Chase Auto Rental Coverage: New benefit administrator coming in October

July 31, 2024: Chase has begun notifying cardmembers of a change to its auto rental collision damage waiver insurance benefit. This article covers the benefit that will be available to most Chase cardholders starting October 1, 2024.

This story is developing and will be updated as we receive more information about the changes to this benefit.

What’s changing with Chase rental car coverage?

At a high level, Chase is changing the administrator of its auto rental coverage benefit on many (maybe all) of its cards, starting on October 1, 2024. Here are the biggest changes coming:

• Who services the benefit. Prior to October 1, 2024, this benefit was administered by Card Benefit Services. Going forward, Chase is changing its benefits administrator to Virginia Surety Company, Inc., an Assurant company. Practically this means that any claims on or after October 1, 2024 will be handled by Virginia Surety Company.
• Fewer excluded brands—Tesla, Porsche, and Corvette are no longer excluded. Chase shortened the list of brands that are excluded from coverage. See the section below on what is covered for more details.
• Coverage limitations. Most Chase cards previously did not specify a dollar amount limitation on coverage or the value of a covered vehicle. All cards now appear to have both a dollar amount limitation and a limitation on the maximum MSRP of the covered vehicle.
• Standardized, longer notification period. Some Chase cards previously required you to start your claim within 60 days. It appears that Chase is standardizing this to 100 days.

My take and speculation on the changes

Overall, I see the changes to this benefit a modest positive, or at worst a neutral change—a $60,000 coverage limitation will not substantively impact most people renting Hyundai Konas and Toyota Corollas from an airport location. And it’s nice to see commonly rented brands like Tesla and Corvette dropped from the exclusion list of most cards.

As more information comes out about the specifics of the coverage offered on additional cards, we are likely to see higher coverage limits on Chase’s premium cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve®, as well as primary rental coverage within the United States.

Cards with Chase car rental insurance

Here are the cards that include Chase rental car insurance. This information applies to claims submitted on or after October 1, 2024 with Chase’s new benefit administrator.

Card/ card family	Coverage within the United States	Coverage limitations	Servicer/claims phone number
Chase Freedom cards Chase Freedom® Chase Freedom Unlimited® Chase Freedom Rise® Chase Freedom Student	Secondary.	Claim limit: $60,000. High value car limit: MSRP greater that $125k, high-value brands, antique cars.	1-800-349-2691
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card	Secondary.	Claim limit: $60,000. High value car limit: MSRP greater that $125k, high-value brands, antique cars.	1-800-349-2634
Prime Visa	Secondary.	Claim limit: $60,000. High value car limit: MSRP greater that $125k, high-value brands, antique cars.	1-800-349-2634

What does Chase car rental insurance cover?

Chase car rental insurance can cover damages to your rental car caused by theft or collision, up to the limit specified in your guide to benefits. Information about Chase’s new rental car insurance is still coming out but for most cards we’ve seen, this is $60,000. Here’s a bit more on what Chase rental car insurance covers.

What damages are covered?

Like most credit card rental car insurance, Chase rental insurance covers damage to or theft of a rental car, rental agency loss-of-use charges, administrative fees, and towing. Here’s what Chase rental car insurance covers:

• Theft of the rental car.
• Damage to the rental car caused by collision.
• Loss-of-use charges. (Loss of use charges must be reasonable and substantiated by the rental agency.)
• Administrative fees.
• Towing charges. (Towing charges must be reasonable and customary, due to a covered theft or damage, and to the nearest qualified repair facility.)

Importantly, note that liability, medical, and any other damages other than those listed above are not covered. If you damage someone else’s car in a collision, Chase car rental insurance won’t pay for damage to the other party’s car. Likewise, if you or someone else is physically injured while renting a car, you’ll need to seek reimbursement for medical expenses through your other insurance.

Who is covered by Chase car rental insurance?

Chase car rental insurance provides coverage only for you, the cardholder, when you rent a car using your card. If you pay for someone else’s rental car, they won’t be covered under your car’s rental insurance. Specifically here’s who’s covered under Chase car rental insurance:

• You, the named cardholder, whose name is listed as the primary renter on the rental agreement.
• Any other drivers that are permitted by the rental car agreement.

Note that spouses and family members will not be covered if you rent a car on their behalf. The cardholder must be the primary renter.

Vehicle coverage exclusions

Chase car rental insurance is meant to cover passenger vehicles used for normal personal or business uses. You won’t be able to receive coverage if renting a supercar or a vehicle type that is not commonly used for passenger transport. Here are the listed vehicle type exclusions:

• Exotic and high-value cars. Cars with an MSRP over $125,000 are not covered, and several high-value brands are excluded, including Aston Martin, Bentley, Bugatti, Ferrari, Koenigsegg, Lamborghini, Lotus, Maybach, McLaren, Pagani, and Rolls Royce.
• Antique cars. Chase defines antique cars as cars that are over 20 years old or have not been manufactured for 10 years or more.
• Work vehicles. Cargo vans, trucks (other than pick-up trucks), and passenger vans with seating for more than 12 people, including the driver are excluded.
• Vehicles rented with a driver. Limousines and the like are not covered.
• Vehicles with fewer than 4 wheels. No coverage is provided for motorcycles, mopeds, and motorbikes.

If you have a question about whether a vehicle you want to rent is covered, you can contact the benefit administrator at the phone number listed in your guide to benefits. (We list known benefit administrator numbers above.)

How to get coverage under Chase auto rental insurance

Being covered by Chase auto rental insurance is simple. All you have to do is reserve and rent a car using your eligible card. Here’s what to do:

• Rent the car using your card. Use your covered card or redeem rewards from your covered card account to initiate and complete your entire rental transaction. This means you must both reserve and pay for your rental using your card.
• Decline the CDW/LDW option. Accepting any form of collision damage waiver (CDW), loss damage waiver (LDW) or similar coverage from the rental company will void the coverage you receive from Chase.

Getting a letter of coverage

While it is uncommon within the United States, many rental agencies abroad will require you to either purchase their CDW/LDW insurance or provide a letter of coverage proving that your credit card will cover damages to your rental vehicle.

Getting a letter of coverage is simple. You can get a letter from chasecardbenefits.com or by calling the phone number in your Guide to Benefits. The phone number you will call varies by card. See our table above for servicer phone numbers for various cards.

It’s as good idea to obtain a printed letter of coverage prior to any travel abroad if you plan on renting a car using your card.

How to file a claim

Starting October 1, 2024, you will need to file claims with Virginia Surety Company, the new servicer for Chase rental car insurance benefits.

• Visit chasecardbenefits.com and log in to begin your claim. (This website will be available for claims starting on October 1, 2024.)
• Call the number listed in your guide to benefits to initiate your claim.

It’s best to begin your claim as soon as possible, regardless of who is at fault. Chase requires you to begin your claim within 100 days of the date of the accident or loss. Additionally, if the benefit administrator determines that delaying submitting your claim caused additional expenses, it may deny payment of those expenses.

Documents you can expect to provide

During the claims process, you will be required to provide documentation to substantiate your car rental insurance claim. The benefit administrator will likely ask a few questions when you first submit your claim and request additional documentation later. Here are some of the types of things you can expect to provide:

• Accident report form. You can usually get a copy of this from your rental agency.
• Initial and final Rental Car Agreement. It’s a good practice to save your rental agreement and have it with you when renting a car anyway.
• Copy of the repair estimate and itemized repair bill. The rental agency will provide this to you with its demand for payment.
• Photographs of the damaged rental vehicle. If it is possible and safe to do so, it can be a good idea to snap several photos of the damaged rental vehicle. (It’s also a good idea to do this at the start of your rental to document the car’s condition.)
• Police report. If you filed a police report, you may be asked to provide this.
• Copy of the demand letter. If a rental company requires you to pay for damages to a car, they will send you a demand letter stating the costs they are trying to recover from you.
• Credit card statement. You’ll need to provide the credit card statement showing the last 4 digits of your card number and your rental car charge. (Your claim is processed by a third-party company and they usually can’t access your account information directly.)
• Statement from your insurance carrier, insurance declarations page, or statement that you have no insurance. The benefit administrator may require you to demonstrate that you have filed a claim with your other insurance or that you have no other applicable insurance if your credit card car rental benefit provides secondary coverage.
• Other documentation. The benefit administrator may request additional documentation as it proceeses your claim.

All documentation must be submitted within 365 days of the damage or theft of your rental vehicle.

Frequently asked questions