Barclaycard car rental insurance: How does it work?

Barclaycard car rental coverage can reimburse you if your rental car is damaged or stolen. It can also pay for eligible loss-of-use and towing charges. Not all of the provider’s cards offer coverage, however, so check with Barclaycard about your card’s policy.

Does Barclaycard come with car rental insurance?

As of February 2021, the only Barclaycard credit card that lists an auto rental collision damage waiver on its application page is the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®.

However, a Barclaycard rep we spoke to said the provider includes car rental insurance with many of its cards. The benefit depends on the card, though, and by the network — that is, Visa or Mastercard.

If you have a Barclaycard Visa and Mastercard that includes car rental coverage, what’s here should apply. However, the policy for your specific card may differ, so carefully read your card’s guide to benefits to make sure.

Where is Barclaycard car rental insurance available?

Visa coverage is available in the United States and most foreign countries. It is not valid in Israel, Jamaica, the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland.

Mastercard coverage applies worldwide.

Coverage from either network isn’t valid when it violates the laws of the country in which you’re renting your vehicle.

Barclaycard car rental insurance: What it covers

For both Barclaycard Visa and Mastercard, you’re covered for:

• Physical damage to the rental vehicle.
• Theft of the rental vehicle.
• Eligible loss-of-use charges.
• Reasonable towing charges.

A rental car company may impose loss-of-use charges for the revenue it loses while a vehicle is out of service. Both Visa and Mastercard cover you for valid loss-of-use costs. This is a useful feature, as not all card providers offer the same coverage.

How much am I covered for?

For Visa cards, you’re covered up to the actual cash value of the originally manufactured vehicle.

Your Mastercard policy covers you for the lesser of:

• The actual repair amount for the vehicle.
• The wholesale market value of the vehicle, not including salvage and depreciation.
• The purchase invoice from the rental agency, not including salvage and depreciation.
• A total $50,000.

What does Barclaycard car rental insurance not cover?

With a Visa, you aren’t covered for expensive, exotic or antique vehicles. Vans are excluded as well. Select BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lincoln and Cadillac models are covered, however.

With a Mastercard, you aren’t covered for:

• Trucks
• Pickups
• Full-size vans on truck chassis
• Cargo vans
• Campers
• Off-road vehicles and other recreational vehicles
• Sport utility trucks
• Trailers
• Motorbikes, motorcycles and vehicles with fewer than four wheels
• Vehicles
• Rental vehicles with MSRPs of more than $50,000

Your coverage also doesn’t apply in specific instances — for example, if you violate the rental agreement or your personal effects are stolen.

Is Barclaycard car rental insurance primary or secondary?

The policy for a Visa card states:

• In your country of residence, coverage is secondary. You must make a claim with other forms of valid insurance before claiming through your Visa card.
• Outside your country of residence, coverage is primary. You can claim directly with your Visa benefit administrator in the event of an incident.

Other things to know based on your personal auto insurance:

• If you don’t have personal auto insurance, coverage is primary. You’re covered for theft of or damage to your rental vehicle, as well as valid loss-of-use and towing charges.
• If you do have personal auto insurance, your Visa policy will reimburse you for your deductible. It also covers valid loss-of-use and towing charges that your primary insurance won’t.

Is Mastercard coverage primary or secondary?

In most cases, Mastercard coverage is secondary. You must make claims through providers in a specific order:

1. Primary insurance policy for you or the authorized driver.
2. Collision damage waiver from the rental car company.
3. Other forms of deductible insurance.
4. Coverage through your Mastercard policy.

While you must make a claim through your primary coverage first, there’s good news: Your Mastercard policy will pay for your deductible.

Mastercard coverage is primary in two instances:

• You don’t have other insurance.
• Your insurance doesn’t cover you outside the United States.

How to use Barclaycard car rental insurance

To activate your Barclaycard coverage for a Visa or Mastercard, pay the total for your rental with your card and decline coverage from the rental company.

If the representative at the counter says you must purchase coverage, call your benefit administrator:

• Visa. 800-348-8472 in the US or collect at 804-673-1164 if you’re traveling internationally
• Mastercard. 800-627-8372

How to make a claim for Barclaycard car rental insurance

Immediately after an incident, call your Visa or Mastercard benefit administrator. A representative will provide next steps and tell you which documentation you must submit for your claim.

Information you’ll need for a claim through your Barclaycard Visa

Immediately after the incident, collect information about the accident and repairs:

• Police report, if possible
• Copy of the claim document and accident report form from the rental company
• Copy of the initial and final rental agreements
• Itemized repair bill and a copy of the repair estimate
• Two photos of the damaged vehicle, if possible

For your claim, you must also submit:

• Auto rental collision damage waiver claim form, completed and signed
• Copy of your receipt or monthly billing statement showing that you made the entire rental purchase on your Barclaycard Visa
• Statement from your insurance provider or a provider of another form of reimbursement showing the costs you must pay and what you’ve already paid toward the claim
• Copy of the declarations page of your primary insurance policy

Submit required information to your representative within 365 days of the incident.

Information you’ll need for a claim through your Barclaycard Mastercard

Submit personal, financial and accident information for a claim through your Barclaycard Mastercard:

• Receipt of the vehicle rental
• Statement showing you paid for the entire rental on your card
• Copy of the rental agreement, front and back
• Copy of your driver’s license, front and back
• Copy of the declarations page of your primary insurance or other form of coverage
• Police report for the incident
• Itemized repair estimate
• Copy of the promotion or discount from the rental company, if applicable
• Copy of the vehicle’s fleet utilization log from the rental agency, if you’re claiming loss-of-use charges
• Other information the benefit administrator asks of you

Submit the required information to your representative within 180 days of the incident.

Who gets to use Barclaycard car rental insurance?

You and drivers you list on the rental agreement are covered by Barclaycard car rental insurance, whether you have a Visa or Mastercard.

Bottom line

According to the provider, many Barclaycard credit cards offer car rental coverage.

At this time, only the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® lists car rental insurance on its application page. However, other Barclaycard products offer coverage, and you can confirm your card’s benefit by contacting the provider.

Frequently asked questions

Do other providers offer car rental insurance?

Yes. You’ll find car rental insurance with Chase, Amex and many other providers. Others, such as Discover, have eliminated the benefit from their cards.

What’s a good provider for primary car rental insurance?

Consider Chase, which offers primary coverage with cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve®.

Does Barclaycard offer other forms of travel protection?

Yes. With its World Elite Mastercard and World Mastercard products, Barclaycard may offer coverage such as baggage delay insurance, trip delay insurance and travel accident insurance.

Written by

Kevin Joey Chen

Writer

Kevin Chen is a personal finance expert and a former writer at Finder. His expertise has been featured in CNN, U.S. News and World Report, Lifehacker and CreditCards.com, among other top media. See full bio