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The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is one of the top credit cards on the market (and one of our personal favorites). This credit card exploded out of the gate a few years ago with a huge welcome offer and has continued to be a powerhouse among travel rewards cards ever since.
The perks that come with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card are a dream for any frequent traveler — an annual $300 travel credit, a Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck credit, Priority Pass Select membership for lounge access, travel insurance, and 50% more value from your points when booking travel through the Chase Travel portal.
With so many great benefits, it can get a bit overwhelming to decipher. So, we’ll break it down for you and focus on 1 benefit at a time.
This post will show you everything you need to know about the car rental insurance and benefits that come with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. We’ll review primary versus secondary coverage, what the insurance includes, who is covered, and how to submit a claim.
Before we get to the nitty-gritty of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card car rental insurance benefits, let’s take a quick look at the main benefits this card offers.
This premium credit card comes with premium perks — but also a hefty price tag. The Chase Sapphire Reserve card has an annual fee of $550. While this is a lot of money, the benefits that come with it can more than offset the price tag. That’s one of the reasons it remains a very popular card among travel enthusiasts.
A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns 3x points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.
If you’re looking for an all-around excellent travel rewards card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is one of the best options out there.
The card combines elite travel benefits and perks like airport lounge access, with excellent point earning and redemption options. Plus it offers top-notch travel insurance protections to keep you covered whether you’re at home or on the road.
Don’t forget the $300 annual travel credit which really helps to reduce the annual fee!
Chase Ultimate Rewards
Hot Tip: For more information and a full explanation of all of the benefits offered by this card, see our article on the valuable benefits of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.
If the price tag is still too steep for you despite all of these great benefits, consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. This card also earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points and has similar benefits, but the annual fee is only $95.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve card comes with an Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, often referred to as CDW. That’s basically just a fancy term for car rental insurance. It covers damage or theft of most rental vehicles worldwide.
The auto rental collision damage waiver (CDW) provided by the Chase Sapphire Reserve card applies to more than just the primary cardholder. You’re also covered if you’re an authorized user and listed as the primary renter.
To be eligible for the insurance that comes with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you must do 2 things:
Hot Tip: When you pay for your entire rental car cost on your Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you’ll be eligible for primary car rental insurance and earn 3x to 10x Ultimate Rewards points per dollar! You can then transfer those points to one of Chase’s hotel or airline partners or use them to book travel through the Chase Travel portal.
The coverage offered by the Chase Sapphire Reserve card is primary coverage.
This means that you do NOT have to file a claim with any other insurance company you may have before you can take advantage of this Chase Sapphire Reserve card benefit.
Other Chase credit cards offering primary car rental coverage are:
So, what and who is actually covered when you take advantage of the insurance offered by the Chase Sapphire Reserve card?
The Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) applies to:
The CDW will cover up to $75,000 in physical damages and/or theft of the vehicle for rentals that are 31 consecutive days or less. Other covered expenses include reasonable towing charges and loss of use charges incurred by the rental company.
As with most insurance policies, there’s a long list of things that aren’t covered. Here are just some of the things that are NOT covered by the insurance offered by the Chase Sapphire Reserve card:
Bottom Line: The auto rental collision damage waiver provided by the Chase Sapphire Reserve card will cover up to $75,000 in damages for the primary cardholder, plus any authorized drivers (on most rentals).
If you experience an accident or theft of your rental car, you must notify the benefits administrator within 60 days of the incident.
You must submit a completed claim form within 100 days of the damage or theft. And any and all supporting documentation must be submitted within 1 year of the damage or theft.
Here’s how:
You may be asked to supply supporting documentation with your claim. This could include any or all of the following documents:
The timing of your claim is essential. For your claim to be approved, it must comply with the following timeline:
Bottom Line: To file a claim with your Chase Sapphire Reserve card, call 888-675-1461 or go online to eclaimsline.com.
Along with collision and theft protection, your Chase Sapphire Reserve card offers you special privileges and discount codes with different car rental agencies.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve card comes with complimentary Emerald Club Executive Level membership with National Car Rental.
You can also save up to 25% on qualifying rentals in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean using code 5030849. To be eligible for this discount, you must book directly through National on its website or call 800-227-7368.
Once you’re enrolled in Avis Preferred, you can save up to 30% on qualifying rentals with Avis.
To receive this discount, you must book directly through Avis — the discount doesn’t apply when booking a rental car through the Chase Travel portal.
The discount applies to the base rate only and will vary based on location, date, and type of car. You must make your reservation 24 hours in advance to receive these benefits.
Because the Chase Sapphire Reserve card is a Visa Infinite card, cardholders also get complimentary Avis Preferred Plus membership. They can earn free weekend rentals and receive up to 10% off base rates on Select Series rentals, too.
Bottom Line: The discounts and benefits offered by Avis and National are only available when booking directly through the car rental agency, but a discount code may be required. These discounts can’t be applied when booking a rental car through the Chase Travel portal.
These special car rental privileges require you to sign up with each car rental agency individually. Thankfully, links to sign-up are easy to find in your online Chase account.
Step 1: First, sign in to your online Chase Ultimate Rewards account and click on the menu icon in the upper left-hand corner.
Step 2: If you have more than 1 Chase credit card, be sure to select your Chase Sapphire Reserve card.
Step 3: Scroll to the bottom and click on Card Benefits.
Step 4: Scroll down until you get to Special Car Rental Privileges. You’ll find more information and links to sign up with the 2 programs that offer discounts — National and Avis.
Renting a car can be stressful, but having the right credit card in your wallet can help make the process a little easier.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve card comes with many benefits, including primary rental car insurance. This policy is activated if you decline the collision damage waiver (CDW) offered by the rental company and pay for the entire cost of the rental using your Chase Sapphire Reserve card.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve card offers an auto rental collision damage waiver (CDW) that covers up to $75,000 in physical damages or theft. This coverage is primary, meaning you don’t have to submit a claim with any other insurance you might have first.
You can read the full benefits guide for your Chase Sapphire Reserve card online.
No. The coverage does not cover any damage or liability to other cars. The coverage only applies to the vehicle you rented.
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Katie has been in the points and miles game since 2015 and started her own blog in 2016. She’s been freelance writing since then and her work has been featured in publications like Travel + Leisure, Forbes Advisor, and Fortune Recommends.
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