When you rent a car, it's smart to have insurance in case anything goes wrong. You could buy this from the rental agency, but you'll need to pay extra. With the right Citi card, you could get rental car insurance as a complimentary perk.
Citi got rid of purchase and travel protections on many of its cards in 2019, but there are a few exceptions. In this guide, we'll go over how Citi card auto rental insurance works and the cards that have it.
Which Citi credit cards offer auto rental insurance?
Here are the Citi credit cards that offer rental car insurance:
As of Aug. 06, 2024
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| Citi Strata Premier℠ Card | Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi | Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® |
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars. 5.00/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars. 5.00/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. | Rating image, 3.50 out of 5 stars. 3.50/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. Rating image, 3.50 out of 5 stars. 3.50/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. | Rating image, 3.50 out of 5 stars. 3.50/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. Rating image, 3.50 out of 5 stars. 3.50/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. |
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Credit Rating Requirement:Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions. Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850) Poor Fair Good Excellent 300-579 580-669 670-739 740-850 Good/Excellent (670-850) | Credit Rating Requirement:Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions. Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Excellent (740-850) Poor Fair Good Excellent 300-579 580-669 670-739 740-850 Excellent (740-850) | Credit Rating Requirement:Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions. Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850) Poor Fair Good Excellent 300-579 580-669 670-739 740-850 Good/Excellent (670-850) |
Welcome Offer:Earn 70,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $700 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com. 70,000 ThankYou® Points | Welcome Offer: N/A | Welcome Offer:Earn 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $7,000 within the first 3 months of account opening. 70,000 bonus miles |
Rewards Program:10x on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked through CitiTravel.com. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Restaurants. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Supermarkets. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Gas and EV Charging Stations. Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on All Other Purchases. 1x - 10x points | Rewards Program:4% back on gas and EV charging ($7,000 annual spending cap), 3% back on restaurants and travel, 2% back on Costco purchases, 1% back on other purchases 1% - 4% back | Rewards Program:Earn 4x miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases. Earn 10x miles for every $1 spent on eligible hotels booked through aa.com/hotels and on eligible car rentals booked through aa.com/cars. Earn 1x miles for each $1 spent on other purchases. 1x - 10x miles |
Intro APR: Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A | Intro APR: Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A | Intro APR: Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A |
Regular APR: 21.24% - 29.24% (Variable) | Regular APR: 20.49% (Variable) | Regular APR: 21.24% - 29.99% (Variable) |
Annual Fee: $95 | Annual Fee: $0 for Costco members | Annual Fee: $595 |
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Each card has its own auto rental insurance policy. These policies work the same way, but there are some differences in the terms. These differences are included below, but if you want to check the exact terms for your Citi card, you can find this information in its guide to benefits.
What does Citi card auto rental insurance cover?
Auto rental insurance with Citi covers damage or theft to the rental vehicle. It also covers reasonable loss of use charges imposed by the rental company for the time the vehicle is out of service, and towing charges to the nearest collision repair facility.
To be eligible for coverage, you must pay for the full cost of the car rental with your Citi card. You also need to decline the insurance company's optional collision/damage insurance.
The insurance lasts for the length of the car rental agreement, up to a maximum rental period of 31 days. Longer rentals aren't eligible for Citi car rental coverage.
The coverage maximums depend on which of those credit cards you have. Here are the maximums with each Citi card that offers this benefit:
- Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi: $50,000 or the cash value of the car, whichever is less
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®: $75,000 or the cash value of the car, whichever is less
- Citi Strata Premier℠ Card: Actual cash value of the rental vehicle
What's not covered
Citi rental car insurance won't cover you in any of the following situations:
- The car is used in any way that goes against the rental car agreement. This includes driving recklessly or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- The rental car was used as a car for hire. For example, if you drove the rental car for Uber or Lyft, Citi card auto rental insurance wouldn't cover you.
- You or an authorized driver don't take responsible care of the rental car.
- The car is rented through a car-sharing company that allows users to rent out their own vehicle. These services have grown in popularity, so it's important to note that rental car coverage won't protect you with them.
This insurance only covers damage and theft to the rental car. It's not an all-inclusive policy or liability insurance. If you or another party is injured in an accident, that isn't covered. It also won't cover damages to other cars or property.
Is it primary or secondary insurance coverage?
For car rentals in the United States, Citi's rental insurance is secondary coverage. Before you can use it, you need to file a claim with any other insurance you have, such as your regular auto insurance. Most credit card rental insurance policies offer secondary coverage, although a select few travel rewards cards offer primary coverage.
If your primary insurance doesn't cover everything, then you can file a claim with Citi. You can also file a claim with Citi for your insurance deductible on your primary insurance policy.
It's different for car rentals outside the United States. When you rent a car abroad, Citi auto rental insurance acts as primary coverage. You can file a claim with that policy first, even if you have another insurance policy.
How to file a Citi card auto rental insurance claim
Here's how to file an auto rental insurance claim with Citi, depending on which card you have:
- Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi: Call 1-866-918-4670 or go to cardbenefits.citi.com.
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®: Call 1-866-506-5222 or go to cardbenefits.citi.com.
- Citi Strata Premier℠ Card: Call 1-833-251-6404 or go to www.mycardbenefits.com.
You'll receive information on what documentation you need to provide to support your claim. Make sure to return all requested documents within 180 days of the incident. Once your claim is processed, you'll receive a notice of the decision.
Pro tip: Get as much evidence as you can to support your claim. For damage claims, Citi recommends taking pictures of the damage. It's also a good idea to take pictures of a rental car before you use it, so you'll have before and after photos in the event of any damage. If the police were called, ask for a police report and submit that with your claim, as well.
What cardholders say about using Citi's car rental insurance
On social media, multiple Citi cardholders have reported positive experiences with its auto rental insurance, saying that their claims were approved. One cardholder mentioned that the claim took awhile to process, but they received full compensation for a large amount of damages.
I didn't find any negative experiences related to filing an auto rental insurance claim with Citi. A cardholder recommended submitting as much documentation as possible, including the rental invoice and a police report if you have it.
Credit card comparison
We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.
| Offer | Our Rating | Welcome Offer | Rewards Program | APR | Learn More |
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Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card | Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars. 5.00/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. | $200 cash rewardsEarn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months. | 2% cash rewardsEarn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. | Intro:0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers Purchases: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers Regular:20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR | |
Discover it® Cash Back | Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars. 5.00/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. | Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.N/A | 1% - 5% CashbackEarn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases—automatically. | Intro: Purchases: 0%, 15 months Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months Regular:18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR | |
Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card Apply Now for Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card OnBank of America'sSecure Website. | Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars. 4.00/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. | 25,000 points25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases | 1.5 points per dollarEarn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open. | Intro:0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 19.24% - 29.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers will apply. A 3% fee for 60 days from account opening, then 4% fee applies to all balance transfers. Purchases: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days Regular:19.24% - 29.24% (Variable) | Apply Now for Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card OnBank of America'sSecure Website. |
A useful benefit when renting a car
Rental insurance from your credit card gets you the best of both worlds: Damage and theft protection without needing to pay any extra for it. If you have a Citi credit card that offers this feature, make sure to use it when you pay for a rental car.
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FAQs
The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi has secondary insurance in the United States. It provides primary insurance for car rentals in other countries.
No, the Citi Double Cash® Card doesn't offer rental car insurance. Citi removed this benefit from the card in 2019.
Yes, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® has car rental insurance. For the coverage to apply, you must pay for the full cost of the rental with your Citi card and decline the rental agency's full collision/damage waiver.
