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.
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.
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
From March 2016 onwards, RentalCover.com will be selling CDW for US residents from AON. When you purchase CDW from the rental companies it is usually called "LDW" if it includes theft protection, so our policy is equivalent to LDW. The only difference between a CDW offered independently by us versus the policy offered at the rental desk is that your insurance company (AON) will handle the payments to the rental company for any damages, whereas there is no reimbursement/recovery process if you purchase the rental company's CDW/LDW.
It is important to know if your booking contains CDW or LDW! If it doesn't have it already and you are a US resident, you can buy it from RentalCover.com. If you are not a US resident, we always advise that you make sure your car booking includes CDW/LDW from the rental company.1. For international drivers, the vast majority of websites will automatically include CDW or LDW. If for some other reason CDW or LDW is not automatically included, it will be available at the rental desk. Please read carefully when booking and check your car confirmation!
2. If you book from within the US or are a US resident, CDW/LDW will not be included by default. You can buy a policy from RentalCover.com and save approximately 50% or add it at the rental desk. Sometimes you can add it on the website at the time of booking. Most US domestic travellers can rely on their credit cards or personal motor insurance, however the excess on those policies often outweighs the cost of rental vehicle repairs.
SLI (Supplementary Liability Insurance)
Rental companies also offer insurance for third party property and third party personal that is usually called SLI ("Supplementary Liability Insurance") or LIS or simply, "Liability". SLI provides coverage for claims relating to third parties, namely third party property and third party injury. These policies have coverage limits so you should be conscious of how much is reasonably needed in the event of a major accident and/or negligence. Given the potential liability we always stress to drive carefully in the US and always purchase SLI from the rental company.
At the time of writing, RentalCover.com does not sell SLI.
Please also refer to our "What is SLI?" FAQ
Theft Protection
Theft Cover is also called Theft Protection and it may or may not provide coverage to arson and vandalism, depending on the policy. There will always be limitations surrounding negligence. We encourage you to read the relevant terms to check if your policy includes theft. Note also that RentalCover.com's "CDW" and "Extra Cover for USA" policies include theft, arson and vandalism.
PAI (Personal Accident Insurance)
PAI provides coverage to you and your passengers for personal injuries up to a certain limit. PAI might be automatically included when an international driver books a car on either the rental company's website or via the website of an agent/airline/price comparison service. Please check the coverage limits on your policy if you have or intend to have personal accident insurance to determine if the cover is adequate. Check out our "What is PAI (Personal Accident Insurance)?" for examples and further detail.
Roadside Assistance
RentalCover.com's "Extra Cover for USA" policy includes free Roadside Assistance and it provides coverate to related costs such as callout fees, towing, fuel topup, tyres, windscreen repair, etc., plus the considerable out of pocket costs that you might incur (such as impound storage fees, key loss/replacement, headlight/battery repair/replacement, fire and theft, "relocation fees" to get the vehicle back to its intended destination, card fees that are applied along the way, administration/processing fees for accidents, and "loss of use" fees that are charged while the vehicle is off the road being fixed).
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).
Farðu á www.rentalcover.com/claim ef þú ert að borga reikning til leigufélagsins fyrir vegi eða aðra kostnað.
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.
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 | |
---|---|---|
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|
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Group trip? Select minibus if your vehicle has between nine and 14 seats, including the driver’s seat.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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 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 AccountPlease 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.
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.
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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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]):
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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.
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.
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Military Discount |
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Seniors Discount |
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Student Discount |
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.