Amex Blue Card: Auto Rental Insurance Coverage Explained

American Express offers car rental insurance on many of its cards, including the Blue Cash Everyday Card. This insurance is secondary, meaning it will only reimburse you after all other insurance has paid out. However, if you don't have any other car insurance, it becomes primary.

The Blue Cash Everyday Card provides up to $50,000 in coverage for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use the card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the rental company. This coverage does not include liability coverage, and not all vehicle types or rentals are covered.

Amex Blue rental insurance as primary coverage

Amex Blue Card offers rental car insurance as a benefit. This includes up to $50,000 of coverage for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles. To be eligible for this coverage, you must use your Amex Blue Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the rental company.

It is important to note that this insurance is secondary, meaning it will reimburse you only after all other insurance has paid out, including any personal insurance you may have. However, if you do not have any other car insurance, this secondary insurance will become primary coverage.

The Amex Blue Card rental car insurance also provides additional benefits, such as accidental death or dismemberment coverage, car rental personal property coverage, and reasonable towing charges.

To receive the full benefits of the Amex Blue Card rental car insurance, be sure to carefully review the terms and conditions, as well as the guide to benefits, which outlines coverage limits and eligibility requirements.

Amex Blue rental insurance as secondary coverage

Amex Blue rental insurance is secondary coverage, meaning it will reimburse you only after all other insurance has paid out. This includes any personal insurance that you have. However, if you don't have any other car insurance, even within the US, secondary insurance becomes primary.

The Blue Sky from American Express, for example, provides secondary coverage of up to $50,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles. To receive this coverage, you must use your eligible card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the commercial car rental company.

Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered, and there are geographic restrictions. To validate your coverage, call the number on the back of your card.

Amex Blue rental insurance coverage limits

The Blue from American Express® card also offers rental car insurance, but the coverage level is not specified.

If you're looking for higher coverage limits, you can consider purchasing Premium Car Rental Protection from American Express. The $100,000 coverage level, with a premium of $24.95 ($15.25 for Florida residents and $17.95 for California residents), includes up to $100,000 of primary damage and theft coverage for the rental car, up to $100,000 of Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) coverage ($250,000 for California residents), and more.

It's important to note that the coverage limits and eligibility vary by card, so be sure to check the policy for your specific Amex Blue card to understand the coverage available to you.

Amex Blue rental insurance exclusions

Amex Blue rental insurance provides secondary coverage, meaning it will reimburse you only after all other insurance has paid out. This includes any personal insurance that you may have. However, it's important to note that this secondary insurance becomes primary if you don't have any other car insurance, even within the US.

The coverage level varies depending on the specific Amex Blue card you hold. For example, the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card provides $50,000 in coverage after an incident.

In terms of exclusions, Amex Blue rental insurance does not include liability coverage. Additionally, certain vehicles are excluded from coverage, including:

• Vans with a seating capacity of over eight passengers
• Trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or more
• Recreational vehicles
• Rental vehicles in Australia, Italy, New Zealand, or any country on the OFAC sanctioned country list

It's important to carefully review the benefits guide for your specific Amex Blue card to understand the exclusions and limitations of your rental insurance coverage.

Filing a claim with Amex Blue rental insurance

To file a claim with Amex Blue rental insurance, you can either head to the Amex website and start your claim online, or you can call 800-338-1670 to report your claim. If you're outside of the country, you can call 303-273-6497 collect. It's important to report the incident within 30 days of the loss or as soon as possible. After reporting the incident, you'll need to submit proof of loss within 60 days. This can include:

• An itemized repair estimate and itemized bill
• A copy of the rental agreement
• A copy of the charge slip for the vehicle
• A copy of your personal insurance or a notarized letter stating that you don't have any
• A police report (if there is one)
• A copy of your driver's license

Once you've submitted all the necessary documentation, Amex will process your claim and pay out your benefits within 30 days.

Frequently asked questions