Does Amex Cover Rental Car Insurance: A Comprehensive Guide

American Express offers a range of benefits to its cardholders, but one of the most important is rental car insurance coverage.

Amex's rental car insurance is primary, meaning it pays out first in the event of an accident. This is a significant advantage over secondary insurance, which only kicks in after the primary insurance has paid out.

If you have a personal auto insurance policy, it may be secondary to Amex's rental car insurance. However, it's essential to review your policy to understand the specifics of your coverage.

Amex's rental car insurance typically covers damage to the rental vehicle, theft, and liability for injuries or damages to others.

The Platinum Card from American Express offers impressive rental car insurance coverage. You'll be protected for rental vehicle damage or theft, as well as accidental death or dismemberment, accidental injury, and personal property damage or theft.

This coverage extends to the primary cardholder, authorized users, their spouse or domestic partner, and authorized drivers. Passengers in a covered rental vehicle are also protected.

You'll receive coverage when paying for your car rental with The Platinum Card from American Express, Membership Rewards points, or Pay with Points. This means you're covered, even if you redeem points to pay for your rental car.

Here's a quick rundown of what's covered:

Keep in mind that this coverage is available when you pay for your rental car with The Platinum Card from American Express, Membership Rewards points, or Pay with Points.

Filing a claim with American Express rental car insurance is relatively straightforward. You can start the process by visiting their website or calling their customer service number at 800-338-1670.

To receive coverage benefits, you must submit a Notice of Claim within 30 days of the loss or as soon as reasonably possible. This is a crucial step, so make sure to act quickly.

You'll need to provide documentation to support your claim, which may include an itemized repair estimate, a copy of the rental agreement, a police report, and proof of your driver's license. Don't worry, these documents are all listed in the claim forms you'll receive.

Here's a breakdown of the documentation you'll need to submit:

Once you've submitted all the necessary documentation, American Express will review your claim and pay out your benefits within 30 days.

The Platinum Card from American Express offers built-in car rental insurance that covers up to $75,000 per rental agreement for damage or theft of a rental car.

Accidental injury coverage limits are $5,000 per person, and payouts for accidental death and dismemberment are limited to $200,000 per card member and $20,000 per passenger or authorized driver.

Personal property losses are limited to $1,000 per claimant and $2,000 total per accident, and there is a cap of $300,000 per car rental accident.

Here is a summary of the coverage limits:

Premium Protection coverage, on the other hand, offers primary coverage for up to $100,000 for the vehicle, and up to 42 consecutive days of coverage.

Secondary accidental medical coverage is up to $15,000, and total personal property coverage is up to $10,000.

If you enroll your American Express card, each car rental charged to that card will have coverage. This coverage is automatic and you won't be charged for Premium Protection coverage until you've used the enrolled card to pay for a car rental.

The coverage you'll receive includes primary coverage for theft, damage, usual and customary towing, storage, and loss of use expense. You'll also get up to $100,000 in coverage per covered vehicle, depending on the selected plan.

You'll be charged a flat rate for each rental period, which can be up to 42 consecutive days in length, although this may vary by state. For example, Washington state residents are charged for 30 days.

Here's a breakdown of the coverage you can expect:

Keep in mind that liability, uninsured or underinsured motorist, and disability coverage are not included in the Premium Protection plan.

When traveling to certain regions, you'll want to be aware of the specific coverage details. AmEx Platinum car rental insurance does not cover vehicles rented in Australia.

If you're planning a trip to Italy, be aware that your AmEx Platinum car rental insurance won't cover you there either. New Zealand is also excluded from coverage.

Countries sanctioned by the Office of Foreign Assets Control are also off-limits for AmEx Platinum car rental insurance.

To activate Premium Protection for your car rental, log in to your American Express card account and select Rewards and Benefits, then Benefits. You can also call the number on the back of your card to activate coverage.

You'll need to select the level of coverage you prefer, which varies by state of residence, and review and accept the terms to immediately add coverage to your card. Your card will be charged the applicable premium when you use it to pay for the rental.

To use your credit card for rental car insurance, simply use that card to reserve a rental car, decline the theft and damage insurance offered by the rental company, and pay for the car rental with the same credit card. Hot tip: Don't wait until you get to the car rental counter to set up insurance, especially for international rentals.

Here's a summary of what your Amex Platinum card's car rental insurance covers:

To use your credit card for rental car insurance, pay for the car rental with the same credit card you're using for insurance. Decline the theft and damage insurance offered by the rental company.

You may be told that some insurance is required by national law, but clear up any issues ahead of time. This is especially important for international rentals.

To activate Amex Platinum rental car offers, pay for the entire rental cost with your Amex Platinum card. Decline the optional insurance coverage offered by the rental car company.

You may receive a special code to use when renting a vehicle to receive member discounts, depending on the rental company.

To activate coverage, log in to your online American Express card account or call the number on the back of your card.

You can also enroll in Premium Protection car rental insurance by selecting Rewards and Benefits, then Benefits on your card account home page. Scroll down to choose Premium Car Rental Protection and select Learn More to enroll.

The card you selected initially will be the default card shown, but you can change the card you'd prefer to add coverage to. You'll then select the level of coverage you prefer, with options varying by your state of residence.

You can choose from different coverage levels, such as $75,000 or $100,000. Coverage options will vary by your state of residence, so be sure to check what's available in your area.

To activate coverage, use your enrolled card to reserve and pay for your next car rental. Decline the rental agency's CDW/LDW coverage and personal accident and personal property insurance for coverage to be valid during the rental period.

Your card will be charged the applicable premium when your card is charged for the rental. If your card is charged for the rental in advance and you end up canceling the rental, you may request a refund of the coverage premium.

Here's a summary of the steps to activate coverage:

If you're considering renting a car with an American Express card, it's essential to understand what's excluded from the rental car insurance coverage.

Trucks, other than pick-up trucks, are not covered, nor are leased vehicles, customized vehicles, or vehicles over 20 years old.

Here are some examples of types of vehicles not covered under Premium Protection:

Some actions will also be excluded from coverage, including:

Additionally, certain types of losses will not be covered, such as:

Even if you have a personal auto insurance policy, it's a good idea to get a travel credit card to cover rental car insurance in certain situations.

If your personal car's value is lower than the car you intend to rent, it's a good idea to get a travel credit card. This is because most rental cars are fairly new and worth more than your personal car.

International driving can also be a good reason to get a travel credit card. If you plan to rent a car outside of the U.S. or Canada, a good travel credit card can provide the necessary coverage.

Business travel is another instance where a travel credit card can be beneficial. If you plan to rent a car in the U.S. or abroad while traveling for business, a good travel credit card can provide the necessary coverage, especially since your personal auto insurance policy may not extend to business travel.

Your personal auto insurance policy may not provide adequate protection, so it's a good idea to get a travel credit card if your policy offers much less protection than a good travel credit card.

If you want to avoid your personal car's auto insurance premium rising in the event of an at-fault accident, consider getting a travel credit card that offers primary insurance.

Here's a summary of what personal auto insurance and the highest-rated travel credit cards may cover when you rent a car: