All about rental car insurance through Capital One cards
Vacations are great. But trouble with a rental car while you’re on vacation? Not so great. The good news is that if something happens, rental car insurance is available through some Capital One credit cards.
With rental car insurance, you may be covered in the event of a collision, theft or breakdown that requires your car to be towed. Read on to learn which Capital One cards offer rental car insurance and how the coverage works.
What you’ll learn:
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Rental car insurance through a Capital One card may cover collisions, theft, tows and loss-of-use charges.
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Rental car insurance is available to eligible Venture X, Venture, VentureOne, Quicksilver, QuicksilverOne and Savor cardholders.*
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Venture X comes with rental car insurance as primary coverage. Other Capital One cards offer secondary coverage.
- To use the insurance, you’ll need to decline the rental company’s collision damage waiver and pay for the rental in full with your Capital One card.
Which Capital One credit cards come with rental car insurance?
Rental car insurance is a benefit provided by some credit card networks. Capital One, which works with the Mastercard® and Visa® networks, offers rental car insurance through these cards:
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Mastercard: Venture, VentureOne, Quicksilver, QuicksilverOne and Savor
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Visa: Venture X
You can check your Capital One card benefits guide to see if your card offers rental car insurance and what’s covered.
How do I use the rental car insurance benefit through my Capital One card?
To be eligible for the benefit, you’ll need to decline the collision damage waiver that’s typically offered by rental car companies. You’ll also need to use your Capital One card to pay for the full amount of the rental.
How does rental car coverage through a Capital One credit card work if I have personal insurance?
Capital One cards offer rental car insurance as either primary or secondary coverage.
Venture X provides primary coverage. That means the renter’s card insurance is applied before their personal auto insurance when they make a claim. The other Capital One cards offering rental car insurance provide secondary coverage. That means the renter’s personal auto insurance is applied first.
What’s covered by the rental car insurance that comes with Capital One credit cards?
With rental car insurance through a Capital One card, you could be covered for these events:
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Collisions: When an accident results in physical damage to your rental car
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Theft: In case your rental vehicle is stolen
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Towing: To help with administrative fees and towing charges if you need a mechanic
- Loss-of-use charges: When the rental company seeks compensation for lost revenue while the vehicle is being repaired
What isn’t covered by the rental insurance that comes with Capital One cards?
Some types of claims aren’t covered through the insurance offered through Capital One credit cards. They include:
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Bodily injury to you or other people
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Mechanical breakdown of the rental vehicle
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Damage to other vehicles
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Damage to other people’s property
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Luggage or other items stolen from the rental vehicle
How to file a claim using rental car insurance from a Capital One card
Whether your card network is Mastercard or Visa, the process for starting a claim is mostly the same. You’ll need to:
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Report your covered event: Tell your card’s benefits administrator as soon as possible. To open a claim with Mastercard, visit the Mastercard insurance page online or call 877-288-6784. To open a claim with Visa, visit the card benefits services page online or call 800-825-4062.
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Provide documents: You might need to present copies of your vehicle rental agreement, repair estimate and itemized repair bill, among other documents.
- Wait for next steps: Your card’s benefits administrator should be in touch with information about what to do next, including whether you’ll need to contact your personal auto insurance provider.
Capital One and rental car insurance FAQ
Check out these frequently asked questions about rental car insurance through Capital One credit cards.
Does my credit card cover rental car insurance?
You can check your credit card’s benefits guide to see whether your card offers rental car insurance.
Is rental car insurance the same thing as travel insurance?
Not exactly. People often get travel insurance to cover things like trip cancellations, travel interruptions and medical care received in a foreign country. But depending on the policy, rental car coverage could be included.
Does credit card rental car insurance cover a second driver?
Yes, credit card rental car insurance generally covers other drivers. But keep in mind that they typically have to be added to the rental agreement as authorized drivers. Before renting a vehicle, it may help to contact your card’s benefits administrator or check its benefits guide.
Key takeaways: Rental car insurance through Capital One cards
Rental car insurance is a benefit that comes with some Capital One credit cards. It can offer peace of mind when you travel because it helps cover the cost of collisions, theft and breakdowns that require towing to a repair shop.
Capital One cards offer rental car insurance through the Visa or Mastercard networks. If you’re thinking about getting a card that comes with rental car insurance, you can compare Capital One credit cards to find one that works for you.