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Travel card that includes car rental?

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wasCB14
Super Contributor

Re: Travel card that includes car rental?

If you rent cars often enough (or for long enough) that the rewards on car rentals are a serious factor in getting a card, then I'd focus on Amex and Chase.

 

Chase: Great rental rewards on CSR/CSP along with rental and other travel insurances.

Amex: Status/discounts from Amex Platinum, Amex offers for car rentals, pay-per-rental car insurance.

 

I trust Citi with price rewinds and extended warranties on relatively small purchases (<$5k). For anything big or potentially more complicated (like an insurance claim following auto damage) I'd only go with a premium card from Amex or Chase.

 

But to answer your question, I'd add Costco as a card that includes rentals as a 3% bonus category. "3% cash back on restaurant (including cafes, bars, lounges and fast food restaurants) and eligible travel purchases worldwide, including airfare, hotels, car rentals, travel agencies, cruise lines and Costco Travel. " Of course, it requires a membership fee which might not otherwise be worth it to you.

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 11 of 25
ChargedUp
Senior Contributor

Re: Travel card that includes car rental?

With the Primary car rental coverage, the CSP and CSR outweigh pretty much any rewards you can get out of a card, unless you're comfortable with having your own personal auto insurance handle any claims that may arise while you're in possession of the rental car. LDW for a mid tier car with Avis and Hertz is $40/day! I've likely saved over $1000 in the last couple years just being able to refuse the LDW cost. CSP/CSR primary insurance also covers "loss of use" which is omitted in some secondary coverages and can add up in a hurry if the vehicle is in a major accident.

 

If you're going to be renting in New Zealand, take a look at the fine print as many cards exclude certain countries and I know I've seen NZ in a few of the lists. Some travel cards that give a bonus on rental cards here in the US may or may not do the same overseas. CSP/CSR are known to give appropriate UR points overseas most of the time. This is ultimately based on how the business codes through Visa.

 

And yes, Chase codes car rental as travel.

Message 12 of 25
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Travel card that includes car rental?

Message 13 of 25
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Travel card that includes car rental?

Just to throw another card into the mix, I'm pretty sure the US Bank Altitude Reserve codes car rentals as travel. I don't have the card (yet) but it's 3x points on travel purchases, and points are redeemed at 1.5x, so it's really 4.5x points. Also has primary coverage for car rentals
Message 14 of 25
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Travel card that includes car rental?

CSP has primary rental insurance with AF of 99$
With a coverage up to 75k

Another option:-

Enroll into amex premium car rental insurance
Costs 25$ per booking with a coverage up to 100k
If you dont have an Amex card, i would recommend getting Hilton honor card it has 0 Af and FTF
Message 15 of 25
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Travel card that includes car rental?

Altitude Reserve covers car rentals and also has primary car rental insurance.
Message 16 of 25
OmarR
Established Contributor

Re: Travel card that includes car rental?


@MrDisco99 wrote:

@OmarR wrote:

The UBER Visa is not 4% back on travel. It's 3% back.


And it's not on travel.  It's only on hotels and airfare.

 

Citi Premiere does 3x points on travel, which includes car rentals and even gas.


Hotels & airfare, along with other things, fall under the travel category.

 

What do you think they fall under?

 EQ=850   EX=845   TU=843       0/24       UTIL=$1    AZEO

Message 17 of 25
NRB525
Super Contributor

Re: Travel card that includes car rental?


@Anonymous wrote:

Pretty much everything but amex cards (which don't have a travel category--their cards specify categories, such as air, hotel, transit, gas).

 

https://thepointsguy.com/guide/how-credit-card-issuers-classify-travel-and-dining-purchases/

 

Can't quite tell if Citi includes it. Their website is of no help getting info...just a lot of "get the Prestige and you can be fancy!" marketing.

 

The CSR covers primary rental insurance, as well as earns you points. If put off by the annual fee, the smaller AF CSP  also does.I

 

 

If just trying to stay simple, you may like the Uber Visa. 4% cash back on travel & dining with no AF. 


Amex Hilton Aspire has a car rental points category, along with airfare and dining.  Whether that applies overseas is another question. Not primary insurance, as noted by others. 

High Bal Jan 2009 $116k on $146k limits 80% Util.
Oct 2014 $46k on $127k 36% util EQ 722 TU 727 EX 727
April 2018 $18k on $344k 5% util EQ 806 TU 810 EX 812
Jan 2019 $7.6k on $360k EQ 832 TU 839 EX 831
March 2021 $33k on $312k EQ 796 TU 798 EX 801
May 2021 Paid all Installments and Mortgages, one new Mortgage EQ 761 TY 774 EX 777
April 2022 EQ=811 TU=807 EX=805 - TU VS 3.0 765
Message 18 of 25
wasCB14
Super Contributor

Re: Travel card that includes car rental?


@OmarR wrote:

@MrDisco99 wrote:

@OmarR wrote:

The UBER Visa is not 4% back on travel. It's 3% back.


And it's not on travel.  It's only on hotels and airfare.

 

Citi Premiere does 3x points on travel, which includes car rentals and even gas.


Hotels & airfare, along with other things, fall under the travel category.

 

What do you think they fall under?


I think the point is that the Uber Visa doesn't give 3% on things like:

Cruises (Unless they're booked with a travel agency? I'm not clear on the wording)

Parking and tolls

Car rentals

Uber rides (And what's up with that?)

Gas

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 19 of 25
OmarR
Established Contributor

Re: Travel card that includes car rental?


@wasCB14 wrote:

@OmarR wrote:

@MrDisco99 wrote:

@OmarR wrote:

The UBER Visa is not 4% back on travel. It's 3% back.


And it's not on travel.  It's only on hotels and airfare.

 

Citi Premiere does 3x points on travel, which includes car rentals and even gas.


Hotels & airfare, along with other things, fall under the travel category.

 

What do you think they fall under?


I think the point is that the Uber Visa doesn't give 3% on things like:

Cruises (Unless they're booked with a travel agency? I'm not clear on the wording)

Parking and tolls

Car rentals

Uber rides (And what's up with that?)

Gas


I do understand that.

 

But to label hotels & airfare as NOT travel is incorrect.

 EQ=850   EX=845   TU=843       0/24       UTIL=$1    AZEO

Message 20 of 25
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