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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.

Example

After spending the last 50 years laying low in China, RentalCover.com customer Elvis Presley has decided to take a holiday back to his favorite place in the world, Las Vegas. While the holiday went well, on the day of Elvis's departure he is mobbed by fans while leaving his hotel, causing him to miss his rental's drop-off time by an hour.

When Elvis finally arrives at the rental desk he is shocked to discover his fans have removed the windscreen wipers from his car as mementos, and he has to file a claim for their replacement. Fortunately for Elvis, when he checks his RentalCover.com policy, he sees that his policy's coverage applies for the entire day, not just the original rental times, and he is spared a heart attack by this news.

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.

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 benefits of a RentalCover.com policy.

RentalCover.com seeks to give our customers absolute transparency on their policies. We cover all common damages, 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:

Additional drivers who are on the rental agreement with you are covered free of charge.
Please feel free to email or call if you still have questions.
Country	What We Sell	Equivalent Policy Sold by the Rental Companies	Benefits of RentalCover.com's Policy
United States	US Residents: "Collision Damage Coverage"	"CDW" (Collision Damage Waiver)	• Zero Deductible! • You don't need your personal auto insurance so you keep your good driving record. • All claims are handled & paid by AON. No stress at the desk! More info
United States	US Visitors: "Extra Cover For USA"	"Roadside Assistance Coverage"	• Competitive price with full coverage: key loss, towing, storage impound costs, roadside callouts, emergency fuel & more. • If you use our roadside service provider (Urgently) we pay the bill on your behalf. If you use the rental company's roadside provider we reimburse the costs very quickly. More info
Canada	Canada Visitors: "Zero Excess Rental Cover"	"SCDW" ("Super CDW") or equivalent	• Rental cars often have a small deductible excess (between CA$500 and CA$2,000) that is insured by "Zero Excess Rental Cover". • Covers common damages such as windscreens, headlights and tyres. • "Zero Excess Rental Cover" removes that risk. • More info
Europe	EU Visitors: "Zero Excess Rental Cover"	"SCDW" (Super CDW") or equivalent	• Rental cars have an excess (usually between €1,500 and €3,000) that is insured by "Zero Excess Rental Cover". • Covers common damages such as windscreens, headlights and tyres. • More info
Australia & NZ	AU/NZ Visitors: Zero Excess Rental Cover	"Excess Reduction", "Damage Liability Fee" or equivalent	• Covers the full excess for cheaper. • Covers common damages such as windscreens, headlights and tyres. • More info
Asia	Asian Visitors: Zero Excess Rental Cover	"SCDW" (Super CDW") or equivalent	• Some rental companies in Asia (mainly HK and Japan) are similar to the US model where there is no excess. The majority do have an excess that is between US$1,000 and $US$3,000. "Zero Excess Rental Cover" provides coverage for the excess charges for 50% less than the policies sold at the rental desk.

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.

As a distributor rather than underwriter of our policies, RentalCover.com does not have a financial rating. We are a privately owned company and we are authorised by our underwriters to distribute their policies. We are selective with our choice of underwriters as evidenced by their excellent credentials, as shown below.

Our underwriters' rating.
Underwriters	Policy	Financial Strength Rating	Ratings Agency	Effective Date
CBL Insurance	Extra Cover, Zero Excess Rental Cover	A- (Excellent)	A.M Best	09/06/2016
Assetinsure	Extra Cover, Zero Excess Rental Cover	Assetinsure is owned by CBL, see above
QBE	Rental Vehicle Excess Cover	A+ (Positive)	Standard & Poor's	11/05/2016
AXA	Extra Cover, Zero Excess Rental Cover	A+ (Positive)	Standard & Poor's	29/10/2015
US Fire	Collision Damage Coverage	A (Excellent)	A.M Best	04/06/2015

When it comes to insurance options at the rental desk, rental companies tend to offer less cover at a higher price. With RentalCover.com, not only will you be fully covered by an underwritten insurance policy, but you will also save money!

Below is a summary of our benefits compared to typical rental companies:

1. Regulated Insurance Policies
Our policies are fully underwritten and supplied by registered brand name insurance companies such as AXA, CBL and Aon. In many instances, rental companies are selling self-insurance products which are not regulated by local authorities.

2. Cheaper policies
Our CDW and SCDW are typically much cheaper than what you will be offered at the rental desk - we aim to always be 50% cheaper than other products.

3. Less exclusions!
Unlike many rental companies, RentalCover.com includes common repairs like windscreens & tyres or any extra charges, so you can enjoy your holidays and have a peace of mind!

4. Accident-related fees
RentalCover.com covers any extra charges you might be facing, such as “premium location surcharges”, administration/processing fees, “loss of use” and other fees whenever there’s damage to repair so you are never left out of pocket.

5. Not at fault but still charged?
In some instances, you may be charged the cost of damage from incidents that were not your fault. Our policies cover any charges your may unfairly incur and seek to recover those costs from the party at fault (either directly or via the rental company). Again, we give you peace of mind, so you don’t have to worry, especially where you are not at fault.

6. Security Deposits ("Bonds")
Rental companies sometimes pre-authorize/imprint/hold a “bond” (also called a security deposit) if you decline their excess waiver, and sometimes deduct it. The bond can be up to EUR5,000 (large vehicles) but is usually between EUR300 - EUR700 for smaller cars. RentalCover.com fully covers the bond up to the policy amount.

7. Third party liability
Some motorhome/campervan rental companies in Australia & New Zealand might charge you for third party property damage charges up to the excess amount. Not to worry - if that’s the case, RentalCover.com will refund you for those damages!

Keep in mind that we want to help you!

The following is a general summary of travel insurance policies. We can help you understand your travel insurance policy and its benefits for car renters; just send us a link to your policy or the Policy Wording and we'll decipher it for you!

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:

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!
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.
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.

We highly recommend that you take out insurance for your own peace of mind as the costs incurred in an accident can be significant.

What happens if I don't buy the rental company's excess waiver and if I don't have an "independent" policy from RentalCover.com or similar?

If there’s damage, your credit card will be charged for an amount as a minimum up to the “excess” on your vehicle. It can exceed EUR5,000/USD5,000 depending on the rental company.

In many instances, it is hard to determine the actual cost of repair, and rental companies can take advantage of this. Without an independant insurance policy to stand behind you, the damage costs can be very expensive.

Our Annual Plan provides coverage on-demand. All you need to do is email us your itinerary and we'll send you free coverage for those dates. Here's how it works:

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

If you have any questions please email us!

"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

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:

Whether your rental company charges an excess on every accident
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.

Example

RentalCover.com customer Greg has taken out a policy to provide coverage to his rental while visiting relatives in Poland. However when reading through the terms of his rental company, he notices that he will be liable to pay the €3500 excess charge every time he has an accident. While Greg is a safe enough driver, he is aware that Poland has the highest number of accidents out of any country in Europe, and this will dramatically increase the risk that he will have more than one accident in the month he is visiting the country. As a result Greg logs into RentalCover.com and increases his coverage to €12000, to ensure he is safe even in the unlikely event that he has three separate accidents.

The first step is to enter your policy number at the RentalCover.com claims page. You will need to report your incident and claim to AON using the phone number presented.

How the rental companies react to collisions where their renter has an independent policy such as one from RentalCover.com differs between each rental company. This is not an exhaustive list and there are exceptions on a state-by-state basis. If your rental company is missing drop us a line and we will find out the claims process:

If you bring your own CDW (purchased on RentalCover.com)...
This table is a generalization and may not apply in your case due to interstate differences. Try the "Compare" tool above & email or call if you still have questions.
Company	Who pays the damage bill?	How is the bill paid?	What else you need to know
ACE	CDW Insurer	ACE will liaise directly with AON.	• ACE will contact your CDW Insurer immediately after an accident or upon return of vehicle. • If for some reason the insurer does not immediately accept responsibility for the forthcoming matter (ex. if they are closed), ACE won't charge you but will keep on trying contacting your CDW Insurer.
Alamo	CDW Insurer	Alamo will liaise directly with AON.	• Alamo will contact your CDW Insurer immediately after an accident or upon return of vehicle. • If for some reason the insurer does not immediately accept responsibility for the forthcoming matter (ex. if they are closed), you will be charged for the damages and then you would seek expedited reimbursement from your CDW insurer.
Advantage	CDW Insurer	Advantage will liaise directly with AON.	• You need to quickly engage your CDW Insurer. Your CDW Insurer would be responsible for the damages. • If for some reason the insurer does not immediately accept responsibility for the forthcoming matter (ex. if they are closed), you will need to keep contacting your CDW Insurer, but Advantage won't charge you for the damages.
Avis	CDW Insurer	Avis will liaise directly with AON.	• Avis will contact your CDW Insurer immediately after an accident or upon return of vehicle. • If for some reason the insurer does not immediately accept responsibility for the forthcoming matter (ex. if they are closed), you will be charged for the damages and then you would seek expedited reimbursement from your CDW insurer.
Budget	Policy Holder	Budget will charge an amount based on the "damage assessment" and may often charge your credit card. AON would reimburse you. You should attempt to get AON to pay instead.	• You need to quickly engage your CDW Insurer. They will facilitate your reimbursement for outgoing collision costs. • Budget will do a credit check on policy holder at time of pickup and will most likely check your credit limit.
Dollar	CDW Insurer	Dollar will hold the driver responsible for the liability until your insurer accepts the responsibility. They may charge your credit card. AON would reimburse you. You should attempt to get AON to pay instead.	• Dollar will contact your CDW Insurer immediately after an accident or upon return of vehicle. • If for some reason the insurer does not immediately accept responsibility for the forthcoming matter (ex. if they are closed), you will be charged for the damages and then you would seek expedited reimbursement from your CDW insurer.
Enterprise	Policy Holder	Enterprise will charge an amount based on the "damage assessment". They may often charge your credit card. AON would reimburse you. You should attempt to get AON to pay instead.	• Enterprise will charge a deductible directly to your credit card in the event of damages ($500 - $1000). • You will need to quickly engage your CDW Insurer. They will facilitate your reimbursement for outgoing collision costs.
Hertz	Policy Holder	Hertz will hold the driver responsible for the liability until the CDW Insurer accepts the responsiblity. They may often charge your credit card. AON would reimburse you. You should attempt to get AON to pay instead.	• You need to quickly engage your CDW Insurer. They will facilitate your reimbursement for outgoing collision costs. • Hertz will do a credit check on policy holder at time of pickup and will most likely check your credit limit.
National	Policy Holder	National will hold the driver responsible for the liability until the CDW Insurer accepts the responsibility. may often charge your credit card. AON would reimburse you. You should attempt to get AON to pay instead.	• You need to quickly engage your CDW Insurer. They will facilitate your reimbursement for outgoing collision costs. • National will do a credit check on policy holder at time of pickup and will most likely check your credit limit.
Zipcar	Policy Holder	Zipcar will hold the driver responsible for the liability until the CDW Insurer accepts the responsibility. may often charge your credit card. AON would reimburse you. You should attempt to get AON to pay instead.	• You need to quickly engage your CDW Insurer. They will facilitate your reimbursement for outgoing collision costs. • Zipcar will do a credit check on policy holder at time of pickup and will most likely check your credit limit.

Here is a checklist of what to expect at the rental desk in Japan, Korea and other countries in Asia, and what to say:

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. 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 great coverage at competitive prices.
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

Rental vehicles in Australia and New Zealand do not have Collision Damage Waivers (CDW). CDW is a policy sold by rental companies elsewhere in the world that reduces the excess that is payable in the event of an accident from the full value of the vehicle towards a lower limit (under AU$5,000, usually). CDW (and Loss Damage Waivers (LDW), which is just CDW plus Theft Protection) is included by default with a rental car (or can otherwise be included at the rental desk) in every country except Australia and NZ. If a renter does not have CDW or LDW in Europe, North America and South America their liability in the event of an accident would be the full value of the car. In Australia/NZ however, there is no CDW/LDW; the default liability (called "standard excess" or "standard liability") is usually somewhere below AU$5,000, although some large motorhomes have an excess of AU$7500.

The excess waivers for this lower amount are similar to Europe.

Third Party Damages

If you are driving a rental vehicle in Australia or New Zealand and you are involved in an accident with another vehicle the following process takes place:

1. If you cause the accident (i.e. you are "at fault") and damage another car

You will have to pay the repair costs for your vehicle (which would be insured by your RentalCover.com policy). A small number of motorhome rental companies may also charge you for damages to other vehicles. These "third party damages" are excess charges (i.e. deducted from your credit card) and are insured by your RentalCover.com policy.

2. If you cause an accident and injure the other driver

If the other driver is injured, the owner of your vehicle (i.e. the rental company) is liable, however the liability is mitigated by compulsory schemes for third party injuries in Australia and New Zealand. This is similar to Europe: the rental company cannot own or rent a car without having third party liability insurance, and as a result, renters do not have any liability (unless you have broken the law).

In Australia, "third party cover" is provided by a private insurance company, whereas in New Zealand a government insurer called ACC looks after all injuries caused by motor accidents (it is a "no fault" scheme, which means there is no settlement process nor ongoing legal/claim issues for the drivers).

3. If you did not cause an accident and you are injured

The liability for your injuries rests with the other driver, who would have the same compulsory insurance that your rental company has for their cars. Your medical costs will be insured by their insurance.

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.
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!

Here is a checklist of what to expect at the rental desk in Australia/NZ and what to say:

Most rental companies offer a waiver that is variously titled "Excess Reduction", "Excess Waiver", "Damage Waiver", or something similar. RentalCover.com's "Zero Excess Rental Cover" is a cheap alternative to this waiver and covers all types of accidents and damages.
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.

Find out more about what to do at the rental desk in the USA, Canada or the UK/Europe.

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).

Minimum Liability Limits
Minimum liability limits per province are below alongside the supplementary amounts sold by the rental companies.
Province	Min. third party liability required	Supplier's Supplementary Liability Insurance
Alberta	CA$200,000	CA$1-2 million
British Columbia	CA$200,000	CA$1-2 million
Manitoba	CA$200,000	CA$1-2 million
New Brunswick	CA$200,000	CA$1-2 million
Newfoundland	CA$200,000	CA$1-2 million
Nova Scotia	CA$500,000	CA$1-2 million
Ontario	CA$200,000	CA$1-2 million
Prince Edward Island	CA$200,000	CA$1-2 million
Quebec	CA$50,000	CA$1-2 million
Saskatchewan	CA$200,000	CA$1-2 million

If it is not already included in your car booking, you will be offered SLI at the rental desk, also called Accident Liability Insurance (ALI) or Liability Insurance Supplement (LIS) by your rental company. The SLI sold by rental companies is usually between CAD$1,000,000 and $2,000,000. As a general rule, we advise you to take the SLI if it is offered.

Personal Accident Insurance (Personal Injuries)

Personal Accident Insurance (PAI) insures you and your passengers for accidental medical costs, emergency care and accidental death during your rental trip. In Canada, drivers in all provinces, except Newfoundland and Labrador, are legally required to have PAI, however the limits are very small (i.e. a few thousand dollars). "Extra PAI" coverage is consequently sold by rental companies, providing up to CAD$1 million. This should be adequate coverage if you or a passenger are injured.

Super CDW / Super LDW

Most rental companies offer a waiver that is variously titled Super CDW, Excess Waiver, Damage Liability Waiver, or something similar. RentalCover.com's "Zero Excess Rental Cover" is a cheap alternative to this waiver and covers all types of accidents and damages.

Here is a checklist of what to expect at the rental desk in Canada and what to say:

With "Extra Cover for Canada", you will not need to purchase any Roadside Assistance Coverage at the rental desk. This policy will also cover you for any "out of pocket" cost resulting from an accident.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. RentalCover.com's "Zero Excess Rental Cover" is a cheap alternative to this waiver and covers all types of accidents and damages. 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.

Find out more about what to do at the rental desk in the USA, Australia/NZ or the UK/Europe.

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.

RentalCover.com's "Zero Excess Rental Cover" is a cheap alternative to Super CDW/Super LDW and covers all types of accidents and damages.

Here is a checklist of what to expect at the rental desk in Europe and the UK and what to say:

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.
SCDW ("Super CDW" or otherwise known as "Excess Waiver", "Damage Liability Waiver", or something similar) reduces the excess on your vehicle from $500-$5000 (depending on the rental company) towards $0.

US Residents with our Collision Damage Coverage do not need CDW nor SCDW. Your plan is zero deductible so you would pay for damages and then be reimbursed by AON. Some rental companies may not rent out their vehicles if you do not purchase their own Collision Damage Waivers. If this is the case, please note that your Collision Damage Coverage will still replace the SCDW.

For non-US Residents our "Zero Excess Rental Cover" provides great coverage at competitive prices. At the time of writing we do not have a CDW equivalent for non-US Residents. Here is a detailed summary of the insurance options in Europe.

Other types of insurance:

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).

US Residents traveling to Latin American countries and Mexico are encouraged to purchase our Collision Damage Coverage plan. This zero deductible plan is primary coverage so you do not need to file a claim against your auto insurance. Instead, for travel outside the US you would pay the repair costs and AON quickly reimburses you (if you travel within the US, AON handles the full claim themselves).

Here's the two main products sold by rental companies in Latin America:

1. CDW: Collision Damage Waivers (also called Loss Damage Waivers if they include Theft Protection) have a deductible/excess. Depending on the country and rental company the deductible can be between US$500 and US$5,000.
2. SCDW: Super Collision Damage Waivers reduce the deductible/excess towards $0. The more you pay, the closer to $0 it gets and there's less exclusions.

For US Residents, the Collision Damage Coverage that we sell is equivalent to both of the above. Some rental companies may not rent out their vehicles if you do not purchase their own Collision Damage Waivers. If this is the case, please note that your Collision Damage Coverage will still replace the SCDW. Our Collision Damage Coverage will still save you US$10-$20 per day vs SCDW.

For non-US Residents, our Zero Excess Rental Cover is equivalent to the second waiver type above. At the time of writing, RentalCover.com does not sell a CDW-equivalent policy for non-US Residents picking up in Latin America. Our Zero Excess Rental Cover is at least 50% cheaper. We recommend that you check your rental confirmation to see if you have CDW included. Most booking agency websites and rental companies include it with the booking, but if it is not included and you are not a US Resident with our Collision Damage Coverage, you should purchase CDW but not SCDW.

You might also be sold Roadside Assistance Coverage and Theft Protection. Theft is not required if you are able to use your Collision Damage Coverage for US Residents.

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). RentalCover.com's Collision Damage Coverage is a cheap alternative to the CDW and SCDW.

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 a cheap alternative to Super CDW/Super LDW and covers all types of accidents and damages.

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

PAI (Personal Accident Insurance) insures you and your passengers for accidental medical costs, emergency care and accidental death during your rental trip. Some companies will sell extra PAI coverage as an optional add-on, and this will provide much better coverage if you or a passenger is injured. Use the Comparison Tool above to compare your rental company to RentalCover.com.

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 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.

There are differences in how the websites of rental companies present CDW/LDW to international drivers vis-à-vis their agents (an "agent" might be an airline, hotel or a price comparison site):

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 is included automatically 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).

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.

Our roadside assistance 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.

What To Do If You Have An Emergency Breakdown

Urgently Freecall Hotline: The phone number is in your email confirmation and via our app (Apple and Android). We pay Urgently costs on your behalf whereas we reimburse roadside costs that you would pay to the rental company.

Emergencies On The Road: What to do depends on the type of damage/accident/breakdown!

Accident/Damage: Call rental company and ask if you can use your preferred towing company (Urgently) rather than theirs. If approved you need to know the delivery point, then call Urgently.
Battery: Call Urgently.
Fuel: Call Urgently.
Headlights, other lights: Call Urgently.
Key loss or keys locked in car: Call Urgently.
Mechanical issue: Call rental company and ask if you can use your preferred towing company. If approved you need to know the dropoff point. Then call Urgently.
Tyres: Call Urgently.
Windscreens: Call rental company and ask if you can use your preferred towing company. If approved you need to know the dropoff point. Then call Urgently.

When you call Urgently:

You will need your RentalCover.com reference number that ends with "INS".
Urgently will send a tow truck.
You will meet the tow truck and if towing is required, go to the delivery point with them.
We pay the Urgently costs on your behalf.

Visit www.rentalcover.com/claim if you end up paying a bill to the rental company for roadside or other costs. We highly recommend downloading our app from the Appstore and Android so that you have the above info handy!

Extra Cover for the USA is a comprehensive policy offered by RentalCover.com for non-US residents. It provides coverage for all type of damages as well as multitude of "out of pocket" costs that you will incur in the event of an accident or breakdown.

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.

Here is a checklist of what to expect at the rental desk in the United States and what to say:

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.

We recommend that non-US residents purchase CDW from the rental company. CDW in the US does not have a deductible.

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.
With "Extra Cover for USA", you will not need to purchase any Roadside Assistance Coverage at the rental desk. This policy will also cover you for any "out of pocket" cost resulting from an accident.
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).

Find out more about what to do at the rental desk in Australia/NZ, Canada or the UK/Europe.

Our Collision Damage Coverage plan is for US Residents and has a $0 deductible. 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.

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".

What to do at the rental desk depends on the country of pickup and your Country of Residence.

Australia, New Zealand
Canada
EU/UK
US residents
US visitors
Latin America and Mexico
Asia

The specific needs for US Residents who have our Collision Damage Coverage are addressed in each of the above.

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 offers cheap alternatives to Super CDW/Super LDW and covers all types of damages caused by an accident.

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" is a cheap alternative to Super CDW/Super LDW/Excess Reduction and covers all types of damages caused by an accident.
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.

RentalCover.com policies reimburse you for any of the above amounts up to the limit shown in your policy.

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.

RentalCover.com offers cheap alternatives to "Super CDW" and "Super LDW" and covers all types of damages caused by an accident.

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

Change dates using the RentalCover.com app

Other modifications and cancellations

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

Steps to modify a policy:

Using the website

Using the app

Steps to cancel a policy:

Using the website

Using the app

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.

Example

Homer Simpson is taking a holiday with his dad Abe to see the sights of France. To save some money, Homer has taken out a policy with RentalCover.com to save paying the excess costs should either of them have a collision.

On their way to the airport Homer tells his dad about his brilliant money saving idea, but Abe begins to worry he won't be insured if he wants to drive the car. Homer explains that they'll be fine as long as both their names are listed on the rental agreement. Abe is so impressed with how Homer has organised the trip that he offers to buy Homer a donut as a reward. Now everybody is happy. Right up until they realize Homer forgot to book the flight.

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:

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

Example

RentalCover.com customer Eddie Vedder took out a policy last week, to provide coverage a hirecar for a trip around China with his friend Dave Grohl. However, Eddie had completely forgotten that he had a world tour kicking off at the same time he had planned the holiday. Eddie has to pull out of the trip, but Dave says he's still keen to visit China on his own.

Being a good friend, Eddie decides to change the name on his RentalCover.com policy to 'Dave Grohl', so his friend can still use the coverage Eddie has paid for while traveling round China. That way Eddie's money doesn't go to waste, and Dave saves the cost of having to buy a separate policy, which means more money for Dave to spend on souvenirs for Eddie.

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.

Example

A RentalCover.com customer Jimmy Page has booked a car for a trip around Milan where he wants to buy some leather jackets, the likes of which pleased his fans back in the late '60s. When he arrives at the rental desk, Jimmy is told that the rental company will deduct a bond prior to departure. He knows that last time his bond was several hundred thousand liras but that was for a rented 1975 Lamborghini. This time the bond was only 200 euros.

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

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

Do I need a policy for each rental or country I visit?

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.

An Example of How Our Coverage Works Across Countries

Let's consider the case of a customer, Jon Bon Jovi. He's a big fan of RentalCover.com and he has 3 car rentals with these details:

Car 1: Italy Jan 1st to Jan 10th
Car 2: France Jan 14th to Switzerland Jan 20th
Car 3: Austria to Germany Jan 24th to Jan 31st

He remembers that the band really likes Barolo wines from Northern Italy so they might wish to stay an extra night in Italy. His band will be busy drinking and he doesn't want to have to extend his policy if he stays an extra day in Italy. He just wants to be insured for all of January with no hassles. Jon checked RentalCover.com and it is actually cheaper to just get one policy than 3 separate policies, which is a bonus.

Jon can just purchase a policy for Italy that starts on Jan 1 and ends on Jan 31. He is free to travel to any other countries and he doesn't need to modify his policy if he changes his tour dates during that period.

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 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 with your rental company to determine if the coverage is adequate.

RentalCover.com policies don't cover Personal Accident Insurance (PAI).

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:

Claim	Standard Coverage
Accidental Driver Death	$100,000 to $200,000
Accidental Passenger Death	$10,000 to $30,000
Medical Coverage for Injuries	$2,500 - $5,000
Ambulance Coverage	$250 - $500

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.

Example Claim

RentalCover.com customer Keith Richards is holidaying in California to get some much needed time in the sun. When Keith turns up to collect his car from the rental desk, the staff explain to him that rental companies aren't required to insure third party damage in their state, and that they instead offer an optional product called SLI to insure customers.

Given his tendency to get a bit wild while on holidays, Keith decides it would be in his best interests to be insured for any and all potential situations, and opts in for the SLI. This decision pays off just minutes later when Keith accidentally backs his new rental car into the rental desk owner's BMW.

After a lengthy process Keith is able to claim back the full cost of the damages to the BMW through his SLI, and he gets to continue on his merry way.

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.

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

Am I insured if I am not at fault?

Generally no. In most cases you will only be able to claim third party damage or injuries if you were the driver at fault. The only exception to this would be if you were deemed by a court to be responsible for a third party accident even if it is not caused by you directly, though this will vary depending on your policy terms.

An Example of When You Are Not At Fault

RentalCover.com customer Eric Clapton is visiting friends in California, and is hiring a car to get around. While Eric is turning a corner, a taxi driver in a hurry to get a fair pulls an illegal u-turn and drives into the side of Eric's vehicle. Even though the other driver's vehicle is written off, Eric's SLI does not need to insure the taxi driver's car as Eric is not a fault.

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.

What happens if there's an accident?

You pay the rental company and we reimburse you the repair cost.

What if the excess charged by the rental company exceeds the repair cost?

If its a single vehicle accident the difference will be repaid within a week. Once that refund takes place we are ready to pay you the outstanding amount. This is why our target for claims payments is 7 business days.

If its a multiple vehicle accident it's a different story. Keep reading...

What's the process if there's more than one vehicle in the accident?

The rental company will deduct your full excess until the insurers close the case.

So summarise what that all means!

The rental company will deduct the full excess amount if there's significant damage to the vehicle. Timing for your refund will differ based on:

1. If the accident involves your vehicle only, you will get a refund soon after the repairs are done.
2. If the accident involves two or more vehicles, the rental company will keep your full excess until the insurers close the case. Your rental company will refund you either:
a) The excess charges less repair costs, or
b) the full excess if your rental company refunds drivers who are not at fault.

For any other questions, please don't hesitate to call us!

Are 4x4s Insured?

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).

Example: When a 4x4 Isn't Insured

RentalCover.com customer Mick Jagger is taking some time out of his busy 9 to 5 job to explore the wilderness of Brazil. While exploring Mick takes his hired 4x4 vehicle across a river trail to avoid driving an extra mile to the next bridge. Unfortunately for Mick the water level is much higher than he'd thought, and his car gets stuck halfway.

Most rental companies will deem Mick's accident a breach of their terms, and therefore for once in his life something isn't going to go Mick Jaggers way. Unfortunately, he will have to pay the full cost of recovering the vehicle plus the cost of any damages to the car. Similarly Mick won't be able to claim any of his costs from RentalCover.com because he breached the rental agreement terms.

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).

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