Planning to rent from U-Save Car & Truck Rental? Make sure you know what coverage you’ll need to protect yourself in the event of an accident! That will save you expensive last-minute daily rates for low-quality insurance coverage at a rental counter.
In this article, we explain what types of coverage customers should have available when renting a vehicle. We will review where these coverages may be found in your existing policies.
How U-Save Rental Car Insurance Works
When booking a car through U-Save Car & Truck Rental, coverage options will appear as an “Extra”. Currently, the only option is a Collision Damage Waiver.
We created a table to show readers what types of coverage are good ideas when renting a vehicle.
| Coverage | Available from U-Save Online Booking Portal? | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Collision Damage Waiver | Yes | Auto Insurance or Credit Card |
| Supplemental Liability | No | Auto Insurance & Umbrella Policy |
| Personal Accident Coverage | No | Travel Insurance |
The Cost and Details of U-Save Car & Truck Rental Insurance
The cost of insurance from U-Save Car & Truck Rental varies by location and vehicle. We used the booking portal online to verify coverage options and pricing.
We checked the availability and pricing of additional insurance options for the following vehicle categories:
- Standard Car (Volkswagen Jetta or similar)
- Full-size Car (Toyota Camry or similar)
- Premium Car (Ford Taurus or similar)
- Mid-size SUV (Nissan Rogue or similar)
- Minivan (Dodge Caravan or similar)
Collision Damage Waiver
U-Save Car & Truck Rental offers a Collision Damage Waiver for most vehicles through the booking portal. Collision Damage Waivers waive the customer’s financial responsibility for the rental car.
Similar coverage is available through your auto insurance or credit card company. To save you more digging to find the coverage you need, we’ll explain those options later.
This chart shows the pricing and availability of Collision Damage Waivers through U-Save Car & Truck Rental. These deals were shown at booking for various vehicle types.
| Vehicle | CDW Daily Rate |
|---|---|
| Standard Car | $26.50 |
| Full-Size Car | $26.50 |
| Premium Car | $26.50 |
| Mid-size SUV | CDW Not Available |
| Minivan | $29.70 |
Pro Tip: If your policy has full coverage (comprehensive and collision), you should be able to skip the Loss Damage Waiver if your policy “extends” coverage to the rental car. (Check with your insurance agent if you aren’t sure.)
Liability Insurance Options
Liability insurance was not offered with booking through U-Save Car & Truck Rental online. BUT, that doesn’t mean you should overlook liability insurance!!
Liability Insurance covers third-party property damage and medical expenses when you’re at fault. This coverage also covers lawsuit costs if you’re sued due to the accident.
Follow these steps to make sure your liability is covered.
- Make sure you have liability insurance coverage from your auto insurance policy, an umbrella liability policy, or both. Verify the coverage applies to rental vehicles.
- U-Save Car & Truck Rental offers Supplemental Liability coverage up to $1,000,000 at select locations at the pick-up counter. Liability insurance through rental car companies costs more than coverage through auto insurance or umbrella liability policies.
- If you verify your own liability coverage before pick-up, you can feel confident waiving their coverage at check-out!
Pro Tip: Umbrella liability insurance policies can be purchased for around $1/day through companies like USAA.
Personal Accident Coverage
U-Save Car & Truck Rental did not provide personal accident insurance with online booking.
Personal Accident Coverage provides benefits to cover medical costs from an accident or accidental death. This applies to occupants of the rental vehicle.
However, medical insurance often has coverage exclusions for automobile accidents. Typically, medical insurance also doesn’t cover you outside of the country.
So what can you do?
Pro Tip: Customers can use these alternatives to provide themselves with cheaper and more universal coverage for injuries and personal belongings.
- Check auto insurance for personal and passenger medical coverage
- Find Travel Insurance with coverage for unexpected medical costs
- Check with your medical insurance to find out if or when coverage applies while traveling
- Make sure that everyone has adequate term life insurance coverage
Knowing this coverage will help you stay calm if U-Save Car & Truck Rental pushes you to sign up for expensive, low-coverage Personal Accident Insurance at checkout.
U-Save Car Truck Rental’s Rental Car Insurance Versus Regular Car Insurance
For many car renters, their existing Auto Insurance provides superior coverage at a better rate than U-Save Car & Truck Rental’s Collision Damage Waiver.
In this chart, see how each policy type compares to the coverages on most auto insurance policies.
| Coverage | U-Save Car & Truck Rental | Auto Insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Supplemental Liability | Not Available | Policy Limits Selected by User, And Umbrella Liability Insurance If Elected |
| Rental Car | Collision Damage Waiver: Covers Selected Rental Car | Comprehensive & Collision: Typically Covers Rental Car After Deductible. Check Policy for Details |
| Personal Accident Insurance | Not Available | Coverage is Usually Higher than Rental Car Companies. Check Your Policy |
| Roadside | Not Available | Similar Services Usually Available for Only a Few Extra Dollars a Month. AAA works well for this. |
Verify with your agent or auto insurance company that your rental car selection is covered by your existing policy!
U-Save Car & Truck Rental Versus Credit Card Collision Damage Waiver
U-Save Car & Truck Rental offers a Collision Damage Waiver starting at $26.50/day, which is often a complimentary perk for credit card holders. So keep reading to see how you can save some money!
Follow these steps to utilize a complimentary Collision Damage Waiver through your credit card.
- Verify that your credit card provides a Collision Damage Waiver and that your selected rental car is covered.
- Pay for the rental car using the credit card with a CDW benefit
- In the event of collision or theft, file a claim through your credit card company.
Pro Tip: Waiving the LDW/CDW coverage from U-Save is required for a credit card’s CDW coverage to be effective. Otherwise, the LDW/CDW coverage from U-Save supersedes the credit card’s coverage, rendering it null and void.
Use this chart to easily compare the Collision Damage Waivers offered by credit card companies versus the ones offered by U-Save Car & Truck Rental.
| Offer | Cost for Waiver | Vehicle Exclusions | United States Coverage | Coverage Abroad |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U-Save Car & Truck Rental | Starting at $26.50 | Covers Rented Car When Available | Secondary | Primary |
| Capital One Venture X Travel Rewards | Included | Expensive or Luxury Cars, Large Passenger Vehicles | Primary | Primary |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve | Included | Expensive or Luxury Cars, Large Passenger Vehicles | Primary | Primary |
| Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi | Included | Expensive or Luxury Cars, Large Passenger Vehicles | Secondary to Auto Insurance | Primary |
| Bank of America Travel Rewards | Included | Expensive or Luxury Cars, Large Passenger Vehicles | Secondary to Auto Insurance | Primary |
We recommend checking that your rental vehicle is covered since every credit company has exclusions for the type of vehicles covered.
Pro Tip: Collision Damage Waivers (CDW) is not liability insurance. If you’re at fault for an accident, you will have expenses not covered by the CDW. You need a liability policy to cover third-party medical costs and property damage.
The Bottom Line: Should You Buy U-Save Car & Truck Rental Insurance Options?
Instead of relying on a Collision Damage Waiver or options presented at U-Save Car & Truck Rental’s checkout counter, plan ahead and verify coverage through better policies.
Since coverage options vary from location to location, we highly recommend securing coverage before approaching the checkout counter. You don’t want to discover that the coverage you need isn’t offered!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the purpose of rental car insurance?
Rental car insurance covers the cost of a stolen or damaged rental car. This coverage is also called a Loss Damage Waiver or a Collision Damage Waiver.
Am I responsible for stolen rental cars?
Even if the customer is not at fault, they will be financially responsible for stolen rental cars. A Collision Damage Waiver covers this financial responsibility.
Will every credit card provide rental car insurance?
Not every credit card provides rental car insurance. Rental car insurance is known as a Collision Damage Waiver when offered by a credit card company, and it only covers the rental vehicle. It does not cover liability or personal medical coverage.
References
(2022). Does My Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi Include Rental Car Insurance. Costco Travel. Retrieved November 15, 2022, from https://costco-travel-us-mbr.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5902/~/does-my-costco-anywhere-visa%C2%AE-card-by-citi-include-rental-car-insurance%3F
(2022). U-Save Car & Truck Rental Reservation. USAVE.com. Retrieved December 9, 2022, from https://www.usave.com/ReservationDetail.aspx?franid=2142
(2022). U-Save Car & Truck Rental Vehicle/Personal Protections. USAVE.com. Retrieved December 9, 2022, from https://www.usave.com/def/insdef.htm#COLLISION%20DAMAGE%20WAIVER
(2022). Visa Guide to Benefits. business.bofa.com. Retrieved November 16, 2022, from https://business.bofa.com/content/dam/boamlimages/documents/PDFs/visa_guide_to_benefits.pdf
Jesse Cunningham V is a professional writer and licensed insurance agent. He has worked in the insurance industry in different capacities, starting as a customer service representative and working his way up to an independent agency owner. He is licensed in the states of Maryland and Pennsylvania for Property, Casualty, Life, and Health products. Jesse has worked with many national carriers, including Nationwide, State Farm, Travelers, and Liberty Mutual, and specializes in car and home insurance and health, life, accidental death, and disability insurance. He writes for multiple publications including FIXD and Bauple.com. All articles by Jesse are opinion-based. Speak with your licensed insurance agent about the particulars of your insurance before making any decisions.
