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Wells Fargo Credit Card Rental Car Coverage

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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.

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Renting a car is expensive enough without paying extra for insurance. If you put your rental on a Wells Fargo card, you could get insurance without needing to pay for it. All the Wells Fargo cards that are currently available include rental car insurance as a complimentary perk.

Before you use this benefit, it's important to know how it works, what's covered, and what's not. In this guide to Wells Fargo credit card rental car coverage, you'll learn all that and more.

Which Wells Fargo credit cards offer rental car coverage?

The following Wells Fargo credit cards have rental car coverage:

All of Wells Fargo's consumer credit cards have the same type of rental insurance. Policy terms are exactly the same with each of these cards except the Bilt Mastercard®, which has a couple of differences that are explained below.

The Signify Business Cash℠ Card by Wells Fargo has a different type of rental insurance, called MasterRental insurance coverage. The rest of this guide covers the rental insurance offered by Wells Fargo's consumer cards.

What does Wells Fargo credit card rental insurance cover?

Wells Fargo cards have an auto rental collision damage waiver. It reimburses you if a covered accident or theft occurs to the rental car. So, if the car is damaged or stolen, you could file a claim with your Wells Fargo insurance.

To be eligible for coverage, you must use your Wells Fargo card (or rewards earned on that card) to pay for the full cost of the car rental. You also need to decline the optional collision loss and damage insurance from the insurance company.

Coverage with most Wells Fargo cards applies to rentals with a rental period of up to 15 days in the United States and up to 31 days outside the United States. If you rent a car for longer than that, then Wells Fargo's auto rental insurance won't cover it. The Bilt Mastercard® is the exception -- it also covers rentals of up to 31 days, instead of 15 days, in the United States.

The coverage maximum is $50,000. Wells Fargo credit card rental car coverage will reimburse you for any of the following in the event of a covered accident or theft:

  • The cost to repair the rental car or its actual cash value, whichever is less
  • Reasonable towing expenses to the nearest repair facility
  • The loss of use of the rental car
  • Any additional fees or taxes

What's not covered

There are situations when Wells Fargo's car rental insurance doesn't apply. Here's what isn't covered:

  • You or an authorized driver use the car in a way that goes against the rental agreement. Examples include reckless driving or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
  • The rental car is used as a car for hire, such as driving it for Uber or Lyft.
  • You or an authorized driver fail to take responsible care of the rental car.
  • You rent a car through a car-sharing platform that allows people to rent out their cars. For example, if you rent a car through Turo, that's not eligible for rental car coverage.

This insurance also doesn't cover certain types of vehicles, including exotic vehicles, antique vehicles, vehicles with an open cargo bed, and vans (except those designed as small-group transportation vehicles that seat up to nine people, including the driver).

Is it primary or secondary insurance?

Most Wells Fargo cards offer secondary rental car insurance for rentals in the United States. If you have another insurance policy that would cover the incident, you must file a claim through that insurance first. Many auto insurance policies include rental car coverage, so if you have one that does, you'll need to start with that.

If your primary insurance doesn't cover everything, then you can file a claim with your Wells Fargo card's insurance. You can also use it to cover the deductible on your primary insurance.

Outside the United States, Wells Fargo rental car coverage is primary insurance. Coverage is available worldwide except in Israel, Jamaica, the Republic of Ireland, and Northern Ireland.

The exception, once again, is the Bilt Mastercard®. It also has primary coverage for U.S. car rentals (except for New York residents). That's a perk you only find on a select few travel credit cards.

How to file a Wells Fargo credit card rental car coverage claim

To file a claim with your Wells Fargo rental insurance, call 1-800-316-8051 or visit mycardbenefits.assurance.com. You must file a claim within 60 days of the incident or as soon as reasonably possible.

You'll need to provide documentation to support your claim. Here's what most claims require:

  • A copy of the rental car agreement
  • A copy of the accident report or police report, if filed
  • A copy of the repair estimate and itemized repair bill for damage claims
  • Two photographs of the damaged rental car, if possible
  • A copy of the demand letter indicating the amount you're responsible for paying and any amounts already paid toward the claim
  • A copy of the billing statement for your Wells Fargo card showing that the entire rental charge was made on your card or the rewards program associated with that card
  • A statement from your insurance carrier showing the costs you're responsible for and your deductible or, if you have no applicable insurance, a signed statement explaining that

There may be other documentation requested, as well. You'll need to submit documentation within 365 days of the incident. Once the insurance provider receives all the required documentation, your claim will be finalized within 15 business days.

What cardholders say about using Wells Fargo rental car coverage

Wells Fargo's rental car insurance has gotten positive reviews from cardholders. On social media, multiple cardholders have reported that this benefit covered their costs for damage claims.

There were a couple of reviews by people with the Bilt Mastercard® who had a hard time finding the right place to file a claim. But once they were able to file, their claims were approved without issue. The claim-filing process is the same with the Bilt Mastercard® as with other Wells Fargo cards -- you can call 1-800-316-8051 or visit mycardbenefits.assurance.com.

Extra protection when renting a car

Rental car claims can be expensive, especially if the car is stolen or if there's serious damage. If you have a Wells Fargo card, make sure to pay with that so you have complimentary coverage, just in case you need it.

FAQs

  • The phone number for rental car coverage and other Wells Fargo credit card protections is 1-800-316-8051. If you need to file a claim, you can call that number or do so online at mycardbenefits.assurance.com.

  • Wells Fargo credit cards offer several different types of travel insurance. Exact protections depend on your Wells Fargo card, but they can include:

    • Auto rental collision damage waiver
    • Lost luggage reimbursement
    • Trip cancellation and interruption protection