Link: Apply now for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (this is the best publicly available offer for the card, and we appreciate your support if you use our link)
There’s a lot to learn about the new Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, given that this marks Capital One’s entry into the premium credit card space. Lots of people are applying (and being approved) for the card, so there are lots of perks to learn about.
One benefit people look for with a premium credit card is good car rental protection, and that’s something that the Capital One Venture X offers. In this post I wanted to discuss the card’s car rental protection in greater detail. This nicely complements the card offering Hertz President’s Circle status, plus the card offering 10x Venture miles on car rentals booked through Capital One Travel.
What rental car coverage does the Capital One Venture X offer?
The Capital One Venture X offers primary auto rental collision damage waiver (CDW) coverage for car rentals, both in the United States and abroad. There are some basic terms to be aware of, as you’d expect:
- This coverage reimburses you for damages caused by theft or collision, up to the actual cash value of rental vehicles with an original manufacturer’s warranty of up to $75,000 when new; furthermore, valid loss of use charges by the rental car company, as well as administrative fees and reasonable and customary towing charges, are covered
- This coverage doesn’t apply for expensive, exotic, and antique cars, cargo vans, vehicles with an open cargo bed, trucks, motorcycles, mopeds, motorbikes, limousines, and recreational vehicles
- This coverage doesn’t cover any other type of loss, like damage to another driver’s car, or injury of a person
- To take advantage of this, review the auto rental agreement and decline the rental company’s collision damage waiver option, or a similar provision
- Rental periods of up to 15 consecutive days are covered within your country of residence, or rentals of up to 31 consecutive days are covered outside of your country of residence; this benefit is in effect during the time that the rental car is in your control, and terminates when the rental company reassumes control of the vehicle
- Coverage is not valid in Israel, Jamaica, and the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland
- The coverage applies when you pay for your rental with the Capital One Venture X (either with cash or by redeeming Capital One miles); this applies to both primary cardmembers and authorized users, and coverage applies to you as the primary car renter, and any additional drivers permitted by the rental car agreement
You’ll want to consult the full Capital One Visa Infinite benefits guide for all the details, as they’re subject to change, and there are some further restrictions..
How do you file a rental car claim with the Capital One Venture X?
In the unfortunate event that you actually need to use the Capital One Venture X car rental coverage, how do you go about it?
- If you have an accident or your vehicle is stolen, immediately call the Benefit Administrator at 1-800-825-4062 to report the incident (outside the United States you can call collect to 1-804-965-8071)
- Report the theft or damage as soon as possible, but no later than 45 days form the date of the incident
- You’ll then have to file a claim, and you’ll want to ask the rental car company for several documents, including a copy of the accident report form, a copy of the initial and final auto rental agreement, a copy of the repair estimate and itemized repair bill, two photographs of the damaged vehicle (if available), a police report (if obtainable), and a copy of the demand letter that indicates the cost you’re responsible for
- You’ll then have to submit the above documents, plus some additional documents, within 90 days of the theft or damage date, even if other required documents aren’t yet available
- Additional needed documents include a copy of your monthly billing statement (showing the last four digits of your account number) that show the transaction was made with your eligible account, and any other documentation required by the Benefit Administrator to substantiate the claim
- Your claim will typically be finalized within 15 days of the Benefit Administrator receiving all the documents needed to substantiate your claim
How does this compare to car rental coverage offered by other cards?
For those wondering how the car rental coverage offered by the Capital One Venture X compares to the coverage offered by other premium cards, let’s compare the coverage to some popular competitors:
I think it’s also important to emphasize that even primary collision damage waiver (CDW) coverage doesn’t fully cover you — this isn’t a full insurance policy. It covers you for the damage to your car, but doesn’t cover damage to other cars, or bodily injury. People may be covered for that with their personal insurance, but for those without a personal insurance policy that covers rentals, you might want to pay for more premium protection, in the unlikely event that another car is damaged, or there are injuries.
Bottom line
The Capital One Venture X offers primary collision damage waiver (CDW) coverage both within the United States and in most countries abroad, for the primary cardmember and authorized users. This is an important perk for premium credit cards that I know many people value, so hopefully the above is a useful summary of how it works. Capital One’s car rental coverage policy is very competitive.
And of course this is only one of the many benefits of the card, as it also offers perks like a $300 annual travel credit, 10K bonus anniversary miles, access to Capital One Lounges, a Priority Pass membership, and awesome authorized user perks.
What do you make of the Capital One Venture X‘s rental car coverage policy?