Lindsey Desmet
Credit cards typically don’t provide insurance coverage for damages, injuries, or liabilities when you book a car rental through Turo.
While credit cards do sometimes offer secondary insurance or damage waivers for traditional car rentals, Turo is considered a peer-to-peer platform rather than a car rental agency and typically doesn’t qualify.[1]
We investigated all of the major U.S. credit card issuers; none of the companies we contacted provide coverage for Turo rentals.
Below, we detail the coverage available through Turo and list the credit card issuers that don’t cover Turo rentals (so you aren’t left wondering about your particular card).
Coverage Through Turo
In lieu of coverage from your credit card issuer, Turo offers protection plans for its rentals at an additional cost.
Third-party liability insurance is available through Travelers Excess and Surplus Lines Company.[2]
Travelers insurance serves as secondary coverage, with your personal automotive insurance serving as your primary coverage. This means that your Turo protection plan will only kick in after you’ve used up your primary coverage.[2]
Costs and Limits
Turo’s protection plans cost a percentage of your total trip price.
Coverage limits vary from the minimum amount required by the state where the car is registered up to $750,000.[3]
Find the costs and coverage limits associated with each protection plan level in the table below. You can sort the table by selecting the arrows at the top of any column.
| Coverage Level | Cost | Minimum Charge per Day | Coverage Limit | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Declined | None | None | Minimum amount of third-party liability insurance required by the state where the car is registered | You'll be responsible for all costs associated with damage or loss of the vehicle. |
| Minimum | 18% to 25% of total trip price | $10 | Minimum amount required in the state where the car is registered | Up to $3,000 out of pocket after exhausting your own insurance |
| Standard | 40% of the trip price | $12 | Minimum amount required in the state where the car is registered | Up to $500 out of pocket after you've exhausted your own insurance |
| Premier | 65% to 100% of the trip price | $14 | Up to $750,000 | $0 out of pocket after you've exhausted your own insurance |
Note that the Premier plan is only available to drivers 21 or older and isn’t available for all trips. Depending on the type of vehicle, trip details, and other factors, Turo may not offer the Premier plan for your rental.[3]
Is Additional Coverage Necessary?
If you don’t have personal insurance coverage, Turo requires that you purchase a protection plan.[4]
However, if you do have personal insurance, your need for additional coverage will depend on the vehicle you rent and the benefits associated with your existing coverage.
As a renter, you’ll be responsible for the full value of the vehicle in the event of damage or loss, as well as related costs like processing fees and appraisals.[4]
If you’re renting a high-value vehicle or only have minimal personal coverage, purchasing a protection plan may be worthwhile.
Credit Cards That Don’t Cover Turo Rentals
Through our research, we found that the following credit card issuers don’t offer insurance coverage or damage waivers for Turo vehicle rentals.
American Express
- What it offers: Coverage for traditional car rentals, but peer-to-peer rentals don’t qualify for coverage[5][6]
Bank of America
- What it offers: Rental car insurance provided by Visa and Mastercard,[7] which exclude peer-to-peer rentals like Turo[8][9]
Capital One
- What it offers: Auto rental collision damage waivers through Visa and Mastercard’s benefits administrators; this coverage excludes peer-to-peer rental platforms.[10][11]
Chase
- What it offers: Chase credit cards with collision damage waiver coverage require that the vehicle is rented from a Rental Agency. The bank doesn’t consider Turo as a Rental Agency since it’s a peer-to-peer service.[12][13][14]
Citibank
- What it offers: Citibank discontinued car rental coverage for many of its cards in 2019, but the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi still offers rental coverage for traditional, agency-based rentals.[15][16]
Discover
- What it offers: Discover doesn’t offer rental car insurance coverage for any of its credit cards at the time of writing.[17] This means you won’t have coverage for Turo rentals or vehicles from traditional rental agencies.
Fifth Third Bank
Navy Federal Credit Union
PenFed Credit Union
- What it offers: PenFed Credit Union doesn’t offer car rental collision or damage coverage among its credit card benefits.[22][23]
USAA
- What it offers: Up to 31 days of coverage on traditional rentals for cardholders and authorized drivers[24]
U.S. Bank
- What it offers: A collision damage waiver for Visa cardholders,[25] which doesn’t include coverage for peer-to-peer rentals[8]
William Lipovsky
