Changes to MasterCard car-rental coverage?
Jan 28, 2014 | 3:11 pm
#1
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For years, the car-rental coverage on a number of different MasterCards applied even if free-day or dollars-off coupons were used on the rental, as long as at least one full day's rental charges were charged to the card. In late 2013, I started getting revised benefits brochures for MasterCards issued by Barclays, Chase, and Citi. In these new brochures, the language about the permitted use of coupons is gone, and the new language just says that the "entire" rental must be charged to the card for the insurance benefit to apply.
I don't know if there has been a change to "MasterRental" coverage, or if Barclays, Chase, and Citi have replaced MasterRental coverage with their own (lesser) coverage. In any event, I wanted to give a heads-up to those FTers who use coupons on their car rentals, and have been relying on a MasterCard to cover them in the event of loss of, or damage to, the car.
Please review carefully the current benefits brochure of your MasterCard before using the card for any rental on which you want to apply coupons.
For years, the car-rental coverage on a number of different MasterCards applied even if free-day or dollars-off coupons were used on the rental, as long as at least one full day's rental charges were charged to the card. In late 2013, I started getting revised benefits brochures for MasterCards issued by Barclays, Chase, and Citi. In these new brochures, the language about the permitted use of coupons is gone, and the new language just says that the "entire" rental must be charged to the card for the insurance benefit to apply.
I don't know if there has been a change to "MasterRental" coverage, or if Barclays, Chase, and Citi have replaced MasterRental coverage with their own (lesser) coverage. In any event, I wanted to give a heads-up to those FTers who use coupons on their car rentals, and have been relying on a MasterCard to cover them in the event of loss of, or damage to, the car.
Please review carefully the current benefits brochure of your MasterCard before using the card for any rental on which you want to apply coupons.
Jan 28, 2014 | 7:02 pm
#2
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: YWG
Programs: Aeroplan, MileagePlus, Marriott Rewards
Posts: 2,208
What I'd like to know is what constitutes a "coupon"?
Presumably a physical paper coupon that you hand over to an agent is a coupon. Likely that coupon codes you enter onlineare too.
But what about membership IDs or rate codes you quote upon renting? Those effectively function the same as coupons too.
Anyway, this is maddening and very much reduces the value of the insurance in my mind. If I have to pay full price on the rental to get "free" rental car insurance, then it totally defeats the purpose of the latter. Or is that the point?
Presumably a physical paper coupon that you hand over to an agent is a coupon. Likely that coupon codes you enter onlineare too.
But what about membership IDs or rate codes you quote upon renting? Those effectively function the same as coupons too.
Anyway, this is maddening and very much reduces the value of the insurance in my mind. If I have to pay full price on the rental to get "free" rental car insurance, then it totally defeats the purpose of the latter. Or is that the point?
Jan 28, 2014 | 7:17 pm
#3
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I don't believe that use of a rate code is a "coupon" for purposes of credit-card coverage. And I suspect that an upgrade coupon would not void the coverage either. It's the free-day and dollars-off coupons that can cause mischief I think.
I don't believe that use of a rate code is a "coupon" for purposes of credit-card coverage. And I suspect that an upgrade coupon would not void the coverage either. It's the free-day and dollars-off coupons that can cause mischief I think.