Apr 3, 2024, 10:08 am
Last edit by: mia
This thread discusses American Express PREMIUM Car Rental Protection. This is an extra cost service that is offered only to cardholders residing in the USA. This is not the same as the Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) that is a standard benefit of many American Express cards.
Premium Car Rental Protection website: https://feeservices.americanexpress....erage/home.do A chart comparing Premium to the standard CDW benefit is at the bottom of that page.
Premium Car Rental Protection offers Primary coverage. Primary means only that the insurer pays first when there is a covered claim. It does not imply that the coverage is superior. The standard CDW provided with USA issued American Express cards provides Secondary coverage if the cardholder has other collectible automobile insurance. If you do not have an automobile insurance policy, or if your policy does not cover rental cars in the area where you are traveling, the standard CDW Waiver becomes Primary.
Premium Car Rental Protection website: https://feeservices.americanexpress....erage/home.do A chart comparing Premium to the standard CDW benefit is at the bottom of that page.
Premium Car Rental Protection offers Primary coverage. Primary means only that the insurer pays first when there is a covered claim. It does not imply that the coverage is superior. The standard CDW provided with USA issued American Express cards provides Secondary coverage if the cardholder has other collectible automobile insurance. If you do not have an automobile insurance policy, or if your policy does not cover rental cars in the area where you are traveling, the standard CDW Waiver becomes Primary.
AMEX (USA) Premium Car Rental Protection
Oct 3, 2018, 8:00 am
#316
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 610
Anyone know how the Premium Car Rental Protection works with things like driving into a national park? Looking at Curacao specifically, and Christoffel national park. Rental car companies tend to invalidate CDW in the park, even if staying on paved roads.
Oct 27, 2018, 7:05 pm
#319
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,601
Oct 27, 2018, 8:55 pm
#320
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
How to Activate Coverage
Coverage is activated when the Cardmember
uses an Enrolled Card to pay the rental fee for
the Rental Car and the Cardmember signs the
rental agreement for that Rental Car.
Coverage will not be activated if an American
Express Card that has been used to pay a rental
fee for the Rental Car is enrolled in the Plan after
the Cardmember or Authorized Driver Boards the
Rental Car for the first time. Coverage also will
not be activated if an Enrolled Card has not been
used to pay the rental fee, but is subsequently
used to pay for Damage to the Rental Car.
Coverage is activated when the Cardmember
uses an Enrolled Card to pay the rental fee for
the Rental Car and the Cardmember signs the
rental agreement for that Rental Car.
Coverage will not be activated if an American
Express Card that has been used to pay a rental
fee for the Rental Car is enrolled in the Plan after
the Cardmember or Authorized Driver Boards the
Rental Car for the first time. Coverage also will
not be activated if an Enrolled Card has not been
used to pay the rental fee, but is subsequently
used to pay for Damage to the Rental Car.
Oct 27, 2018, 10:58 pm
#321
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,872
How does this work? For example, book rental on any car rental website OR Autoslash, etc and pay the entire rental fee with any Amex issued Amex credit card, then go here https://feeservices.americanexpress....verage/home.do and use the same Amex card to purchase the PREMIUM CAR RENTAL PROTECTION ? That way I now have primary collision coverage on that rental vehicle?
Also, what if I book rental on United website and book the rental fee with United miles entirely or book with (miles & money) pay most with miles and $1 with Amex card? And then buy the PREMIUM CAR RENTAL PROTECTION with the same card to get the collision coverage?
Thanks
Also, what if I book rental on United website and book the rental fee with United miles entirely or book with (miles & money) pay most with miles and $1 with Amex card? And then buy the PREMIUM CAR RENTAL PROTECTION with the same card to get the collision coverage?
Thanks
Oct 28, 2018, 2:49 am
#322
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 777
How does this work? For example, book rental on any car rental website OR Autoslash, etc and pay the entire rental fee with any Amex issued Amex credit card, then go here https://feeservices.americanexpress....verage/home.do and use the same Amex card to purchase the PREMIUM CAR RENTAL PROTECTION ? That way I now have primary collision coverage on that rental vehicle?
Also, what if I book rental on United website and book the rental fee with United miles entirely or book with (miles & money) pay most with miles and $1 with Amex card? And then buy the PREMIUM CAR RENTAL PROTECTION with the same card to get the collision coverage?
Thanks
Also, what if I book rental on United website and book the rental fee with United miles entirely or book with (miles & money) pay most with miles and $1 with Amex card? And then buy the PREMIUM CAR RENTAL PROTECTION with the same card to get the collision coverage?
Thanks
Unless things have changed you go to the above link and enroll your Amex card/account. There after coverage is automatically triggered each time you use said Amex card for a qualifying rental. That is once you've made the reservation/collected the vehicle coverage begins soon as rental company processes paperwork and gives you the keys.
One glitch is if you use third party websites like AutoSlash, Hotwire, or whatever. Amex *may* not recognize the charge as a rental the way it would from Hertz, Alamo, National, Enterprise or whoever. In such instances it is best to contact customer service after you've made the reservation and collected the vehicle. Once the paperwork is done via car rental place they would have placed a hold on card which gives Amex CSR something to work with.
Some car rental places place a hold 24 hours or so before reservation is due to begin; so you can always check that way as well if you've used a third party service to make the car booking.
Thing to remember is once you've enrolled in this Amex PCR scheme it is just that, *automatic*. If for any reason you decide don't want a particular rental covered you'd have to find a way to deactivate before rental begins.
Dec 8, 2018, 5:54 am
#325
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Call up Amex and let them know the BA charge was for a car rental so that Amex can manually charge the premium car rental protection fee before you pick up the vehicle.
Dec 11, 2018, 11:08 am
#326
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,220
I tried three times, once by email and twice by phone... got the same answer each time. "You'll get charged when you pick up the car." "But the charge won't be directly from a rental car agency, will it trigger? Can you charge manually?" "Your insurance will kick in when you pick up the car." and so on.
Dec 11, 2018, 11:24 am
#327
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
When you pickup the car you will be asked for a credit card, and the rental agency will submit a pending transaction to act as a type of security deposit in the event of damage. That may trigger the coverage.
Dec 12, 2018, 1:05 am
#328
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
In previous rentals for me, pending transactions didn’t seem to trigger any coverage charge by Amex. Even after the rental was completed using the card to prepay for a rental car as part of a travel package or otherwise prepaid via an airline/travel agency, I wasn’t charged the Amex premium car insurance charge. It didn’t matter to me those times, but that wouldn’t necessarily always be the case.
Dec 12, 2018, 11:56 am
#329
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,220
Or it may not trigger the coverage?
In previous rentals for me, pending transactions didn’t seem to trigger any coverage charge by Amex. Even after the rental was completed using the card to prepay for a rental car as part of a travel package or otherwise prepaid via an airline/travel agency, I wasn’t charged the Amex premium car insurance charge. It didn’t matter to me those times, but that wouldn’t necessarily always be the case.