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Do I need the rental car company's insurance?

What your own policy already covers, what a credit card adds, and the one coverage at the counter that is sometimes worth buying.

Updated August 17, 2026 · 2 min read

The rental counter is a high pressure place to make an insurance decision. Sort it out before you get there and the answer takes ten seconds.

What your own policy usually does

If you carry liability, collision and comprehensive on a personal vehicle, that coverage generally extends to a rental car used for personal travel in the United States, with the same limits and the same deductible.

If you carry liability only, your policy will not repair the rental. That is the situation where the counter product matters.

What the counter is selling

• A collision damage waiver, which is not insurance but an agreement not to hold you responsible for damage to their vehicle
• Supplemental liability, which raises liability limits above what your policy provides
• Personal accident coverage, which duplicates health insurance and medical payments for most people
• Personal effects coverage, which usually duplicates homeowners or renters insurance

What a credit card adds

Many cards include rental car coverage when you pay with that card and decline the counter waiver. Most card benefits are secondary, meaning they pay after your own insurance, and a smaller number are primary, meaning they pay first and keep the claim off your policy. Call the number on the back of the card and ask which yours is, before the trip.

When to buy the waiver anyway

• You carry liability only on your own vehicle
• You do not own a car and have no personal auto policy
• You are renting for business and your employer does not provide coverage
• You want to avoid a claim on your own policy entirely, and your card benefit is secondary
• Loss of use and administrative fees charged by the rental company, which many personal policies do not fully cover

Renting outside the country

Coverage generally does not extend to Mexico. Rentals there require coverage purchased locally, and the same rules apply as driving your own car across.

Check before your trip

Call us with the rental dates and we will tell you exactly what your policy does. Two minutes on the phone saves an argument at the counter. (956) 687-3334. Se habla español.