Most American Express cards include a car rental benefit that covers damage to or theft of the vehicle — and most cardholders don't realize it exists until after they've paid for the supplier's own CDW at the counter. The coverage is real and it applies at the same airports and destinations where you'd otherwise spend $15–$30 per day on the rental company's waiver.
There's one critical thing most articles get wrong about it: the standard Amex benefit is secondary coverage, not primary. That distinction changes everything about how it actually works — and it's why the $695 annual fee on the Amex Platinum doesn't buy you primary rental protection. This article maps both layers of the Amex rental insurance system, from the standard benefit included on most cards to the optional Premium Car Rental Protection (PCRP) upgrade that makes the coverage primary.
Quick answer
Most Amex consumer and small business cards include secondary rental car CDW coverage — up to $75,000 on the Platinum, $50,000 on the Gold and most others. To activate it: decline the supplier's CDW at the counter and pay the full rental on the Amex card.
- Secondary coverage — your personal auto insurance pays first; the card covers what remains. If you have no personal policy, secondary coverage offers nothing.
- Primary coverage — available through PCRP, an optional enrollment. Flat fee of $12.25–$24.95 per rental period, up to 42 days.
- Country exclusions — Australia, Italy, and New Zealand are excluded from both the standard benefit and PCRP.
- Liability, injury to others, and peer-to-peer rentals — not covered under any Amex rental benefit.
Source: Amex Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance Benefit Guide, Rev. 4/19/2024, applicable to rentals from 2/1/2020. Underwriter: AMEX Assurance Company.
What the standard Amex rental benefit actually includes
The benefit is formally named "Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance." Per the current benefit guide, it covers damage to or theft of the rental vehicle up to $75,000 per rental agreement — along with several ancillary charges that most travellers don't know are included. One benefit in the table is an exception to the secondary coverage rule; see the note on accidental death coverage.
| Fee | Typical charge | Risk | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collision damage and theft | Covered | Low | Pays for repair or replacement of the rental vehicle up to $75,000 per rental agreement. Secondary — your personal auto policy pays first. |
| Loss-of-use charges | Covered | Low | Covers income the rental company loses while a damaged vehicle is being repaired. Included when charged by the nearest capable facility. |
| Towing and storage | Covered | Low | Reasonable towing and storage charges following a covered damage or theft event. Not covered if a roadside assistance program the cardholder has already covers it. |
| Appraisal fees | Covered | Low | Covered when supported with verifiable documentation as part of a legitimate damage claim. |
| Accidental death or dismemberment | Covered | Low | Up to $200,000 per card member, $20,000 per authorized driver or passenger. This benefit is primary — not secondary to other insurance. |
| Accidental injury (medical expenses) | Covered | Medium | Up to $5,000 per eligible person for medically necessary treatment after a car rental accident. Secondary — health insurance pays first. |
| Personal property in the vehicle | Covered | Medium | Up to $1,000 per person, $2,000 per accident, for belongings stolen or damaged while secured in the vehicle. Secondary to other insurance. |
| Liability (damage to other vehicles) | Not covered | High | Explicitly excluded. If you damage another car or property, this benefit pays nothing. Your personal auto liability coverage or the supplier's SLP applies. |
| Rentals over 30 consecutive days | Not covered | High | Coverage terminates at 30 consecutive days per rental agreement, regardless of extensions or vehicle changes. |
| Vehicles rented in Australia, Italy, or New Zealand | Not covered | High | Standard benefit guide explicitly excludes these three countries. PCRP also excludes Ireland, Israel, and Jamaica. |
| Peer-to-peer rentals (Turo, etc.) | Not covered | High | Vehicle sharing arrangements with independent owners are explicitly excluded. Must be a licensed commercial car rental agency. |
Based on Amex Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance Benefit Guide, Rev. 4/19/2024. Underwriter: AMEX Assurance Company.
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The coverage picture is broader than most people expect — loss-of-use charges, accidental death coverage, limited personal property protection — but the secondary nature of the vehicle damage benefit changes how useful it is in practice. That's the section worth reading carefully before you decide whether to add PCRP.
Which Amex cards have rental car insurance
The benefit is included on most Amex consumer and small business cards. The coverage limit is the key variable by card tier.
Amex Platinum (personal and business): up to $75,000 per rental agreement. This is the highest standard limit in the Amex portfolio.
Amex Gold: up to $50,000 per rental agreement. Same activation requirements, same secondary structure, lower cap.
Delta SkyMiles cards, Hilton Honors cards, Marriott Bonvoy cards, Blue Business Plus, and most other Amex co-branded cards: coverage included, with limits that vary by specific card. The benefit guide notes that "eligibility and benefit level varies by Card" — check americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for your specific card's limit and terms.
If you're unsure whether your card is covered: log in to your Amex account, go to Card Benefits, and look for the Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance entry. If it's listed, the benefit applies. If it isn't, call the number on the back of the card to confirm.
One card category that does not receive the standard benefit: corporate cards. The benefit guide explicitly excludes them. Separately enrolled PCRP is a separate product and those eligibility rules differ.
Secondary coverage: what it means in practice
Secondary coverage means the card pays only after every other applicable insurance has been exhausted. Per the benefit guide's "Other Insurance or Agreement" clause: the card benefit "is intended to Pay only for amounts not covered by any other insurance or agreement." In practice, that means your personal auto insurance policy pays first — and the Amex benefit covers whatever your policy doesn't, up to the coverage limit.
This creates two distinct scenarios with very different outcomes.
If you have personal auto insurance: after a covered event, you file a claim with your auto insurer first. The Amex benefit covers the deductible and anything above your policy's limit, up to $75,000. The practical value: you avoid paying your deductible out of pocket. The practical cost: the claim still goes on your auto insurance record, which can affect your premium. This is the main argument for adding PCRP if you want primary coverage — a PCRP claim doesn't touch your personal auto policy.
If you have no personal auto insurance — which is common for urban renters who don't own a car: secondary coverage offers nothing on its own. The benefit guide is explicit: it pays only what other insurance doesn't cover. With no other insurance, there's nothing for it to be excess to. This is the scenario where either PCRP or the supplier's own CDW is genuinely necessary.
The one exception in the standard benefit: the accidental death or dismemberment coverage is explicitly not secondary. Per the benefit guide, the "Other Insurance or Agreement" clause applies to "all benefits provided herein EXCEPT for the Accidental Death or Dismemberment Coverage." That benefit pays regardless of other coverage.
Premium Car Rental Protection: the optional upgrade to primary
PCRP is an enrollment-based add-on, available to eligible Amex consumer and small business cardholders, that replaces the standard secondary vehicle damage benefit with primary coverage. The key practical differences:
Primary coverage. When you rent with an enrolled card, PCRP pays for covered damage or theft before any other insurance — including your personal auto policy. No claim filed with your personal insurer, no potential premium impact. If you also hold a Chase Sapphire card, that benefit is primary by default with no opt-in or per-rental fee.
Higher coverage limit. PCRP covers up to $75,000 or $100,000 depending on the plan selected, versus the standard $75,000 Platinum limit. For most rental vehicles, the difference is academic, but the higher plan extends coverage further on premium vehicles.
Longer rental period. PCRP covers up to 42 consecutive days, versus 30 days under the standard benefit. Relevant for extended trips or month-plus relocations.
Flat fee structure. PCRP charges $12.25 to $24.95 per rental period — not per day. On a week-long rental where the supplier's CDW runs $15–$30 per day, the PCRP fee compares very favorably. The fee is charged automatically to the enrolled card when you rent; you don't pay it at the counter.
How to enroll: log in to your Amex account, go to Rewards and Benefits → Benefits, and look for Premium Car Rental Protection. Each card must be enrolled separately. When the basic card member enrolls, all additional cards under that account are enrolled automatically. PCRP is not available to New Hampshire residents or US territory residents.
PCRP also adds secondary personal property coverage (up to $1,000 per person, $2,000 per accident — same as the standard benefit) and secondary accidental injury coverage. It does not add liability coverage. The country exclusion list for PCRP is slightly broader than the standard benefit: Australia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, and New Zealand are all excluded.
How to activate the coverage
The activation requirements are the same for the standard benefit and for PCRP. Two conditions must both be met.
First: pay for the entire rental with the Amex card. The benefit guide defines an "Eligible Payment" as a charge to the eligible card for the full rental cost. Membership Rewards points used through Pay with Points also qualify. What doesn't qualify: non-Amex loyalty programs. If you pay for any portion of the rental using airline miles, hotel points, or rental company reward points, coverage is voided for that rental.
Second: decline the rental agency's CDW or LDW at the counter. The benefit guide lists the coverages you must decline: full collision damage waiver, personal accident insurance, personal property coverage, and similar options. Accepting any of these corresponding to the card benefit you're relying on voids that specific benefit. Accepting personal accident insurance, for example, voids the card's accidental injury and accidental death coverage but doesn't void the vehicle damage coverage — the exclusions are parallel to the optional products offered.
The rental agreement must be signed by the card member as the person renting and taking control of the vehicle. Authorized drivers listed on the agreement are also covered for vehicle damage and personal property purposes.
The gaps the card does not cover
Three gaps matter regardless of whether you use the standard benefit or PCRP.
Liability. The benefit guide explicitly excludes "personal liability, uninsured/underinsured motorists" from coverage. If you cause an accident that damages another vehicle or injures someone else, neither the standard benefit nor PCRP pays anything toward those costs. Your personal auto liability insurance covers it if you have one; the supplier's supplemental liability protection (SLP) covers it if you don't. For travellers renting internationally without a US auto policy that extends abroad, SLP is a real gap worth addressing before the trip.
Country exclusions. Australia, Italy, and New Zealand are excluded from the standard benefit — verified directly from the benefit guide. PCRP also excludes Ireland, Israel, and Jamaica. Renting in any of these countries leaves you without any Amex card coverage for the vehicle. The supplier's own CDW is your only card-agnostic option in these markets, or a standalone travel insurance policy with rental car protection.
Peer-to-peer and non-commercial rentals. The benefit guide explicitly excludes "vehicle sharing or peer to peer arrangements which allow independent owners to rent personal vehicles." Turo, Getaround, and similar platforms are not covered. The coverage requires a licensed commercial car rental agency as the counterparty.
The CDW explainer covers how these gaps interact with what the supplier's own waiver includes — useful if you're renting in Italy or another excluded country and want to understand what the counter agent's product actually does. The credit card coverage guide places Amex alongside other issuers for comparison.
How to file a claim
For the standard benefit: visit americanexpress.com/protectionbenefits or call 1-800-338-1670 (international collect: 1-303-273-6497). Per the benefit guide, notice of claim should be provided within 30 days of the loss. Proof of loss — the documentation package — must be submitted within 60 days of receiving the claim form. The documentation list typically includes an itemized repair bill, a copy of the rental agreement, a copy of the card charge for the rental, a copy of your auto insurance coverage (or a notarized letter stating you have none), and a police report if one was filed.
For PCRP: the claims process runs through the same portal and phone number. PCRP claims are handled by the same benefit administrator (AMEX Assurance Company). Because PCRP is primary, you won't need to submit a competing auto insurance denial letter first — the claim goes directly to Amex.
The verdict
If you haven't booked yet: the standard Amex benefit is worth using if you have personal auto insurance — it covers your deductible and anything above your policy's limit, up to $75,000. The activation cost is zero; you're already paying the card's annual fee. The limitation to know going in: it's secondary, so your personal auto policy still gets involved in a claim. If you rent frequently and want to keep rental incidents off your personal auto record, PCRP's flat fee makes that clean. If you have no personal auto insurance, the standard benefit doesn't help you on vehicle damage — PCRP or the supplier's CDW does.
If you're already booked: confirm the full rental goes on your Amex card with no non-Amex loyalty points applied to the cost. If you enrolled in PCRP, verify that enrollment is active on that specific card. At the counter, decline the CDW and personal accident insurance — accepting either voids the corresponding card benefit. Inspect the vehicle before driving off and note any pre-existing damage on the agreement.
If you've returned the car and have a question about a charge: file through americanexpress.com/protectionbenefits or 1-800-338-1670 within 30 days. If the charge is disputed rather than claimed, document it with photos and the rental agreement, give the supplier one week to respond in writing, then escalate to a card dispute if it isn't resolved.
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- Amex standard coverage is secondary — if you have personal auto insurance, that policy pays first. The card covers only what remains.
- Accepting the supplier's CDW/LDW at the counter voids the standard benefit entirely. Decline it to activate coverage.
- Rentals in Australia, Italy, or New Zealand are excluded from the standard benefit and from PCRP. There is no card coverage in these countries.
- Off-road driving voids the benefit. Any damage occurring on an unpaved surface or outside the authorized rental territory is excluded.
- Unauthorized drivers void coverage. Only drivers listed on the rental agreement are covered.
- Vehicles must be locked when parked for personal property coverage to apply. Items stolen from an unlocked vehicle are not covered.
- PCRP is not available to New Hampshire residents or US territory residents. Enroll before travel, not at the counter.
- Non-Amex loyalty points (airline miles, hotel points, Hertz Gold points) do not qualify as eligible payment. Membership Rewards points do.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Amex Platinum card include primary rental car insurance?
No. The Amex Platinum's standard car rental benefit is secondary coverage — meaning your personal auto insurance pays first, and the card covers what remains. Primary coverage is available as an optional add-on through Premium Car Rental Protection (PCRP), which costs $12.25 to $24.95 as a flat fee per rental period, charged automatically to the enrolled card. The annual fee does not include primary rental coverage.
Which Amex cards have rental car insurance?
Most Amex consumer and small business cards include the Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance benefit. This includes the Amex Platinum, Gold, Delta SkyMiles cards, Hilton Honors cards, Marriott Bonvoy cards, and the Blue Business Plus. Coverage limit varies by card — the Platinum covers up to $75,000; the Gold and most other cards cover up to $50,000. Check your card's benefits guide at americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for your specific limit.
Can I use Membership Rewards points to pay and still get coverage?
Yes. Per the benefit guide, purchases on eligible Amex cards combined with Membership Rewards points or the Pay with Points program qualify for the benefit. Non-Amex loyalty programs — airline miles, hotel points, or rental company reward points — do not qualify. If any portion of the rental is paid with those, the benefit is voided for that rental.
Does Amex rental insurance cover rentals in Italy?
No. Italy is one of three countries explicitly excluded from the standard benefit: Australia, Italy, and New Zealand are all excluded, along with any country on the OFAC sanctions list. Premium Car Rental Protection also excludes Italy, plus additionally excludes Ireland, Israel, and Jamaica. If you are renting in any of these countries, you will need to arrange coverage through another source — typically the supplier's own CDW or a standalone travel insurance policy.
What is Amex Premium Car Rental Protection and is it worth it?
PCRP is an optional enrollment that upgrades the standard secondary benefit to primary coverage, up to $75,000 or $100,000 depending on the plan selected. The flat fee is $12.25 to $24.95 per rental period (up to 42 days), charged automatically when you rent. Because it's a flat fee rather than a daily rate, it compares favorably to the supplier's CDW on rentals longer than a few days. It also extends coverage to 42 days versus the standard 30. Whether it's worth it depends on whether you have personal auto insurance: if you have a personal policy, the standard secondary benefit already plugs the gap. If you don't, PCRP gives you primary coverage without the claims friction of filing with a personal insurer that doesn't exist.
I already booked — what should I do before pickup?
Three things: confirm the full rental charge will go on your Amex card with no payment splitting or non-Amex loyalty points; if you enrolled in PCRP, verify the enrollment is active on that specific card via your online account; and inspect the vehicle at pickup for pre-existing damage before signing the rental agreement. At the counter, decline the CDW and any personal accident insurance and personal effects coverage offered — accepting any of these voids the corresponding card benefit.
