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Travel credit cards can come with lots of perks, from money-saving credits to trip protection to rental car insurance. Capital One is no exception.
Many of the bank's most popular travel cards — like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card — offer some level of rental car insurance that covers cardholders in the event of theft or damage to their rental car.
We break down everything you need to know about Capital One rental car insurance, from which cards offer it to how it works.
Does Capital One Have Rental Car Insurance?
Several Capital One cards offer rental car insurance to protect cardholders if a rental vehicle is damaged or stolen. This coverage may be primary or secondary, depending on the situation.
Primary coverage means your card's insurance applies first — before your personal auto insurance — when making a claim. Secondary coverage applies after your personal policy and may reimburse costs such as your deductible.
With Capital One car rental insurance, you're covered for the following events:
- Physical damage of the covered rental car
- Theft of the covered rental car
- Valid loss-of-use charges imposed by the rental car company
- Reasonable towing charges
To be eligible for Capital One's rental car insurance benefit, you'll need to decline the collision damage waiver offered by the rental car company. You'll also need to use your eligible Capital One card to pay for your entire rental vehicle.
Your Capital One rental car insurance covers you and any additional drivers added to your reservation.
Exclusions from Capital One rental car insurance
- No liability insurance: The Capital One auto rental collision damage waiver does not include liability insurance. This means it doesn't cover damage to other vehicles, property, or people (including yourself). However, your personal auto insurance may cover you in those events, so it's important to check your own policy before renting a vehicle.
- No breakdown or personal item coverage: Capital One also will not cover you in the event of a mechanical breakdown or reimburse you for the loss or theft of luggage or personal items in your rental vehicle.
- No long-term rentals: Capital One rental coverage typically only covers rentals up to 31 days — sometimes with shorter limitations in your home country.
- Country exclusions: Note that Capital One rental car insurance excludes coverage in the following countries: Israel, Jamaica, The Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland
- Vehicle exclusions: Certain vehicles are also not covered by your Capital One card's rental car insurance. If you opt to rent an antique or exotic car like an Aston Martin, Porsche, or potentially a Tesla, you won't be covered. Trucks, motorcycles, mopeds, motorbikes, RVs, and some vans are also excluded. Check your card's benefits guide to see all the restrictions.
Which Capital One Cards Offer Rental Car Insurance?
Capital One offers rental car insurance on many of its most popular personal and business credit cards, though the type of coverage varies by product.
Secondary rental car insurance coverage is the most common benefit, but premium cards like the Capital One Venture X and the Venture X Business come with better primary rental car insurance coverage.
Rental car insurance is available to Capital One cardholders with the following cards, so long as they are issued as World Elite Mastercard, Visa Infinite or Visa Signature. Coverage on other networks may vary by card.
| Credit Card | Primary or secondary? | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card | Primary coverage | |
| Capital One Venture X Business | Primary coverage in the United States while renting primarily for business purposes and when renting outside your country of residence for personal reasons or if you do not have automobile insurance | |
| Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card | Secondary coverage | Only available on the Visa Signature version of the card. |
| Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | Secondary coverage | |
| Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card | Secondary coverage | Only available on the World Elite Mastercard version of the card. |
| Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card | Secondary coverage | Only available on the World Elite Mastercard version of the card. |
| Secondary coverage | Only available on the World Elite Mastercard version of the card. | |
| Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card | Secondary coverage | Only available on the World Elite Mastercard version of the card. |
You can check your card's benefits guide on the Capital One website to see if it includes rental car coverage.
Capital One Venture X Rental Car Insurance
The Capital One Venture X is the only personal Capital One credit card that offers primary auto rental collision damage waiver insurance. This makes the Venture X one of the best credit cards for rental car insurance.
Primary rental coverage kicks in before your personal auto insurance, so there's no need to notify your insurance company. Instead, you'll file a claim through Capital One first.
With the Capital One Venture X‘s auto rental collision damage waiver, Capital One will reimburse you for damage caused by a collision or theft up to $75,000. But you won't get liability coverage. Capital One rental car insurance will not cover damage to any other driver's car, property, or injuries to other people.
Capital One Venture X rental car insurance covers rental periods of 15 days within your country of residence and 31 days outside of it. Longer rental periods are not covered.
The Capital One Venture X is a Visa Infinite card. You can find more details about Capital One Venture X rental insurance in your Visa Infinite card benefits guide.
- 10X miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
- 5X miles per $1 on purchases through Capital One Entertainment
- 5X miles per $1 on flights when booking via Capital One Travel
- 5X miles per $1 on vacation rentals booked via Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per $1 on all other eligible purchases
Related: Take Advantage of Capital One's Lesser-Known Benefits
Does the Capital One Quicksilver Card Have Rental Car Insurance?
The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card is a simple cash-back card with no annual fee. But it comes with some useful benefits, including rental car insurance.
The auto rental collision damage waiver offered by the Capital One Quicksilver covers theft and damage to your rental vehicle. It acts as secondary insurance to your personal car insurance policy, so it's applied after your personal auto insurance.
If you don't have personal auto insurance when you're renting a vehicle, the coverage provided by your Capital One Quicksilver may become primary coverage.
Capital One Quicksilver car rental insurance covers rental periods of up to 31 days.
You'll only receive rental car insurance as a benefit if you qualify for the Mastercard World Elite version of the Quicksilver card. You can find more details about the rental car insurance in your Mastercard World Elite benefits guide.
- $200 Cash Back after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
- 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
- 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- No foreign transaction fees
- $0 annual fee
- 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 5% cash back on purchases through Capital One Entertainment
- 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
How To File a Claim Using Capital One Rental Car Insurance
You typically have 45 days after an incident occurs to file a claim with Capital One. Regardless of which Capital One card you have, the process for starting a claim is mostly the same.
Step one: Start a claim
First, report any rental car damage to your card's benefits administrator. To start a claim, call the phone number listed in your card's benefits guide, which you can find on the Capital One website. For Capital One Venture X cardholders, call 1-800-825-4062 if in the U.S. or call collect at 1-804-965-8071 if traveling abroad.
You can also file a claim online, depending on the card you hold.
Step two: Submit required documentation
Complete and send in the auto rental collision damage waiver form. This must be postmarked within 90 days of the incident. You then have 365 days to submit the rest of the required documentation. That includes the following documents from your rental car company:
- Copy of the accident report form
- Copy of the initial and final auto rental agreements (front and back)
- Copy of the repair estimate and itemized repair bill
- Two photographs of the damaged vehicle, if available
- A police report, if obtainable
- A copy of the demand letter which indicates the costs you're responsible for and any amounts that have been paid toward the claim
You'll also be asked to provide the following additional documents:
- Copy of your monthly credit card billing statement showing the entire rental car transaction
- Statement from your insurance carrier showing the costs for which you are responsible and any amounts paid toward the claim
- Or, if you have no individual car insurance, a statement of no insurance or reimbursement
Step three: Receive reimbursement
After you've submitted all the required documentation, your benefits administrator will begin finalizing your claim. You'll typically find out within 15 days whether your claim is approved, denied, or whether more documentation or information is needed.
Final Thoughts
Rental car insurance is a valuable perk offered by many Capital One credit cards, allowing you to decline the insurance offered by the rental car company and still have the peace of mind knowing you'll be covered if your rental car is damaged or stolen. Most offer secondary rental car insurance coverage.
But the Capital One Venture X is the only card that offers primary coverage as one of its many benefits. It's yet another reason why it's one of the most popular travel cards on the market.
Just remember that you must be the primary renter and pay for the entire rental car with your eligible card to use this benefit.
- 10X miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
- 5X miles per $1 on purchases through Capital One Entertainment
- 5X miles per $1 on flights when booking via Capital One Travel
- 5X miles per $1 on vacation rentals booked via Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per $1 on all other eligible purchases
