Does USAA Car Insurance Cover Rental Cars?

Renting a car can be necessary for many reasons – vacation travel, a work trip, or if your personal vehicle is in the shop. While rental car companies offer insurance policies, they can be expensive and duplicative if you already have coverage. This raises the key question – does USAA car insurance cover rental cars?

The short answer is yes, most USAA auto policies do provide rental car coverage. However, the specifics depend on your policy selections. Read on to learn about how USAA handles rental vehicles, what’s covered, and how to ensure you have adequate protection whenever you need to rent a car.

Overview of USAA Auto Insurance

USAA stands for United Services Automobile Association. This company specializes in providing insurance and financial services to military members, veterans and their families. USAA auto insurance is consistently ranked as a top provider based on affordability, customer satisfaction, claims handling and financial strength.

Key features of USAA auto policies include

• Available in all 50 states
• Robust coverage options including liability, collision, comprehensive, uninsured motorist, roadside assistance and more
• Numerous discounts to lower premiums
• Reputation for smooth claims process with fast payments
• Ranks highly in customer service surveys and reviews
• Free mobile app to manage your policy
• Bundling with other USAA products can increase savings

In addition to excellent auto insurance, USAA provides policies for home, renters, valuables, life, health, and more Membership is open to active and former military personnel and their spouses and children.

Does USAA Offer Rental Car Coverage?

Yes, standard USAA auto insurance policies automatically include rental reimbursement coverage This pays for a rental vehicle if your personal car is inoperable due to a covered loss

USAA also gives you the option to add rental car damage coverage to your policy. This covers damage to the rental vehicle itself if you’re in an at-fault accident or experience other covered losses like vandalism or theft.

However, the amount of rental car coverage included depends on your specific USAA policy selections and limits. Here are the details on how USAA handles rental cars:

Rental Reimbursement: Included on all USAA auto policies. reimburses rental costs up to $30 per day and $900 maximum if your vehicle can’t be driven due to a covered claim. You choose the daily limit when you purchase the policy.

Rental Damage Coverage: Optional add-on that covers damage to a rented vehicle up to policy limits. Available for Collision and Comprehensive policyholders.

So in short, USAA does extend rental car benefits to members. The remainder of this article provides more details on exactly how rental vehicles are covered.

Rental Reimbursement Coverage from USAA

USAA’s rental reimbursement coverage pays for rental costs if you need a temporary car due to a claim on your USAA-insured personal vehicle. Covered situations include:

• Your car is in an accident and being repaired
• Your vehicle is stolen and not yet recovered
• Your car suffers mechanical or weather-related damage and can’t be driven

This coverage kicks in as soon as your car can’t be driven. It applies to rentals obtained while your vehicle is out of commission and ends when your personal car is repaired or replaced.

USAA will reimburse rental expenses up to the policy daily limit, for a maximum of 30 days. For example, if you choose a $30 per day limit you could be reimbursed up to $900 for rental costs. Higher daily limits are available for added premiums.

The key advantage is that rental reimbursement provides a temporary vehicle without you having to pay out of pocket, as long as the reason your car is inoperable would be covered under your USAA policy.

Rental Car Damage Coverage with USAA

While rental reimbursement pays for the cost of renting a replacement vehicle, it does not cover damage to the rental car itself. That’s where USAA’s rental car damage coverage comes in.

This optional coverage protects against damage to a rented car up to your selected limits. It covers situations such as:

• You cause an accident in the rental car
• The rental vehicle is vandalized or stolen
• A tree branch falls on the rental car
• A rental truck is damaged going under a low bridge

Adding rental car damage coverage to your USAA policy means you don’t need to purchase the rental company’s overpriced insurance. USAA will cover damage to the rented vehicle according to your selected collision and comprehensive limits, which are usually higher than rental insurance.

For example, if you cause $4000 worth of damage in an accident with the rental, USAA would pay for repairs up to your collision limit, which might be $5000. This leaves you responsible for just the $1000 collision deductible, rather than the full $4000 without the coverage.

Cost of USAA Rental Car Coverage

The good news is that rental reimbursement coverage is automatically included with all USAA auto insurance policies at no extra charge. All you pay is your chosen per day reimbursement limit if you actually need to rent a car.

Adding rental car damage coverage does come with an additional premium cost. However, it usually adds just a few dollars per month in exchange for protection against expensive rental car repairs. And if you already carry collision and comprehensive coverage, the price increase is minimal for the added protection.

Bundling your USAA auto and homeowners or renters policy together can also offset the cost through multi-policy discounts. The small premium increase is worthwhile to avoid liability for damage to rental cars when traveling.

How to Use USAA Rental Coverage

Taking advantage of USAA’s rental car coverage is easy – just follow these steps if you need to rent a vehicle due to a covered loss or accident:

• If your personal car is not drivable, obtain a rental vehicle and keep the receipts. Avoid unnecessary upgrades for the reimbursement to apply.

• Report your claim to USAA and provide the rental agreement. USAA may arrange to cover rental costs directly with the agency.

• Provide documentation connecting the rental need to your covered loss, like an accident report or repair estimate.

• For damage to the rental, report it to USAA immediately and provide repair invoices to have it covered under your policy limits.

• At the claims end, submit all receipts for reimbursement up to your daily limit and duration limit.

The key is notifying USAA anytime you need to rent a car due to an accident, theft or loss. Their adjusters can explain specifically how your policy covers the rental before you incur the costs.

The Bottom Line on USAA Rental Car Coverage

Does USAA cover rental cars? Yes, a standard USAA auto policy includes reimbursement for rental costs if your personal car is inoperable following a covered loss. And with rental car damage coverage added, your USAA benefits apply to the rental vehicle itself.

Before renting a car for any reason, take a moment to review your USAA policy declarations page or contact your agent to confirm your reimbursement limit and total duration. Understanding these rental car benefits allows you to travel with peace of mind knowing your USAA policy has you covered.