Credit Cards with Car Rental CDW (Insurance)

[Bk2006]

I travel fairly often and rent a car perhaps 10 times a year, on average. I was looking through the benefits guides of several of my credit cards and noticed that only 3 out of my current 11 cards still offer rental car collision damage waiver (CDW). This is a benefit that used to be standard on most prime cards, but it seems to have been nerfed by many issuers such as Citi and Discover in the last few years.

Right now, in my portfolio, these are the only 3 cards that have rental car CDW:

• NFCU Cash Rewards MasterCard
• Chase Southwest Visa
• Bread Cashback Amex

My PenFed Promise card, opened in 2016, used to include the rental CDW but I am unsure whether it still does (hard to find info on this card as it's no longer issued for new customers and PenFed won't do a PC without opening a new account...ugh)

What are some other cards that offer rental car CDW in 2023? It has come in handy for me at least twice over the last 20 years or so - had a cracked windshield and a minor fender bender that my cards (one time Visa, another time Amex) covered in full. The credit card coverage is usually secondary, but if you drive an older car like me and don't have collision or comprehensive insurance on your personal car--or don't own a car at all--the coverage is primary.

[wasCB14]

I don't rent cars often.

I use the Amex premium coverage, paying per use.

I'm in California where it's cheaper than in most other states (though FL customers I think pay even less).

I used to use CSP/CSR but with so much spend going to Amex, BofA, and cobrands...I found I didn't really have enough spend to justify the AF there. If I was renting ten times a year, I'd probably just get a CSR again.

[jojo79]

Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve both provide primary coverage. 

I have the CSP and it's my go-to card for car rentals for this exact reason. It's also generally a great travel CC, even with the $95 AF.

[keekers]

FYI, NFCU Cash Rewards is secondary coverage, not primary. Not sure about the others

[SouthJamaica]

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@Bk2006 wrote:

I travel fairly often and rent a car perhaps 10 times a year, on average. I was looking through the benefits guides of several of my credit cards and noticed that only 3 out of my current 11 cards still offer rental car collision damage waiver (CDW). This is a benefit that used to be standard on most prime cards, but it seems to have been nerfed by many issuers such as Citi and Discover in the last few years.

Right now, in my portfolio, these are the only 3 cards that have rental car CDW:

• NFCU Cash Rewards MasterCard
• Chase Southwest Visa
• Bread Cashback Amex

My PenFed Promise card, opened in 2016, used to include the rental CDW but I am unsure whether it still does (hard to find info on this card as it's no longer issued for new customers and PenFed won't do a PC without opening a new account...ugh)

What are some other cards that offer rental car CDW in 2023? It has come in handy for me at least twice over the last 20 years or so - had a cracked windshield and a minor fender bender that my cards (one time Visa, another time Amex) covered in full. The credit card coverage is usually secondary, but if you drive an older car like me and don't have collision or comprehensive insurance on your personal car--or don't own a car at all--the coverage is primary.

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Personal: Chase World of Hyatt, Digital FCU Platinum, Interior FCU Platinum, Amex Hilton Honors, PenFed Power Cash Rewards, Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Freedom Unlimited, NFCU Platinum, Chase Amazon Prime, Amex Blue Cash Everyday, Unify FCU Platinum

Business: Amex Blue Business Plus, Amex Business Hilton, PayPal Business Cashback, BHG MORE Business, NFCU Business Visa

[Anonymalous]

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@Bk2006 wrote:

I travel fairly often and rent a car perhaps 10 times a year, on average. I was looking through the benefits guides of several of my credit cards and noticed that only 3 out of my current 11 cards still offer rental car collision damage waiver (CDW). This is a benefit that used to be standard on most prime cards, but it seems to have been nerfed by many issuers such as Citi and Discover in the last few years.

Right now, in my portfolio, these are the only 3 cards that have rental car CDW:

• NFCU Cash Rewards MasterCard
• Chase Southwest Visa
• Bread Cashback Amex

My PenFed Promise card, opened in 2016, used to include the rental CDW but I am unsure whether it still does (hard to find info on this card as it's no longer issued for new customers and PenFed won't do a PC without opening a new account...ugh)

What are some other cards that offer rental car CDW in 2023? It has come in handy for me at least twice over the last 20 years or so - had a cracked windshield and a minor fender bender that my cards (one time Visa, another time Amex) covered in full. The credit card coverage is usually secondary, but if you drive an older car like me and don't have collision or comprehensive insurance on your personal car--or don't own a car at all--the coverage is primary.

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My two with secondary CDW coverage:

• Navy Federal More Rewards Amex
• Capital One Quicksilver WEMC

Those two cards also have an extensive list of other network benefits, like various purchase protections and extended warranties. The Cap1 card has the most, with a whole set of travel protections like cancellation, death, and baggage insurances. 

None of my other three cards have more than a concierge and/or roadside assistance. To make a broad generalization, credit unions tend to retain more of the network protections, while most of the major banks have been cutting theirs back.

[tussking]

If you have an AMEX-issued card, you can call them and add automatic rental car coverage for close to $12.00, which is good for up to a 30-day rental. No need to add anything through the rental car company. It's an AMEX policy on your account, and whenever you rent a car, it automatically gets billed to your card. No policy is better on any credit card.

[Horseshoez]

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@tussking wrote:

If you have an AMEX-issued card, you can call them and add automatic rental car coverage for close to $12.00, which is good for up to a 30-day rental. No need to add anything through the rental car company. It's an AMEX policy on your account, and whenever you rent a car, it automatically gets billed to your card. No policy is better on any credit card.

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No policy is better?  I would argue the Chase Primary CDW, which is free with one's CSP and CSR cards is better.

[wasCB14]

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@Horseshoez wrote:

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@tussking wrote:

If you have an AMEX-issued card, you can call them and add automatic rental car coverage for close to $12.00, which is good for up to a 30-day rental. No need to add anything through the rental car company. It's an AMEX policy on your account, and whenever you rent a car, it automatically gets billed to your card. No policy is better on any credit card.

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No policy is better?  I would argue the Chase Primary CDW, which is free with one's CSP and CSR cards is better.

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$12.25/$15.25...for FL residents only only. Cost depending on vehicle. Not the first state I'd have expected to be cheapest. Maybe there was some AARP lobbying?

$15.95/$17.95 for California residents.

$19.95/$25.95 for everyone else.

[digitek]

I didn't see this one mentioned yet, but US Bank Altitude Reserve has primary rental car insurance coverage. The AF is $400 but has $325 credits for dining that are pretty easy to recover. It's a full on premium travel card with lots of benefits/coverage.