Does United Explorer Card Cover Rental Car Insurance? ($60K)

The United Explorer Card includes an Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver that, per Chase’s Guide to Benefits (effective 10/01/24), reimburses theft and collision damage to a rental vehicle up to $60,000 and is primary inside and outside the U.S. It applies only if you decline the rental agency’s collision damage waiver and put the entire rental on the card. This guide covers what is covered, the exclusions and how to file a claim.

Understanding Your Card’s Built-In Protection

Chase calls the benefit Auto Rental Coverage on its United Explorer Card page, and the details sit in the card’s Guide to Benefits (document BGC11386, effective 10/01/24, written for the United Explorer Card and the United Quest Card). The benefits are provided under a group policy issued by Virginia Surety Company, Inc., an Assurant company, which takes the claims. The guide says it is not itself a policy and that the group policy’s terms govern.

Primary vs. Secondary Coverage: A Crucial Difference

A primary benefit pays first, so a claim goes to the benefit administrator instead of your personal auto insurer. A secondary or excess benefit pays only what other insurance does not. The guide sets out when each applies:

Situation	What the guide says
Rental inside the U.S.	Primary
Rental outside the U.S. where the benefit is available	Primary
Outside the U.S., agency will not let you decline its CDW/LDW	Secondary to the agency’s CDW/LDW coverage
New York residents, inside the U.S.	Primary unless you have personal automobile insurance, in which case excess

Chase’s card page words the New York limit slightly differently, saying coverage inside the U.S. is secondary to your personal automobile insurance.

Is the United Explorer Card a Visa or a Mastercard?

The guide for this card is titled for the United Explorer Card and United Quest Card, Visa Signature and Visa Platinum. The guide does not mention Mastercard. If your card is Mastercard-branded, different terms may apply, so read our guides to Mastercard rental car coverage and Mastercard’s rental insurance terms instead.

These numbers belong to this card alone. Other Chase cards have their own guides and limits, so do not assume they carry over.

What Does the United Explorer Card Rental Insurance Cover?

Per the guide, the benefit reimburses damages caused by theft or collision of the Rental Vehicle up to $60,000, and coverage is available worldwide. Rental periods up to thirty-one consecutive days are covered. Only you, as the primary renter, and any additional drivers permitted by the Rental Car Agreement are covered.

Covered item	Per the guide
Theft and collision damage	Reimbursement up to $60,000
Loss-of-use charges	Valid charges imposed and substantiated by the Rental Agency
Administrative fees	Covered
Towing	Reasonable and customary charges, due to a covered theft or damage, to the nearest qualified repair facility
Rental length	Up to 31 consecutive days

The guide adds that no other type of loss is covered. A Rental Vehicle is a land motor vehicle with four or more wheels rented from a Rental Agency, which the guide defines as a commercial rental company licensed under the laws of the applicable jurisdiction whose primary business is renting automobiles. The benefit is in effect while the vehicle is in your or an authorized driver’s control.

What Is NOT Covered? Important Exclusions to Know

Per the guide, these vehicles are not covered:

• Exotic vehicles or any vehicle with a suggested retail price over $125,000. The guide names Aston Martin, Bentley, Bugatti, Ferrari, Koenigsegg, Lamborghini, Lotus, Maybach, McLaren, Pagani and Rolls Royce as examples.
• Antique cars, meaning cars over twenty years old or not manufactured for ten years or more.
• Cargo vans, trucks other than pick-ups, motorcycles, mopeds, motorbikes, limousines, vehicles rented with a driver, and recreational vehicles.
• Passenger vans with seating for more than twelve people including the driver.
• Vehicles rented through a car-sharing company that allows individuals to rent out their own vehicle, and any vehicle not rented from a Rental Agency.
• Damage to the interior bed of a pick-up truck, unless caused by a covered loss such as theft or collision.

And these losses and situations are not covered:

• Personal liability, injury of anyone including you, and damage to anything inside or outside the Rental Vehicle, such as another driver’s car.
• Loss or theft of personal belongings.
• Depreciation of the Rental Vehicle, including diminished value.
• The cost of any insurance or collision damage waiver offered by or bought through the Rental Agency, and expenses the agency or its insurer assumed, waived or paid.
• Expenses reimbursable by an insurer, employer or employer’s insurance.
• Rental periods that exceed or are intended to exceed thirty-one days, and leases or mini leases.
• Theft or damage from intentional acts, driving under the influence of alcohol, intoxicants or drugs, contraband or illegal activities.
• Wear and tear, mechanical breakdown, off-road operation, war or other hostility, and confiscation by authorities.
• Theft or damage resulting from a lack of reasonable care, for example leaving the car running and unattended, and any violation of the Rental Car Agreement or the benefit’s terms.

The guide’s Additional Terms add that benefits are not provided after concealed or misrepresented material facts or on a suspended or cancelled account. For the exact wording, read the United Explorer Card Guide to Benefits.

Some countries or Rental Agencies require a letter of coverage before they will release a car. The guide says to check with the Rental Agency before you go and, if a letter is required, to visit chasecardbenefits.com or call 1-800-350-2919.

How to Activate Your United Explorer Card Rental Car Insurance

The guide describes the steps in order. Missing the first two means the benefit does not apply.

Decline the Rental Company’s CDW/LDW

Review the Rental Car Agreement and decline the Rental Agency’s collision damage waiver or loss damage waiver (CDW/LDW) or a similar provision. The guide states that accepting the agency’s CDW/LDW cancels out this benefit. Outside the U.S., if the agency will not let you decline, the benefit becomes secondary to the agency’s coverage.

Pay for the Entire Rental with Your United Explorer Card

Use the covered card account and/or redeemable Rewards to initiate and complete the entire Rental Vehicle transaction. Paying part of the bill with cash or a different card does not meet that requirement. When you file, you will be asked for a card statement showing the last four digits of the account number that proves the rental was paid this way.

The guide also tells you to check the Rental Vehicle for prior damage before driving out of the lot and to bring any damage you find to the Rental Agency’s attention.

Card Benefit vs. Rental Counter Waiver: What to Decide at the Desk

At the counter	What the guide says
Accept the agency’s CDW/LDW	Cancels out the card benefit
Decline the CDW/LDW and pay with the card	The benefit applies, subject to its exclusions and the 31-day limit
Liability to other people or their property	Not covered by the card benefit
Your injuries and belongings	Not covered by the card benefit
Agency outside the U.S. refuses a declined waiver	Card benefit is secondary to the agency’s coverage

The price, deductible and terms of the rental agency’s own waiver are in your Rental Car Agreement and differ by company, so this guide does not compare costs. For a plain-language look at what a waiver is, see our explainer on rental car damage waivers, and for the wider question of whether to buy counter coverage, read should I pay for rental car insurance. If you also own a car, ask your insurer how its policy treats rentals.

What to Do If You Have an Accident in a Rental Car

The guide says it is your responsibility to make every effort to protect the Rental Vehicle from damage or theft. If there is an accident or the vehicle is stolen, follow these steps and watch the deadlines:

1. Make sure everyone is safe and call for medical help if needed.
2. File a police report where one is appropriate. The guide lists a police report among the documents it may ask for, if filed.
3. Document the damage: take photographs of the damaged vehicle. The guide asks for two photographs, if available.
4. Notify the Rental Agency and ask for a copy of the accident report form and the initial and final Rental Car Agreement, front and back.
5. Report the claim within 100 days: visit chasecardbenefits.com or call 1-800-350-2919 (collect at 001-214-503-2953 from outside the U.S.) as soon as reasonably possible, even if you do not yet have the documents. Report regardless of who is at fault.
6. Submit documents within 365 days of the damage or theft, or as soon as reasonably possible, once the administrator tells you what it needs.

Report early. The guide says a claim containing charges that would not have been included if you had notified the administrator before the expenses were incurred may be declined, and that reporting to anyone other than the administrator does not meet the obligation. Documents the guide says you may need include:

• The accident report form, rental agreements, repair estimate and itemized repair bill, and a police report if one was filed.
• A demand letter showing the costs you owe and any amounts already paid, plus a card statement proving the rental was paid on the covered card.

For related situations, see our guides on who is responsible for a rental car in an accident and what happens if a rental car is stolen.

Keep reading

• Does Travel Insurance Cover Car Rental? Read This First
• Does Discover Provide Rental Car Insurance? No, Not Since 2018
• Insurance Coverage for Rental Cars: The Complete Decision Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the United Explorer Card a Visa or Mastercard?

Chase’s Guide to Benefits for this card is titled for Visa Signature and Visa Platinum cards and never mentions Mastercard. Check the network logo on your own card, since a Mastercard-branded card would fall under different terms.

Do I need to buy any insurance from the rental company at all?

The card benefit does not cover personal liability, injury to anyone, or damage to other vehicles or property. Whether you need extra liability protection depends on your own auto policy, so ask your insurer and the rental agency.

Does the insurance cover international rentals?

Yes. Coverage is available worldwide and is primary where the benefit is available, but it is secondary if the agency outside the U.S. will not let you decline its CDW/LDW. Some countries require a letter of coverage from chasecardbenefits.com or 1-800-350-2919.

What types of vehicles are not covered?

Exotic vehicles, any vehicle priced over $125,000, antique cars, cargo vans, trucks other than pick-ups, motorcycles, limousines, recreational vehicles and passenger vans seating more than twelve. Call 1-800-350-2919 if you are unsure about a vehicle.

Does it cover rentals from services like Turo or U-Haul?

The guide excludes vehicles rented through car-sharing companies that let individuals rent out their own vehicle, which is how Turo works, plus trucks other than pick-ups and any vehicle not rented from a commercial Rental Agency. Call the benefit line to confirm a specific rental.

Do I have to be flying on United Airlines to use this benefit?

The guide’s Auto Rental Coverage section sets no flight requirement. It requires that you pay for the entire rental with the covered card and/or Rewards and decline the agency’s CDW/LDW.

Does the card cover a rental from Dollar, Hertz or other rental companies?

The guide lists no company names. The test is whether the vehicle came from a licensed commercial Rental Agency whose primary business is renting automobiles and is not on the excluded list.

Conclusion: What to Check Before You Rent

The United Explorer Card benefit, as written in the guide effective 10/01/24, is primary coverage up to $60,000 for theft and collision damage on eligible rentals of up to 31 consecutive days. It depends on declining the agency’s CDW/LDW, paying for the whole rental with the card, and reporting any loss within 100 days.

This guide does not cover rental company waiver prices, other Chase cards, or personal auto policies; ask the rental agency, Chase and your insurer about those. It summarizes publicly posted Chase materials and is not legal, insurance or financial advice. Benefit terms can change, and Chase says the most current benefit information is in your Chase account under Card Benefits.