American Express Premium Car Rental Protection is an optional, paid service for AmEx cardholders that offers primary coverage for damage or theft on a rental car up to $100,000 for up to 42 consecutive days.
If you have an American Express card and are curious about your rental car insurance options, we’re covering everything you need to know about AmEx Premium Car Rental Protection — what it is, what it covers, eligible cards and whether it’s the right option for you.
What is American Express Premium Car Rental Protection?
Premium Car Rental Protection from American Express offers optional insurance coverage for rental vehicles. It provides primary coverage for theft and damage with no deductible, at a flat rate per rental period. You can choose from two coverage options and that give you worldwide protection, excluding six countries. It does not include liability, uninsured or underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) or disability coverage.
The service also offers secondary medical coverage in case of accident injuries, which is coverage that kicks in after your primary health insurance has paid.
If you’ve enrolled in the program, used your eligible AmEx card to rent a car and have purchased Premium Car Rental Protection, you can file a claim with American Express to cover damages in case of an accident.
This provides an alternative to using your personal auto insurance or purchasing rental car insurance directly from the agency. It can save you some money even if you don’t get into an accident. If you purchase insurance through a car rental company, you’re looking at about $20 per day for coverage. With AmEx Premium Car Rental Protection, you’re paying around $20 for your entire rental period, making it a much more cost-effective option with equal protection.
What AmEx Premium car rental insurance covers
Here’s what you can expect AmEx Premium car rental insurance to cover.
- Rental vehicle damage or theft up to $100,000, though lower coverage options are available.
- Secondary medical coverage and accidental death or dismemberment (AD&D) coverage for drivers and passengers.
- Accidental injury.
- Car rental personal property coverage.
- Loss-of-use charges incurred by the rental agency.
- Appraisal fees.
- Reasonable towing charges.
To activate coverage for your rental vehicle, you must visit American Express’ website and enroll. Enrollment is not available in New Hampshire, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands.
When you use the AmEx Premium Car Rental Protection, you’ll pay for the entire rental using your eligible AmEx card and decline all optional insurance coverages offered by the rental car agency.
Take a look at the chart below for a better breakdown of what’s covered under American Express Premium Car Rental Protection:
| Premium policy (higher coverage option) | Premium policy (lower coverage option) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $24.95 ($17.95 California residents, $15.25 Florida residents) | $19.95 ($15.95 California residents, $12.25 Florida residents) |
| Type of coverage | Primary | Primary |
| Maximum rental length | 42 consecutive days (30 days for Washington State residents) | 42 consecutive days (30 days for Washington State residents) |
| Maximum loss/damage of rental car benefit | $100,000 | $75,000 |
| Maximum accidental injury benefit (per person in your car, secondary) | $15,000 | $7,500 |
| Maximum AD&D benefit for cardmember | $100,000 ($250,000 for California residents) | $75,000 ($150,000 for California residents) |
| Maximum AD&D benefit for each eligible passenger and/or authorized driver | $10,000 ($40,000 for Florida residents and $250,000 for California residents) | $7,500 ($150,000 for California residents) |
| Maximum loss/damage of personal property benefit | $5,000 per person, up to $10,000 total for the car ($15,000 max, up to $25,000 total for Florida residents) | $2,500 per person, up to $5,000 total for the car |
What AmEx Premium car rental insurance doesn’t cover
If you’ve paid for your rental car on your eligible AmEx card, here’s what’s not covered.
- Vehicles rented for commercial purposes.
- Rental vehicles in Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Jamaica, Ireland or Italy.
- Off-roading.
- Illegal activity or driving under the influence (DUI).
- Coverage for liability and uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM).
The following types of vehicles are not included in this coverage.
- Cargo vans.
- Custom vans.
- Vans with a seating capacity of over eight passengers.
- Cube vans.
- Box trucks.
- Any truck that has a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or more.
- Motorcycles.
- Antique cars.
- Mopeds.
- Limousines.
- Off-road vehicles.
- RVs.
- Motorized carts.
- Golf carts.
- Campers.
- Moving trucks or vans.
- Trailers.
You also won’t be covered for:
- Costs attributed to the rental company’s normal course of doing business and expenses assumed, waived or paid for by the rental company or its insurance company.
- Damage that occurred before possession of the rental car.
- Tires, unless other damage occurs to the rental car from the same accident or theft.
More exclusions can be found on the AmEx site and in the issuer’s sample policy.
What cards are eligible for Premium Car Rental Protection?
The following cards should qualify for coverage.
- The Platinum Card® from American Express.
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card.
- Business Platinum Card® from American Express.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card.
- The American Express Platinum Card® for Schwab.
- The Platinum Card® from American Express for Goldman Sachs.
- The Platinum Card® from American Express for Morgan Stanley.
Most American Express cards are eligible for the Premium Car Rental Protection program, except corporate cards — which are different than business cards — and accounts issued by a third-party bank partner of American Express. Eligibility may also vary by state.
For more details and to check if your card is eligible for rental protection, log into your American Express account.
Who should get an AmEx card for Premium Car Rental Protection?
The Premium Car Rental Protection policy is relatively inexpensive compared to the insurance you’ll get through a rental agency. Here are some cases when it’s worth considering.
- You own a credit card that already offers primary car rental loss/damage insurance.
- You’re a traveler who frequently rent cars for extended periods.
- You have high deductibles on your personal auto insurance.
- You have a credit card that doesn’t include medical expenses or property loss benefits.
Certain credit cards do offer primary car rental insurance, including the Chase Sapphire Preferred® card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. For these cardholders, getting an AmEx card in order to access rental car protection might not be necessary.
But if your current card doesn’t include primary rental coverage, AmEx’s protection is a great choice at an affordable price — and it’s also a good option for longer rentals.
Megan Lee is an editor, writer, and SEO expert who specializes in insurance, personal finance, travel, and healthcare. She has been published in U.S. News & World Report, USA Today and elsewhere, and has spoken at conferences like that of NAFSA: Association of International Educators. Megan has built and directed remote content teams and editorial strategies for several websites, including NerdWallet. When she`s not crafting her next piece of content, Megan adventures around her Midwest home base where she likes to drink cortados, attend theme parties, ride her bike and cook Asian food.
Everett Cook is an award-winning journalist and editor with more than 10 years of experience across a variety of industries. In editing for Jerry, Everett’s mission is to help readers have a better understanding of the costs of owning or leasing a car and to better understand their vehicle in terms of insurance and repairs. Prior to joining Jerry, Everett was an editor for Axios. His previous work has been featured in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Atlantic, Atlantic Re:think, The Boston Globe, USA Today, and others. He’s also been a freelance writer and editor with experience in SEO, audience building, and long-term content roadmaps. Everett is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan.
