WHY WE USE THE SAME CREDIT CARD EVERY TIME
The primary rental insurance built into travel cards saves €200+ per trip
We picked up a rental in Lyon and the agent offered collision damage waiver at €28 per day. We declined. Not because we were comfortable with risk. Because our Chase Sapphire Preferred card already covered it.
The Hertz SuperCover would have added €224 to our eight-day rental. That's on top of the $575 base rate. But the credit card benefit—primary rental car insurance up to $60,000—means the card covers damage or theft first. You don't file with your personal auto insurer before the credit card pays. Capital One Venture X offers similar coverage up to $75,000. The requirement is straightforward: charge the full rental to the card and decline the rental company's collision damage waiver at pickup.
We've never needed to file a claim—but knowing it's there is worth the €224 we didn't spend at the counter. The card benefit has saved us €200–€280 on week-long European rentals by letting us skip the counter upsell. The coverage includes loss-of-use fees if the rental company can't rent the car while it's being repaired, plus towing costs. What it doesn't cover: liability for damage to other vehicles, medical expenses from accidents, or injuries. Those require separate coverage through personal auto insurance that extends to rentals or a standalone policy.
The other limitations: rental periods over 31 consecutive days aren't covered. High-value vehicles—Chase Sapphire Preferred excludes cars with MSRP over $125,000—and exotic brands like Ferrari or Maserati don't qualify. Standard sedans and SUVs from major rental agencies are covered. Peer-to-peer services like Turo typically aren't. Some cards — including Amex — exclude Italy entirely. Chase Sapphire Preferred does not. Credit card benefits change, so always verify current terms with your issuer before travel.
For us, using the same card every time removes one decision at the counter. No weighing whether the €28 daily waiver is justified. No second-guessing coverage gaps. The benefit is already active as long as we pay with it and decline the rental company's option.
That same approach applied to our Lyon to Tuscany rental, where the card benefit saved €224 on the eight-day trip. That €224 was part of the $1,300 total we spent testing whether Italy could work after three months in Lyon.
– Scott & Liza
