Chase Sapphire Reserve^® Car Rental Benefit: Why it’s Unique

The Chase Sapphire Reserve^® credit card carries a $450 annual fee -- but it carries many benefits that upgrade your travel and save you money. One of the most notable benefits is its suite of rental car protections and perks.

Let's take a close look at what the Reserve offers when you rent a car.

Primary rental car protection

Many travel rewards credit cards offer rental car protection. Yet the Chase Sapphire Reserve goes an extra step by offering primary rather than secondary rental car coverage.

Secondary rental car coverage, which is what most cards offer, steps in only after you've filed a claim with your regular auto insurance company. After your regular auto insurer decides what it will and won't pay, your card steps in to pay what's left (usually that amounts to the deductible).

With the primary rental car coverage that the Chase Sapphire Reserve offers, you don't have to get your regular auto insurance company involved at all. You'll file your claim with Chase, from beginning to end.

Chase's coverage protects you during rentals in the U.S. and in most foreign countries.

That doesn’t mean Chase will pay for anything that goes amiss with your rental, however. Here are some important details to understand about the Chase Sapphire Reserve rental car insurance coverage (aka "auto rental collision damage waiver"):

• To get covered with Chase, you must reject the collision damage waiver/loss damage waiver the rental-car company offers you at the counter. You must also pay for the rental with your Chase Sapphire Reserve card.
• The coverage ceiling is $75,000.
• The rental period must not be longer than 31 consecutive days.
• Chase covers physical damage and theft of the rental vehicle, reasonable towing charges and valid loss-of-use charges.
• Chase does NOT cover certain car types (such as luxury vehicles), injuries and your personal belongings. It also won't cover damage to the car if you're under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• The Chase Sapphire Reserve card also does NOT cover liability. In other words, it won't cover any damage you cause to other cars, property or people. It covers the rental vehicle only.

How to file a claim with Chase Sapphire Reserve^® rental car insurance

You must begin the claim-filing process within 60 days of damage or theft. Contact Chase immediately to get the process started. You must complete your claims paperwork within 100 days of the damage or theft.

In addition to the claims form (which Chase will provide), you must submit:

• A copy of your rental receipt or monthly billing statement as proof that you paid for the rental with your card
• A copy of the accident report
• A copy of the repair estimate
• Anything else Chase asks you to provide

There are plenty of other rules and restrictions, so read your benefits package.

Car rental privileges

In addition to protecting your rental, the Chase Sapphire Reserve also extends certain perks if you use certain rental car companies (National Car Rental, Avis and Silvercar).

These benefits (which vary by company) include:

• Discounts on rentals: For example, you can get up to 25% off with National and up to 30% off with Avis.
• Enrollment in elite loyalty programs: For example, get enrolled automatically in National's Emerald Club at the * Executive level. Normally, you'd need 12 to 24 qualifying vehicle rentals in a calendar year to achieve this status. Executive level gets you free upgrades, special pricing on luxury vehicles, priority service, waived additional-driver fees and more.

Rewards when renting a car

The Chase Sapphire Reserve rewards 3X Ultimate Rewards points per $1 spent on travel, which includes car rentals. That means paying for your rental car with your Reserve card earns you 3X points.

You can also redeem your points (whether earned via spending or the sign-up bonus) for car rentals through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. When you redeem this way, your points are worth 50% more, meaning your points go further when you use them to pay for your rental car.

Finally, the Chase Sapphire Reserve gives you a $300 every year towards qualifying travel expenses. Car rentals are on that list, meaning you can be reimbursed for your rentals (up to the $300 yearly limit).

Want to learn more about the Chase Sapphire Reserve card’s benefits? Read our full review.

_{Editorial Note: The information related to Chase Sapphire Reserve^® has been collected by Credit Cards House and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card.}

First published March 23, 2018, last updated March 22, 2019

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kristin is a credit-industry and cards expert at creditcardshouse.com who knows the ins and outs of credit reporting and rewards programs. She got into points and miles thanks to her love for travel and into credit building because of her dream of homeownership – and therefore believes cards are a powerful tool for both rewards-maximizing and credit-building.

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Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.

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