Writer: Eric Bank
Eric Bank, Finance Expert
Eric Bank is an M.B.A. who has covered financial and business topics since 1985, appearing regularly on Credible, eHow, WiseBread, The Nest, Zacks, Chron, BadCredit.org and dozens of other outlets. Eric specializes in taking complex subject matters and explaining them in simple terms for consumer audiences, particularly in the world of personal finance. Eric holds a Master’s in Business Administration from New York University and a Master’s in Finance from DePaul University.
Editor: Lillian Guevara-Castro
Lillian Guevara-Castro, Senior Editor
Lillian Guevara-Castro brings more than 30 years of editing and journalism experience to the CardRates team. She has worked at The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, Gwinnett Daily News, Gainesville Sun, and The New York Times, where she covered demographics, consumer issues, and the business and financial sectors. Lillian has a degree in journalism and communications from Georgia State University and brings her fact-checking expertise to ensure Digital Brands content is accurate and engaging.
Reviewer: Ashley Fricker
Ashley Fricker, Senior Editor
Ashley Fricker has more than a decade of experience as a finance contributor and editor, and has specialized in the credit card industry since 2015. Her credit card commentary is featured on national media outlets that include CNBC, MarketWatch, Investopedia, and Reader’s Digest, among many others. She has worked closely with the world’s largest banks and financial institutions, up-and-coming fintech companies, and press and news outlets to curate comprehensive content and media. Ashley holds a bachelor’s degree in multimedia journalism from Florida Atlantic University.
Disclosure: When you apply through links on our site, we may earn a referral fee from our partners. For more, see our ad disclosure and review policy.
Follow Us:
We are always pleasantly surprised when we write an article about the best credit cards for free car rentals. It seems that many cardholders are familiar with free car rental insurance but not the discounts or free rentals available from some top credit cards.
When you have a card that delivers both, the cost of renting a vehicle becomes much more affordable. I’ve always thought that driving a nice rental was a treat. Driving it for substantially less is, well, priceless.
Rankings | FAQs
These are eight nifty credit cards that offer the best combination of free or discounted rentals and free collision damage waiver (CDW) insurance. If you frequently rent a car for personal or business reasons, these cards can save you a bundle.
The key to receiving the maximum value of this benefit is to follow the rules for booking the car with your credit card (not a debit card or gift card) and specifying your insurance needs.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
- 10% anniversary points boost – each account anniversary you’ll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
19.99% – 28.24% Variable
|
$95
|
Good/Excellent
|
Additional Disclosure: Non-Monetized. The information related to Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card was collected by CardRates and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardRates does not receive commission for this product.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is our top card for car rental benefits. You get free discounts, upgrades, and special offers when you book a rental at least 24-hours in advance from Avis, National, and Silvercar and pay for the rental with this Visa card. If you enroll in National’s Emerald Club, you’ll get a free Executive-level membership that provides special discounts and faster checkout.
Our experts rate credit card offers based on factors like rewards, APRs, signup bonuses, fees, and approval rates, with a focus on benefits that provide the best value. We also consider cardholder needs such as credit-building potential, issuer reputation, and customer service. Our ratings are unbiased, updated regularly, and not influenced by issuers.
Our experts rate credit card offers based on factors like rewards, APRs, signup bonuses, fees, and approval rates, with a focus on benefits that provide the best value. We also consider cardholder needs such as credit-building potential, issuer reputation, and customer service. Our ratings are unbiased, updated regularly, and not influenced by issuers.
Additional Disclosure: Non-Monetized. The information related to Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card was collected by CardRates and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardRates does not receive commission for this product.
Alternatively, you can book a rental at the Chase Travel site and apply your ultimate rewards points to pay for the rental at a rate of $1.25 per point. The site’s Travel Benefits page lets you book rentals online and receive upgrades, discounts, and other promotions. Primary CDW (covering the vehicle’s actual cash value) is free when you decline it from the rental company and use points to pay.
- Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won’t expire for the life of the account and there’s no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
19.99% – 29.24% (Variable)
|
$95
|
Excellent, Good
|
Our experts rate credit card offers based on factors like rewards, APRs, signup bonuses, fees, and approval rates, with a focus on benefits that provide the best value. We also consider cardholder needs such as credit-building potential, issuer reputation, and customer service. Our ratings are unbiased, updated regularly, and not influenced by issuers.
Our experts rate credit card offers based on factors like rewards, APRs, signup bonuses, fees, and approval rates, with a focus on benefits that provide the best value. We also consider cardholder needs such as credit-building potential, issuer reputation, and customer service. Our ratings are unbiased, updated regularly, and not influenced by issuers.
You can use your reward miles from the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card to pay for travel purchases, including car rentals. To book a new car reservation, go online to the Capital One Rewards Center and redeem your miles. Simply multiply the cost of the car rental by 100 to get the number of miles you’ll need.
For example, if your rental will cost $200, you’ll need 20,000 miles to pay for it. You can use miles to pay for taxes and fees also. When you rent an eligible vehicle with the Venture card, you will receive secondary CDW car rental coverage for theft or collision.
Our experts rate credit card offers based on factors like rewards, APRs, signup bonuses, fees, and approval rates, with a focus on benefits that provide the best value. We also consider cardholder needs such as credit-building potential, issuer reputation, and customer service. Our ratings are unbiased, updated regularly, and not influenced by issuers.
Our experts rate credit card offers based on factors like rewards, APRs, signup bonuses, fees, and approval rates, with a focus on benefits that provide the best value. We also consider cardholder needs such as credit-building potential, issuer reputation, and customer service. Our ratings are unbiased, updated regularly, and not influenced by issuers.
Additional Disclosure: Non-Monetized. The information related to Chase Sapphire Reserve® was collected by CardRates and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardRates does not receive commission for this product.
Car rental rewards from Chase Sapphire Reserve® mirror those from the less-expensive Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, except that the Ultimate Rewards points you use when booking via the Chase site are worth $1.50 each. The card also provides free CDW when you decline it at the rental counter, good for up to $75,000 car rental coverage per rental.
You get one set of benefits when you use the card to directly book from Avis, National, or Silvercar, or another set if you book through Chase. The only way to find out which will provide you the best deal is to compare quotes from both options. The card also offers travel insurance for flights and baggage.
Our experts rate credit card offers based on factors like rewards, APRs, signup bonuses, fees, and approval rates, with a focus on benefits that provide the best value. We also consider cardholder needs such as credit-building potential, issuer reputation, and customer service. Our ratings are unbiased, updated regularly, and not influenced by issuers.
Our experts rate credit card offers based on factors like rewards, APRs, signup bonuses, fees, and approval rates, with a focus on benefits that provide the best value. We also consider cardholder needs such as credit-building potential, issuer reputation, and customer service. Our ratings are unbiased, updated regularly, and not influenced by issuers.
The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card shares similar car-related benefits with the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. The main difference between the two cards is the reward structure each uses. You can apply your miles to pay for all your travel purchases, including a car rental.
You earn bonus miles when you use VentureOne to rent a car via Capital One Travel. The card provides secondary CDW insurance against theft or collision when you use it to rent an eligible vehicle.
at the issuer’ssecure website
Our experts rate credit card offers based on factors like rewards, APRs, signup bonuses, fees, and approval rates, with a focus on benefits that provide the best value. We also consider cardholder needs such as credit-building potential, issuer reputation, and customer service. Our ratings are unbiased, updated regularly, and not influenced by issuers.
Our experts rate credit card offers based on factors like rewards, APRs, signup bonuses, fees, and approval rates, with a focus on benefits that provide the best value. We also consider cardholder needs such as credit-building potential, issuer reputation, and customer service. Our ratings are unbiased, updated regularly, and not influenced by issuers.
The Platinum Card®, an American Express card, lets you enroll for free in the Avis, Hertz, and National elite membership clubs, giving you access to discounts and special deals on car rentals made with advance via American Express Travel.
You can use the Pay with Points programs to pay for a car rental at Amex Travel using your Platinum Card points. Each point is worth between $0.007 and $0.0085 when used this way. You get free CDW secondary insurance when you pay for your entire rental with The Platinum Card® and decline CDW when signing the car rental agreement.
at Bank Of America’ssecure website
Our experts rate credit card offers based on factors like rewards, APRs, signup bonuses, fees, and approval rates, with a focus on benefits that provide the best value. We also consider cardholder needs such as credit-building potential, issuer reputation, and customer service. Our ratings are unbiased, updated regularly, and not influenced by issuers.
Our experts rate credit card offers based on factors like rewards, APRs, signup bonuses, fees, and approval rates, with a focus on benefits that provide the best value. We also consider cardholder needs such as credit-building potential, issuer reputation, and customer service. Our ratings are unbiased, updated regularly, and not influenced by issuers.
Additional Disclosure: Bank of America is a CardRates advertiser.
You earn bonus points when you book a car rental via the Bank of America Travel Center with the Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card. You can redeem points for a statement travel credit to pay for previous car rentals (up to 12 months back) as well as the cost of parking lot or garage fees, tolls, and bridge fees. Each redeemed point for car rentals is worth one cent.
As a Visa Signature card, this travel card covers theft, damage towing, and loss of use charges for any rental car paid for with the Bank of America Travel Rewards card. You must decline the car rental company’s insurance at the counter to get the Visa Signature card’s free coverage. This secondary coverage is good for up to 15 consecutive days from the start of the rental. The card also provides other types of travel insurance.
Our experts rate credit card offers based on factors like rewards, APRs, signup bonuses, fees, and approval rates, with a focus on benefits that provide the best value. We also consider cardholder needs such as credit-building potential, issuer reputation, and customer service. Our ratings are unbiased, updated regularly, and not influenced by issuers.
Our experts rate credit card offers based on factors like rewards, APRs, signup bonuses, fees, and approval rates, with a focus on benefits that provide the best value. We also consider cardholder needs such as credit-building potential, issuer reputation, and customer service. Our ratings are unbiased, updated regularly, and not influenced by issuers.
Additional Disclosure: Non-Monetized. The information related to Chase Freedom Flex℠ was collected by CardRates and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardRates does not receive commission for this product.
Chase Freedom Flex℠ rewards you with bonus points on car rentals you book through the Chase Ultimate Rewards website. You can redeem Freedom points to pay for car rentals you book at the rewards site. If you are short of points, you can make up the difference with cash.
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ makes it easy to rack up Chase Ultimate Rewards by offering rotating bonus categories and high cash back rates on common spending categories. Use this card wisely, and more than just your car rental will be covered.
Our experts rate credit card offers based on factors like rewards, APRs, signup bonuses, fees, and approval rates, with a focus on benefits that provide the best value. We also consider cardholder needs such as credit-building potential, issuer reputation, and customer service. Our ratings are unbiased, updated regularly, and not influenced by issuers.
Our experts rate credit card offers based on factors like rewards, APRs, signup bonuses, fees, and approval rates, with a focus on benefits that provide the best value. We also consider cardholder needs such as credit-building potential, issuer reputation, and customer service. Our ratings are unbiased, updated regularly, and not influenced by issuers.
Additional Disclosure: Non-Monetized. The information related to Chase Freedom Unlimited® was collected by CardRates and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardRates does not receive commission for this product.
The rental car benefits offered by Chase Freedom Unlimited® match those of its fraternal twin, Chase Freedom Flex℠. You use the Chase Travel website to book an eligible car rental and pay for it with the card or with points you’ve already earned. You’ll earn bonus points if you pay for the rental with the card.
You also get free CDW coverage on rentals when you decline the insurance offered by the rental agency. This secondary insurance runs up to 31 days and is available in any country. In the U.S., you must first file any claims through your auto insurance policy and then through your credit card insurance. The reverse applies to rentals abroad.
The road to free car rentals is paved with credit card rewards. Whether in the form of miles, points, or cash back, you can use your rewards to pay for a car rental either in advance or after the fact. Depending on the card, you may earn enough rewards to pay for a rental with a signup bonus alone.
The savings don’t end there. Some cards enhance the value of rewards when you use them for travel-related expenses, including car rentals. That makes it easier to save up rewards for a new rental later on.
You can earn free car rentals by redeeming credit card rewards earned on certain cards.
Your card may also have deals with specific rental companies that give you access to special discounts and free upgrades. You may have to book your rental through the credit card’s travel agency, but some cards also provide discounts on cars booked directly through the rental car company.
For example, The Platinum Card®, which is an American Express card, gives you free elite-level memberships with Hertz, Avis, and National, which are all large car rental agencies available at most airports. Membership provides you with special deals and higher service levels, such as the ability to go directly to your car without having to first check in at the rental counter. You may be able to rent a full-size car at a mid-size price or receive a discount on any vehicle available.
Free CDW can save you as much as $20 or $30 per day, depending on the rental company and the vehicle model. Just remember to decline CDW, sometimes called Loss Damage Waiver, when renting the car. Also, be aware of any limitations on CDW coverage.
The dynamic duo of Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve® are the only cards in this review that offer primary car rental CDW coverage. This reduces the likelihood that you’ll have to file a potentially premium-raising claim with your private insurer. That puts the Chase siblings at or near the top of our list for renting a car.
The Chase cards differ from each other in three important ways that affect the overall economics of renting a car:
The remaining seven cards provide secondary CDW insurance. Of these, we rate Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card highest.
If your credit card offers free CDW insurance, you should NOT buy CDW insurance when renting a car. Doing so will disqualify your card’s CDW coverage, and you’ll be on the hook for the car rental agency premiums.
The situation is different when it comes to liability coverage, which most credit cards don’t provide. Liability insurance, not CDW, covers damage suffered by others.
If you have a large umbrella liability policy (i.e., $1 million and up), you’re probably fine declining the coverage offered by the rental company. However, if your current personal auto insurance policy offers minimal coverage, you may do well to take the liability policy offered by the car rental company.
You can likely decline rental car coverage if you have a large umbrella policy.
If you own separate homeowner or tenant insurance, you may have additional liability protection that you can apply to your car rental. Whenever you use liability insurance from a source other than the car rental company, you most likely will have to pay out any claims first and then await reimbursement.
Liability insurance from the rental agency typically costs $15 to $20 per day. Be aware that your own policy may be limited to domestic rentals only.
Most credit card CDW insurance is secondary, meaning that the card will cover only the costs that your primary car rental insurance doesn’t. In practice, this means you must first file a claim with your personal auto insurance company — often a slow process.
The Sapphire cards reviewed above offer CDW as a primary benefit that will pay for damage and theft without the need for you to first shell out the money and wait to be reimbursed. Simply call the number on the back of the card to file a claim.
With primary coverage, you don’t file a claim with your personal insurance policy. That’s a good thing because you won’t have to worry about subsequent rate increases or a higher deductible. In addition, primary rental car insurance is usually generous and will cover all your related costs, whereas secondary insurance frequently has lower limits and lower rental duration.
The Platinum Card® from American Express offers optional premium car rental CDW protection, in which you pay a flat fee (around $20 to $25) for up to 42 consecutive days of deductible-free coverage rather than a daily fee like a rental agency charges. This policy doesn’t include liability, disability, or uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.
A few of the credit cards reviewed here offer car rental discounts. The discounts may be offered by the card company when you book the rental at the card’s marketplace site, or by the rental company when it accepts your card.
The following credit cards facilitate rental discounts via free elite-status memberships to car rental programs:
In addition, Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers special discounts when you book the rental via Chase’s website.
Travel rewards cards usually require a good credit score, equal to 670 or higher. But we’ve seen many forum comments indicating that scores as low as 600 are sometimes accepted, depending on the applicant and the credit card company.
When you complete the application process, it will require a hard inquiry, but you can increase your approval chances by recruiting a cosigner with a good credit score. Both you and the cosigner are equally liable for paying the monthly bill.
You can also ask to be an authorized user of someone else’s credit card. You’ll have the right to use the credit card, but only the owner is held liable for payments.
If you simply need to increase your credit score, make sure you make all your payments on time and reduce your outstanding debt. Your debt-to-income ratio should not exceed 36% and your credit utilization ratio should be well below 30%.
If you have bad credit or no credit at all, you may have to start with a secured credit card. These are cards with credit limits backed by your cash deposit held in a special account by the card issuer. Secured cards are easy to get since the cash collateral protects the credit card company against loss.
Eventually, you can be upgraded to an unsecured card if you pay your bills on time. Many issuers will automatically review your credit card usage after five or six months and offer you an unsecured card to replace your secured card. If you agree, your deposit will be refunded.
Another way to establish credit is through a credit-builder account. You can open one at a bank, credit union, or online provider. It works like this:
This way, you get a chance to boost your credit score as each credit bureau records your on-time payments. This will help you qualify for an unsecured credit card, maybe even one of the travel cards featured in this review.
Finally, consider fixing your credit score by removing inaccurate derogatory information from your credit reports. You can do this yourself or hire a credit repair company to do the hard work for you. In either case, clearing mistakes from your credit reports can give your score a quick boost.
Let’s clarify that “enough” rental car coverage doesn’t necessarily equal total auto rental coverage. First, we need to explain the different scenarios that CDW insurance may address:
The provisions of the CDW insurance that comes with your credit card should be fully disclosed by the card issuer. Specifically, it should address which cost components are included or excluded from insurance coverage.
The last two items on the cost list are seldom covered by credit card CDW insurance. You may have to comb through a lot of fine print to learn which costs are covered. In the worst-case scenario, you may even consider speaking to a customer representative to track down the information.
The Sapphire cards offer primary rental car insurance, which means they usually cover all costs related to theft or physical damage. The other seven reviewed cards provide secondary CDW, meaning that they kick in only after your auto insurance. The insurance coverage may be limited in a number of ways, including:
Credit card rental insurance does not provide liability, disability, or uninsured/underinsured motorist auto rental coverage. Your own auto insurance policy probably does provide at least some of this insurance coverage, but if it doesn’t, you can buy additional insurance when you sign your rental agreement at the counter.
Our rankings are the result of a structured process that evaluates the nature, scope, and value of the insurance, the rewards offered by the card, the card’s annual fee, and any limits imposed on the rental car coverage. Our top pick, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, offers primary insurance included in the price of a moderate annual fee, as well as points worth 25% more when redeemed for free car rentals.
We recommend that you visit the websites of cards you find interesting (just click on the SEE DETAILS button to be directly transferred) and take the time to read each card’s terms and details before applying.
CardRates.com is a free online resource that offers valuable content and comparison services to users. To keep this resource 100% free, we receive compensation for referrals for many of the offers listed on the site. Along with key review factors, this compensation may impact how and where products appear across CardRates.com (including, for example, the order in which they appear). CardRates.com does not include the entire universe of available offers. Editorial opinions expressed on the site are strictly our own and are not provided, endorsed, or approved by advertisers.
Editorial Note: Our site content is not provided or commissioned by any credit card issuer(s). Opinions expressed on CardRates.com are the author’s alone, not those of any credit card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by credit card issuers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information; however, all credit card offer details, including information about rewards, signup bonuses, introductory offers, and other terms and conditions, is presented without warranty. Clicking on any offer on CardRates.com will direct you to the issuer’s website, where you can review the current terms and conditions of the offer.
Eric Bank is an M.B.A. who has covered financial and business topics since 1985. He has contributed regularly to Credible, eHow, WiseBread, The Nest, Zacks, Chron, BadCredit.org, and dozens of other outlets. Eric specializes in taking complex subject matters and explaining them in simple terms for consumer audiences. Eric holds a Master’s in Business Administration from New York University and a Master’s in Finance from DePaul University.
Related Topics:
CardRates serves millions with credit card advice, rates, and reviews from 50+ leading experts.
Browse our latest advice and tips from our nationally-recognized credit card experts.
9/9/25
John Ulzheimer, Credit Expert
9/8/25
Marcie Geffner, Banking Expert
6/10/25
Erica Sandberg, Finance Expert
View our latest indepth guides on a variety of credit card and personal finance topics.
4/9/25
4/8/25
3/17/25
3/13/25
12/31/24
Learn more about any credit card topic from our 1000s of expert guides.
Our mission: to inform and educate our visitors about the world of credit cards, encouraging better credit decisions and a brighter financial future for all.
Our advice follows strict editorial guidelines and is updated regularly for accuracy.
Meet our team of 50+ finance experts.
Editorial Note: Our site content is not provided or commissioned by any credit card issuer(s). Opinions expressed on CardRates.com are the author’s alone, not those of any credit card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by credit card issuers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information; however, all credit card offer details, including information about rewards, signup bonuses, introductory offers, and other terms and conditions, is presented without warranty. Clicking on any offer on CardRates.com will direct you to the issuer’s website, where you can review the current terms and conditions of the offer.
Advertiser Disclosure: CardRates.com is a free online resource that offers valuable content and comparison services to users. To keep this resource 100% free, we receive compensation for referrals for many of the offers listed on the site. Along with key review factors, this compensation may impact how and where products appear across CardRates.com (including, for example, the order in which they appear). CardRates.com does not include the entire universe of available offers. Editorial opinions expressed on the site are strictly our own and are not provided, endorsed, or approved by advertisers.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
