Chase Sapphire Preferred offers primary coverage for rental cars. Learn what this covers, how to use it, and how to file a claim. Show
With 1:1 transfer to airline and hotel partners and a ton of travel benefits, Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of the most popular travel rewards credit cards. Perhaps one of the most useful benefits is the complimentary car rental insurance. It offers superior coverage compared to other travel rewards cards. Read to learn everything you need to know about Chase Sapphire Preferred rental car insurance. What is Auto Rental Collision Damage WaiverChase Sapphire Preferred Car Rental Insurance Key Points:
The Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card offers primary coverage for Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver (CDW). This benefit reimburses a rental for collision or theft of the vehicle. You are covered up to the actual cash value of the car of most rental vehicles in the U.S. and abroad. Rental periods cannot be over 31 days. All car rental companies will offer this protection at extra cost. With the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you automatically have primary insurance when you decline the rental company's CDW (or similar provision). This can also save you a good amount of money each time you rent a car, since CDW fees can be as high as $20 - $30 per day. Primary vs. Secondary CoverageThere are two types of coverage: primary and secondary. The Chase Sapphire Preferred card provides primary coverage. This means that you DO NOT need to file a claim with your own auto insurance company if a mishap occurs. You handle the whole process directly through Chase. This is a huge advantage because your insurance company doesn't have to know about the accident. So your personal premium won't increase. Most auto rental CDW policies and credit cards offer secondary rental coverage, which is not as extensive. This means you first need to report to your own insurance firm. The credit card benefit will then only cover costs not covered by your insurance company (such as the deductible and expenses over your coverage amount). Do authorized users get car rental insurance benefits too? What is CoveredThis benefit covers most private passenger automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles in the U.S. and abroad, up to the actual cash value of the car. Covered losses include:
Before driving the rented car out of the lot, check it thoroughly for any prior damage. If you do identify any, bring it to the attention of the rental car company. What is NOT CoveredHere is what is not covered under the Chase Sapphire
Preferred's insurance policy:
For a full list of what is not covered, review the Chase Sapphire Preferred card Benefits Guide. Expensive and exotic car brands NOT covered include: Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Bentley, Corvette, Ferrari, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Lotus, Maserati, Maybach, McLaren, Porsche, Rolls Royce, and Tesla. Selected models of Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Infiniti, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, and Range Rover ARE covered. Who is CoveredChase Sapphire Preferred's car rental protection applies to:
Is There Liability Coverage?Chase Sapphire Preferred's CDW does NOT cover personal liability insurance, which protects against damage and injuries to others while driving the rental car. If you're at fault in an accident and someone gets hurt, the Preferred card won't cover medical costs and property damage to the other party. It'll still be your responsibility. The card also doesn't cover injuries to yourself or your passengers if you get into an accident. It also doesn't offer any travel emergency medical coverage. You should never drive without liability coverage. Your own personal car insurance may offer this protection. If not (or you don't have auto insurance at all), you can purchase it from the car rental agency. Are International Rentals Covered?The Chase Sapphire Preferred card does cover you when renting a car in a foreign country. Many credit card companies exclude certain countries in their car rental coverage. Examples include Ireland, Italy, Israel, Jamaica, Australia, and New Zealand - all popular destinations to rent cars. The Sapphire Preferred's CDW does NOT have these exclusions. However, before traveling abroad, call your Benefit Administrator first to confirm your coverage. You may also want to get a letter stating that your Preferred credit card includes CDW coverage. In many cases, rental car agencies will want to see this proof of coverage since you're declining their CDW. How to Use the Sapphire Preferred CDW BenefitTo correctly receive CDW coverage when you rent a car, you MUST do the following: 1. Reserve and charge the entire rental car transaction to your Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card. 2. Decline the Collision Damage Waiver or similar insurance (it may also be called Loss Damage Waiver or LDW) offered by the rental car company. If you do not decline the car rental company's CDW, Chase Sapphire Preferred's auto protection will not be eligible. Am I covered even if I use points to pay for the car rental? How to File a ClaimIf your rental car received damage or was stolen, take the following steps: 1. Report the incident within 60 days. 2. Take photos. 3. Send the claim form within 100 days. 4. Send other required documents.
Once you've submitted all required info, Chase will handle the rest. Important Contact NumbersIf you need to report an incident, have issues filing, or just have general questions about your benefits, call your Benefits Administrator anytime at 1-888-320-9961 or the number on the back of your card. If you're outside of the US, you can call collect at 1-804-673-1691. How Long Does the Claim Process TakeGenerally, Chase will review and issue payment within 15 days of receiving all required documentation. There is no more action on your part. This benefit is a reimbursement. This means the rental car company will first charge you for the damage. However, you can have it charged directly to your Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card (and earn some points to boot). Once Chase reviews and accepts the claim, they'll reimburse you. But you'll have to cover the cost during the claims process, which can take 3 months or more. Users have reported that while filing a claim with Chase is pretty straightforward, dealing with the rental agency can be a bit more challenging. Make sure to follow up with them often to get the documents. Other Benefits of the Chase Sapphire PreferredYou can earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. That's $750 toward travel when you redeem through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal. This is one of the largest bonuses offered by credit cards. Points can be redeemed for travel purchases for 25% more value on the Chase travel portal, or be transferred 1:1 to partner airlines and hotels. It also comes with a list of travel insurance benefits, including trip cancellation and delay, lost baggage reimbursement, and 24/7 emergency assistance referral. Other Chase Credit Cards With Primary Car Rental InsuranceThe Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card offers primary collision damage waiver protection. The difference is that the coverage is up to $75,000, which is enough to cover many luxury models. It also gives you special perks and discounts when renting a car with National, Avis, and Silvercar. The Chase business credit cards offer rental car insurance perk too. Chase Ink Business Preferred, Ink Business Cash, and Ink Business Unlimited offer coverage up to the actual cash value of the car when renting for business purposes. If renting for personal reasons within your country of residence, coverage becomes secondary. Bottom LineChase Sapphire Preferred offers perhaps the best rental car benefits of any credit card. It offers peace of mind when renting a car on vacation, and can save you a lot of cash in case of an accident. The coverage is primary, which means you don't have to file first with any other kinds of insurance. This helps you avoid your personal premium going up. Just note that personal liability is not included, so make sure you have that coverage elsewhere. Restrictions, limitations and exclusions apply. See your Guide to Benefits for full details. Editorial Note: This content is not provided by Chase. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by Chase. This site may be compensated through the Advertiser's affiliate programs. Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. This site may be compensated through the Advertiser's affiliate programs. Does Chase Sapphire Preferred come with car insurance?The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers primary rental car insurance coverage. This means that you do not have to file a claim with another insurance company first. The coverage is provided on a primary basis both in the U.S. and in most countries abroad and covers rentals for up to 31 consecutive days.
Does Chase Sapphire Preferred cover liability?Booking a rental car with the Chase Sapphire Preferred ensures your vehicle will be covered for all physical damage, including tires and windshields. It does NOT include personal liability, which covers hospital bills, personal items, or death.
Does Chase Sapphire have rental car discounts?Chase credit card car rental discounts give qualifying cardmembers up to 35% off rentals when they book a car through Avis, Silvercar, or National Car Rental. While Chase only markets this benefit for the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you could get discounts as a payment network perk if you have another Chase card.
How do I claim insurance on my Chase rental car?To file a claim for your Chase Freedom car insurance, call the benefit administrator at 1-888-320-9656 (from the United States) or 1-804-673-1691 (a collect call from abroad). You can also file online at eclaimsline.com. You must make your claim within 60 days from the date when theft or damage occurred.
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