What should I do at the rental desk?

At RentalCover.com we provide the rental protection and our partners are responsible for the rentals.

To make changes to your car booking, the contact details for our partners are below. 

To make changes to your RentalCover protection, login at rentalcover.com/account. If you have a question that’s not answered in our Help Centre and not about a car rental booking, just reply to any of our emails. 
 

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.

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 US customers only. In most countries, renters are not liable for injury or damages to  other vehicles. Please refer to our Country Guides for more information.

Supplementary Liability Insurance insures you against injuries you may cause to other drivers and their vehicles. In some countries this "third party" insurance is compulsorily provided by the vehicle owner, i.e. the rental companies. However most states in the US do not require the vehicle owner to have mandatory third party liability, meaning the driver is potentially liable for injuries to other people and their property.

If you are driving in one of those states 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 between $1,000,000 and $2,000,000 coverage. As a general rule, if SLI if offered by the rental company, we advise you to take it.

 

How much coverage is normally provided?

In the USA each state has different rules regarding whether or not third party coverage must be provided, and often the minimum level of coverage required by law will be quite low. Despite this most SLI providers will generally insure you in the range of $1-2 million, though in some cases coverage may extend up to $10 million.

 

	Sample of Minimum legal coverage
State	Individual	Multiple Persons	Property	Supplier SLI Coverage
California	$15,000	$30,000	$5,000	$1-2 million
Florida	$10,000	$20,000	$10,000	$1-2 million
Nevada	$15,000	$30,000	$10,000	$1-2 million
New York	$25,000	$50,000	$10,000	$1-2 million
Other	$10-50 thous.	$30-100 thous.	$5-25 thous.	$1-2 million

 

Am I insured if I am not at fault?

Generally no. In most cases you will only be able to claim third party damage or injuries if you were the driver at fault. 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 will vary depending on your policy terms.

   

How Does the Claims Process Work?

To make an SLI claim you will need to contact the rental company's insurance provider and deal directly with them. You will be asked by the insurers 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).

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. 
 

Yes - registered agents can provide their customers with rental peace of mind while earning 50% commission on every booking.

Visit agency.rentalcover.com to register today and join our team!

At RentalCover.com we believe that you shouldn’t need a legal degree to understand our policies. That’s why everything we write is refreshingly simple. Where possible, we have made sure our policies are designed to eliminate confusion and help you understand your protection when you hit the road.

Here’s a summary of the protection you receive when you book with us:

	What you get with RentalCover.com*	What you might get at the rental desk
Multi vehicle accidents	✓	✓
Single vehicle accidents	✓	Sometimes
Fire, car theft and vandalism	✓	Sometimes
Towing, lockout & keys	✓ (not covered for US residents)	x
Windshield and headlights	✓	x
Tyres and underbody	✓	x
Weather-related damages	✓ Incl. fire, rain, snow etc.	Sometimes
Animal collisions	✓	Sometimes
Road conditions	✓ Inc. gravel, sand, ash etc.**	Sometimes
Standard excess / deductible	$0	$3000 - 4000 Usually fixed cost
Total coverage 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 *Airports surcharge +10-25%

 

*Coverages may vary by country of residence. For more information please read our country specific Rental Guide.
**See here for more information on unsealed roads.

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. 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

You have chosen to be insured by a fully underwritten, global distributor of insurance products with a proven track record of processing claims lightning fast - on average within three business days. We have been doing this since 2014 and our customers rate us "excellent" on consumer review website, TrustPilot.com.

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. 
 

We understand that insurance, and especially insurance acronyms, can be confusing! In this short article we demystify the two most commonly used terms you will hear at the rental desk:

Excess / deductible

This is the maximum you will pay for a claim before your Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) comes into play. In the event of an accident you are liable to pay up to the full excess deductible amount, and your CDW insurance will pay the rest. For example, if your car is worth $10000 and your excess deductible is capped at $3000, you would pay up to $3000 and the rental company’s insurance would pay the rest. You can purchase additional protection from RentalCover.com which reduces your excess / deductible costs to $0.

Collision Damage Waiver (CDW)

CDW and LDW 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 $1500 and $3000 depending on the car and the rental company.

If you're renting a car in the US, CDW/LDW waives the amount in full with $0 deductible. 

US residents interested in CDW should review this article.

Outside of the US, our policies cover this amount, which is called the “excess”. It’s important to ensure you have CDW included with your car rental. RentalCover.com’s protection means you will have $0 to pay if there’s any damage, and it also covers items that are excluded by the rental company’s CDW, such as towing and accident-related fees.

✗ Without CDW

If you have an accident you may be responsible for the full cost of your rental, in additional to any towing and administrative charges incurred due to loss of use while the vehicle is off the road.

✓ With CDW

If you have an accident you will only pay up to the deductible excess amount on the vehicle. Many rental company CDW policies typically exclude windscreen and tyre repairs/replacements, as well as undercarriage, roof, interior, window and side mirror damages. However, if you have purchased RentalCover.com’s Full Cover product we not only reduce your excess deductible to $0, but also include protection for all the items that these policies don’t protect you for.

For RentalCover.com protection to take effect, you must ensure CDW is included with your car rental.

We understand that insurance, and especially insurance acronyms, can be confusing! Here we demystify the various products that help waive your costs if there are damages.

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.

Deductible or Excess 

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.

Reasons why the cost of your modified cover may differ are as follows:

1	The average price per day often changes based on multiple factors including the number of days until the travel starts, the duration of bookings, locations, time of the year, the car rental rates and many other factors.
2	Insurance risk rates are provided by our insurers. They are complex and can impact the price you see

We will always aim to provide you the best price for your coverage when you book directly from RentalCover.com. Our partners may charge a small commission fee in return for the convenience of booking your vehicle and insurance in a single transaction which is why you may notice a difference in cost.
 

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. 
 

So we can provide better email-based support to our customers around the world in over 40 languages we recently removed our phone-based support.

But we’re still here to help you. You can use the links below to browse and find answers to popular questions, including:
 

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.

Your 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.
 

When you rent a car in the US and Canada you are responsible for the entire value of your rental car should any damage or loss occur while you are renting a vehicle.

RentalCover.com provides coverage for this for up to 50% cheaper than equivalent coverage from the rental companies. Renters find RentalCover.com more affordable than their personal auto plans because rental damages impact their premiums and the personal plan’s deductible often exceeds the damage cost.

One of the most frequently asked questions when renting a vehicle is: How can a renter decrease their potential out of pocket costs related to damage for the car they have rented?

This can be answered by the following options:
 

1. Purchase "Collision Damage Waiver (CDW)" or "Loss Damage Waiver (LDW)" from the rental company. 
   
   Car rentals in North America occasionally include this in the car booking. Most offer it as a separate product at the rental desk for $20 - $40 per day. For up to 50% cheaper, RentalCover.com’s Collision Damage Coverage provides the same coverage. Because they are primary coverage, both will avoid a claim on your personal insurance policy. CDW (it also has many other names which all serve the same purpose) from rental companies decreases your responsibility from the full value of the car towards $0, often with a $500-$2,000 deductible remaining, whereas RentalCover.com’s Collision Damage Coverage waives your responsibility in full (i.e. it is zero deductible). 
    
2. Purchase "Supplementary Liability Insurance (SLI)" from the rental company. This will be offered generally in states where third party liability is not required to be held by the vehicle owner. 
   
   The SLI cover is usually between $1,000,000 and $2,000,000. However, we always recommend that you ask the rental company as this can differ by state.
    
3. Take out RentalCover.com protection as an alternative to the rental companies' CDW/LDW.
   
   Our damage protection reduces your responsibility to $0 (unless otherwise stated in your quote) and, because it is Primary Coverage, it does not touch your personal auto plan. This means your personal auto premiums will not change. RentalCover.com Collision Damage Coverage includes cover for all types of damage resulting from an accident such as windscreen, tyre, headlight, underbody and roof damage and it covers various fees charged by the rental companies, such as administration, loss of use and towing charges. 

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.

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 above 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.

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.

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.

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? All our policies include cover for additional countries as long as your vehicle was collected from the named country of pick-up and this is in accordance with the permissions set out in your rental agreement. 

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 you're reading this article it's because you let us know about an issue. So first and foremost, thank you for letting us know! If it's a technical issue, our technical team has already been notified. Shortly thereafter they add a note below, and when it's resolved they remove the note. "Bugs" are usually resolved in 3-5 days. If your problem persists though, please reply to any of our emails and we'll share an update. 

Technical Issues

This is a list of known technical issues that are being resolved.

- Multiple charges for the same policy
- Missing discount: discount may be deleted from the RentalCover.com quote once you sign in to your account
- Phone numbers not being accepted on our website: please enter your phone number using + at the beginning and no spaces between the number e.g. +4400000000000
- Unable to delete unwanted quotes
- Unable to upload documents to the Claim Form
- Duplicate bookings
- Unable to separate two policies purchased under the same account 
- Incorrectly charged credit card fee

If your rental has started and you realise you forgot to buy insurance, don’t worry, you still can. 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. 

The rapid spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and shutdown of international travel routes is causing significant disruption to travellers. First and foremost we hope that everyone in your communities and families are safe and cared for. History tells us that this will be temporary and you will be able to enjoy travelling again sometime soon. 

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 read those rules to determine if your car rental or other travel bookings can be cancelled or changed, whether or not there’s a refund, the size of any refund and any related cancellation charges.

Refunds for Your RentalCover Policy

RentalCover.com policies can be cancelled for any reason. Recently we implemented some changes to encourage our loyal customers to earn an extra 60% on their policy rather than receiving a cash refund. The applicable credit note can be used any time within 3 years. Login to your account if you wish to start the process, or check this article for more information.

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: 
 

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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.

For all policies except ones sold to American residents 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 include many types of damage that the rental companies “exclude” such as:

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.

We hope that this article explains the efforts we take to simplify payment and how you can save money when travelling internationally.

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 will not be able to refund your premium after your rental period is complete, even if you did not have an accident.

When you buy our policy you agree to pay a small non refundable fee in exchange of us taking a big risk off your shoulders, and although luck is good, having insurance is better.

We are here to provide you with protection for when things go wrong. Read this article to find out what is included in your cover.

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 insurance quotes. Please note however that we cannot price beat for the following cases: