commercial trucks and other vehicles that are used for commercial purposes such as removal/moving trucks, pantech trucks, commercial delivery vans, courier trucks, trailer trucks, dump trucks, garbage trucks, carriers, refrigerator trucks. Americans renting “Passenger trucks” for non-commercial use are covered under the default “Car” type, as outlined above.
✗ If your vehicle requires a special licence (for instance, if the passenger limit or cargo capacity exceeds the limitations of a standard licence) or if it is a commercial van, truck or bus, you will not be covered. 
✗ Vehicles that have trailers, camper trailers or other extensions - with the exception of caravans (see above) - attached to the tow bar
✗ High end supercars, high end sports cars, classic cars and exotic vehicles (including but not limited to, those made by Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, Aston Martin and Bentley)
✗Certain combinations of country of residence and destination country
✗ Motorcycles or other bikes

Find out how much you could save on rental insurance by creating a free quote on our website.

1. Visit RentalCover.com and enter your country of residence and destination country

2. Confirm the start and end dates for your trip, and then select the vehicle you plan to rent; car is always selected by default (if you are unsure about vehicle types read this short guide).

3. Lastly click “Get a quote” to retrieve your personal quote. You can review the details and complete your booking by entering your payment details.

The quote page displays the trip price and all the important information you need to know before you set off, including any inclusions and exclusions. You can also review your insurance policy before you buy.

You can change policy holders any time before you pick up the vehicle. Just sign in and go to the Profile page in My Account. Here you can also add your car registration number or company name to the invoice.

Additional drivers are automatically covered by your RentalCover.com policy.
 

You can check the status of your policy at any time by accessing your account.

1. Visit My Account.

2. Next sign in. To do this you will need the email you used to create your original quote and your booking reference number which ends with "-INS", this can be found in the subject line of your confirmation email.

3. On the left hand side menu you will be able to see the status of your policy:

Confirmed	Your policy has been purchased
Quote	Your policy has not yet been purchased
Cancelled	Your policy is no longer active and a refund will be issued

At RentalCover.com we send two types of emails. Newsletter emails and quote / transactional emails. You can learn about how these emails are sent and managed below:

You can update your newsletter email preferences at any time from your My Account page.

1. Visit My Account
 
2. Next sign in. To do this you will need the email you used to create your original quote and your booking reference number which ends with "-INS", this can be found in the subject line of your confirmation email.
 
3. Select Profile from the left hand menu. Click “unsubscribe” from the bottom of your profile and you will no longer receive our promotional emails.

Please note if you have made a booking enquiry you may receive quote emails from RentalCover.com, with more information about your cover. Whilst you can’t unsubscribe from our transactional emails, you should be aware that these are only sent for a short period and will automatically stop after a maximum of three emails.

You can view, download or print your policy wording and invoice from your My Account page.

1. Visit My Account.
 
2. Next sign in. To do this you will need the email you used to create your original quote and your booking reference number which ends with "-INS", this can be found in the subject line of your confirmation email.

3. Select Profile from the left hand menu. Click on "Policy Wording" to read or download your policy by clicking the save iconon the top right of the page. You can also select "View Invoice" to automatically download your invoice as a pdf. You can also request that we post your policy documentation.

From your profile you can also amend the policy holder’s personal information and add your company name on the invoice.

Find out more about how to modify your policy here. 
 

Due to limitations from our insurers, our policies can only be used to cover one rental vehicle. The only exception is if your rental company replaces the vehicle, in which case your existing policy will still work.

With the exception of US SLI and CDI, our coverage still works if your rental agreement permits you to drive the vehicle in other countries. You can view your policy wording within My Account if you have any concerns about travel in sanctioned countries. 

If you damage your rental vehicle and the rental company provides you with a replacement, our insurance will automatically cover you, as long as the car type and policy holder details remain the same.
 

Inclusions and exclusions can vary depending on your cover type so please check your policy wording to find out more. You can find your policy wording attached to your confirmation email, or download it from your account on RentalCover.com. 

For a broad overview of our policy inclusions, as well as more information about what to do at the rental desk and how you should proceed in the event of an accident, please read our country specific Rental Guides.

 

On the homepage we ask for the country you “live in”. 



This country should be the same one you used in your address on your rental agreement. If for some reason they are different, your country of residence should be the country stated on your driving license. 

We would ask for both of those documents if you wish to make a claim. 

 

Age requirements can vary depending on our policy provider. To see the limits that apply to you, please check your Policy Wording. You can view, download or print your policy wording from your My Account page.
 

US rental companies sell a policy called "Collision Damage Waiver" (CDW) to reduce your contribution to the rental car damage repair bill towards $0. "Supplemental Liability Insurance" (SLI) is also available which tops up the minimum state-mandated liability coverage that comes with the rental.

RentalCover's equivalent plans save you money in these ways:

1. The total price of the rental company's CDW and SLI is up to double the price of equivalent coverage from RentalCover.com.†
2. You may be responsible for a deductible with the rental company's CDW. There is no deductible with RentalCover's equivalent.
3. You may face a significant deductible if you choose to rely on your personal auto plan rather than the rental company's CDW or our equivalent. 
4. Because ours is primary coverage it doesn't impact your ongoing personal auto premiums.
5. CDW from the rental companies may not cover damages such as windshields, lamps, tires, undercarriage and damage-related fees such as loss of use and towing. 

The following steps address the common issue of not being able to sign into your RentalCover.com account. 

1. Check you have entered the correct booking reference and email address - it’s easy to enter an incorrect number! To do this you will need your booking reference number which ends with “-INS”, this can be found in the subject line of your confirmation email. We recommend you to copy and paste it to avoid mistakes. 

2. If you still see an error message, click the “Forgot your booking reference?” link. You can then confirm your email address and we'll email you your most recent booking reference so you can access your booking details.

If your payment card was declined, please follow the below steps:
 

1. Ensure you have entered all the correct details and try again.
    
2. Make the payment using an alternate card where possible.
    
3. If the problem persists please contact your bank for more information.

 

If you have accidentally cancelled your RentalCover Protection, the refund has already been processed. However, you can purchase the same protection on RentalCover.com or click the “repurchase” link in the cancellation email that we sent when you cancelled.

If you purchased RentalCover Protection via one of our partners, it can take between 7 and 21 days for the refund to show on your card statement - please reach out to them directly if there’s a delay. If you purchased via RentalCover.com the refund is processed immediately however it may take up to 4 days to show.

Sometimes the limits of your RentalCover.com Protection are displayed in a different currency to the one you selected at purchase due to underwriting restrictions.

You can see the same limits in your preferred currency by clicking the question mark next to the ‘limit/excess details’ in your policy wording. Login to your RentalCover.com Account to get started.

No, RentalCover Protection does not include luxury vehicles such as high end supercars, high end sports cars, classic cars and exotic vehicles e.g. Ferrari, Porsche, Bentley.

This article has more information on what’s covered.

If you are travelling to the USA, it is recommended that you purchase Supplemental Liability Insurance (SLI) in addition to a Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) policy to ensure you’re protected for third-party injury and damage. For now, you’ll need to purchase both policies separately via RentalCover.com.

At RentalCover.com we support our millions of customers via our Help Centre. Should you wish to contact us you can also reply to any of our emails or call us at (833)-210-9066.

Refund amounts differ based on your RentalCover.com policy, when the policy is scheduled to commence and your booking agent (if you booked through one of our partners). We recommend that you quickly follow these step by step instructions to cancel or modify your RentalCover.com policy and, where applicable, obtain a refund.

You may also see an offer for a credit note that can be used on future bookings. Please read this article for more information on credit notes.

See our terms and conditions for more information.

Please follow the steps below to start the process. Refund amounts differ based on your RentalCover.com policy, when the policy is scheduled to commence and your booking agent (if you booked through one of our partners). 

To cancel, extend or shorten your cover please follow these steps:

1. Visit My Account.

2. Next login. To do this you will need your booking reference number which ends with “-INS”, this can be found in the subject line of your confirmation email.

3. Lastly, choose your policy and select either Extend / Reduce Cover dates or Cancel. If you booked via a partner, you may be redirected to their site. Otherwise, we will handle the cancellation and refund. In this case, before your refund is issued, you may receive an email offering you the choice of a credit note (with bonus credit). If you opt for the credit note, this will be issued instantly. If you opt for a cash refund, please allow between 3 and  25 days for it to show in your account, depending on where you booked.

At RentalCover.com we provide the rental insurance and our partners are responsible for the rental cars. We work with a number of rental partners who sell our policies when you book from their site.

If that sounds like you, and you are having difficulty at the rental desk, please contact your rental agency directly for support.

If you purchased your policy separately to your car rental and would now like to cancel you can shorten, extend or cancel this online via the My Account page. For more instructions please read our cancellation guide.

Please note that your RentalCover.com policy can be used for any rental vehicle, from any rental company, subject to the terms of the rental agreement. You don’t need to change your policy.

Good news. You don’t need to change your policy.

Your RentalCover.com policy can be used for any rental vehicle*, from any rental company, subject to the terms of the rental agreement. If you have multiple rentals with different rental companies, you will need a policy for each.

Planning on adding extra drivers and countries to your cover? Learn more here.

*Please note that there may be some vehicles that are not covered by the rental policies (e.g. exotic vehicles). Please review the policy to confirm your rental vehicle type is covered.

The named driver and all additional drivers included on your rental agreement are covered by your RentalCover.com policy. There is no need to add any additional drivers to your policy; they are automatically covered free of charge. If your rental agreement clearly states that spouses are allowed to drive the rental vehicle, then they will be automatically covered with RentalCover.com. Please ensure that you are named on the rental agreement.

Thinking of visiting other countries on your trip? If you're renting outside of the US and your rental agreement permits it, you are permitted to travel to other countries after collecting a vehicle in the nominated pickup country. For US rentals, with the exception of New York residents, renters with Collision Damage Insurance and our Supplemental Liability Insurance (for US rentals) can visit Canada if the vehicle is collected in the US.

You do not need to inform RentalCover.com of additional drivers or countries you are visiting.

We defer to the rental companies to check driver’s licences; you do not need to provide the details to us. If you’re unsure, please contact your booking agent.

Want more information? Our Rental Guides explain how everything works.

If your rental has started and you realise you forgot to buy insurance, don’t worry, insurance can be purchased up until one hour before renting a vehicle. Just create a quote on the homepage.

As soon as your purchase is complete your insurance is active. Find out more about how coverage days are calculated.

Please note that this doesn't apply for Canadian residents travelling within Canada or worldwide, due to underwriter limitations. 

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How we look after your data

We take a duty of care when it comes to your personal data. This is why we will never share it with external marketing services. 

We have a regulatory obligation to record information like policies purchased or claims submitted for our legal records for 7 years. This information cannot be deleted.

However, you can manage your personal details at any time from your RentalCover.com account. 

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Our website uses cookies to help us process your booking, and include your country of residence and travel dates for example. These cannot be switched off. 

However you can clear all the cookies we use at any time by following the instructions below, tailored for your browser:
 

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If you want to learn more, visit our Privacy Policy page.

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and related border closures are causing significant disruption to travellers. First and foremost we hope that everyone in your communities and families are safe and cared for. 

RentalCover’s policies are predominantly sold through partnerships with other travel companies. When choosing our partners we take the time to understand their operations and we provide ongoing training to their customer support teams so they can effectively handle insurance enquiries alongside car rental and other travel-related questions.

Our partners sell a range of travel products with a variety of cancellation and refund rules. We encourage you to contact your booking agent regarding your rental terms.

Refunds for Your RentalCover.com Policy

RentalCover.com policies can be cancelled for any reason. Login to your account to start the process, or read on for more information about our generous credit note offer.

When you cancel a RentalCover.com policy you may be offered a credit note with an extra 60% bonus credit (or more, depending on your residence). The credit can be used on any future bookings for up to 3 years. If you do not use all your credit you can use the remaining balance for future bookings.

The offer is only available in your RentalCover.com account when you cancel a booking. The alternatives are laid out like this, using Australian dollars as an example: 
 

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You can choose to take the credit (with the extra 60% bonus) by clicking the blue button on the right, or proceed to cancel by clicking the white button.

Some of our partners also process RentalCover cancellations on their site. 

The terms and conditions of the offer are straightforward: 

• We will add a credit note to your account for the full amount of your original booking plus your 60% bonus credit
• The credit can be used toward any future booking on RentalCover.com. The credit is non-refundable and expires in 3 years. 
• Your credit can only be used on RentalCover.com and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers. 
• If you purchased a policy using the credit and then cancel the policy, you will not be offered bonus credit again. Any credit that you spent on the cancelled policy will be refunded for you to spend on your next purchase.

If you cancel your protection via your RentalCover Account, depending on your country we offer you the option to either receive a credit note or a cash refund. Credit notes are processed immediately and added to your RentalCover Account. If eligible, you can choose to receive a credit note, otherwise, the refund will typically show in your card statement within 3-7 days, although it may take some of our agents a few days longer. If it’s taking longer please contact your bank or your booking agent.
 

Please read this article for more information on credit notes.

For all plans except ones sold to American residents, Supplemental Liability Insurance for US-based rentals, and those that are for travel in Iceland, if you find a better price anywhere, we are happy to beat it. Policies for American residents and travel within Iceland are also ineligible for various discount coupons on RentalCover.com.

Just reply to any of our emails and include details of the alternative quote, including a screenshot or link to the other quote, your country of residence, your destination country and your travel dates, and we will further discount your RentalCover.com quote.
 

We offer many types of accidental damage that the rental companies don’t, such as the following (not applicable with “Supplemental Liability Insurance" [for US rentals]):

All types of accident Theft/fire/vandalism Windscreens & tyres Roadside repairs Underbody damage Lockout & key replacement Towing Headlights

Unfortunately, transaction fees are everywhere when you travel internationally. In this article we share tips for how you can avoid these fees.

One major cost that most travellers don’t plan for are potential charges from the rental company in the event of an accident or damage. Those fees can cost in excess of $3000 and credit card issuers typically charge 4-5% in additional fees for international travellers.

When you make a claim with RentalCover.com there are two factors that can explain the difference between the amount you paid for your damages and the final claim amount you receive.

1. Additional credit card fees: When you make a claim RentalCover.com will refund the charges you received from the rental company, but we do not refund any additional international transaction fees you might incur.

2. International money transfers: Our payment technology allows your claim to be paid into any bank in the world, with no additional fees. While we waive the fees that banks charge for sending payments and wherever we can we waive the fees charged by your bank for receiving payment, (these normally both cost between 10-20 USD per transaction), we take these fees into account when calculating the exchange rates that you see at the time of payment.

For further information try this article.

Refund processing times for RentalCover.com policies can differ based on where you booked. If you cancelled or shortened your policy via your RentalCover.com Account the refund will show on your statement within 4 days. It can take between 7 and 21 days if you cancelled or shortened your policy via our partners. If it’s taking longer please contact your bank or our partner.
 

It is not possible to update your payment method or currency after your policy is purchased.

If you would like to change your payment method or currency you can cancel and rebook your coverage with RentalCover.com any time prior to pick up.

Just visit My Account to get started.
 

We sometimes hear of rental companies charging customers for damages that did not happen, inflating or miscalculating the final charges. If this has happened to you, you should lodge a “dispute” with your credit card issuer for this unauthorised transaction.

To save time lodging your dispute please follow the instructions below:

1. Download our template letter  and fill in your details

2. Contact your credit card issuer and use your letter to lodge a dispute for the final transaction you were charged by the rental company. It is best not to explicitly request a refund as your bank may defer you to contact the rental company directly to contest the charge. Instead we advise you state that “the charge was unauthorised” since you do not recognise the damage

What happens next? You can expect a response within 1-2 weeks, and for the charge to be reversed within 3-4 weeks. Our customers have a 95% success rate with these requests, however if your request is unsuccessful, or if you have some excess charges remaining after the dispute is settled, please start a claim online with us here and we will review your case as soon as possible.

RentalCover.com is proud to offer a range of discounts including:

(Discounts N/A for US residents)
 

Military Discount

Servicemen and servicewomen can benefit from a 30% discount when booking car rental insurance for their holidays and business travel - access the discount here. 

When making a claim, we will ask for your Military ID card.
 

Seniors Discount

Pension/Seniors cardholders can receive 30% off when booking rental car insurance - access the discount here.

When making a claim, we will ask for your Pensioners / Seniors ID card.
 

Student Discount

We’re happy to support students with our 30% discount off your next rental car insurance purchase - access the discount here.

When making a claim, we will ask for your Student ID card.

We will always aim to price beat like-for-like protection quotes. Please note however that we cannot price beat for the following cases:

- Quotes provided by CarInsuRent (we have major concerns about this business’s eligibility to sell insurance products). 
- Policies where Iceland is the destination country
- Quotes that provide a lesser level of coverage than offered by RentalCover.com
- Collision Damage Insurance (CDI) for US residents. 
- Supplemental Liability Insurance (SLI) for US-based vehicle rentals
- Policies purchased from our approved partner websites (our partners control their own car and insurance packaging and      pricing).
- When quote details are inaccurate and do not match your trip (for example if you are an Australian resident travelling to        Japan your price beat request must match this information)
 

Car rental companies will generally require you to leave a security deposit with them at pick up, as a security measure in case you damage the car.

Deposit amounts are usually between £/$/€500 to £/$/€900 but can go up to £/$/€1200 depending on the destination and vehicle type. Make sure your credit card limit allows you to pay the deposit plus any other expenses you have planned for your trip.

You will usually need a credit card for this and the rental company will either deduct or place a hold on your funds. If there is no damage to the car, the hold will be released or a refund will be issued after drop off.  Please note that it can take a few days for the money to get back into your account.

If the car is damaged the rental company may deduct the security deposit and any other amounts from your card.

For more specific questions about your car rental, including queries about refunds of your deposit, please contact our partner you booked through.

Yes.

Any credit card can be used on RentalCover.com and the card used to make the purchase does not need to belong to the policy holder.