GEICO Rental Car Insurance Coverage: What to Know

If you’re renting a car for work, vacation, or a road trip, you need insurance to cover you while you’re driving the rental car. Does your existing insurance policy cover you? Or do you need to buy rental car insurance? Can you buy rental car insurance through standard car insurance companies? What’s the difference between rental car insurance and standard car insurance coverage? Does Geico cover rental cars?

Some car insurance companies offer rental car insurance. In some cases, your existing policy may cover you, but it’s a good idea to check with your insurance company to determine coverage. In this article, we’ll take a look at Geico rental car insurance coverage, whether you can buy it, what it covers, and more. Read on to find out everything you need to know.

Before we jump into this overview of Geico rental car insurance coverage, why not take a moment to enter your ZIP code in the rate comparison tool to get free quotes from top companies?

What are the Geico car rental insurance basics?

Your standard Geico car insurance policy will protect you when you obtain and drive a rental car. This means your Geico insurance policy will protect you at the same levels when you rent a car as when you’re driving your vehicle. However, the company doesn’t sell a specific rental car policy.

What does Geico car rental insurance include?

As we noted earlier, Geico doesn’t sell rental-specific car insurance, so Geico car rental insurance is your insurance policy with Geico. So, your rental coverage matches your personal coverage. If you have liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage, those will apply when you drive a rental car.

How much does Geico rental car insurance cost, and can you get discounts?

Knowing that Geico insurance rental coverage is included in standard Geico car insurance, how much will you pay for coverage? Take a look at this table for average Geico insurance rates. You can search the table to see average monthly and annual rates in your state.

Average Monthly and Annual GEICO Car Insurance Rates by State

Read more: Cheap Car Insurance in Connecticut

You can save on your rates by asking about discounts for safe driving, having a claim-free driving record, being affiliated with specific organizations, and more. If you choose to buy rental car insurance (more about what this includes later), you may also qualify for rental car discounts if Geico insures you. For example, if Geico insures you

• Enterprise offers discounts of up to 50% for rental cars
• Alamo offers discounts of up to 20% for rental cars
• National Car Rental offers discounts of up to 20% for rental cars

The exact discount you may qualify for will vary based on what kind of vehicle you’re renting, how long you need it, and other rental factors.

You can read our Geico car insurance review for more information on the company if you’re currently shopping or want to learn more.

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When do you need rental car insurance? 

Suppose you don’t have enough car insurance coverage to protect you when you’re renting a car, or your feel that your standard coverage won’t be sufficient when driving your rental. In that case, you can opt to purchase rental car insurance for the duration of your rental contract.

You can typically buy rental car insurance through the company you’re renting the vehicle. You can also check to see if it’s available through your credit card company, and in some cases, you may be able to work with your car insurance company to add extra protection while you’re driving your rental car.

What kind of rental car insurance coverage should you buy?

The kind of rental car insurance coverage you need depends on your circumstances. If you decide to buy car insurance specifically for rental cars, your options include:

• Loss or Collision Damage Waiver
• Liability Insurance
• Personal Accident Insurance
• Personal Effects Coverage

With a loss or collision damage waiver, you’ll be protected if your rental car is either damaged or stolen. Loss or collision damage will waive your responsibility for the cost of the damages or replacement of the missing vehicle.

It can also include financial protection for lost profits to the rental car agency when the vehicle can’t be rented because it’s being repaired or is missing. If the damages to your rental car result from your poor or reckless driving, the waiver may not apply, but your coverage could take over.

Liability insurance is self-explanatory and provides typical coverage up your purchase level (at least the state minimum). Personal accident insurance offers coverage for medical costs resulting from an accident (this may be important if you don’t have personal injury protection). Finally, personal effects coverage provides financial reimbursement for belongings that are stolen from your rental car.

Geico Rental Car Insurance Coverage: The Bottom Line

Being insured by Geico, your standard car insurance policy will cover you when you drive a rental car. If you decide to buy additional rental coverage (like a collision or loss damage waiver or personal effects coverage), you can purchase it through the rental agency or your credit card company. With Geico insurance, you may qualify for discounts on your rental insurance through companies like Enterprise and Alamo.

Whether you decide on Geico rental car insurance coverage or not, you can save on insurance rates by comparing quotes from at least three companies. You can get started by using your ZIP code in our rate comparison tool to obtain free car insurance quotes from companies in your area right now.

Frequently Asked Questions for Geico Rental Car Insurance Coverage

Are you still looking for information on Geico rental car insurance coverage? Read through these frequently asked questions.

#1 – What is rental reimbursement, and is it different than rental car insurance?

Rental reimbursement is an additional option you can include on your policy that provides funds to rent a vehicle if your car is repaired after a covered accident. Limits on this coverage typically have either a total value or number of days you can be reimbursed for a rental car. Geico does offer rental reimbursement, so you can speak to the company about adding it to your policy if you’d like to include it in your coverage.

#2 – Does Geico cover car rentals with Turo?

Geico typically does cover car rentals through Turo, even though it is an app that allows drivers to rent other people’s cars. However, this coverage option can vary by state, so be sure to speak with Geico to confirm coverage is available where you live (or will be renting through Turo) to ensure you’ll be covered. According to the Insurance Information Institute, Turo (and companies like it) may also offer coverage.

#3 – Can you get rental car insurance through your credit card?

Many credit card companies offer coverage for vehicles. Typically, if the card you rent the car on includes coverage, it will apply. However, what is included in the rental coverage varies by the credit card company and card type.

Credit card companies that offer rental car insurance coverage options include Capital One, Chase, and American Express. However, as we already noted, often only specific cards include rental coverage, so don’t assume you have it just because you have a card from one of these companies. You’ll need to check with your credit card company to find out if rental car insurance is included with your card, and if so, how much.

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