MasterCard MasterRental Insurance for Renting Cars

You know the drill. You book your car rental online, arrive at the pickup desk and the customer service rep starts pitching you rental insurance that is often ten to twenty percent of your total bill. Depending on the rep, these pitches can evoke a good deal of fear. However, if you’re paying with a MasterCard, you really don’t need to fork over the extra cash, as you are covered by MasterRental insurance.

MasterRental insurance is available to all cardholders who pay for their rental with a MasterCard as long as the rental lasts 15 days or less. To get this coverage, you must decline the collision/damage insurance offered by the rental agency. You also have to rent a card that is valued at $50,000 or less, so if you’re renting a Porsche, buy the best insurance available.

What MasterRental Covers

MasterRental essentially covers the same damages that standard rental agency insurance contacts do. This includes the following:

1. Physical damages covering everything from small scratches to a completed totaled car.
2. Theft or vandalism.
3. “Reasonable” loss of use charges. These are charges a rental agency can levy against you while the car is out of service.
4. Towing charges incurred if your vehicle is damaged and requires towing.

MasterRental Limitations

MasterRental insurance is a secondary form of insurance. This means that your primary auto insurance is billed first and you must pay whatever deductible applies. Damage beyond that is covered by MasterRental Insurance. Additionally, three are a number of other exclusions and limitations. Some of the more important things that are not covered include:

1. Theft of personal items in the vehicle.
2. Any damage or loss resulting from reckless and alcohol or drug impairment.
3. Damages caused by any other illegal activity.
4. Damages created by the use of the vehicle caused by off road driving.

Filing a Claim

If you decide to opt out of rental agency insurance and use MasterRental insurance, be sure to keep the following phone number on you during your trip: 1-800-MC-ASSIST. You must contact them to report your claim within thirty days of the incident. Once you initiate the process, you will be required to submit detailed information on the event within one hundred and eighty days.

For additional information, please see http://www.mastercard.com/tt/personal/en/findacard/credit_cards/gold/gold_mc_master_rental.html or contact MasterCard at 1-800-307-7039.