A Guide to Chase Sapphire Rental Car Insurance

When you rent a car, rental insurance can add quite a bit to your bill. Chase Sapphire rental car insurance can help you avoid that added cost, while covering you if something goes wrong.

Both Chase Sapphire cards have excellent auto rental insurance, even compared to other travel cards. This guide will cover exactly how Chase Sapphire rental car insurance works, what's covered and not covered, and how to use it.

How Chase Sapphire rental car insurance works

Each Chase Sapphire card offers an auto rental collision damage waiver. This is rental car insurance that provides reimbursement for damages caused by theft or collision. The Chase Sapphire line includes the following Chase credit cards:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve®
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Both cards offer primary rental coverage. Primary coverage means that if there's an incident, you file a claim with your Chase Sapphire rental car insurance. You don't need to file with your personal car insurance provider. This is an underrated perk, as even among the best credit cards, you won't find many with primary rental car coverage.

Insurance policies are nearly identical with the two Chase Sapphire cards. There's just one difference in what they offer:

• The Chase Sapphire Reserve® provides reimbursement up to a maximum of $75,000.
• The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card provides reimbursement up to the actual cash value of most rented cars.

What is covered

Chase Sapphire car rental insurance covers rental periods of up to 31 consecutive days. Here are the types of expenses it covers:

• Theft
• Damage
• Valid loss-of-use charges from the rental car company
• Administrative fees
• Reasonable and customary towing charges to the nearest qualified repair facility (due to a covered theft or damage)

What's not covered

Losses outside the categories listed above aren't covered by Chase Sapphire rental car insurance. The policy only covers the rental car, and it doesn't provide liability insurance.

If you're in a collision, this insurance doesn't cover damage to another driver's car or to anyone's property. It also doesn't cover injuries to you or anyone else involved in the incident.

Here is a list of more situations that aren't covered:

• Theft or damage due to intentional acts or due to the driver(s) being under the influence (of alcohol, intoxicants, or drugs), due to contraband, or due to illegal activities
• Violations of the rental agreement or the Chase Sapphire rental car insurance
• Damage due to off-road use of the rental vehicle
• Rental periods that exceed or are intended to exceed 31 days
• Theft or damage due to a lack of reasonable care by the cardholder or an authorized driver

Certain vehicles are also not covered. Vehicles that aren't covered by Chase Sapphire rental car insurance include:

• High-value motor vehicles
• Exotic and antique cars
• Motorcycles
• Recreational vehicles
• Passenger vans with seating for more than nine people, including the driver

You can find more information in your card's guide to benefits, which you receive after being approved for your Chase card. Each card's guide to benefits is available online on the Chase website.

How to get coverage

You must pay for the entire rental car transaction with your Chase Sapphire card to get Chase Sapphire rental car insurance coverage. You must decline the optional collision damage waiver coverage offered by the rental company.

How to file a claim

Submit a Chase Sapphire rental car insurance claim at Eclaims Line, or call the benefits administrator at 1-888-320-9656. You must file the claim with the credit card company no later than 100 days from the date of the incident.

You need to submit documentation of the incident. Here are the documents to get at the time of the theft or damage, or from the car rental company when you return the vehicle:

• Copy of the accident report form
• Copy of the initial and final auto rental agreements (front and back)
• Copy of the repair estimate and itemized repair bill
• Two photos of the damaged vehicle, if available
• Police report, if obtainable
• Copy of the demand letter indicating the costs you're responsible for and any amounts paid towards the claim

Also submit to the benefits administrator:

• Completed and signed Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver claim form (this must be postmarked within 120 days of the incident date, even if all other required documentation is not yet available, or your claim may be denied)
• Copy of your credit card statement with the last four digits of the card number and the charge for the rental car
• Any other documentation the benefits administrator requests to substantiate the claim

Additional Chase Sapphire rental car benefits

In addition to free rental car insurance, both Chase Sapphire credit cards provide other perks. The Chase Sapphire Reserve® provides the most rental car discounts and perks. Here are the Chase Sapphire Reserve® benefits that can help when renting a car:

• National Car Rental elite status and discounts: Enroll for a complimentary Emerald Club Executive Level membership for special rental benefits. When you use your card and make a reservation with National online or by phone, you save up to 25% on qualifying rentals.
• Avis discounts: Enroll in an Avis Preferred membership (this membership option is available to anyone, not just cardholders). When you use your card and make a reservation with Avis online or by phone, save up to 35% on qualifying rentals.
• Audi on demand discounts: Save up to 30% on qualifying rentals when you pay with your Chase card.
• $300 annual travel credit: Receive up to $300 every year in statement credits toward travel purchases, including car rentals.
• 10x points on car rentals (and hotels) purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards: This rate applies to purchases that aren't covered by the card's $300 annual travel credit.

Since it has a much lower annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card doesn't provide nearly as many benefits. But there are still plenty of Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card benefits, and it earns 5X points on car rentals (and hotels) purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card both have excellent complimentary rental car coverage. If you're unsure which of these cards is a better fit, The Ascent's tool for comparing credit cards can help. And if you want to see whether you have a good shot at approval, you can check if you prequalify for a Chase credit card.

Still have questions?

Here are some other questions we've answered:

• Chase Freedom® Rental Car Insurance Explained
• A Complete Guide to American Express Car Rental Insurance
• Definitive Guide to Chase Ultimate Rewards Points