Rental car cover for overseas visitors
The short answer
Your home car insurance usually doesn't cover you in the US, so check before you fly what your travel policy or credit card includes. At the counter, the main products are a damage waiver for the rental car itself and extra liability cover for damage to other people. Buying both when you already have cover wastes money; skipping both when you don't can be very expensive.
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Key takeaways
- Overseas visitors' home car insurance usually doesn't cover a US rental.
- Visa says its rental cover becomes primary when you rent outside your home country.
- Card cover only works if you pay for the whole rental with the card and decline the counter's damage waiver.
What does the rental counter offer?
- Damage waiver (often called CDW or LDW): the rental company agrees not to charge you for damage to, or theft of, the rental car, subject to its terms.
- Liability cover (often called SLI or LIS): extra protection if you damage other people's property or injure someone.
- Personal accident and effects cover: medical costs and belongings, which your travel insurance may already include.
- Roadside protection: covers things like lost keys and lockouts.
Does my travel insurance or credit card cover a rental car?
Sometimes, partly. Some travel policies and premium credit cards include rental car damage cover, but often only if you decline the counter's waiver and pay with that card, and many exclude certain vehicles or countries. Many pay you back afterwards rather than at the counter, which is why the counter may still take a large deposit.
Not sure what your policy or card covers? Leave your number and we'll check it for your booking.
Can my Visa or Mastercard replace the counter's damage waiver?
It can. Visa says its rental cover is usually secondary at home, but becomes primary when you rent outside your home country, which is exactly your situation as a visitor. With Mastercard, it depends on your card. Either way, you must pay for the whole rental with that card and decline the counter's damage waiver, and the card only covers the rental car, not damage to other people. See memberships, military and card cover.
What's different about cover bought from a booking site?
Cover sold by a travel or booking site usually reimburses you after you've paid the rental company. The counter can't see it, so you may still be offered the counter's own waiver and asked for a full deposit. Our Discover Cars page explains one example.
Questions people ask
Does my home car insurance cover a rental car in the USA?
Usually not for overseas visitors. Check your travel insurance and your credit card's benefits before you fly.
What is CDW on a rental car?
A collision damage waiver: the rental company agrees not to charge you for damage to the rental car, subject to its terms. It doesn't cover damage to other people's property; that's liability cover.
Does my Visa card cover a rental car in the USA if I'm visiting?
Visa says its rental cover becomes primary when you rent outside your home country, as long as you pay for the whole rental with the card and decline the counter's damage waiver. It covers the rental car, not liability. Check your own card's benefits guide.
Do I need to buy insurance at the rental counter?
Not if you already have suitable cover, but many overseas visitors don't. Check what your travel policy and card include before you reach the counter.
Related help
- Renting in the US or Canada from abroad
- Breakdown or accident in a rental car
- Damage claim after you returned the car
- Paying for a rental car from abroad
- Renting a car in the USA from India
- Renting a car in the USA from Australia
- License refused at the counter
OneCall Rental is an independent service and is not affiliated with any rental company or travel site.
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