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Guides to rental car insurance: what the price already includes, how damage waivers and the excess work, and when your own policy or card covers the car.
Guides: 3
Rental car insurance includes third-party liability, which EU law requires for every vehicle. Damage to the car itself is a separate layer with an excess.
HyreCar Editorial TeamUpdated Oct 27, 20267 min read
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At a rental desk, insurance is the part of the contract that is easiest to misunderstand. The price you booked already includes some cover, the desk then offers waivers and extra protection, and your own car insurance or a card benefit may already cover part of the same risk. These guides explain what each layer does, so the decision is made before you arrive rather than at the counter.
The guides under Who covers the car explain what rental car insurance is, which parts the law requires and which are optional, and when a personal car insurance policy or a payment card covers a rented car, at home and abroad. The guides under Waivers and excess explain collision damage and loss damage waivers, what the excess is, and how excess insurance bought separately from the rental works.
The terms differ by country and by company. In the EU third-party liability insurance is compulsory for every car, so it is never the part you choose. Damage to the rental car itself is limited by an excess, and the waivers on offer change how much of it you would still pay. Where a guide states a rule, it names the regulator or public body that sets it. Where the answer depends on your own policy or card, it tells you which document to read and what to look for in it.
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Waivers and excessA collision damage waiver covers damage to the rental car but leaves an excess. With extra cover that excess is typically 600 to 1,500 euros, or zero.
HyreCar Editorial TeamOct 27, 20269 min read
Who covers the carDoes my car insurance cover rental cars? Often at home, if the policy says so. One Visa Infinite benefit lasts 15 days at home and 31 abroad. Read terms.
HyreCar Editorial TeamOct 27, 20267 min read
Who covers the carRental car insurance includes third-party liability, which EU law requires for every vehicle. Damage to the car itself is a separate layer with an excess.
HyreCar Editorial TeamOct 27, 20267 min read
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Some cover always is. In the EU every car must carry third-party liability insurance by law, so a rental car comes with it. Damage to the rental car itself and theft are handled separately: the rental terms say whether a waiver is included and how large the excess is, that is the amount you still pay if the car is damaged.
Before the trip. At the desk you choose under time pressure between products you have not compared. Check what the booking already includes, what your own car insurance and your card cover for a rented car in that country, and only then decide whether you need the desk waiver or a separate excess policy.