Does a UK (Natwest) Mastercard cover insurance for car rental in the U.S
I'm in the U.S. and (fairly spontaneously) intending to hire a car from Hertz or Avis for about 5 days. I'm intending to pay for this with my UK Natwest Mastercard, and since I don't have any of the small-print with me, I hoped someone could advise whether this credit card will provide collision insurance, or if I should pay (a lot more) for the Loss Damage Waiver from the hire company.
I don't own a car in the U.K. so I don't have any existing insurance which might cover the rental.
Update: so it turns out that while the LDW was very pricey booking through the Hertz U.S. site, it was trivially cheap (~$2.50 per day) via their U.K. one, presumably because - as Peregrine points out - it's pretty much required for overseas bookers. This means I didn't really have to worry about it after all, but only after I'd found that the U.S. site wouldn't accept my U.K. card because I didn't have a zip code!
Best Answer
It depends on the exact type of card.
In general, most UK credit cards do NOT cover rental car insurance. Specifically for NatWest, the only card that does is the "NatWest Black" Mastercard, so if that's what you've got then you're set - although it still helps to read the conditions of coverage so that you're 100% sure what is covered and what is not.
If you have any other sort of NatWest card then you're probably out of luck on that front, although most travel insurance policies will cover rental cars, or you can look into a packaged rate that includes CDP and/or LDW coverage, which are fairly common on European booking sites.
Pictures about "Does a UK (Natwest) Mastercard cover insurance for car rental in the U.S"
Does my car insurance cover rental cars internationally?
Most U.S. auto insurers won't cover you while you're driving abroad, with the possible exceptions of Canada and Mexico. So unless you have a credit card that offers rental car insurance, you'll probably need to purchase your insurance from the rental company itself.Do I need insurance for rental car us?
If you carry comprehensive and liability coverage on your personal car, coverage typically will extend to your rental car within the United States. If you're renting a car in the U.S. of similar value to your personal car, in all likelihood your auto insurance coverage will be adequate for the rental.How does rental car insurance work in USA?
Insurance for your rental car is often included by your personal car insurance policy for your own vehicle. Sometimes it is also covered by credit card providers, and existing travel insurance policies. You will need to find out if you are covered by any of these sources before you arrive to collect your vehicle.What does CDW cover in USA?
The CDW covers damage from theft, vandalism, and traffic accidents, but rarely covers bodily injury liability caused by a traffic accident, per SmartTravel. It's important to remember that a CDW only covers the damage to your rental vehicle.Rental Car INSURANCE Cover TIPS // Car Hire USA/UK 🇺🇲🇬🇧
More answers regarding does a UK (Natwest) Mastercard cover insurance for car rental in the U.S
Answer 2
No UK credit card or domestic car insurance policy will cover you for driving in US. Specialised travel insurance may include some degree of car insurance although that is unusual.
The better option (assuming that you don't have a US driving licence) is to book through one of the UK base brokers such as
www.netflights.co.uk
www.carhire3000.co.uk
www.auto-europe.co.uk
and get a package that includes all of the required insurance. This will work out way cheaper than what you'd get just turning up at the car hire desk and taking whatever insurance they offer. Depending on the location, this could also give you the option of a one-way rental without any extra fees - especially between California / Nevada / Arizona.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Karolina Grabowska, Olga Lioncat, Ericson Fernandes, Pixabay