MileCheckShould you buy rental insurance or use your credit card?
Check your own auto policy and the exact card benefit before declining cover. A card benefit for damage to the rental is not proof that you have liability cover for injuries or damage to others. Check the country as well as the car.
Facts checked September 2026. Every number links to its source; prices and rules change, so confirm the day you travel.
What the counter is selling
CDW or LDW waives some responsibility for loss of or damage to the rental, subject to its terms. It is a waiver, not the same thing as liability insurance.
Supplemental liability cover concerns claims by others. Personal accident insurance concerns specified injuries. Personal effects coverage concerns belongings. Ask which product is being offered instead of treating “insurance” as one purchase.
Triple-I rental insurance guidance.
Ask your auto insurer what carries over
A personal policy may extend to a leisure rental, with its limits and deductible. Confirm damage coverage and liability separately. Ask about loss-of-use charges, administrative fees and towing.
If you dropped comprehensive or collision on your own car, do not assume the policy supplies it for a rental.
Triple-I rental insurance guidance.
Primary and secondary describe the order of payment
Primary rental-damage coverage can respond before your personal auto policy for an eligible loss. Secondary coverage generally responds after other applicable insurance.
One published Sapphire Preferred guide makes US coverage excess for New York residents who have personal auto insurance. Its effective date is October 2024. Get the guide applicable to your account and rental date rather than relying on a product summary.
Chase Sapphire Preferred benefit guide, effective October 2024.
Follow the card’s activation requirements
Chase’s Sapphire guidance requires the full rental charge on the eligible card or qualifying rewards, the cardholder as primary driver, and declining the rental company’s collision damage waiver. Do not apply that instruction to unrelated products such as liability cover.
Chase also lists excluded vehicle types and rental arrangements. Check the actual benefit guide before renting a moving truck, unusual vehicle or long-duration rental.
Chase rental-coverage guidance.
Check the country separately
Ask both providers whether your exact trip is covered. Then ask the rental company what local cover is compulsory and included in its quote.
For Mexico, read the Mexican liability-insurance guide. A rental-damage benefit does not answer that liability question. For a border crossing, also check the rental company’s permission.
Make the decision before the queue
Write down who covers damage to the rental, who covers liability, and what remains at your expense. Confirm the deductible, exclusions and claim procedure.
If a gap remains, price the product that fills it. If the cover duplicates an existing benefit, compare the terms before buying it. Keep the signed agreement and receipt.
Know exactly where you are — live
Your mile marker shows even offline. Live DOT alerts and the nearest camera on your route are part of MileCheck Premium and need a connection to update. Runs on CarPlay and Android Auto.
Questions, answered
Does your card cover everything?
Do not assume that. Check damage, liability and exclusions separately.
Is LDW the same as liability insurance?
No. They address different responsibilities.
Does primary mean there are no exclusions?
No. It describes payment order for an eligible claim.
Should you decline every counter product for a card benefit?
No. Follow the exact collision-waiver requirement and assess the other products separately.
Can you use someone else’s card and assume coverage?
No. Check the cardholder, payment and rental-agreement requirements.
What if the benefit guide does not answer your situation?
Ask the benefit administrator before pickup and get the answer in writing.
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