# AGR Mastercard- Does it provide Rental Car Insurance?



## dlagrua (Feb 1, 2013)

I cannot seem to locate detailed info on the Amtrak AGR Mastercard benefits. Everytime I go rent a car the agent uses scare tactics to try and sell me the supplementary collision waiver for $12 a day. On a weekly rental that adds up to 1/2 the rental fee cost. In the past I had credit cars that provided this for free but on AGR I do not know what the benefits are. Does anyone know if the AGR card provides supplementary rental car insurance? If so what is the deal?


----------



## Ryan (Feb 1, 2013)

Check your own car insurance policy. Often times that provides the coverage for you (mine does).


----------



## AmtrakBlue (Feb 1, 2013)

Ryan said:


> Check your own car insurance policy. Often times that provides the coverage for you (mine does).


My husband was a car rental agent, so he always had me decline the supplemental insurance because our car insurance would cover it.

(It was convenient to have him working for a local car rental place when my car got old and started breaking down a lot. I would call him to arrange to be picked up and then call our mechanic to have my car towed)


----------



## Devil's Advocate (Feb 1, 2013)

dlagrua said:


> I cannot seem to locate detailed info on the Amtrak AGR Mastercard benefits. Everytime I go rent a car the agent uses scare tactics to try and sell me the supplementary collision waiver for $12 a day. On a weekly rental that adds up to 1/2 the rental fee cost. In the past I had credit cars that provided this for free but on AGR I do not know what the benefits are. Does anyone know if the AGR card provides supplementary rental car insurance? If so what is the deal?


Supplemental insurance is essentially useless in my opinion. Lots of hoops to jump through with very little to show for it. Primary credit card insurance may be able to prevent having to get your auto insurance company involved, which could be a huge benefit depending on the circumstances, but supplemental card insurance probably won't help much if at all. If the accident is minor then it won't help you and if the accident is major the supplemental benefit is likely to be the least of your worries. Better to spend your time reviewing and fine tuning your standard auto insurance policy instead of worrying about what some supplemental credit card coverage is willing to offer in some bullet point on the application brochure.


----------



## trainman74 (Feb 1, 2013)

dlagrua said:


> Does anyone know if the AGR card provides supplementary rental car insurance? If so what is the deal?


The answer is yes. Here's a MasterCard PDF with the details. For more info, you can call Chase at the number on the back of the card, or MasterCard at 1-800-MC-ASSIST.


----------



## the_traveler (Feb 1, 2013)

Even if it wasn't, I always decline any "extra" insurance policy, on rental autos or travel or anything else. After all, your own insurance probably provides coverage anyway, and how likely are you to "be involved in a situation in (say) Bora Bora"? I'd rather used that extra money to buy a nice dinner on vacation! (Personally, I think you're more likely to be in an accident between home and the airport/train then while on your trip.)


----------



## PRR 60 (Feb 1, 2013)

the_traveler said:


> Even if it wasn't, I always decline any "extra" insurance policy, on rental autos or travel or anything else. After all, your own insurance probably provides coverage anyway, and how likely are you to "be involved in a situation in (say) Bora Bora"? I'd rather used that extra money to buy a nice dinner on vacation! (Personally, I think you're more likely to be in an accident between home and the airport/train then while on your trip.)


I would be very, very careful declining the rental car coverage unless you know for sure the degree to which you covered in the event of an accident or theft of the car. A personal liability of several thousand dollars would be a very bad outcome of making a mistake.

The vast majority of credit card rental car coverages are secondary (meaning you first have to work the claim with your personal insurance) and come with lots of exclusions. Besides the actual damage or loss of the car, the rental car companies can also add costs for the lost usage of the car. I agree with *Devil's Advocate* that pursuing a claim through those secondary credit card coverages can be a chore and may still leave you with a substantial personal liability. Maybe not quite useless, but pretty close. A few upper end cards offer primary coverage, but most are secondary.

Specific to the Amtrak Mastercard, rental car coverage would have to be confirmed with Chase. Although Mastercard lists the coverage as a feature, it also states that the issuing bank may or may not include it. Even if they offer it, it will certainly be secondary. Renter beware.


----------



## BCL (Feb 1, 2013)

Most car insurance is going to come with a deductible. You're still required to be insured anyway when you rent a car. Usually the CDW means that there will be no deductible if your vehicle comes back damaged; they waive everything.

Still - many (but not all) credit cards will cover the same as a CDW if you pay for a rented car using that card. As far as I know, no credit card actually provides primary insurance when you rent a car. It would be a supplemental waiver and/or covering your deductible.


----------



## PRR 60 (Feb 1, 2013)

BCL said:


> Most car insurance is going to come with a deductible. You're still required to be insured anyway when you rent a car. Usually the CDW means that there will be no deductible if your vehicle comes back damaged; they waive everything.
> Still - many (but not all) credit cards will cover the same as a CDW if you pay for a rented car using that card. As far as I know, no credit card actually provides primary insurance when you rent a car. It would be a supplemental waiver and/or covering your deductible.


A couple of cards that offer primary coverage are Amex Platinum and Diners (no longer offered for new individual members). Amex also has a deal for its regular card members that offers primary coverage for up to 42 consecutive days of a car rental for $25. Not a bad deal for a rental of more than two days or so.


----------



## dlagrua (Feb 1, 2013)

I should have been clearer. Yes my insurance does cover rental car collision insurance but it also has a $500 deductable. Using a good credit card usually insures you for the deductable when renting a car. After reading the post by OBS Chief I am led to believe that the AGR Mastercard covers the deductable


----------



## BCL (Feb 1, 2013)

I should probably amend my original statement. It didn't really occur to me that some licensed drivers don't own a vehicle and thus don't carry personal insurance. I live in California, and every driver is required to be insured, although it's typically attached to a vehicle owned by the driver or where the driver is part of a joint coverage. If you have a credit card, it typically won't fully insure anyone, but rather covers the deductible for your own insurance. If you don't have personal insurance, then it won't do anything, because the terms would require that the renter/driver be insured.


----------



## SarahZ (Feb 1, 2013)

Trust me when I say that if you have _*ANY*_ questions about insurance coverage, it is always best to talk to your insurance company first. Every company's coverages and policies are different, and every state has different laws and statutes when it comes to insurance. What's true in Michigan isn't necessarily true in Indiana or Illinois, and Allstate's auto policy might not be the same as Progressive's or GEICO's.


----------



## sechs (Feb 1, 2013)

BCL said:


> I live in California, and every driver is required to be insured


False. I'm a licensed California driver and do not have automobile insurance, as I do not own a car.

Since I do not have personal insurance, credit card insurance is always primary for me when I rent, as there is nothing to which it to is supplemental.


----------



## Blackwolf (Feb 2, 2013)

Here you go:

Chart: Compare credit cards' rental car insurance policies
Pretty straight forward for the major players (Visa, MC, AmEx, Diners, Discover.) It all really depends on your company, and your status (your card level) with your card. For example, if you have a simple Visa card, you're probably going to get _some_ coverage but nothing great, but if you're a Visa Signature card holder (eg: Chase Sapphire Preferred) then primary coverage is pretty much automatic in lew of your own personal insurance coverage. I've used the AmEx product before, and felt pretty darn safe refusing the rental company policy.

As a rule of thumb, I'll tend to use the card with all the features like rental insurance to put the car on deposit, then once the rental is complete and everything is safe, transfer the charge over to my AGR MasterCard for the points. That way, my butt is covered if something bad occurs, as I really don't trust nor like the product for coverage put forth by MasterCard over the other products in my wallet. Worst case scenario is, if I'm rear-ended and my rental is totaled, I may be out the points by having the rental charged on my AmEx Gold Card, but at least I'm safe from the retribution of my rental company when the bean counters com knocking!


----------



## Shanghai (Feb 2, 2013)

dlagrua said:


> I should have been clearer. Yes my insurance does cover rental car collision insurance but it also has a $500 deductable. Using a good credit card usually insures you for the deductable when renting a car. After reading the post by OBS Chief I am led to believe that the AGR Mastercard covers the deductable


I'm in a similar situation where I have $1,000 deductible on my personal auto policy. Enterprize offers coverage

to cover the deductible which is lower than the cost of full insurance. I have been advised that in some states,

no fault coverage exists which could increase the use of the rental car insurance.


----------



## BCL (Feb 2, 2013)

sechs said:


> BCL said:
> 
> 
> > I live in California, and every driver is required to be insured
> ...


You may be licensed to drive, but that doesn't make you a driver. You're not a driver unless you're driving. And you can't drive (legally) unless you're licensed. Ergo, every driver is required to be insured.


----------



## maxth ax (Feb 3, 2013)

BCL said:


> sechs said:
> 
> 
> > BCL said:
> ...


The credit card covers the deductable amount on the rental car insurance not on personal auto insurance. If that were not the case then only car owners could rent cars.


----------



## Devil's Advocate (Feb 4, 2013)

BCL said:


> sechs said:
> 
> 
> > BCL said:
> ...


Here in Texas if you drive the car of a friend or family member (with permission) then the car owner's insurance covers that ride. You're also excused from requiring insurance so long as you are able to put an amount equal to the minimum legal liability in escrow. In other words there at least two ways you can legally be a licensed driver without any auto insurance at all.


----------



## Cho Cho Charlie (Feb 4, 2013)

PRR 60 said:


> A couple of cards that offer primary coverage are Amex Platinum and Diners (no longer offered for new individual members). Amex also has a deal for its regular card members that offers primary coverage for up to 42 consecutive days of a car rental for $25. Not a bad deal for a rental of more than two days or so.


I pay the extra for AmEx's primary coverage. Well, kind-of. I use my AmEx card when I rent. That kicks in the extra primary coverage. If I don't destroy the rental car while I have it, when I turn it back in, I switch and pay with a different card. If the final charge is not on my AmEx card, AmEx doesn't charge the extra $25/rental.


----------



## transit54 (Feb 9, 2013)

BCL said:


> You may be licensed to drive, but that doesn't make you a driver. You're not a driver unless you're driving. And you can't drive (legally) unless you're licensed. Ergo, every driver is required to be insured.


So if I'm in California, and I borrow a friend's car, that's illegal? I've never seen a car insurance company will to write a policy for a non vehicle owner or for a short period of time.


----------



## SarahZ (Feb 10, 2013)

transit54 said:


> BCL said:
> 
> 
> > You may be licensed to drive, but that doesn't make you a driver. You're not a driver unless you're driving. And you can't drive (legally) unless you're licensed. Ergo, every driver is required to be insured.
> ...


Every state is different. In Michigan, you don't have to have car insurance unless you actually own a car. If my friend, who doesn't own a vehicle, drives my car, they are covered by my policy because, in Michigan, the coverage follows the vehicle. In other states, the coverage follows the driver, so every driver has to carry insurance.

If you are uninsured and plan to drive a friend's vehicle, I highly recommend your friend call their insurance company to ask if coverage applies if you are involved in an accident. If you have auto insurance, then it's still worth asking if their coverage is primary or yours.

As I've said, because every state is so different, it's best to get answers from your insurance company instead of the internet. Trust me. I've seen too many people burned (and then pissed at me) because they didn't understand their coverages and the cop or the body shop or their friend or their cousin's roommate gave them the wrong information.


----------



## PRR 60 (Feb 10, 2013)

Sorcha said:


> transit54 said:
> 
> 
> > BCL said:
> ...


I would not say that every state is different. I've never heard of a state that requires a driver who does not own a car to hold insurance. I'm not even sure what that insurance would be. Auto insurance is for the car and the primary drivers of the car, but occasional drivers are fully covered under the policy.


----------



## SarahZ (Feb 11, 2013)

I'm only familiar with Michigan. I was under the impression that in at least one state (and I can't remember which one/s), every driver is required to have insurance for liability/medical purposes. That's why I recommended asking the insurance company.

Those policies do exist. They're called "Non-Owner Auto Insurance" policies, and many people take them out for the reasons I described above and/or so they can drive rental cars.


----------

