How Much Is Hertz Rental Car Insurance?
Last Updated on April 22, 2022
Hertz is one of America’s largest and best-known car rental companies. Like its competitors, Hertz offers rental car insurance.
If you don’t have personal auto insurance, or if you don’t have adequate coverage, then you may want to buy Hertz’s in-house rental car insurance.
How much is Hertz’s rental car insurance? What does it cover? Do you need Hertz rental car insurance if you already have car insurance? Keep reading to discover everything you need to know about Hertz rental car insurance and how it works.
Table of Contents:
- How Hertz Rental Car Insurance Works
- Hertz Rental Car Insurance Versus Your Own Car Insurance
- Hertz Rental Car Insurance Versus Credit Card Coverage
- How Much Does Hertz Car Insurance Cost?
How Hertz Rental Car Insurance Works
Hertz, like all rental car companies, already has insurance on its vehicles. However, that insurance coverage is minimal, which means you could be responsible for significant expenses after an accident.
Fortunately, most personal auto insurance policies (say, through GEICO, Allstate, Liberty Mutual, Farmers, USAA, Progressive, Nationwide, State Farm, or whatever insurance provider you use) cover rental cars. If you have personal auto insurance, then it should extend to cover your rental car.
If you don’t have personal auto insurance, or if you have low personal auto insurance limits, then you may want to buy additional rental car insurance through Hertz. Buying a collision damage waiver (CDW), for example, minimizes your costs after an accident.
Alternatively, you may be covered by your credit card. If you rent the Hertz car using your credit card, for example, then your credit card may provide rental car insurance.
Hertz Rental Car Insurance Versus Your Own Car Insurance
Before determining the cost of Hertz rental car insurance, it helps to compare Hertz’s insurance versus your own auto insurance.
At the counter, Hertz offers loss damage waiver (LDW) or collision damage waiver (CDW) protection. If you don’t have auto insurance, then you should buy this coverage. If you already have auto insurance, then you may be able to decline this coverage.
CDW/LDW at the Hertz Rental Counter: Hertz offers a loss damage waiver (LDW) or collision damage waiver (CDW) at the counter when you pick up your rental vehicle. This isn’t technically insurance; instead, it’s a policy that lets you avoid responsibility for any damage to the rental vehicle (or theft of the rental vehicle). The rental car company is waiving its right to come after you for damages. You won’t pay a deductible, nor will you pay for any valid damages to your vehicle. The LDW/CDW costs a certain extra amount per day – say, $10 to $50 per day.
Your Own Auto Insurance: You may have auto insurance through your own auto insurance policy. Most auto insurance policies extend to cover rental cars within the United States or Canada. If you’re using your own auto insurance policy, then the same coverage limits apply. After an accident or theft, you’ll pay your own deductible and file your own claim. If you make a claim for your rental car, it could raise your insurance premiums.
If you only have minimum liability insurance (instead of full coverage car insurance with collision and comprehensive coverage), then you’ll need to pay out of pocket for any damage to the vehicle (unless you buy Hertz’s CDW or LDW). Minimum liability insurance covers damage you cause to other people and property, but it does not cover damage to the vehicle you are driving.
Hertz Rental Car Insurance Versus Credit Card Coverage
If you rent your Hertz vehicle using a credit card, then your credit card may extend rental car coverage. Many credit cards, be it Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Discover, come with rental car coverage.
However, all standard credit cards provide secondary rental car coverage instead of primary coverage. That means your own auto insurance policy is the primary coverage, and your auto insurance policy is the secondary coverage. Your auto insurance policy pays first, and your credit card covers the remainder.
If you have a premium credit card (say, a travel-specific card or one with a high annual fee), then it may offer primary rental car coverage. Call your credit card company to verify rental car coverage.
How Much Does Hertz Car Insurance Cost?
Hertz offers multiple car insurance coverage options. Prices and coverages vary based on location. However, here are some of the common coverages offered by Hertz when renting a vehicle:
Liability Insurance Supplement (Up to $1,000,000 in Coverage from Third Party Claims)
If you have minimum liability insurance or low liability insurance limits on your auto insurance policy, then you may want to buy Hertz’s Liability Insurance Supplement (LIS) or Liability Protection.
This coverage adds $1,000,000 of coverage from third-party claims, including bodily injury and property damage coverage. If you injure someone while driving, for example, or damage their property, then you are liable for this damage.
Most states only require $25,000 to $50,000 of liability insurance. That could leave you dangerously under-insured after an accident. By adding Hertz’s Liability Insurance Supplement to your policy, you increase your limits to $1,000,000 for added protection.
Hertz’s Liability Insurance Supplement covers any authorized drivers. As long as you weren’t driving the car in a prohibited way, Hertz covers up to $1,000,000 from third party claims. You must accept LIS at the start of the rental car period.
Hertz Protect the Car or Loss Damage Waiver (Covers Up to the Full Value of the Vehicle)
Hertz also offers a Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) policy called Hertz Protect the Car. If you buy the LDW, Hertz waives the right to hold you responsible for most damage to the vehicle and theft of the vehicle.
Benefits of Hertz’s Protect the Car / LDW include:
- Covers all vehicle damage to the Hertz rental car, regardless of fault
- Covers theft of the vehicle, up to the full value of the vehicle
- No need to file a claim with your personal auto insurance policy
- You pay no deductible to Hertz after an accident or loss
- Your personal auto insurance will not increase after a loss
The cost of Hertz Protect the Car ranges from $10 to $50 per day or more, depending on the value of your vehicle and your location.
Additional Hertz Rental Car Insurance Options (Various Prices & Coverages)
Hertz offers other rental car insurance options at various prices and coverage options. Depending on your state, these coverages could go by different names:
Personal Effects Coverage: If something is stolen from your vehicle, then Hertz will not cover this loss. Instead, you need to make a claim through your homeowners insurance or renters insurance. In some states, Hertz offers personal effects coverage. For an extra few dollars per day, Hertz compensates you for any theft of possessions from your vehicle.
Personal Accident Protection: Hertz may also offer personal accident protection, which covers medical costs for you and your passengers. If you already have coverage through your personal insurance policy (say, through personal injury coverage, medical payments coverage, travel insurance, or health insurance), then this coverage may not be necessary.
Final Word on Hertz’s Rental Car Insurance
Hertz’s rental car insurance costs $10 to $50 per day or more, depending on your location, vehicle value, and insurance needs.
If you buy Hertz’s supplemental liability insurance, for example, then you can expect to pay around $10 to $20 extra per day.
If you buy Hertz’s loss damage waiver (LDW) coverage, also known as Hertz Protect the Car, then it could cost $20 to $50 per day or more. With Hertz Protect the Car, you do not need to pay anything for any damage to the vehicle, regardless of fault (unless you were driving in a prohibited way).
To learn more about specific Hertz rental car insurance costs, contact your Hertz rental car location.
