You are currently viewing Best Credit Cards for Car Rental Insurance in 2025: Travel Smarter – LendingTree

Best Credit Cards for Car Rental Insurance in 2025: Travel Smarter – LendingTree

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The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is the best credit card for rental car insurance since it offers robust primary coverage (up to $75,000) for theft and collision damage. To use this coverage on eligible rentals, you’ll need to pay with your credit card, your rewards points or a combination of the two.
Rental car insurance costs can really add up — and in some cases, those daily charges can be as much as the rental car itself. The best credit cards for car rental insurance provide this coverage on a complimentary basis, along with additional perks like travel benefits and rewards.
Remember: To qualify for rental insurance, most card issuers will require you to pay with your credit card (or rewards points, in some cases) and decline the insurance provided by the rental car company.

We take a comprehensive, data-driven approach to identify the best car rental credit cards. We use an objective rating and ranking system that evaluates over 200 credit cards from more than 50 issuers. All recommendations are made by LendingTree’s editorial team, completely independent of affiliate partnerships or compensation. Every card is selected based on its merit and ability to help people achieve their financial goals.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Welcome offer: 125,000 points
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is our choice for the best credit card for car rental insurance, as it provides primary rental car coverage for theft or collision worth up to $75,000. It also offers generous rewards for travel purchases through Chase and comes with a broad selection of additional travel insurance benefits. There is a $795 annual fee for this card, but the $300 annual travel credit, airport lounge membership and other perks help cancel that out.

How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Welcome offer: 75,000 points
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers primary insurance coverage, though for a much lower annual fee than the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. This covers you up to the actual cash value of the car (for most rented vehicles) for theft and collision damage. Plus, it applies to rental periods of up to 31 days in most countries. Cardholders also get access to a broad range of additional travel protections, and they can earn flexible points in the Chase Ultimate Rewards® program.

How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Welcome offer: As high as 175,000 points
The Platinum Card® from American Express is a great card to have if you crave elite status with multiple rental car companies. Once enrolled, cardmembers automatically receive elite status with Avis, Hertz and National Car Rental. Status in these programs comes with many benefits that make renting a car much easier, including discounts, upgrades and the ability to skip the counter. Cardholders also get secondary auto rental coverage as an included benefit, and they have the option to purchase premium car rental protection from American Express.

How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Welcome offer: 75,000 miles
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a premium travel credit card that offers rental car coverage and earns an exceptional rewards rate on rental cars when booked through Capital One Travel. Plus, cardholders receive an annual $300 travel credit, which can be used to book future travel (including rental cars) through Capital One Travel.

How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Welcome offer: $200 cash bonus
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ is an exceptional cash back credit card that also offers auto rental coverage. This card offers secondary coverage in the U.S. if you have your own auto insurance; if you don’t have auto insurance, you’ll receive primary coverage in the U.S. (primary coverage for eligible rentals is available abroad).
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ also comes with a surprising number of additional travel insurance benefits and consumer protections for a cash back credit card — including trip cancellation and interruption insurance, travel and emergency assistance services, cellphone protection, purchase protection and extended warranties.

How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Welcome offer: $200 cash back
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is one of the best cash back cards for rental car insurance because it earns 5% cash back on rental cars and other travel purchases through Chase TravelSM. Plus, it can be used as your primary insurance for rentals if you don’t have auto insurance coverage of your own. There’s also a $0 annual fee, so all of the cash back you earn is yours.

How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Welcome offer: 60,000 miles
The New United℠ Explorer Card offers great car rental protection and valuable miles and airline perks. Cardholders get primary rental car protection both in the U.S. and abroad for rental periods of up to 31 days. This coverage is also good for up to the cash value of eligible rental vehicles.
You’ll also get great airline-specific benefits, including elevated miles on United purchases and free checked luggage on United flights.

How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Rewards: 1X – 5X points
The Bilt World Elite Mastercard® is a popular no-annual-fee card (see Rates & Fees) for people who want to earn rewards on their monthly rent payments (up to 100,000 points per calendar year), but it is also a good option if you want a credit card with rental car insurance.
Bilt Points are flexible and can be used with airline and hotel partners, booking trips, toward your rent or for purchases with its partners. Note that you do have to use your card five times in each statement period to earn points. However, with a $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees (see Rates & Fees), this could easily become a primary card in your wallet.

How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Welcome offer: 90,000 points
For businesses with a lot of travel expenses — including car rentals — the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card may be your go-to card. This card offers primary rental insurance in most countries for vehicles rented for business purposes, as well as generous rewards on car rentals and other travel bookings. Moreover, there’s no extra fee for issuing employee cards, so you and your employees can use all its car rental benefits cost-effectively.

How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Welcome offer: 900 dollars
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is a good choice for small business owners who want primary rental car protection and cash back rewards from a no-annual-fee business credit card. Plus, there’s no additional cost for employee cards, and all employees who rent cars with the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card also receive primary coverage on their rental cars used for business.
Just keep in mind that primary rental car protection is only available when renting a car for business purposes.

If you’re already paying for your car rental with a credit card, why not use a card that also offers car rental coverage? The best credit cards for car rental insurance offer rental car insurance as an included benefit. As long as you meet the issuer’s conditions, you’ll be able to use this rental car coverage instead of buying it through the rental agency.
Here are some key benefits of renting a car with your credit card:
Many credit cards include a Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) or Loss Damage Waiver (LDW). Essentially, these coverages are auto rental insurance policies that cover theft, damage and loss of use of a car rented with your credit card.
There are many benefits to these waivers. They may be able to:

That said, the exact details of credit card auto rental coverage can vary widely by card. For example, some credit card policies are primary, whereas others are secondary to your own insurance. Coverage can also apply only to rental periods of up to a certain number of days, or in certain countries and not others.

Some credit cards, like The Platinum Card® from American Express, partner with car rental agencies to give you discounts and other special benefits when you rent a car with your credit card. For example, The Platinum Card® from American Express comes with automatic Avis Preferred®, Hertz Gold Plus Rewards® and National Car Rental® Emerald Club elite status, although you’ll need to enroll to get these benefits.
If you rent a car with a rewards credit card, you can earn points, miles or cash back on your rental. In some cases, you can also use your points to pay for your rental car reservation. The best credit cards for car rentals tend to offer better reward rates for rental periods and other travel purchases. An excellent example of this is the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, which offers 10X miles on car rentals and hotels booked through Capital One Travel.
→ Read more about the best travel credit cards
Using a credit card, rather than a debit card, when you rent a car tends to be easier. Common complaints among consumers using debit cards for car rentals include:

Aside from a rental car company not accepting debit cards, the higher deposit can be an issue if you don’t have a large amount of cash in your account. The rental company places a hold on your money when you use a debit card, whereas with a credit card, the hold is on your available credit.
When you rent a car from a rental agency, they’ll try to sell you their own rental car coverage that typically comes in the form of a Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) or a Loss Damage Waiver (LDW). These coverage types guarantee that the rental car agency or its partners will cover damages to the rental car up to policy limits. Damages can be caused by an accident, vandalism and other issues that occur.
Credit cards can also offer Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) coverage, and you can use this protection in place of the car rental insurance you can purchase from a rental agency.

When you use credit card rental coverage, it means that you’ll work with a credit card benefits administrator if you need to file a claim. Other specifics will apply when you use your coverage including the paperwork the benefits administrator requires and how long you have to file a claim after a loss occurs.

All credit card benefits administrators also have their own specific claim forms to fill out and their own processes, so make sure to read over your card’s guide to benefits so you understand how the policy works before you rent a car.
→ Learn more about credit card rental car insurance and how it works.
Before renting a car with a credit card, you should take a close look at whether your card offers primary or secondary car rental insurance. By and large, this is one of the most important details of credit card auto rental coverage because:
Primary auto rental coverage means you can use it in place of your own insurance. This means that, if you’re in an accident or experience a loss, you aren’t required to notify your personal auto insurance company. Secondary auto rental coverage kicks in after you exhaust coverage limits offered through your own insurance. This means you’ll need to file a claim with your own auto insurance coverage first.
Some great credit cards with auto rental coverage don’t offer primary insurance for free, or only offer primary coverage if you don’t have car insurance. Even if the card offers primary coverage, you’ll want to read over the fine print to make sure your situation is covered. For example, some issuers may only offer secondary coverage if you’re using a business card to rent a car for personal reasons.
Many American Express cards, including The Platinum Card® from American Express1 and the American Express® Gold Card2, come with secondary car rental insurance. But if you want primary car rental insurance, you’ll have to pay a fee for Premium Car Rental Protection through American Express.
For some, the benefits of extra protection outweigh the nominal cost. Cardholders pay a maximum fee of $24.95 for the entire rental period and, in most cases, get a much better deal than the policies pitched to you at a car rental counter. Plus, it offers a 42-day rental period, may cover vehicles that other policies won’t cover and provides up to $100,000 for damage or theft of a qualifying rental vehicle.

The best way to find out if your credit card covers rental car insurance is to read the card’s benefits guide. You should be able to find this online when you log in to your credit card account. If in doubt, call the phone number on the back of your card.

Many Chase credit cards offer primary car rental insurance, including the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, Chase Freedom Flex℠, Chase Freedom Unlimited® and The New United℠ Explorer Card. The Bilt World Elite Mastercard® also offers primary car rental insurance.
You can purchase additional coverage for The Platinum Card® from American Express1 for a modest fee.

Yes, you can rent a car with a secured credit card. Do note that car rental companies place a hold on your credit card for the amount of your rental plus an additional amount to cover any potential issues. As such, you may need to increase your security deposit to cover those amounts.

In most cases, your personal auto insurance policy will cover rental cars. However, you should read over the policy details and limits on your own personal coverage to make sure it’s sufficient for your own vehicle as well as cars you rent.

Many rewards credit cards let you pay for a rental car entirely with rewards points or miles, although you may need to meet certain conditions, like prepaying.

You may be able to rent a car with airline miles, but it all depends on the program. For example, you can redeem American AAdvantage miles for car rentals, hotels and other travel.

Some rewards credit cards offer car rental coverage that applies when you pay with rewards points. Make sure to read over your card’s guide to benefits to confirm whether this option is available before you pay for your rental.
1. Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $75,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
2. Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $50,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
3. Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at that status level through the duration of the offer. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.
To see rates & fees for American Express cards mentioned on this page, visit the links provided below:
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
The information related to the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Chase Freedom Flex℠, The New United℠ Explorer Card, Bilt World Elite Mastercard® and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has been independently collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.
The content above is not provided by any issuer. Any opinions expressed are those of LendingTree alone and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any issuer. The offers and/or promotions mentioned above may have changed, expired, or are no longer available. Check the issuer’s website for more details.

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