American Express Membership Rewards - *NEW* AMEX Car Rental Insurance $19.95 per rental up to 42 days

I just got my new HHonor AMEX card, and when I activated my card, AMEX rep on the phone tries to sign me up the *NEW* Car Rental Insurance with the following highlights:

- No Annual fee or sign up fee
- Primary coverage, NOT secondary (I assume it will not report to personal auto ins)
- $19.95 per rental up to 42 days
- Auto charge to your amex card each time you rent
- Once sign up, all amex cards under same soc sec no. will be covered

Can't find any details about this features on amex web site....Rep will send me the policy detail. I better look at the fine print. It will be good deal and save a lot if you rent longer than 2-3 days.

I just got my new HHonor AMEX card, and when I activated my card, AMEX rep on the phone tries to sign me up the *NEW* Car Rental Insurance with the following highlights:

- No Annual fee or sign up fee
- Primary coverage, NOT secondary (I assume it will not report to personal auto ins)
- $19.95 per rental up to 42 days
- Auto charge to your amex card each time you rent
- Once sign up, all amex cards under same soc sec no. will be covered

Can't find any details about this features on amex web site....Rep will send me the policy detail. I better look at the fine print. It will be good deal and save a lot if you rent longer than 2-3 days.


Yes, I would look very closely at the fine print. What does this plan offer over your personal auto insurance (besides the possibility that an accident would not raise your personal auto insurance rates). The cost of this plan does not seem to be worth it, unless your accident prone and expect your auto insurance rates to go up.

What these credit card comapanies fail to mention, regardless if it is primary or secondary insurance, is that their plans only cover the rental car (I learned this the hard way). I would just take the free rental protection and use my personal auto insurance to cover all other damages/injuries if I were found to be at fault

Some fine print to look for:
Does the coverage extend beyond the rental car?
What vehicle type exclusions are there (i.e. no BMW's or vans)?

And of course $19.95 per rental, automatically charged, is only fifty cents a day if you happen to keep the car for 42 days, but outrageous for a one-day rental. It didn't sound like it was an option - the guy at the Avis desk renting the car is not going to be involved in that aspect of your dealings, so how would you decline it for short rentals?

You can't decline it for short rentals. That's the problem. You get charged every time a car rental shows up on your statement. Its still cheaper then getting all the coverage from the rental car company, but who does that anyway!

You can't decline it for short rentals. That's the problem. You get charged every time a car rental shows up on your statement. Its still cheaper then getting all the coverage from the rental car company, but who does that anyway!
Just to show my ignorance (and agree with your premise that we usually depend on other coverage) I thought a car company typically charged around USD7 per day for coverage. Too low?

Interestingly enough, the Premium Car Rental Protection on the gold card is $24.95. This may be worth it if you rent for more a long duration (which I do).

How does this compare to diners primary coverage? - Anyone care to comment

This may be self-evident... but for short-term rentals you can just use another credit card, such as your VISA or MC. (If that's an option for you.)

For longer rentals, whip out the AmEx!

I've looked into the issue and really enjoy the peace of mind that the premium plan offers. Regular amex rental coverage is very small, and though the Premium is not the answer to everything, it is certainly a much better option.

It's a must have if:
If you don't have a car of your own.
Rent for long periods ie: a week or longer.

It's not for you if:
You have great insurance on your personal car.
You often rent for 1/2 days.
You rent SUV's and Luxury cars.

Also, like all credit card insurance it does not cover liability. It is only in addition to your current coverage. The best part is that you're only charged when a rental company charges your amex for a rental.

It's not for you if:
You rent SUV's and Luxury cars.



Will this coverage not cover anything better then a Chevy? I would think that Amex gold and plat customers would be more likely to rent some kind of luxury car or be upgraded to one.....

In case of damage to the rental, rental car company will charge the renter for loss of use while the car is being repaired. AMEX said it will not cover such charges. From my previous experience, my personal auto will covered some of it, not all. Eventually, your auto insurance will have to be claimed. The rental company may charge you $30 a day for 2 weeks if that is what it takes to repair :mad: !!

I signed up for the premium car insurance coverage through my Amex Gold. I always give the car rental agency my Amex card when I pick up the car, but when I drop it off, I ask them to charge it on my visa. Amex has never charged me the $24.95 fee.

I've looked into the issue and really enjoy the peace of mind that the premium plan offers. Regular amex rental coverage is very small, and though the Premium is not the answer to everything, it is certainly a much better option.

It's a must have if:
If you don't have a car of your own.
Rent for long periods ie: a week or longer.


I thought that if you don't have a car of your own, the card insurance becomes primary. Isn't that the case with Amex?

BTW, I called to sign up but this isn’t available to residents of NY State. Now I know why AMEX never solicited me to buy it.

One thing it does offer is coverage around the world except for a handful of countries.
I don't remember all of them but Italy and Ireland were on the list with about seven or eight others.
That is something that your own personal auto insurance or most other credit cards do not cover.
Is it correct that Diners is one card that will cover outside of the US?

I signed up for the premium car insurance coverage through my Amex Gold. I always give the car rental agency my Amex card when I pick up the car, but when I drop it off, I ask them to charge it on my visa. Amex has never charged me the $24.95 fee.

Interesting loophole!
Of course you don't get any amex points/miles, but not a bad idea, particularly for someone who is semi-accident prone.

Diners Club offers primary insurance at no charge. If you want a Diners Club card, we can both get a sign-up bonus. Just email me for the details.

One warning about Diners, if I remember correctly, is that it does not cover additional drivers unless family or business associates, but I would advise confirming the restrictions.

When the rental agency swipes your card at the counter it registers with AMEX. Even if you don't pay with AMEX you should be charged the $20.

Also, if you don't have a car, the free-regular AMEX insurance will also take-over as primary insurance, but with only a $5,000 cap. Certainly not enough coverage. Premium is much higher although I'm not sure of the amount.

The SUV issue is a tough one. You'd have to call and see what's covered.... I would assume all american mid-sized SUV's would be ok but none of the Full-size. Seems like I remember is saying no coverage for any car valued over $50,000.

Does anyone have a link with more information?

I signed up for the premium car insurance coverage through my Amex Gold. I always give the car rental agency my Amex card when I pick up the car, but when I drop it off, I ask them to charge it on my visa. Amex has never charged me the $24.95 fee.

That's a cool trick. Of course, if you were unfortunate enough to crash the car then you would pay using your Amex so the insurance cover kicks in. :D ^

Does anyone know if there is a similar system for UK based Amex customers? My car insurance only covers me for my own car and third party on cars not owned by me. Is it possible to get fully comp insurance for any vehicle in the UK?

When the rental agency swipes your card at the counter it registers with AMEX. Even if you don't pay with AMEX you should be charged the $20.