youngtom2910

I'm planning to rent a car in France. I called my credit card company, Capital One, and they told me thart they would provide insurance for damage to the car I rent.
do I need to get something in writiong to show the car rental so I wont be charged for insuranc e?

thanks

mjs

I don’t have Capitol One so don’t know the answer. Is your coverage by credit card primary or secondary? Also coverage may be dictated by the terms of your rental agreement so you have to read the fine print of your credit card auto insurance policy

traveler318

If the coverage is called "collision damage waiver" it covers your exposure for damage to the rented vehicle. I do not have that card, but have other cards which offer this kind of coverage. You can ask the issuer for a card benefits summary that usually has the requirements for the coverage (they usually send it to you when you open the account but I've found you can download it later from most issuers), and these benefits are usually "secondary" meaning any other insuranc you have pays first. However, if you are a US resident, your normal car insurance will not cover you in France, so the secondary coverage will kick in. There are usually other requirements to the benefit, like declining the coverage offered by the car rental company. I have never had the rental company require proof of the other coverage, altough some can take a very large "reserve" against your credit card if you decline their coverage.

Finally, none of these provide liability insurance (that is liability for damage you cause to another vehicle or injury to a person). Typically your US car insurance will not cover this either. If you have a personal liability umbrella policy, that will cover your liabilty in foreign locales.

mjs

I have never had to show a car rental agency proof of my credit card auto insurance. If you decline their insurance you would be liable if your credit card insurance does not cover you.

kerouac

I decline the insurance because my Gold Mastercard covers me. In fact, when I had a minor accident a few years ago, I was reimbursed by my card even before the rental company had debited the deductible.

StuDudley

I have CapOne. CDW is covered for up to 31 days. I sometimes travel for more than 31 days, so I do a return, and get a new rental before the 31 days expire. Decline the CDW insurance that the rental company offers. The rental company will put a 300E "block" on your CC - so you have 300E less money to charge against your card until the block is lifted. Also, the name on the CC you use must match the name on the reservation (we had to shuffle cards once). I read someplace that rental companies want proof of insurance if you decline theirs. So I always take the Ts&Cs that CapOne sent us. I usually rent 2 cars each year in France, and nobody has asked for proof. Also, nobody has asked for the required "International Driver Permit" - but I get one from AAA every year. We've been stopped a few times by police (Sunday afternoon breath-check).

We usually get 2 traffic tickets each year (we're there for 2 months).

I think the rental company covers liability - but not sure.

Someone hit our car while it was parked in a parking lot a few years ago. Attached is a description of the process that occurred to get things settled.

Stu Dudley

mjs

I actually use Amx premium car rental insurance now. Costs something like $18 for the entire rental and is primary. Took care of everything when I had an issue with a parking garage wall a few years ago. Used my Chase reserve card when my daughter had a similar issue a few years ago and it was a pain to deal with

natylou

Download a copy of the terms of insurance from your credit card company, as someone said above.

One thing to watch is the max value your card will cover (value of the vehicle) if you’re in a serious accident. Most SUV’s we have rented are valued above our credit card max. And sometimes the car you rented is subbed with a bigger or more valuable one, so be aware.