Important facts described briefly below:
The most important insurances for your rental car are the CDW, Theft, and Third Party Liability insurance. There are differences in these insurances, depending on the selected offer, the provider, the vehicle category, and the actual country in which the rental takes place.
Liability insurance can vary from the minimum legal liability up to the provider-dependent liability insurance. For more detailed information, please refer to the respective car rental offer.
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Insurance types:
Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) & Theft Protection (TP)
This insurance covers the costs of damage to the rental vehicle in the event of an accident or in case of theft. With fully comprehensive insurance, you insure yourself against damages that you, the driver of the car, may cause. This is considered essential rental car insurance for an upcoming trip. However, it does not cover you if you are grossly negligent. Please also check our FAQ article about negligence.
Differentiate between the CDW and TP insurance with and without a refundable deductible. In general, however, the benefits of the different insurance packages vary from provider to provider, offer to offer, and country to country. Therefore, pay close attention to what is covered by rental car insurance when you rent a vehicle.
- Deductible/Excess
Deductible (or excess) is the amount you are liable for should any damage occur to your rental vehicle. When you have CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) and TP (Theft Protection) included in your rental car rate, it covers the damage costs except for the excess. Excess/deductibles can range from several hundred to several thousand dollars/euro. When your rental car gets damaged, you will only be held responsible up until your excess amount.
- Refundable Deductible / Excess
With HAPPYCAR, you can choose for one of our Excellent Offers, which have a refundable deductible coverage included from the provider. When your excess gets charged by the local car rental company for damages, your excess will be reimbursed to you by your provider in accordance with the provider’s Terms and Conditions.
You can also choose one of our basic offers and add a separate car rental insurance from RentalCover in the bookingform. More information about the RentalCover insurance is described in our RentalCover FAQ article.
- Zero-Deductible / Excess
A deductible is what you pay out of pocket toward car repairs before your insurance helps cover a claim. With a zero-deductible car insurance policy, you do not pay out of pocket if you have a claim.
Glass / Tires / Roof / Underbody Insurance
The basic CDW insurance normally does not cover damages to glass, tires, roof and underbody. If you choose one of our Excellent Offers, you will have this insurance included.
Be aware that there are certain exclusions that are not covered with this insurance. The rim of the tire is for example not covered. More information on what is covered you will find in the T&C of the respective offer.
Roadside Assistance
Roadside assistance, also known as breakdown cover, is a service designed to help you get going again if your vehicle breaks down. The most common roadside-assistance services include jumpstarts, battery replacements, breakdown tows, tire changes, emergency fuel, and key recovery.
Some local suppliers will offer a replacement car when the rental car breaks down. It is worth checking this with your local supplier.
Roadside Assistance is not standard included in the car rental offer. We advise you to check the Terms & Conditions of the respective offer to verify if Roadside Assistance is included.
Third Party Liability Insurance (TPL) (from EU perspective)
Covers expenses for injured third parties and/or damage to anything outside the rental vehicle.
- In the European Union:
The minimum legal amount in the European Union is min. 1 million euro. The minimum legal amount is included in the offers, and some providers offer higher coverage sums in their rates. - Outside the European Union:
Outside the European Union the minimum legal amount that is covered in case of third party damages, is often much lower. Third Party Liability insurance is not always included in the offer when you rent a car outside the European Union. In certain countries it is necessary to buy the Third Party Liability Insurance directly from the local supplier. We recommend choosing a car rental offer with the highest possible coverage.
Third Party Liability Insurance (TPL) (from .com perspective)
Third-Party Liability protects the insured against damages caused to a third party, that is, a person or property. Third-Party Liability can cover expenses such as hospital care, lost wages, or repairs to the car’s bodywork.
Most countries require a legal minimum amount that should be covered through the Third Party Liability insurance. Make sure to verify if your booking includes this insurance or if you might have to purchase it locally from the car rental company.
Personal Accident Insurance (PAI)
Personal Accident Insurance (PAI) insures drivers of a rental car and their passengers for accidental medical costs, emergency care and accidental death during your rental trip, up to a certain limit. Please check the amount of coverage on your policy if you have or intend to purchase personal accident insurance with your rental company to determine if the coverage is adequate.
Filter your Insurances
With HAPPYCAR it is now possible to filter for the desired car rental insurances to be included in your offer.
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