What are the essential guarantees of car rental insurance?

 What are the essential guarantees of car rental insurance?

All rental car insurance contracts include at least Civil Liability coverage. Many other guarantees can be included in addition, in order to cover the driver, his passengers, the rented vehicle, its contents ...

One of the main guarantees is the buy-back of the franchise. Concretely, in the event of an accident or damage to the vehicle (theft, attempted theft, etc.), the lessor will charge you a deductible. The franchise buy-back guarantee allows you not to have to pay this amount yourself. It will be covered by the insurer (up to the limit provided for in the contract).

Car rental excess buyback insurance comes at a certain cost, but it is particularly reassuring. You will know that in the event of an incident, you will not be responsible for all or part of the repairs.

Insurers offer various types of guarantees in their formulas. Here are the main ones (which can be found with rental companies / insurers in France and abroad):
Guarantee Function
Theft Protection Coverage (TPC) Deductible reduced or waived in the event of
theft or attempted theft
Personal Assistance Insurance (PAI) Individual driver's guarantee
and people on board
Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) Deductible reduced or waived in the event of
collision
Extended breakdown guarantee Extension of breakdown guarantees to cases which
would not normally be covered:
bad fuel, loss of keys ...
Car rental insurance guarantees

Ideally, your insurance contract will also include a number of assistance guarantees. These will apply in the event of a breakdown or incident related to the vehicle itself. However, they cannot be activated in certain cases: bad fuel, loss of keys, etc.

Most insurance companies offer "super" versions of the benefits listed below.
Car rental: what insurance with my bank card?

High-end bank card agreements include guarantees for car rental, both in France and abroad. Visa Premier, Mastercard Gold and some American Express include car rental insurance. It remains to be seen the exact extent of these guarantees.

Please note: for the guarantees to apply, you must necessarily have paid for your reservation with your credit card.

The main guarantee that we find is the franchise buyout. Up to a certain height, the excess that will be requested in the event of an incident with the rented vehicle may be covered by the insurer. Check the conditions of your credit card agreement, and in particular the cover limit as well as the period of cover (which is often limited to one month of rental). If your card is a Visa for example, go to the Visa website and enter your credit card number. You can also turn to your bank advisor.

Other guarantees may be included, including assistance guarantees. Everything here depends on the agreement signed between your bank and the card issuer.

The guarantees of the CB do not however replace a dedicated contract. Instead, think of them as additional insurance for your car rental. To be covered at best, take out a specific rental contract (with the lessor or an independent insurer).

To report a claim, refer to the assistance number on the back of your card. The reimbursement of the excess can be fairly quick once all the documents have been provided: rental contract, proof of payment for the reservation with the card, amicable report if applicable ...
Rental to an individual: what insurance?

Car sharing is growing more and more. Today, it is very easy (and often cheaper) to rent a private vehicle, whether via a Getaround type connection platform (ex-Drivy) or directly (to your neighbor, colleague, etc.) .

If you go through a platform, the insurance will be included in the cost of the rental. Getaround is, for example, in terms of insurance, in partnership with Allianz. The insurance is fairly comprehensive: it includes Civil Liability and other additional guarantees. The contract covers all accidents, theft and fire. Roadside assistance guarantees are also provided.

If you rent without an intermediary (directly from an individual), several possibilities are available to you:

    Take out temporary auto insurance with the insurer of your choice,
    Extend the guarantees of your usual auto contract to the rented vehicle.