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Lyle Daly is a personal finance writer who specializes in credit cards, travel rewards programs, and banking. He writes for The Ascent and The Motley Fool, and his work has appeared in USA Today and Yahoo! Finance. He was born in California but currently lives as a digital nomad with a home base in Colombia.
Nathan Alderman has worked with The Motley Fool since 2005, making errors his arch-enemies in a variety of roles including a six-year stint as the dedicated fact-checker for The Motley Fool's premium newsletter services. As The Ascent's Compliance Lead, he makes sure that all the site's information is accurate and up to date, which ensures we always steer readers right and keeps various financial partners happy. A graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, Nathan spends his spare time volunteering for civic causes, writing and podcasting for fun, adoring his wife, and wrangling his two very large young children.
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When you rent a car, it's smart to have insurance in case anything goes wrong. You could buy this from the rental agency, but you'll need to pay extra. With the right Citi card, you could get rental car insurance as a complimentary perk.
Citi got rid of purchase and travel protections on many of its cards in 2019, but there are a few exceptions. In this guide, we'll go over how Citi card auto rental insurance works and the cards that have it.
Each card has its own auto rental insurance policy. These policies work the same way, but there are some differences in the terms. These differences are included below, but if you want to check the exact terms for your Citi card, you can find this information in its guide to benefits.
3.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.25 out of 5 stars.
4.25/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Excellent (740-850)
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
300-579
580-669
670-739
740-850
Excellent (740-850)
Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
300-579
580-669
670-739
740-850
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
300-579
580-669
670-739
740-850
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Welcome Offer:
N/A
Welcome Offer:
For a limited time, earn 100,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $10,000 within the first 3 months of account opening.
100,000 bonus miles
Welcome Offer:
Earn 70,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $700 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
70,000 ThankYou® Points
Rewards Program:
4% back on gas and EV charging ($7,000 annual spending cap), 3% back on restaurants and travel, 2% back on Costco purchases, 1% back on other purchases
1% - 4% back
Rewards Program:
Earn 2x miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases, Earn 1x miles for each $1 spent on other purchases.
1x - 2x miles
Rewards Program:
10x on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked through CitiTravel.com. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Restaurants. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Supermarkets. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Gas and EV Charging Stations. Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on All Other Purchases.
1x - 10x points
Intro APR:
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Intro APR:
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Intro APR:
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR:
20.49% (Variable)
Regular APR:
21.24% - 29.99% (Variable)
Regular APR:
21.24% - 29.24% (Variable)
Annual Fee:
$0 for Costco members
Annual Fee:
$595
Annual Fee:
$95
Highlights:
Discover one of Citi's best cash back rewards cards designed exclusively for Costco members
4% cash back on eligible gas and EV charging purchases for the first $7,000 per year and then 1% thereafter
3% cash back on restaurants and eligible travel purchases
2% cash back on all other purchases from Costco and Costco.com
1% cash back on all other purchases
No annual fee with your paid Costco membership and enjoy no foreign transaction fees on purchases
Receive an annual credit card reward certificate, which is redeemable for cash or merchandise at U.S. Costco warehouses, including Puerto Rico
Highlights:
For a limited time, earn 100,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $10,000 within the first 3 months of account opening.
Admirals Club® membership for you and access for up to two guests or immediate family members traveling with you
No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases
Earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage® mile earned from purchases
First checked bag is free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to 8 companions traveling with you on the same reservation
Highlights:
Earn 70,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $700 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com
Earn 10 points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on CitiTravel.com.
Earn 3 points per $1 on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases, at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas and EV Charging Stations.
Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
$100 Annual Hotel Benefit: Once per calendar year, enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com. Benefit applied instantly at time of booking.
No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® is unavailable on The Ascent. All information was collected independently from the issuer. Some items may be out of date.
What does Citi card auto rental insurance cover?
Auto rental insurance with Citi covers damage or theft to the rental vehicle. It also covers reasonable loss of use charges imposed by the rental company for the time the vehicle is out of service, and towing charges to the nearest collision repair facility.
To be eligible for coverage, you must pay for the full cost of the car rental with your Citi card. You also need to decline the insurance company's optional collision/damage insurance.
The insurance lasts for the length of the car rental agreement, up to a maximum rental period of 31 days. Longer rentals aren't eligible for Citi car rental coverage.
The coverage maximums depend on which of those credit cards you have. Here are the maximums with each Citi card that offers this benefit:
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi: $50,000 or the cash value of the car, whichever is less
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®: $75,000 or the cash value of the car, whichever is less
Citi Strata Premier℠ Card: Actual cash value of the rental vehicle
What's not covered
Citi rental car insurance won't cover you in any of the following situations:
The car is used in any way that goes against the rental car agreement. This includes driving recklessly or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
The rental car was used as a car for hire. For example, if you drove the rental car for Uber or Lyft, Citi card auto rental insurance wouldn't cover you.
You or an authorized driver don't take responsible care of the rental car.
The car is rented through a car-sharing company that allows users to rent out their own vehicle. These services have grown in popularity, so it's important to note that rental car coverage won't protect you with them.
This insurance only covers damage and theft to the rental car. It's not an all-inclusive policy or liability insurance. If you or another party is injured in an accident, that isn't covered. It also won't cover damages to other cars or property.
Is it primary or secondary insurance coverage?
For car rentals in the United States, Citi's rental insurance is secondary coverage. Before you can use it, you need to file a claim with any other insurance you have, such as your regular auto insurance. Most credit card rental insurance policies offer secondary coverage, although a select few travel rewards cards offer primary coverage.
If your primary insurance doesn't cover everything, then you can file a claim with Citi. You can also file a claim with Citi for your insurance deductible on your primary insurance policy.
It's different for car rentals outside the United States. When you rent a car abroad, Citi auto rental insurance acts as primary coverage. You can file a claim with that policy first, even if you have another insurance policy.
How to file a Citi card auto rental insurance claim
Here's how to file an auto rental insurance claim with Citi, depending on which card you have:
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi: Call 1-866-918-4670 or go to cardbenefits.citi.com.
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®: Call 1-866-506-5222 or go to cardbenefits.citi.com.
You'll receive information on what documentation you need to provide to support your claim. Make sure to return all requested documents within 180 days of the incident. Once your claim is processed, you'll receive a notice of the decision.
Pro tip: Get as much evidence as you can to support your claim. For damage claims, Citi recommends taking pictures of the damage. It's also a good idea to take pictures of a rental car before you use it, so you'll have before and after photos in the event of any damage. If the police were called, ask for a police report and submit that with your claim, as well.
What cardholders say about using Citi's car rental insurance
On social media, multiple Citi cardholders have reported positive experiences with its auto rental insurance, saying that their claims were approved. One cardholder mentioned that the claim took awhile to process, but they received full compensation for a large amount of damages.
I didn't find any negative experiences related to filing an auto rental insurance claim with Citi. A cardholder recommended submitting as much documentation as possible, including the rental invoice and a police report if you have it.
A useful benefit when renting a car
Rental insurance from your credit card gets you the best of both worlds: Damage and theft protection without needing to pay any extra for it. If you have a Citi credit card that offers this feature, make sure to use it when you pay for a rental car.
FAQs
The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi has secondary insurance in the United States. It provides primary insurance for car rentals in other countries.
No, the Citi Double Cash® Card doesn't offer rental car insurance. Citi removed this benefit from the card in 2019.
Yes, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® has car rental insurance. For the coverage to apply, you must pay for the full cost of the rental with your Citi card and decline the rental agency's full collision/damage waiver.
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We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent, a Motley Fool service, does not cover all offers on the market. The Ascent has a dedicated team of editors and analysts focused on personal finance, and they follow the same set of publishing standards and editorial integrity while maintaining professional separation from the analysts and editors on other Motley Fool brands.
Citigroup is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Lyle Daly has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale, Mastercard, Uber Technologies, and Visa. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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Fact Checked
Nathan Alderman
