Does United Explorer Card Cover Rental Car Insurance

The United Explorer Card offers secondary rental car insurance, which kicks in after your personal auto insurance and the rental company's insurance.

This means you won't have to pay out of pocket for damages or theft, but you'll still need to pay the deductible on your personal auto insurance.

The card's rental car insurance covers damage to the rental car, theft, and towing, but it doesn't cover personal belongings or liability.

For another approach, see: Does Renters Insurance Cover Car Theft

The United Explorer Card offers primary rental car collision damage waiver coverage, which provides reimbursement up to the actual cash value of the vehicle for theft and collision damage for most rental cars in the U.S. and abroad.

You don't need to fly United or book your rental car through the United Airlines website to get this perk, so don't worry about your travel plans.

Decline the rental company's collision insurance and charge the entire rental cost to your United Explorer Card to activate the benefit.

Here's an interesting read: Does All Car Insurance Cover Collision Damage

With primary coverage, you don't have to involve your own insurance and chance a rate increase of your car insurance premium.

The United Explorer Card provides primary CDW (collision damage waiver) rental car coverage, which means you'll be covered without having to file a claim through your personal auto insurance policy first.

This benefit is worth up to the actual cash value of the vehicle for most U.S. and global rentals, giving you peace of mind while driving a rental car.

The Chase United Explorer card offers primary rental car collision and theft insurance, which activates before any other insurance policies you might have. This means you'll be covered first, and you won't need to file a claim with your personal auto insurance policy.

Wells Fargo and American Express also offer rental car insurance, but their coverage is typically secondary, meaning you'll need to file a claim with your personal auto insurance policy first. Some American Express cards offer Premium Car Rental Protection for a small fee per rental period.

Related reading: Does My Full Coverage Insurance Cover Rental Cars

To use your credit card's rental car insurance, simply use that card to reserve a rental car, decline the theft and damage insurance offered by the rental company, and pay for the car rental with the same credit card. Make sure to clear up any insurance issues ahead of time, especially for international rentals.

Credit issuers like American Express, Chase, and Citi offer various insurance coverage options with their credit cards. American Express offers travel insurance, which can cover trip cancellations, interruptions, and delays.

Chase offers purchase protection, which can cover items purchased with their credit cards against damage, loss, or theft. This coverage can provide up to $10,000 in protection.

Citi offers identity theft protection, which can help customers monitor their credit reports and detect potential identity theft. This coverage is included with some Citi credit cards.

The specific insurance coverage options and benefits vary between credit issuers, so it's essential to review the terms and conditions of your credit card before making a purchase.

Explore further: Citi Aadvantage Platinum Select Card Rental Car Coverage

Using your credit card for rental car insurance is simple. Once you have obtained or decided to use a card with solid rental car insurance, use that card to reserve a rental car.

Decline the theft and damage insurance offered by the rental company, and be sure to pay for the car rental with the same credit card. Some credit cards, like the Chase United Explorer, provide primary CDW (collision damage waiver) rental car coverage, which means you won't have to file a claim through your personal auto insurance policy first.

The Chase United Explorer card will cover the repairs without you going through your personal auto insurance policy. This also applies to authorized users. Most other cards only offer secondary CDW coverage, which can be a hassle.

If you damage your rental car, the Chase United Explorer card will cover the repairs. Coverage is worth up to the actual cash value of the vehicle for most U.S. and global rentals.

If this caught your attention, see: Does Car Insurance Cover Personal Belongings Damaged in Car Accident