cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

CSP vs AMEX (Primary Insurance)

tag
Anonymous
Not applicable

CSP vs AMEX (Primary Insurance)

Anyone uses AMEX over CSP for primary insurance when renting cars?

Is AMEXs $17/rental fee consider primirary coverage like the CSP?

 

My CSP AF is coming.  I only use my CSP for car rentals.  Eventually want to apply or upgrade to CSR.

Message 1 of 11
10 REPLIES 10
UncleB
Credit Mentor

Re: CSP vs AMEX (Primary Insurance)

As the question is related to a credit card benefit/perk, moving the thread to 'Credit Cards' for additional exposure.

 

--UB

Message 2 of 11
jamesdwi
Valued Contributor

Re: CSP vs AMEX (Primary Insurance)

A couple years ago our rental car was keyed in a mall parking lot, when we returned the car, the damage was flagged, we waited for the forms from the rental company with a quote, and called the number on the back of our CSP card, and was forwarded to the proper department that emailed us the forms and website to submit them, a few phone calls later and about a couple weeks the $1700 dollar claim was paid.  Not bad service, we always use our CSP or CSR for car rentals now.  

 

 

Cards: Chase Southwest 20k & CSR 17k & CSP 10k & FNBO 30k Oregon Duck 5k, & AMEX BCP 32.5k & Amex Magnet 15k&amg; Hilton Surpass 7.5k & Delta Gold 12k & Zync NPSL, Fidelity AMEX 17k Commerce5.9k & Cash Forward 7.5k & Sams Club MC 20k, Paypal Extras MC 10k, Paypal Credit 7.25k CapOne Venture 15k, QS 2.5k, QS 750, Amazon 10k, Walmart 10k, Citi Simplicity 18k, Discover IT 23k and a nice stack of store cards.
Landmarkcu Personal Loan 10k
Message 3 of 11
fltireguy
Valued Contributor

Re: CSP vs AMEX (Primary Insurance)

I don't have a CSP or CSR. But I have an Amex, and, since I live in Florida, the coverage is $12.xx for the rental period
BUT
The trick is to reserve with Amex, put the deposit for the rental on Amex, and, as long as there is no damage to the card, switch the payment card to a different card when you return it. Amex won't charge you for the insurance, since the rental wasn't charged to their card... IF there was a damage issue, obviously leave it on Amex...
NFCU $60.4k/PenFed $22.5k/Commerce $15K/53 $11K/Synovus $14K/BBT $11K/CapOne $12K/DCU $7.5K/BMO $7.5K/Chase $14.5k/Cabelas $10K/ and many many more!
Total CL $398600, plus car and RV loan.
Ooh. Ooh. Getting closer to that $500K mark!
Message 4 of 11
UncleB
Credit Mentor

Re: CSP vs AMEX (Primary Insurance)


@fltireguy wrote:
I don't have a CSP or CSR. But I have an Amex, and, since I live in Florida, the coverage is $12.xx for the rental period
BUT
The trick is to reserve with Amex, put the deposit for the rental on Amex, and, as long as there is no damage to the card, switch the payment card to a different card when you return it. Amex won't charge you for the insurance, since the rental wasn't charged to their card... IF there was a damage issue, obviously leave it on Amex...

This is interesting, and very useful if it works consistently.  Smiley Happy

 

I can't put my finger on the thread(s), but I (vaguely) recall reading that in the past Amex would bill the fee for the Premium Car Rental Protection as soon as the authorization hit for the rental itself... specifically I remember a report of someone purchasing as atlas from the rental booth and having to get Amex to reverse the PCRP fee that was triggered (which was said to not be a problem).

 

That said, my data isn't recent, my memory is imperfect, and I don't have personal experience with the product.  It's very possible Amex has made a positive change in the interim that has remedied the old problem of billing the fee in error, which would allow this "loophole" to work.

 

In any case, the Amex coverage seems to be popular with many people.  Smiley Happy

Message 5 of 11
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: CSP vs AMEX (Primary Insurance)


@UncleB wrote:

@fltireguy wrote:
I don't have a CSP or CSR. But I have an Amex, and, since I live in Florida, the coverage is $12.xx for the rental period
BUT
The trick is to reserve with Amex, put the deposit for the rental on Amex, and, as long as there is no damage to the card, switch the payment card to a different card when you return it. Amex won't charge you for the insurance, since the rental wasn't charged to their card... IF there was a damage issue, obviously leave it on Amex...

This is interesting, and very useful if it works consistently.  Smiley Happy

 

I can't put my finger on the thread(s), but I (vaguely) recall reading that in the past Amex would bill the fee for the Premium Car Rental Protection as soon as the authorization hit for the rental itself... specifically I remember a report of someone purchasing as atlas from the rental booth and having to get Amex to reverse the PCRP fee that was triggered (which was said to not be a problem).

 

That said, my data isn't recent, my memory is imperfect, and I don't have personal experience with the product.  It's very possible Amex has made a positive change in the interim that has remedied the old problem of billing the fee in error, which would allow this "loophole" to work.

 

In any case, the Amex coverage seems to be popular with many people.  Smiley Happy


I use AMEX's primary insurance quite frequently. AMEX smacks you with the coverage charge a day or two after the final charge is made the day the car is returned. The insurance charge on the statement references the original charge.

 

I guess it could make sense that they would not charge you the insurance if you switch the card. I'll be in Flordia next week so when I return the car and I hear those famous words of "...and you want to charge the AMEX card on file?" I'll say NO! and charge it to my Blue Business Plus Smiley Very Happy

 

 

As an added note... AMEX will sometimes smack you twice if you charge the car AND you get hit with some other type of rental charge. Enterprise charged me for the 1,000,000,000 toll booths Flordia has and AMEX hit me with that primary insurance charge since it saw it as a 'rental car charge'. Just a heads up to keep your eye out for that too! Smiley Happy

Message 6 of 11
fltireguy
Valued Contributor

Re: CSP vs AMEX (Primary Insurance)

Just a quick data point.
IF the initial authorization is put on Amex, and then there is no physical rental charge (since you used a different card to pay when the car was returned), they will NOT charge you for the insurance, provided you swap out the payment card, and there is no damage to the car obviously.

I have tried this twice in the past few months, and haven't gotten hit with the insurance charge..
NFCU $60.4k/PenFed $22.5k/Commerce $15K/53 $11K/Synovus $14K/BBT $11K/CapOne $12K/DCU $7.5K/BMO $7.5K/Chase $14.5k/Cabelas $10K/ and many many more!
Total CL $398600, plus car and RV loan.
Ooh. Ooh. Getting closer to that $500K mark!
Message 7 of 11
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: CSP vs AMEX (Primary Insurance)

Haven't had the opportunity to use either as we rarely rent vs lyft and the one time I did rent after picking up my CSP I opted to just pay the $20 for enterprise coverage since it was a one day rental and to me it was worth twenty bucks not to be dealing with calls to chase claims and adjusters instead of just dropping the car and letting enterprise handle it. That said if it were for a longer rental and a matter of saving more than $20 I'd be using CSP, I've heard nothing but good things from people who ended up filing a claim.
Message 8 of 11
wasCB14
Super Contributor

Re: CSP vs AMEX (Primary Insurance)

I got a CSR since the last thread like this. I'm enrolled with Amex but may just use Chase's coverage.

 

However, in many circumstances, I find the convenience of Uber to be worth the extra cost (at least if there are rides available and I don't need to travel a huge distance).

Personal spend: Amex Gold, Amex Schwab Plat., BofA PR+CCR(x2), Costco
Business use: Amex Bus. Plat., BBP, Lowes Amex AU, CFU AU
Perks: Delta Plat., United Explorer, IHG49, Hyatt, "Old SPG"
Mostly SD: Freedom Flex, Freedom, Arrival
Upgrade/Downgrade games: ED, BCE
SUB chasing: AA Platinum Select
Message 9 of 11
UncleB
Credit Mentor

Re: CSP vs AMEX (Primary Insurance)


@fltireguy wrote:
Just a quick data point.
IF the initial authorization is put on Amex, and then there is no physical rental charge (since you used a different card to pay when the car was returned), they will NOT charge you for the insurance, provided you swap out the payment card, and there is no damage to the car obviously.

I have tried this twice in the past few months, and haven't gotten hit with the insurance charge..

Great data point... thanks for sharing!  Smiley Happy

Message 10 of 11
Advertiser Disclosure: The offers that appear on this site are from third party advertisers from whom FICO receives compensation.