The Guide to Chase Sapphire Rental Car Insurance

As a card issuer, Chase is one of the more generous providers of rental car insurance as a benefit. This is due to its worldwide coverage and wide variety of cards that offer insurance. Among these are the two cards featured in the Chase Sapphire line: the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, both of which provide rental car coverage.

Let’s take a look at Chase Sapphire rental car insurance, who can use this benefit and how to file a claim when things go awry.

» Learn more: The best credit cards for rental cars

Several of Chase’s credit cards provide rental car insurance, and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — which are designed for frequent travelers — are no different.

In order to be eligible for the insurance offered by these cards, you’ll need to decline the coverage offered by the rental car company and use your card to pay for the total cost of the rental. Chase rental car insurance is complimentary, so you don’t need to pay a fee in order to activate coverage.

How coverage varies between the two cards

Rental car insurance coverage can vary according to the card you hold; however, both the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card feature almost identical rental car insurance benefits.

This is despite the fact that the two cards charge very different annual fees.

• The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a premium travel credit card and its annual fee reflects such: It costs $550 each year to hold the card.

• The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, meanwhile, is a midtier card and charges just $95 per year in annual fees.

The main difference between the two cards’ coverage is that the Chase Sapphire Reserve® car rental insurance provides reimbursement for up to $75,000, while the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card only covers up to the actual cash value of the rental vehicle.

This means that if you’re not overly interested in high-end travel benefits but would still like to receive generous Chase Sapphire rental car insurance, you may want to opt for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.

» Learn more: Should I upgrade to the Chase Sapphire Reserve?

Other credit card options from Chase

Other Chase travel credit cards that provide rental car insurance include:

• United Club℠ Infinite Card.

• United℠ Explorer Card.

• World of Hyatt Credit Card.

• Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

It can be tricky understanding how insurance applies when renting a car. If you have your own personal insurance, it’ll usually cover you when you drive a rental car. You can always, of course, choose to pay extra for the insurance that the rental car company offers.

However, if you hold either the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you’d be better off declining the insurance provided by the rental car company.

As we mentioned above, this step is crucial if you want to rely on Chase Sapphire car rental coverage. Declining the individual rental car company's insurance offering at time of rental (and paying with your Sapphire-branded card) will make the included coverage kick in.

Chase Sapphire auto insurance is primary, so it’ll pay out before any other types of insurance. This means you won’t need to make a collision damage claim on your personal insurance. Chase will instead bear the brunt of the accident.

In the event something does go wrong, here’s what Chase covers:

• Physical damage to the car.

• Theft of a covered rental vehicle.

• Loss-of-use charges incurred by the rental car agency.

• Reasonable towing charges.

Also note that there is a limit to the rental period length that Chase will cover — the rental must not exceed 31 days.

Finally, it’s worth noting that Chase rental car insurance is valid in countries that some other companies skip, which can save you from an extra out-of-pocket expense while traveling. Commonly excluded countries from other issuers include Irish Republic, Israel and Jamaica, but these destinations are covered with your Sapphire-branded card.

» Learn more: What your credit card rental car coverage doesn’t include

The rental car insurance provided by Chase Sapphire cards offers generous coverage for drivers. Although the cardholder must be listed as the primary renter, any additional drivers as allowed by the agreement are also covered.

It’s never ideal to need to make a claim, but in the event that something goes awry, it’s a simple process to report the incident.

There are two methods you can use to initiate your claim:

• The first is to contact your Benefit Administrator who can send you a claim form to complete.

• Otherwise, you can begin your claim by navigating to Chase’s online claim website.

There are certain restrictions when it comes to filing your claim. First, you must report the incident as quickly as possible, but no later than 100 days after it occurred.

You’ll then need to complete and return the claim form, which must be done within 120 days of the incident.

Finally, you have 365 days to fully submit all of your supporting documentation. You’ll need to coordinate with the rental car company in order to acquire these items:

• Copy of the repair estimate and itemized bill.

• Copy of the rental agreement.

• Copy of the accident report form.

• Police report (if possible).

• Two photographs of the damaged vehicle (if possible).

• A copy of the demand letter indicating the damages you owe.

You’ll also need to provide a copy of your credit card statement showing that you paid for the rental car using your eligible card.

Once all the documentation has been provided, Chase can begin working on your claim. After it’s been processed, it’ll pay the rental car company directly for the costs incurred by the incident.

» Learn more: The types of travel insurance that come with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Chase Sapphire rental car insurance is a great perk for cardholders. Using either the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card to pay for your rental car unlocks the benefits of this insurance, providing complimentary coverage for theft or damage of your vehicle up to different amounts.