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When you hire a car you will often find your rental days will be counted in 24 hour brackets, which will start and end at the time of pickup/dropoff. For this reason customers are sometimes confused by the discrepancy between the days they are insured and the rental period.

The main difference is that your RentalCover.com policy will be calculated in full calendar days, starting the day of collection and ending the day of return. This ensures customers are insured in the event that the car is collected or dropped off at a different time to initially planned, and also provides more flexibility if unforeseen circumstances force a customer to adjust their dates of travel at the last minute.

Note: You are able to adjust your coverage dates up to and including your day of travel. This means you are able to adjust your coverage period if you are delayed or miss your flight on your original day of travel, without any additional charges.

Our prices are already about 50% lower than most major rental car companies' but if you do find a better price anywhere, we are happy to beat it. Just reply to any of our emails and include details of the alternative quote, and we will further discount your RentalCover.com one. 

When comparing policies please keep in mind all the unique benefits of a RentalCover.com policy.

RentalCover.com's policies typically cost 50% less than the policies sold by the rental companies and we seek to give our customers absolute transparency on their policies. We have none of the exclusions that other rental companies hide in their policies, such as tyre and windscreen repairs/replacement (which account for 80% of all claims outside of the US!). The following region-by-region guide may assist:
 

RentalCover.com is both an authorised representative or authorised distributor for the insurers/insurance companies nominated on this site including CBL, AON, Assetinsure, Axa Assistance, QBE and others. The issuer of each policy is nominated in the quote and policy and the respective policy terms and conditions. RentalCover.com is the trading style/trading name/"Doing Business As" name for several entities nominated which include "Cover Genius Pty Ltd" of Australia and "Cover Genius Limited" of UK.

When comparing RentalCover.com to the "rental car excess coverage" inclusions in a travel insurance policy it is important to keep a few things in mind:

1. Most travel insurance policies include wording such that the rental company's exclusions are also excluded by the travel insurer. This is a big concern for most renters because most rental companies specifically exclude the most common types of damage! If the rental company excludes it, your travel insurer will exclude it. The most common exclusions are windscreens, tyres, underbody and roof damage, some rental companies even exclude all types of "single vehicle accident" (90% of all claims that we receive only have one vehicle involved!). RentalCover.com never has these exclusions and we don't hide behind the fine print of the policy wording!
2. Most travel insurance policies have insufficient rental vehicle coverage. Our policies allow users to "top up" their coverage to match the deductible excess of the vehicle.
3. Travel insurance policies will always leave you out of pocket! Their policy has its own "excess". The policy's "excess" is deducted from the final payment to you. If it is $200 and the cost of repairs is $200, you get nothing! All our policies are "Zero Excess", so the amount you claim is the amount you receive.

1. Send your itinerary with your car booking confirmation to trips@rentalcover.com.
2. We will send you a confirmation email and attach your Certificate of Insurance.
3. If you modify your dates just send an email to trips@rentalcover.com or you can do it from My Account.

"Extra Cover" is a low cost policy designed to provide coverage for the many "out of pocket" costs that you will face if there's an accident or damage. These commonly include towing, roadside repairs (such as tyre repair/replacement, fuel top-up, windscreen repair/replacement), call out fees, key loss and more. Our policy also provides coverage for theft, just in case it isn't included in your Collision Damage Waiver.

If you use our preferred roadside partner Urgently we pay the roadside costs on your behalf whereas services provided by the rental company's roadside provider are paid by you and then reimbursed by us via our claims process.

This FAQ outlines the process.

For US residents with a CDI plan with RentalCover.com, AON typically pays for any costs on your behalf. Find your process on this FAQ.

If you have RentalCover.com's "Zero Excess Rental Cover", "No Excess Rental Cover" or "Rental Vehicle Cover" policy and there's an accident or damage, you will need to pay the repair cost to the rental company and then claim that cost through the issuer of your RentalCover.com policy. We handle claims for "Zero Excess Rental Cover" and "No Excess Rental Cover" (which helps you get quicker reimbursement!).

To start the process, just go to our Claims page and prepare all the requested information. Simple claims are typically paid within 7 business days however we encourage our customers to provide all requested information in a timely manner to avoid delays.

For other policies please see:

How do claims work for RentalCover.com's "Extra Cover" for US and Canada?
How do claims work for RentalCover.com's CDW (for US Residents)?
 

7 business days is the standard refund window for RentalCover.com's "Zero Excess Rental Cover", "Rental Vehicle Cover" and "Extra Cover". It can take longer if documents are missing so please provide them at the outset!

For US CDW policyholders, claims are handled by AON in conjunction with US Fire who is the insurer. All payments are managed by AON rather than the renter. Some rental companies require payment of a collision damage estimate before exiting the rental desk, but once again those payments are handled by AON. For more, read our FAQ on How Claims Work in the USA.

If you are a US Resident with our Collision Damage Coverage from AON, please begin the claim process directly on travelclaim.com.

All other policyholders should submit their claim at www.rentalcover.com/claim. Here's how it works:

Make a claim using the RentalCover.com website

1. Click on ‘Make a Claim’ in the navigation menu.
2. Submit your:
   • Reference number (this can be found on your confirmation email)
   • Email

Please prepare the following documents as the claim form requires some further information:

• Your rental agreement
• Your drivers licence or the licence of the driver involved in the accident
• All correspondence regarding damages and repairs
• The policy documents for insurance that is held with any other parties (e.g. some credit cards come free with travel insurance), and all correspondence therein (if applicable)
• Credit card statement showing the amount deducted by the rental company
• Front coverage of your credit card statement or a copy of your actual credit card so that the type of card is legible (e.g. Citibank American Express Rewards Card)
• Invoices/receipts from the rental company

Upon entering the relevant information you will be informed of any remaining steps.

For straightforward claims expect a 7 day turnaround, depending on the complexity of the claim and availability of the above documentation to support your claim.

Make a claim using the RentalCover.com app

Whether or not you are insured in the case of multiple accidents largely depends on two factors:

1. Whether your rental company charges an excess on every accident
2. How much coverage you have taken out through RentalCover.com

If your rental company only charges their excess on the first accident then you will almost certainly be insured by your RentalCover.com policy, even if the car you have hired is damaged more than one time (as always you should check your level of coverage in your policy document to be aware of the maximum amount that can be claimed).

If, however, your rental company charges the cost of the excess for every claim, then you will need to weigh up the possible costs of multiple accidents, against the amount of coverage you will need to take out with RentalCover.com. We recommend customers increase the level of coverage on their quote to an amount they feel will comfortably provide coverage to any potential scenarios, before purchasing a policy.

• If your booking does not already include it, you will be offered Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) or Loss Damage Waiver (LDW, which is CDW plus theft protection) at the rental desk. Your booking confirmation will tell you if CDW or LDW is included, and our overview of CDW might be useful. US Residents with our Collision Damage Coverage do not need to purchase CDW. We recommend that residents of other countries purchase CDW from the rental company, but do not purchase SCDW (see below). If you need help identifying if CDW is included in your car booking or not, please complete the form below. CDW has an excess ("deductible" is the US term) of between €500 and €5,000; it can be lowered towards €0 by purchasing SCDW.
• You will be offered a waiver that is variously titled Super CDW (SCDW), Excess Waiver, Damage Liability Waiver, or something similar. It reduces the excess on your vehicle from $500-$5000 (depending on the rental company) towards $0. You should not buy it. US Residents with Collision Damage Coverage do not need SCDW as your plan is zero deductible - you would pay for damages and then be reimbursed by AON. For non-US Residents, our "Zero Excess Rental Cover" provides greater coverage than SCDW for less than half the price. 
• You may be offered Personal Accident Insurance (PAI), which provides coverage for personal injuries that befall you or your passengers as a result of an accident. PAI is insured in most travel insurance and can also be purchased online (though not, at the time of writing, on RentalCover.com).

Excess Reduction/Excess Waivers in Australia and New Zealand

1. The rental companies sell products that allow you to decrease the excess that you pay after an accident from the above range towards $0. In Australia and New Zealand these policies are usually called "excess reduction", "damage waiver" or "excess waiver" (while in Europe they are usually called "Super CDW" or "Super LDW" and in the US they do not exist).
2. Excess reduction as sold by rental companies is overpriced (RentalCover.com's "Zero Excess Rental Cover" is at least 50% cheaper).
3. Excess reduction from the rental companies have many questionable exclusions, such as windscreens, tyres, mirrors, glass, single vehicle accidents, interiors, underbody and roof damage (RentalCover.com provides coverage for all types of accidents and damages).
4. To provide coverage to the above, the rental companies have more and more expensive policies, making the prices worse and worse in comparison to RentalCover.com's policies. Try the Comparison Tool above to compare your rental company.

Third Party Damages

Summary

In summary, if an accident occurs:

• Injuries to drivers of the other car are insured by third party liability insurance. Third party liability cover is compulsorily held by vehicle owners. Drivers of rental vehicles have no liability for the other driver (unless you were breaking the law, e.g. driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs, etc.)
• Damages to other cars that are charged out of your excess (and usually called "Third Party Damages" on the bill) by the rental company are always insured by RentalCover.com.
• Regardless of who is "at fault", you will be required to pay for damages in any single or multi-vehicle accident. RentalCover.com reimburses you those costs straight away and if we determine that the rental company would otherwise reimburse you later on, once their insurer successfully claims from the other driver's insurer, we will collect the funds on your behalf. More information will be provided during the Claims process. Most rental companies do not reimburse their drivers if they are not at fault. 
• Our policies provide coverage to excess payments that you make to the rental company, so of course we provide coverage to third party damages! Whatever is on the final invoice, we pay!

• You will be offered a waiver that is variously titled, "Excess Reduction," "Excess Waiver," "Damage Waiver," or something similar. You should not buy it. You can instead purchase RentalCover.com's "Zero Excess Rental Cover," which provides coverage to all the things the rental companies do and don't insure and it costs half as much. Read on for more information on how insurance works in Australia and NZ.
• You will not be offered Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) or Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) at the rental desk because - unlike Europe, Asia and the US - the excess for rental vehicles in Australia and NZ is never the full value of the car, it is only somewhere between $500 and $7500, depending on the rental company and vehicle. You will not hear any mention of CDW or LDW. 
• You will not be offered Personal Accident Insurance (insures you and your passengers if there is an accident) or Liability Insurance (provides coverage to third party injuries). The former is available to most travellers via their travel insurance policy, and the latter is not required in Australia because car rentals include "third party" liability.

CDW (Collision Damage Waiver)/LDW (Loss Damage Waiver)

In Canada most rental companies will offer Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) (also called LDW/Loss Damage Waiver if it includes theft) to reduce the deductible "excess" you must pay in the event of an accident. Many rental companies exclude certain types of damage such as windscreens and tyres, while the CDW/LDW sometimes reduce your deductible to between CAD$500 & $2000. CDW and LDW reduce the deductible to CAD$0 for a handful of rental companies. Use the above comparison tool to see who does what.

As always, check your booking confirmation and discuss with your rental company if you are unsure how much you are insured for, or ask us to help you out as we are happy to help. You may also want to read our FAQ about renting in the USA as there are some differences, mainly because US rental companies always remove the "deductible" so there's nothing to pay in the event of a collision, except some "out of pocket" costs. Those incidental/"out of pocket" costs are instead insured by our "Extra Cover" policies for USA and Canada. 

Supplementary Liability Insurance (SLI) - Third Party

Each Canadian province has different rules regarding whether or not third party liability (usually called "Supplementary Liability Insurance (SLI)" by car rental companies) must be provided, and often the minimum level of coverage required by law is quite low. This means the driver of the car is potentially responsible for injuries to third parties (i.e. other drivers, their passengers, the other driver's car).
 

• You will be offered Roadside Assistance Coverage at the rental desk. You should not buy it. You can instead purchase RentalCover.com's "Extra Cover for Canada", which includes every type of "out of pocket" costs that you will encounter if you have an accident or breakdown. It also provides coverage for theft and the sizeable fees that rental companies will charge, such as "loss of use" fees (charged for the period the car is off the road for repairs), "relocation" fees (to insure costs of returning the vehicle to its intended drop off point), and "administration" fees (charged for the paperwork involved in collisions). Read on for more "Extra Cover for Canada" info.
• If your booking does not already include it, you will be offered Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) or Loss Damage Waiver (LDW, which is CDW plus Theft Protection) at the rental desk. Your booking confirmation will tell you if CDW or LDW is included, and our overview of CDW/LDW in Canada might also be useful. If you are from Canada we recommend bringing your personal car's insurance certificate as it insures you for any car anywhere that you travel. If you don't have your own policy or wish to avoid small claims, you can buy CDW on RentalCover.com (from March 2016 onwards). If you need help identifying if CDW is included in your car booking, please complete the form below. 
• You will be offered a waiver that is variously titled Super CDW, Excess Waiver, Damage Liability Waiver, or something similar. You should not buy it. You can instead purchase RentalCover.com's "Zero Excess Rental Cover", which provides coverage for all the things the rental companies don't insure and it costs half as much. Read on for an overview of how insurance works in Canada.
• If it isn't included in your booking, you will be offered Liability Insurance (also called Supplementary Liability Insurance (SLI) and LIS). There is more information in our SLI for Canada/the US FAQ. We recommend purchasing SLI if it wasn't included in your booking. 
• If it isn't included in your booking, you will be offered Personal Accident Insurance (PAI), which provides coverage for personal injuries that befall you or your passengers as a result of an accident. 

This is a summary of the main products offered by the rental companies for travel across Europe. Coverage and extras can vary widely across different countries in Europe, so it is important that you understand the options and purpose of each insurance product that you will be offered by the rental companies!

CDW/LDW
For non-US Residents
When you rent a car in Europe, a Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) policy (also called "Loss Damage Waiver (LDW)" if it includes "Theft Protection") is usually included in the rate. To see if your booking includes CDW or LDW, please refer to your booking confirmation. Note that some rental companies in some countries do not include CDW/LDW so you will need to buy it either at the desk or independently. 

In Europe, CDW and LDW reduces your excess from the full value of the car to somewhere between €/$/£1,000-4,000. See below for more information.

For US Residents
When US Residents rent a car in Europe the booking typically does not include CDW or LDW. From March 2016 onwards, this can be purchased from RentalCover.com for at least 50% less than the same CDW policy sold by the rental companies. To purchase a policy just enter your Country of Residence on the RentalCover.com homepage and select "CDW/LDW".

Super CDW/Super LDW
For all Countries of Residence

"Super CDW/LDW" policies are sold at the car rental rental desk and are designed to reduce the "excess" that you have to pay in the event of an accident or damage from €/$/£1,000-4,000 towards €/£/$0. This extra waiver has several names including "Damage Waiver", "Premium Waiver", "Premium Protection", "Full Cover" and others, however the purpose is the same.

US residents who have CDW need not worry about SCDW, given their CDWs are zero deductible policies.

These policies usually have multiple exclusions such as windscreen, headlights, mirrors, roof & underbody damage, and accident-related fees that the rental companies add to the final bill (such as "loss of use" and "administration/processing" fees). RentalCover.com sells alternatives to “Super CDW” and “Super LDW” for at least 50% cheaper with none of those exclusions.

Use the comparison tool at the top of this page to see the price that you would otherwise pay at the rental desk and to compare our policies with the exclusions in the Super CDW/Super LDW policies for each rental company.
 

1. If your booking does not already include it, you will be offered Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) or Loss Damage Waiver (LDW, which is CDW plus theft protection) at the rental desk. Your booking confirmation will tell you if CDW or LDW is included, and our overview of CDW/LDW in Europe might also be useful. CDW has an excess ("deductible" is the US term) of between €500 and €5,000; it can be lowered towards €0 by purchasing SCDW.
2. SCDW ("Super CDW" or otherwise known as "Excess Waiver", "Damage Liability Waiver", or something similar) reduces the "deductible" excess on your vehicle from $500-$5000 (depending on the rental company) towards $0.

• You will not be offered Liability Insurance (also called Supplementary Liability Insurance (SLI) and Civil Liability Insurance) as these are regulated by the EU. There is more information on Third Party Insurance in the EU in our FAQ.
• You may be offered Personal Accident Insurance (PAI), which provides coverage for personal injuries that befall you or your passengers as a result of an accident. PAI is insured in most travel insurance and can also be purchased online (though not, at the time of writing, on RentalCover.com).

The insurance requirements for travel in Africa differ for each country and rental company. The following is a brief overview however we also recommend that you check the terms of your rental agreement and discuss how insurance works in your particular country of travel. Your rental confirmation will indicate if your booking includes CDW. US Residents who have our Collision Damage Coverage plan do not need CDW/LDW nor SCDW/SLDW from the rental companies.

CDW (Collision Damage Waiver)/LDW (Loss Damage Waiver)

In Africa most rental companies will offer Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) (also called LDW/Loss Damage Waiver if it includes theft) to reduce the "excess" you must pay in the event of an accident. CDW and LDW reduce the excess from the full value of the car towards US$2000 (ZAR31000). Many rental companies in Africa exclude common types of damage such as windscreens, tyres, roof and underbody, preferring instead to cover these via their SCDW/SLDW products.

Our Collision Damage Coverage for US Residents performs the same role as CDW, for at least half the cost. If there is damage to the rental vehicle you would pay and them file a claim with AON who would reimburse the costs. For non-US Residents, we recommend that you take out CDW from the rental company.

Super CDW / Super LDW to Reduce the Excess Payable

As with European, Australian and NZ rentals, CDW & LDW in Africa have a high excess that is reducible with SCDW/SLDW. The excess amount is usually in the range of US$1500-$2000 (ZAR27000), which can be waived by purchasing SCDW or SLDW. RentalCover.com's Zero Excess Rental Cover is equivalent to SCDW/SLDW, for half the price and we provide coverage for all damage-related fees charged by the rental companies and all types of accidents and damages, including those things that rental companies exclude, such as windscreens, headlights, tyres, underbody, roof and damages caused by hitting animals.

Liability Insurance/Supplementary Liability Insurance (SLI) for Injuries to Third Parties

Most car rental bookings for visitors to Africa include SLI (also called Accident Liability Insurance/ALI or LIS). Feel free to email us if you're unsure about what your policy includes. At the time of writing we do not sell Liability Insurance.

Most countries in Africa require drivers to have their own third party liability insurance. This provides coverage to drivers if they are involved in an accident with another vehicle or pedestrian. Importantly, third party insurance is legislated within distinct African regions that include several countries each. A "liability" card (i.d. third party insurance certificate/policy) will insure you for a specific region (i.e. the policy works across borders). The regions are:

• COMESA (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa): Commonly called the Yellow Card, it provides coverage to Burundi, Djibouti, Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, however it does not insure you in the country of purchase (i.e. you need to purchase it before you arrive). South Africa is not part of COMESA.
• CEMAC (Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa): Commonly called the Pink Card, it provides coverage to Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
• ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States): Commonly called the Brown Card, it provides coverage to Benin, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. Cape Verde is the only ECOWAS country who doesn't take part in this scheme.
• AL (Arab League): Commonly called the Orange Card, it provides coverage to Northern Africa as well as the Middle East - Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Morocco and Tunisia are part of the European Green Card scheme. Comoros and Palestine do not take part in these card agreements.

Personal Accident Insurance (PAI) for Injuries to Yourself or Your Passengers

This is a summary of the main products offered by the rental companies for travel in the USA. 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 "premium" products - which are overpriced and full of hidden exclusions - 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

As outlined in the USA FAQ, the insurance options for the USA are different to most of the UK/EU and Australia/NZ and Asia. Because US rentals sold to international travelers generally include zero deductible (i.e. no excess payable in the event of an accident), you will be offered optional roadside assistance at the rental desk.

The roadside assistance offered by the rental companies costs $5-10 per day at the rental desk and it provides coverage to basic costs like some fuel and sometimes a tyre or battery change.

We take it a step further and provide a better value roadside product that provides coverage to every type of cost that you would incur including towing, impound fees, key replacement, battery and windscreens/tyres/light repair or replacement and of course, the call out fee and any other repairs. You can also claim any unused portion of your travel caused by an early termination of your rental. We also provide coverage to extra costs that are applied by rental companies as a result of your incident, mainly credit card fees, "administration"/processing fees and "loss of use" fees (the rental companies recover any income lost while the vehicle is off the road being fixed).

Important: Roadside Assistance

RentalCover.com's roadside assistance partner is Urgently, the #1 rated roadside assistance network in North America. Urgently Hotline Number is in our app (available in Apple and Android) and in your confirmation emails. Please follow the instructions carefully - if you don't use Urgently then you risk overpaying. We pay Urgently bills ourselves whereas the rental company's roadside operator will charge you then you would make a claim and get reimbursed for those costs and any other "out of pocket" costs.

Extra Cover for the USA is a comprehensive policy offered by RentalCover.com for non-US residents. It provides coverage for damages that the rental companies do not insure and it also provides coverage for a multitude of "out of pocket" costs that you will incur in the event of an accident or breakdown.

Rental companies sell a similar product that is usually called "Roadside Assistance Coverage" (RAC). If you have an RAC policy from the rental companies you may still be charged accident-related fees such as administration fees, "loss of use" fees if the vehicle requires repair & relocation fees (the cost incurred to get the vehicle back to your intended dropoff). These are all very considerable. All are covered by RentalCover.com's Extra Cover for USA.

All roadside assistance costs are also covered by Extra Cover for USA. Some rental companies, especially Dollar, will aggressively sell their RAC by telling you theirs does the same thing, but it doesn't. You can be left $1,000 or more out of pocket by their accident-related fees. So you can confidently refuse their RAC!

It is also useful to understand how our roadside assistance works. If you follow the instructions in our confirmation emails you might see that some callouts are performed by our preferred roadside assistance network Urgently. Urgently have won numerous awards and are considered "Uber for Roadside Assistance". There's no phone calls needed, just click the link and a vehicle comes to see you and best of all, we pay Urgently's bill on your behalf. For some types of callout, including mechanical breakdowns and collisions, you will be redirected to the rental company's roadside assistance service. You would then pay your rental company and submit a claim for those costs to be reimbursed by RentalCover.com. It usually takes us less than a day to receive, process and pay Extra Cover for USA claims.
 

You can find more information on further types of coverage available in the US by reading our overview of the insurance options in the USA. You might also like to read this article.

• If your booking does not already include it, you will be offered Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) or Loss Damage Waiver (LDW, which is CDW plus theft protection) at the rental desk. Your booking confirmation will tell you if CDW or LDW is included, and our overview of CDW might be useful. Our Collision Damage Coverage is primary coverage with zero deductible - it is equivalent to the rental company's CDW and is half the price.
  
  We recommend that non-US residents purchase CDW from the rental company. CDW in the US does not have a deductible excess.
  
  For further reading, see our overview of CDW/LDW in the US. 
   
• You will not be offered a waiver to reduce your deductible ("deductible" is called "excess" outside of the US) because the rental company's CDW is zero deductible.  
• You will be offered Roadside Assistance Coverage at the rental desk. You should not buy it. You can instead purchase RentalCover.com's "Extra Cover for USA", which includes every type of "out of pocket" cost that you will encounter if you have an accident or breakdown. "Extra Cover for USA" also insures theft and the sizeable fees that rental companies will charge, such as "loss of use" fees (charged for the period the car is off the road for repairs), "relocation" fees (the cost of returning the vehicle to its intended drop off point) and "administration" fees (charged for the paperwork involved in collisions). Read on for more "Extra Cover for USA" info.
• If it isn't included in your booking, you will be offered Liability Insurance (also called Supplementary Liability Insurance (SLI) and LIS). There is more information in our SLI for the US FAQ. We recommend purchasing SLI if it wasn't included in your booking.
• If it isn't included in your booking, you will be offered Personal Accident Insurance (PAI), which insures personal injuries that befall you or your passengers as a result of an accident. PAI is insured in most travel insurances and can also be purchased online (though not, at the time of writing, on RentalCover.com). 

Our Collision Damage Coverage plan is for US Residents. As it's primary coverage you do not have to make a claim against your auto insurance. Additional drivers who are on the rental agreement with you are covered free of charge and it's a zero deductible plan. 

As outlined in our general overview of car rental insurance in the USA, the insurance options are different to the rest of the World. The US is a zero deductible market, so there's no repair costs to pay if you have Collision Damage Coverage. The only costs to pay are collision-related fees that are charged by the rental companies such as "loss of use", relocation and administration fees (all are included in our Extra Cover product).

All other countries have a deductible (called "excess" outside of the US). There are consequently two policies to be aware of:

1. CDW: Outside of the US, Collision Damage Waivers (also called Loss Damage Waivers if they include Theft Protection) provide coverage up to the full value of the car, but they also have a deductible/excess. Depending on the country and rental company the deductible can be between US$500 and US$5,000.
2. SCDW: Outside of the US, Super Collision Damage Waivers (which have multiple other names that are designed to confuse renters) reduce the deductible/excess towards $0. They do not exist in the US because the US is a zero deductible market. With SCDW, the more you pay, the deductible/excess gets closer to $0, and there's less exclusions such as windscreens & tires.

If you have our Collision Damage Coverage you do not need to purchase CDW or SCDW from the rental companies. Your Collision Damage Coverage has $0 deductible so it performs the function of CDW and SCDW, a saving of up to $50 per day. The full cost of damages would be reimbursed by AON.

There are some rental companies, particularly in Latin America and Europe, who require you to purchase their own Collision Damage Waivers. We think it is a highly questionable business practice but either way, rest assured that your Collision Damage Coverage still applies because it is a better alternative to the rental company's SCDW.

Please see our FAQ entitled "What to do at the rental desk in Latin American countries" and there's more details in our rental guides for US, Europe, Australia/NZ, Canada and Africa. 

AON handles claims on your behalf once you file a claim or inform them of the incident (check your Policy Wording or confirmation emails for details). For travel outside of the US, you would may be required to pay the rental company and then AON will reimburse you. If you are unable to pay, AON will step in to pay on your behalf. Read on for more information about claims for "Collision Damage Coverage".
 

The amount payable in the event of an accident is usually called your "excess" or "liability". Rental companies all offer multiple options to reduce your excess. In some countries such as the USA, Canada and Mexico, suppliers do not include any insurance in their basic price, so your excess is actually the full value of the car. In some countries such as Australia and NZ the rental companies are not permitted to pass on this level of risk to customers. In other countries such as UK and most of the EU it is uncommon to see cars without some level of reduced excess.

The product that reduces excess from the full value to a lower amount (usually €/£/$1000-2000) is usually called "CDW" ("Collision Damage Waiver"). Policies that reduce your liability from that level towards €/£/$0 are most commonly called Super CDW (also called "Excess Reduction" in Australia/NZ, Damage Liability Fee and many other names that serve the same purpose). CDW that includes theft coverage is called LDW ("Loss Damage Waiver") while Super CDW that includes theft is called Super LDW.

At present RentalCover.com sells policies that are an alternative to Super CDW/Super LDW only. Our policies are about 50% cheaper and they include many types of damage that the rental companies "exclude" such as theft, windscreen and tire damage, single vehicle accidents, hitting animals, driving at night, vehicle rollovers, underbody damage, roof damage and more.

The amount payable in the event of an accident is usually called your "excess" or "liability" and it can be either:

• The full value of the car: This is the case in Europe and the US unless your booking included CDW ("Collision Damage Waiver") or LDW ("Loss Damage Waiver" which is CDW with theft coverage included). For more info please see our US Car Rental Insurance Guide and our Europe Overview. Most car rentals include CDW or LDW (it is mandatory in the EU for EU Residents) however US residents would rarely see it included as US travellers tend to bring their home car insurance policy. In Australia and NZ the renter's excess is never the full value of the car as they cannot be rented on that basis.
• An amount that is typically between €/£/$1000 & 4000 (higher for some motorhomes). Rental companies offer policies called "Super CDW" (or "Super LDW" if it includes theft coverage) or "Excess Reduction" (Australia and NZ) that reduce the excess towards €/£/$0 . These policies do not exist in the US - they only sell CDW and LDW and the resultant excess is always $0. In Europe, Asia, Australia/New Zealand and South America Super CDW/LDW is always available at the rental desk. RentalCover.com's "Zero Excess Rental Cover" policies are 50% cheaper and have none of the exclusions that rental companies include in Super CDW/Super LDW/Excess Reduction.
• An amount between €/£/$0 & 500: Super CDW/LDW and Excess Reduction policies tend to reduce the excess that would be payable in the event of an accident towards zero but it could be as high as €/£/$500. They often sell several policies with increasing benefits (i.e. less exclusions) but generally, the more you pay the lower the excess goes. In the US there is no excess payable if the booking has CDW or LDW applied however there are often "out of pocket" costs because the rental companies charge damage-related fees and you are also responsible for roadside assistance and related costs (such as towing, impound and fuel) and repairs to common items like tyres and windscreens. RentalCover.com's "Extra Cover For USA" provides coverage for these and many other incidental costs and it includes free Roadside Assistance saving you $5-$10 per day.

The amount payable to the rental company in the event of an accident is called your “excess" or "liability” or (in the US) "deductible". Rental companies offer Collision Damage Waivers (CDW) which reduce your excess from the full value of the vehicle in the event of an accident. CDW reduces your excess to €/£/$0 (this is typical in the USA and Canada) or to approx. to €/£/$1,000-€/£/$3,000 (this is the case in Europe, Australia/New Zealand and all markets except North America). To get that remaining excess down to €/£/$0 the rental companies sell "Super CDW", "Super LDW" (includes CDW & theft). There are lots of different names (e.g. in Australia & NZ it is called "excess reduction") but they serve the same purpose.

Super CDW/Super LDW options often have many exclusions such as windscreen, headlights, mirrors and multiple accident-related fees. RentalCover.com sells independent alternatives to “Super CDW” and “Super LDW” without the exclusions and for about 50% cheaper.

All policies can be managed from the My Account section of the RentalCover.com website and app. Policies that were booked through a travel agency can also be modified or cancelled by the travel agency's website and customer support team. Please refer to instructions in your booking confirmation.

Changes to your rental vehicle

If you have just changed cars or suppliers, your existing policy is still valid. However, it is possible your vehicle liability may have increased, particularly if you have upgraded to a more expensive car.

Please check the new "CDW/standard excess" on your booking confirmation or with the rental company, and see 'How do I add coverage to my policy?' for instructions on how to increase your coverage amount.

Date changes

You can modify the dates of your RentalCover.com policy up to and including the date of travel, and extend your policy thereafter using the following steps:

Change dates using the RentalCover.com website

1. Go to the 'My Account' page in the navigation menu.
2. Click "Modify" on the policy you want to change the dates for.
3. Scroll down to "Extend Your Dates". From there you can alter the relevant dates, any changes will be applied immediately.

Change dates using the RentalCover.com app

1. Download the RentalCover.com app
2. Login to your RentalCover.com account
3. Click on ‘Modify’ on the policy you want to update
4. Click on ‘Change Dates’
5. Follow instruction to update dates

Other modifications and cancellations

These can be made up up to the time of pickup.

Steps to modify a policy:

Using the website

1. Login to your account, or go to the 'My Account' page in the navigation menu if you are already logged in.
2. Click "Modify" on the relevant policy .

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Using the app

1. Download the RentalCover.com app
2. Login to your RentalCover.com account
3. Click on ‘Modify’ on the policy you want to update

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Steps to cancel a policy:

Using the website

1. Login to your account, or go to the 'My Account' page in the navigation menu if you are already logged in.
2. Click "Cancel" next to the relevant policy .

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Using the app

1. Download the RentalCover.com app
2. Login to your RentalCover.com account
3. Click on ‘Modify’ on the policy you want to update
4. Expand the 'Cancel' section and click the button that appears.
5. Select a reason for your cancellation, then click 'Cancel Policy'.

 

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Note: If you are still taking out a rental vehicle the policy can still be utilised as it is applicable to any vehicle from any rental company, regardless of where it was booked.

To login you just need the reference number from your quote and your email address. Click "Sign In" to begin!

Axa policies are issued on the date of payment however others are issued closer to the start of your trip. Either way you will receive a final email that includes your reference number and instructions on what to do at the rental desk.

If your policy includes free airline rewards you will need to call the issuer of your policy as outlined in the Policy Document.

We always recommend that the coverage is at least equivalent to your vehicle's excess/liability. At present our policies are designed to provide coverage for the excess that is remaining after CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) has been applied to your car. That remaining excess is typically between €/£/$1000-3000.

Our policies are available to residents of any country. All policies shown to you will be based on the age and residency and country of travel that you entered on the homepage.

Yes, additional drivers who are on the rental agreement with you are covered free of charge. The rental company may charge a small "additional driver" fee. You do not need to inform us of the additional drivers' names, as they are insured automatically, regardless of age, country of residence, etc.

Please see 'How do I change the name of the policy holder?' for details on how to change the name/details of the policy holder.

Yes, you can change the policy holder and contact details on your policy any day up until and including the day of departure.

Note: Additional drivers who are on the rental agreement with you are covered free of charge. 

You can change the name on your RentalCover.com policy any time before the date of travel using the following steps:

1. Go to the 'My Account' page in the navigation menu.
2. Click "Modify" on the policy you want to add coverage to.
3. Scroll down to "Modify Personal Details". From there you can update the name and contact details of the policy holder.

RentalCover.com sells policies to individuals who rent a vehicle and are required to pay an "excess" amount for damages. An excess is the amount payable to the rental company in the event of an accident, it is also known as "liability". Our policies reimburse your excess costs. Our policies include many types of damage that the rental companies typically exclude. Please see the relevant FAQ for a detailed overview of how car rental insurance works in your country of travel.

Additional drivers who are on the rental agreement with you are covered free of charge. 

Not usually! Just check that your policy has sufficient coverage for your new rental vehicle and if so, you can keep the policy with no changes required. If you need extra coverage, just click "Add coverage" from your account.

You can cancel up to the time of pickup for an immediate refund. If you have an issue at the rental desk, you can call us. However, cancellations cannot be undertaken over the phone. Refunds will be processed immediately. Please keep in mind that our policies are valid for any rental vehicle, so even if you change cars you don't need to cancel your rental coverage policy; if you need to change the dates, just click "modify" and a refund will be issued for shorter trips, or a payment will be required for longer durations.

For details on how to cancel a RentalCover.com policy, please refer to our cancellation FAQ.

A refundable deposit (also called a refundable "bond") is an amount that will be either deducted or "held" against your credit card as a deposit for the duration of your rental. It is charged if you refuse to purchase the rental company's excess waiver (we always advise you to refuse it and buy a RentalCover.com policy, instead). Those waivers are usually called "Super CDW (Super Collision Damage Waiver)" in Europe or "Excess Reduction" in Australia/NZ. In the US there is no Super CDW or equivalent because their rentals have zero deductible excess. 

For cars the refundable deposit/bond/hold is usually less than $500, but for large motorhomes the bond may exceed $5000. Typically this amount is "frozen" (also called "imprinted" or "held") on your credit card (a small number of rental companies actually deduct the bond from your card and they may apply card fees on top). If the car is returned without damage the deposit is refunded in full. If there is damage then the bond will be deducted from your card and once the repair costs are assessed (allow 1-2 weeks) or - if it's a small amount of damage - the repairs are undertaken, the rental company will refund the difference between the bond and the repair costs. If the repair costs are equal to or greater than your bond, there is no refund due.

This is an important consideration for two reasons:

• Your card needs sufficient balance to fund the deposit or you won't be able to collect the vehicle.
• If you have sufficient funds, we recommend that you purchase a RentalCover.com policy because one of the favourite "tricks" the rental companies pull is to overcharge the actual repair costs. RentalCover.com's insurers wear the burden instead of you!

Note: Enter your rental company at the top of the page to compare their prices & policies with RentalCover.com.

It only takes a few seconds to add coverage to your policy or quote:

1. Go to the 'My Account' page in the navigation menu.
2. Select "Pay Now" on the policy you want to add coverage to.
3. Click the "Add Coverage" link in the 'Coverage' box on the next page. A pop-up window will appear.
4. Choose a policy with the required amount of coverage for your vehicle.
5. The page will refresh, and you're done!

Purchasing a single RentalCover.com policy will provide coverage for all rental cars hired for the duration of your policy. Likewise your policy will still apply in any country you travel to with your rental vehicle, provided your rental starts in the country nominated in your policy.

If you like Jon's idea and want to do the same (who wouldn't!) the only thing you need to be aware of is:

• Your policy needs to have enough coverage for all of your rentals. To find out the amount of excess you need to insure for each car check your booking confirmations or call the rental company.
• See "How do I add coverage to my policy?" above to add extra coverage to your existing quote.

The terms of your policy will vary depending on your age, coverage selection, and country of travel. For full details about your policy's terms please refer to the relevant Product Disclosure Statement, found under "View Policy Wording" on your account page. For reference, all of our policies provide coverage to the following:

• Additional drivers who are on the rental agreement with you are covered free of charge.
• Subject to the Policy terms* we provide coverage to any type of single or multiple-vehicle accident or damage, including:
  • Roof ("overhead") and underbody ("under carriage")
  • Theft, fire, vandalism
  • Windscreen damage/replacement
  • Tyre repair/replacement
  • Headlights damage/replacement
  • Awnings damage/repair
  • Key loss and replacement
  • Accidents involving animals
• Damage-related costs including:
  • Towing
  • Roadside Assistance costs such as tyre repairs, call out fees and fuel refills
• Additional fees charged by rental companies that relate to damages, including:
  • Relocation fees to get the car back to its intended dropoff
  • Administration/"Processing" fees
  • Card fees applied to the excess charges
  • "Loss of Use" (also called "demurrage") that is charged for the period that the vehicle is "out of action" and therefore cannot be rented out
  • "Third Party" costs that rental companies deduct from your excess (only in Australia and NZ at the time of writing) for damages caused to other vehicles. 

* Note: These terms may vary. Please refer to your PDS for your policy's full terms.

The following information is for US customers only, for information relating to other regions please refer to the country specific FAQs

Personal Accident Insurance (PAI) insures drivers of a rental car and their passengers for accidental medical costs, emergency care and accidental death during your rental trip, up to a certain limit. Please check the amount of coverage on your policy if you have or intend to purchase personal accident insurance to determine if the coverage is adequate.

What is the standard level of coverage?

The following table provides an overview of the standard levels of coverage provided by insurers in the US:

How does the claim process work?

If you or a passenger are injured as a result of driving your rental vehicle, you will need to contact your rental company's insurer directly to place a claim. This will normally involve filling out a claims form, and you will be required to provide the details of your insurance, a receipt of the premium you paid and invoices for your medical costs (hospital and ambulance). In the case of death, the next of kin can place the claim with the insurer and provide details of the accident.

The following information is US customers only, for information relating to other regions please refer to the country specific FAQs

Supplementary Liability Insurance insures you for injuries 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) 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.

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 a 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 or injuries sustained).

All RentalCover.com policies provide coverage for theft, fire and vandalism. Most rental companies will offer you a product called "Theft Protection" either online or at the rental desk, which insures you up to a fixed amount for loss and damage in the case that your rental car is stolen. This will generally be offered as a standalone product in the US and parts of Europe, or as an inclusion in a "premium" coverage product in Australia, NZ and the rest of Europe.

Some rental companies also include Theft Protection with your CDW purchase, in which case the policy is known as a Loss Damage Waiver (LDW). You will need to check your policy wording or contact your policy supplier to find out exactly what is included in your coverage.

In some countries (including UK, EU, Australia, NZ & most of Asia) it is compulsory for the car owner (i.e. the rental car company) to obtain third party insurance. In the US the responsibility falls on the car driver. There are also some differences between third party property (damages to another vehicle) and third party personal (injuries to another driver or their passengers) from region to region. Lastly, there is often confusion in Australia and New Zealand because rental companies decut third party damage costs from the excess that is payable in the event of a multi-vehicle accident. 

Europe

In Europe third party insurance (usually called "civil liability") is compulsorily held by the car owner and it provides coverage to damages to other vehicles and injury to other drivers. Without it, a rental company cannot place a vehicle on the road. It is consequently not sold by the rental companies, nor is it offered independently by RentalCover.com.  

Read this FAQ for more information on the European insurance options.

United States, Canada, Mexico & South America

In the US and parts of South America, third party responsibility lies with the driver of a rental vehicle. In those countries you will be offered Supplementary Liability Insurance (called SLI or LIS) at the car rental desk and sometimes you will be offered SLI online from the rental company's website. SLI provides coverage to car drivers who cause injuries to drivers or passengers of another vehicle (called "third party injury" or "third party personal"), and other vehicles that are damaged by the accident ("third party property"). Some US states mandate that all cars including rental car companies include SLI however the state minimums are usually quite low for third party injuries so you may consider purchasing an SLI policy. At present RentalCover.com does not sell SLI policies.

Read this FAQ for more information on the US insurance options.

Australia and New Zealand

In Australia and New Zealand it is compulsory for vehicle owners (i.e. the rental company) to have insurance for third party injuries so a rental vehicle cannot be registered or rented without it. In NZ third party personal injuries are settled through a government program called ACC which does not ascribe "fault" to either driver.

Regarding third party property (damage to other vehicles), some motorhome rental companies charge their customers for "third party" damages but they are just discretionary excess charges, i.e. it is a way for them to increase your damage costs. RentalCover.com policies do not discriminate between one type of excess charge and another, all are insured. So yes, third party damage costs are insured. But we suggest you read our detailed explanation of "third party" charges by motorhome rental companies in Australia and New Zealand.

 

Some but not all RentalCover.com policies are providing coverage for 4x4s and offroad driving. Please refer to your policy wording to see if 4x4s are included.

Are unsealed roads insured?

Some of our policies allow driving on unsealed roads as long as those roads are permitted for travel by the rental company. If you have a 4x4 the rental company will usually nominate which roads are/are not permitted.

Driving on Unsealed Roads That Are Not Permitted

If you have an accident or if the vehicle is damaged on a non-permitted road your potential liability will exceed your excess because it is deemed a "violation" of the rental agreement. Your rental company may apply significant legal fees to your bill so your excess may even exceed the total cost of the vehicle if it is a serious accident. We strongly advise drivers to comply with the terms of the rental agreement! All RentalCover.com claims are invalidated if there is a violation of the rental company's terms.

Driving on Unsealed Roads That Are Permitted

If the rental company permits it, and your policy provides coverage for 4x4s, RentalCover.com policies provide coverage on unsealed roads. If a rental company allows driving on unsealed roads they will specify which ones can be driven on or they will specify the limits, for instance, driveways, campsite roads etc are usually permitted.

What about water damage?

Similar to above, if you have not breached the vehicle rental agreement you will be able to make a claim. Most companies consider water damage a breach of the agreement conditions. Therefore they reserve the right to charge you for repairs that might exceed the vehicle excess (i.e. they can charge you the full cost of vehicle replacement).

Car shares and accident replacement vehicles are all insured. If your car is at the mechanic or has had an accident, many nationwide mechanic chains and most crash inspection rental desks will offer you a vehicle that works exactly the same as rental cars: They have a high excess (i.e. an amount payable to the rental company in the event of an accident) that can be reduced by purchasing a policy that reduces your excess in the event of an accident (it may be called Super CDW (Collision Damage Waiver), Super LDW (Loss Damage Waiver), or similar). There are many exclusions and the price of those policies is expensive. Expect to pay 50% less with our RentalCover.com policy.