American Express car rental benefits come standard with more than 60 of this issuer’s credit cards, but it’s important to note how this coverage works. Unfortunately, there are no Amex credit cards that offer basic car rental coverage as an added perk to the cardholder.
For the most part, American Express car rental benefits only include secondary coverage that takes effect once you use other insurance you have, such as your own auto insurance.
However, those with American Express credit cards can pay extra for their Premium Car Rental Protection product. This extended coverage is basic and has higher damage or theft limits, but there is an additional fee of $12.25 to $24.95.
In any case, you should know what Amex car rental benefits are covered, what is excluded, and which cards offer this benefit. Read on to find out everything you need to know about American Express car rental insurance.
What does American Express car rental insurance cover?
When it comes to Amex car rental benefits that cardholders get for free, it’s important to note that coverage limits vary from card to card. For example, the American Express Platinum Card® provides up to $75,000 per rental for damage or theft that occurs in the territory covered by the card. But the American Express Blue Cash Everyday® Card only costs up to $50,000 per lease for damage or theft that occurs in a covered area.
In addition to coverage limitations, Amex Secondary Car Rental Coverage can protect against the following, depending on your card:
- Vehicle damage and theftA: American Express car rental benefits are most useful for covering damage or theft of a rental car. This could be accidental damage while driving, or intentional damage caused by criminals or thieves.
- Accidental death or dismemberment: Amex car rental benefits for some cards also include insurance in the event of death due to an accident or dismemberment, such as the loss of an arm or leg. This coverage may apply when death or dismemberment is the result of a car accident during a covered rental period, and is usually not an afterthought to other insurance coverage you may have.
- Accident insurance: American Express Platinum car rental privileges, as well as coverage for certain other premium cards, also include accidental injury insurance. This protection may come into play when an applicant who is eligible to rent a car is injured in a rental car accident.
- Personal property insurance: Personal property coverage for car rentals may also apply if your personal property is damaged or stolen as a result of damage to or theft of the rental car during the rental period.
It is important to keep in mind that not all Amex credit cards offer every type of coverage listed above. For example, American Express’s Amex EveryDay® credit card car rental coverage only offers up to $50,000 in damage or theft coverage that occurs during the eligible rental period and omits accidental death and dismemberment, accident and personal injury insurance. . full property coverage.
For the most part, you’ll get additional car rental benefits, such as accident and personal property insurance, with Amex premium cards such as Amex Platinum and Business Platinum Card® by American Express.
What is not covered by American Express car rental insurance?
American Express car rental benefits can come in handy when renting a car, but it’s important to note that there are many exclusions listed. Most cards do not honor their car rental coverage under the following circumstances:
- Acts of War
- Use of the vehicle outside the terms of the rental agreement
- Vehicle use related to illegal activities
- Using a vehicle while the driver is intoxicated
- Operation of a rented car in off-road conditions
- Intentional damage
- Damage occurring before the start of the rental period
- Production defect of the rented car
- Confiscation by a government agency
- Theft or damage if the car was left unlocked
- Theft or damage to car tires (with some exceptions)
- Damage sales tax
- Charges for gasoline, airport or roadside assistance
These are just a few of the exceptions listed in the Amex Car Rental Benefits Terms and Conditions, but there are others. For example, coverage does not apply in cases of personal liability or for uninsured/underinsured motorists, personal injury protection, workers’ compensation for injuries, or disability benefits.
Also, please be aware that coverage does not apply to every country in the world and that many types of vehicles are specifically excluded. For example, cargo vans, vans with a capacity of more than eight people, limousines and SUVs are excluded from coverage.
Premium car protection from Amex
If you find that Amex’s secondary car rental insurance does not provide you with the level of coverage you need, you can look into the card issuer’s premium car rental protection program.
This additional insurance product provides higher coverage limits in exchange for a flat fee rather than a daily rate. Perhaps most importantly, the coverage is upfront—you don’t have to file a claim with your own insurance first.
Activating coverage is as easy as going to this page and clicking “Register Now”. You will then need to log into your American Express account and select one of the coverage options available to you. If you have more than one Amex card, choose the one you are most likely to use for future car rentals.
Once registered, you will pay nothing until you use your card to pay for your rental car, at which point you will automatically be charged at the applicable rate for the premium coverage level you select.
How to file a claim
You have two options for applying to rent a car with Amex. You can apply online at the American Express Claims Center or by calling 1-800-338-1670. If you are calling from an international number, you can also call 1-303-273-6497.
Before you begin the claim process, Amex offers to collect your rental agreement or contract, personal insurance information, and a police report with information about related damage, vandalism, or theft.
According to Amex, you must file your claim within 30 days of the event, or “as soon as possible.” You must also provide any requested proof of loss, which may include documents such as an itemized repair invoice, within 60 days. Other documents supporting the loss may include the car rental agreement, any police reports filed, a copy of the rental car receipt, and more.
Generally speaking, American Express states that it will pay relevant claims within 30 days of receiving satisfactory evidence of loss information.
Amex cards that offer car rental insurance
Currently, 66 different American Express credit cards come with optional car rental loss and damage insurance. Some of the best 2022 American Express credit cards (based on CreditCards.com ratings) that offer this benefit are detailed below:
| Map name | Awards | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|
| American Express Blue Cash Preferred® Card | 6% cashback at US supermarkets (up to $6,000 on purchases per year, then 1%)
6% back on select US streaming subscriptions 3% back at US gas stations and in transit 1% back on regular purchases |
Entry annual fee $0 for the first year, then $95. |
| American Express® Green Card | 3 times more points for travel, transit and meals worldwide
1X points on all other purchases |
$150 |
| American Express Cash Magnet® Card* | Cashback 1.5% on all purchases | $0 |
| Platinum Card® by American Express |
5x points increase on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel. 5x points increase on those purchases up to $500,000 within a calendar year. 5x points increase at qualifying prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel. 1X points on all other purchases |
$695 |
| American Express® Gold Card | 4X points in restaurants
4X points at US supermarkets (on purchases up to $25,000 in a calendar year, then 1X points) 3x points on flights booked directly with airlines or through amextravel.com. 1X points on all other purchases |
$250 |
| Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card | 14X points per stay at the Hilton
7X points on flights, car rentals and restaurants 3X points for other purchases |
$450 |
| Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card | 2x miles on purchases at Delta, worldwide restaurants, and US supermarkets.
1X points on all other purchases |
$99, $0 first year |
Limitations and exclusions vary by card, so be sure to read the terms and conditions that apply to your credit card policy. You can also view the current policy for your specific Amex card here.
bottom line
If you are considering using rental insurance from Amex, you should be aware that the free coverage that this issuer offers is secondary to your own insurance. However, you have the option to purchase premium car rental insurance from Amex, which is basic and offers higher coverage limits.
Please note that many credit cards from other issuers offer basic coverage as a cardholder benefit. This includes several popular Chase credit cards, including the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card.
All information about the American Express Green Card, American Express Cash Magnet Card and Hilton Honors American Express Aspire has been independently collected by CreditCards.com and has not been verified by the issuer. These offers are no longer available on our website.
Editorial disclaimer
The editorial content on this page is based solely on the objective judgment of our contributors and is not based on advertising. It was not provided or ordered by credit card issuers. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to our partners’ products.
