Chase Ink Card Rental Car Coverage: How It Works

Link: Apply now for the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, or Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

There are lots of great business credit cards, but I’d argue that Chase’s portfolio of Ink business credit cards are among the best out there. They have just about everything I look for in credit cards — great welcome bonuses, big category bonuses, and useful perks.

In this post I wanted to specifically focus on the exceptional rental car coverage offered by these cards. Rental car coverage can be a valuable credit card perk, but it’s typically associated with premium cards. What’s so great here is that even the no annual fee cards in this lineup offer such coverage.

Before we get into that, let’s briefly talk about what makes Chase Ink cards so great in general.

Chase Ink Business Card welcome bonuses

Three Chase Ink products are offering phenomenal bonuses between 75,000 and 100,000 points, as follows:

• The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (review) has a $95 annual fee and offers 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $8,000 within three months
• The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (review) has no annual fee and offers 75,000 points after spending $6,000 within three months
• The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card (review) has no annual fee and offers 75,000 points after spending $6,000 within three months

These are among the best credit card welcome bonuses out there right now. For what it’s worth, I value Ultimate Rewards points at 1.7 cents each, so to me the bonuses are potentially worth $1,530 to $1,700. Best of all, you’re potentially eligible for all three of the cards (for example, I have all of them).

Chase Ink Business Card bonus categories

Not only do the Chase Ink cards have great welcome bonuses, but they have some of the best bonus categories of any business cards:

• The Ink Business Preferred offers 3x points on the first $150,000 of combined purchases per cardmember year on travel, shipping purchases, internet, cable, phone services, and advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines
• The Ink Business Cash offers 5x points on the first $25,000 of combined purchases per cardmember year on office supply stores, internet, cable TV, mobile phones, and landlines, and 2x points on the first $25,000 of combined purchases per cardmember year on restaurants and gas stations
• The Ink Business Unlimited offers 1.5x points on all purchases, making it one of the best cards for everyday spending

Since you can get multiple of these cards (and only one card has an annual fee), this is a way to stack several great bonus categories to earn 1.5-5x points per dollar spent.

Chase Ink Business Card rental car coverage details

Hopefully the above demonstrates how great the welcome bonuses and bonus categories on Chase Ink cards. In this post, I wanted to focus on one of the most useful perks offered by all three of these cards.

One common credit card benefit that people look for is auto rental CDW (collision damage waiver). What’s pretty remarkable is that the Ink Business Preferred, Ink Business Cash, and Ink Business Unlimited, all offer primary rental car coverage.

Getting this level of coverage from a no annual fee card is rare, so I think the Ink Cash and Ink Unlimited are excellent options for anyone who wants a no annual fee business card that offers solid rental car coverage.

It’s worth understanding that a collision damage waiver is different from rental car insurance. A collision damage waiver policy provides reimbursement for damages due to collision or theft up to the actual cash value of most rental vehicles. This includes physical damage and/or theft of covered rental vehicles, loss-of-use charges assessed by the rental company while the damaged vehicle is being repaired, and reasonable towing charges related to a covered loss.

This policy doesn’t cover any injuries or damage to other cars, so this isn’t the same thing as having a rental car insurance policy (which is something that virtually no card offers).

Chase Ink cards offer primary rental car coverage

The Chase Ink cards offer primary rental car coverage when renting for business purposes, which means you don’t have to file a claim with any other source of insurance before you can receive coverage under this benefit. Furthermore, the cards also offer primary coverage if renting outside your country of residence for personal reasons, or if you don’t have automobile insurance.

The only time that coverage would be secondary is if you’re renting in your country of residence for personal reasons and have automobile insurance, in which case the coverage only supplements insurance or reimbursement from any other sources.

Chase Ink card rental car coverage eligibility

In order to be eligible for the Chase Ink rental car benefit, you need to initiate and complete the entire rental transaction using your card that is eligible for the benefit, and you need to decline the rental company’s collision damage waiver or similar provision. If you were to accept the waiver offered by the rental company, you would not be eligible for this benefit.

It’s also worth emphasizing once again that in order to get primary coverage you need to either be renting for business reasons (anywhere globally), or renting outside your country of residence for personal reasons, or not have automobile insurance.

When & where you’re covered with Chase Ink Card rental car coverage

Cardmembers who are also the primary person listed on the rental agreement are entitled to this benefit, along with any additional drivers permitted to drive, according to the rental agreement.

The benefits are only valid for rentals of up to 31 days, and certain types of cars are excluded, including expensive, exotic, and antique automobiles, certain vans, vehicles that have an open cargo bed, trucks, motorcycles, mopeds, motorbikes, limousines, and recreational vehicles.

How To file a Chase Ink card rental car coverage claim

After an incident has occurred, you’ll want to contact the benefits administrator, which you can do by dialing the number on the back of your card, and they can connect you.

Incidents should be reported as soon as possible, though must be reported no later than 60 days following the date of the incident. You’ll then have to submit the following paperwork:

• The completed and signed auto rental collision damage waiver claim form, which must be postmarked within 100 days of the incident
• A copy of your receipt or monthly billing statement showing that the entire vehicle rental was charged to and paid for with your eligible card
• A written confirmation from your employer that the rental was primarily for business purposes
• If the rental was for personal use, a statement from your insurance carrier showing the costs for which you are responsible and any amounts that have been paid toward the claim (if you have no applicable insurance, provide a notarized statement to that effect)
• A copy of the declaration page from your primary automobile insurance carrier if the rental was for personal use

Also, enclose all the documents you received from the rental car company. You should ask the rental company for these documents immediately at the time of the theft or damage or when you return the vehicle to the company:

• A copy of the accident report form and claim document (this should indicate the costs you are responsible for and any amounts that have been paid toward the claim)
• A copy of the entire auto rental agreement
• A copy of the repair estimate or itemized repair bill
• Two photographs of the damaged vehicle, if available
• A police report, if obtainable

Once the documents are submitted, you’ll typically be paid within 15 days.

Bottom line

The rental car coverage offered by the Ink Business Preferred, Ink Business Cash, and Ink Business Unlimited, is among the best you’ll find on any business credit card. It’s especially noteworthy on the two no annual fee cards, since it’s rare you see such a benefit on a no annual fee card. Best of all, this benefit doesn’t just cover business rentals, but also covers personal rentals when outside your country of residence.

You’ll want to consult your cardmember agreement if you’re thinking of using this benefit, so you can be sure you know every little detail, and also since these benefits are always subject to change. This is one of those benefits you’ll hopefully never need, but if you do, it’ll sure come in handy.

Have you ever used a credit card’s rental car coverage? If so, what was your experience like?