Does Chase Sapphire Offer Rental Car Insurance?

Last Updated on July 13, 2023

If you have a Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card, then your credit card comes with rental car insurance.

Chase Sapphire Preferred policyholders receive a complimentary auto rental collision damage waiver. Chase covers certain damage and theft up to the limits of the value of your rental car.

Keep reading to discover everything you need to know about Chase Sapphire rental car insurance and how insurance works on the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card.

Table of Contents:

• Yes, Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Cards Come with Rental Car Coverage
• How Chase Sapphire Preferred Rental Car Insurance Works
• What Is Not Covered by Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card Insurance?
• Other Things to Know About Chase Sapphire Preferred Rental Car Insurance
• Chase Sapphire Preferred Rental Car Coverage Versus Other Credit Cards
• How to File a Chase Sapphire Preferred Rental Car Insurance Claim
• Chase Also Offers Roadside Assistance

Yes, Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Cards Come with Rental Car Coverage

Your Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card comes with certain rental car benefits.

If you pay for your rental car with your Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card, and if you decline the rental car company’s collision insurance, then you’ll receive an auto rental collision damage waiver from Chase.

When Chase’s collision damage waiver is active, you receive reimbursement up to the actual cash value of the vehicle for theft and collision damage. This coverage covers most rental cars in the United States and abroad.

Your Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card works as primary coverage – not secondary coverage. That means you can make a claim through Chase without contacting your personal auto insurance company. That’s a big deal, as most other credit cards only offer secondary coverage, with your personal auto insurance functioning as secondary coverage.

Overall, the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card has rental car benefits that make it ideal for anyone who frequently rents cars or travels.

How Chase Sapphire Preferred Rental Car Insurance Works

If you pay for your entire rental car using your Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card, then Chase provides a collision damage waiver for the duration of your rental.

Here’s how that collision damage waiver works:

• Chase reimburses you for damage due to collision or theft for most rental vehicles when traveling within the United States and around the world.
• Your Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card functions as primary coverage, which means you don’t need to file a claim with any other source of insurance before you receive benefits. In comparison, most credit cards offer secondary coverage and require you to make a claim through your personal auto insurance provider before making a claim through your credit card.
• You must initiate and pay for the entire rental transaction using your Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card. You must also decline the rental car company’s collision damage waiver (CDW) or loss damage waiver (LDW).
• Chase covers the cardholder (the person whose name is embossed on the card and listed as the primary renter) along with additional drivers permitted by the rental agreement (authorized drivers added to the rental car agreement).
• Chase covers physical damage to the rental vehicle and theft of the covered rental vehicle.
• Chase also covers reasonable and customary towing charges required to take the vehicle to the nearest repair facility along with valid loss-of-use charges incurred by the rental car agency (some rental car agencies charge loss-of-use fees when a rental car is being repaired and unable to be rented)

Chase covers up to the actual cash value of the rental car.

Chase covers vehicle rental periods of up to 31 consecutive days. If you are renting a vehicle for more than 31 consecutive days, then Chase will not cover the entire rental period.

What Is Not Covered by Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card Insurance?

Your Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card does not cover all of the following:

Types of Vehicles

Chase, like most credit card companies, does not extend coverage to certain types of rental vehicles, including:

• Expensive, exotic, and antique vehicles
• Vans designed to carry more than 9 people
• Vehicles with an open cargo bed
• Trucks
• Motorcycles, mopeds, and motorbikes
• Limousines, recreational vehicles, and certain other alternative vehicles

Other Exclusions

Other exclusions that may limit coverage include:

• Expenses reimbursed by your personal auto insurance policy, your employer, or your employer’s insurance
• Any obligation you assume under any other agreement
• Injuries
• Leases and mini leases (say, for hourly rentals or car share services)
• Damages incurred when violating the rental car agreement
• Loss or theft of personal belongings

Other Things to Know About Chase Sapphire Preferred Rental Car Insurance

Other things you need to know about Chase Sapphire Preferred rental car insurance include:

• You must contact the Chase benefits administrator immediately to report theft or damage
• You must notify the Chase benefits administrator within 60 days of damage or theft
• The benefits administrator will send you a claim form after you report the loss; you must submit a completed claim form within 100 days of the incident
• Chase may require additional supporting evidence, including receipts, documentation, and other information from your or the rental car company; Chase requires this supporting documentation within 365 days of the incident

You can view additional exclusions, rules, terms, and conditions for your Chase Sapphire Preferred rental car coverage here.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Rental Car Coverage Versus Other Credit Cards

The Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card offers better rental car coverage than a standard credit card.

If you are deciding between credit cards, and you frequently rent cars, then the Chase Sapphire Preferred’s rental car benefits may give the card an edge over the competition.

Here are some of the perks of the Chase Sapphire Preferred compared to other credit cards:

Primary Versus Secondary Coverage: The Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card offers primary coverage – not secondary coverage. That means you do not need to make a claim through your personal auto insurance company after an accident. You could avoid paying higher insurance premiums and avoid losing your safe driver discount, for example, by keeping the incident away from your personal auto insurance provider.

31 Days of Coverage: Most credit cards cover 15 to 31 day rental periods, depending on your location (most cards cover 15 days for domestic car rentals and 31 days for international rentals, for example). The Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card covers rental periods of 31 consecutive days in all covered countries. If you frequently take trips lasting three or four weeks, then the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card may be a better option due to its longer rental period.

Domestic & International Rentals: Some credit cards have different coverage for international and domestic rentals. With the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card, you get similar coverage whether renting in the United States and around the world. Chase offers primary coverage for both domestic and international rentals, for example, which is rare compared to other cards.

Coverage for Additional Authorized Drivers: Your Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card covers additional drivers listed on the rental agreement. If your spouse is an authorized driver on the rental agreement, for example, then Chase covers your spouse – even if your spouse’s name isn’t on your Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card.

How to File a Chase Sapphire Preferred Rental Car Insurance Claim

Contact the Chase benefits administrator to file a rental car insurance claim.

You must contact Chase within 60 days of the incident. However, Chase recommends contacting the benefits administrator immediately after the incident, if possible.

• Chase requires certain documentation, including a copy of your credit card statement proving you paid for the entire rental with your Chase Sapphire Preferred card, a copy of the entire rental agreement, a copy of the accident report, a police report (if applicable), photos of the damage, repair estimates, and any additional documentation related to the incident, if necessary, as requested by the benefits administrator
• You must send the completed claim form to Chase within 100 days of the incident
• You must send all additional required documentation to Chase within 365 days of the incident

Chase Also Offers Roadside Assistance

Your Chase Sapphire Preferred rental car also comes with roadside assistance. It’s called Roadside Dispatch, and it covers you when renting a vehicle, driving your primary vehicle, or riding with someone else.

Here’s how Chase Sapphire Preferred’s Roadside Dispatch works for primary vehicles or rental vehicles:

• Roadside Dispatch is a pay-per-use roadside assistance program. You pay a pre-negotiated, per-service fee for certain roadside emergencies.
• Roadside Dispatch covers standing towing (up to 5 miles), tire changing, jump starts, lockout services, fuel delivery, and standard winching
• Call 1-800-847-2869 to access roadside assistance
• If you have a rental car, then contact the car rental agency before contacting Chase’s roadside assistance hotline; some rental car companies have special procedures regarding emergency road service

You can view additional information about Chase Sapphire Preferred’s roadside assistance here.

Final Word

The Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card offers strong rental car coverage.

When you pay for your rental car using your Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card, you receive primary coverage for rental car periods of up to 31 days. This coverage extends to the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card holder and any authorized drivers also listed on the policy.

To learn more about the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card’s rental car coverage and how it works, or to file a claim, contact Chase today.