Does Mercury Insurance Cover Rental Cars?

Renting a car can be a convenient and affordable way to get around when traveling or if your personal vehicle is in the shop. But what happens if the rental car gets damaged or stolen? Will your existing auto insurance cover it, or do you need to purchase additional rental coverage?

As one of the largest auto insurers in the country, Mercury Insurance provides policies to millions of drivers Below, I’ll explain Mercury’s specific policies regarding rental car coverage so you can understand what’s protected if you rent a vehicle.

Does Mercury Auto Insurance Automatically Include Rental Cars?

The good news is that standard Mercury auto policies do often extend liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage to rental cars with no extra cost or add-on required. However, some important limitations and exclusions apply:

• Liability coverage – Your Mercury liability insurance does transfer to rental vehicles. This covers injury and property damage to others if you cause an at-fault accident. However, experts recommend confirming your coverage limits as rental policies provide only minimum liability required by law.

• Collision coverage – Mercury collision insurance pays for damage to the rental car if you’re involved in an accident, regardless of fault. Your chosen deductible would apply if filing a claim.

• Comprehensive coverage – Mercury comps insurance covers non-collision damage like vandalism, theft, hail, flooding, fire, and more. Again, your personal deductible would need to be paid under a comp claim.

• Exclusions – Mercury policies may NOT extend coverage for business rentals, expensive/exotic rental cars, rentals outside the U.S. or Canada, or rides through peer-to-peer platforms like Turo. Other restrictions may also apply, so check your policy.

Bottom line – Mercury auto insurance does automatically carry over to personal-use rental cars for most drivers. But double-check exclusions, limits, deductibles, and business use with your agent before renting.

Does Mercury Offer Supplemental Rental Car Coverage?

Some Mercury auto policies allow purchasing an optional rental reimbursement add-on that enhances coverage by:

• Paying for a rental vehicle while your personal car is inoperable due to a covered loss
• Reimbursing deductible expenses from claims filed on the rental car

This is separate from liability/collision/comprehensive coverage automatically applying to rentals discussed above. Rental reimbursement specifically pays for you to rent another car when yours can’t be driven.

However, not all Mercury policies include rental reimbursement as an option. And coverage limits on reimbursement addons are often low ($500-$1000). Check with an agent to see if it’s available and worthwhile for your particular insurance needs.

Should You Purchase Rental Company Insurance with Mercury?

When renting a car, you’ll be presented with various insurance options like collision damage waiver, liability coverage, personal accident coverage, etc. Whether to purchase these addons depends on your Mercury policy:

• If Mercury collision applies, decline collision/damage waiver from rental company
• If Mercury liability applies, decline extra liability from rental company
• If Mercury comps applies, decline extras like tire/windshield coverage

That said, experts do recommend considering supplemental liability coverage at the counter if your Mercury policy limits are low. Rental liability insurance starts around $10 per day and can prevent major lawsuits.

For other addons, have your Mercury card handy to show applicable coverages. But review limits and verify business use isn’t excluded before declining all rental company insurance.

How to File a Mercury Claim on a Rental Car

If a rental car is damaged, contact Mercury as soon as possible to start a claim. You’ll need to provide:

• Rental agreement showing you as authorized driver
• Any accident/police reports if applicable
• Estimated repair costs from rental company or body shop
• Your deductible payment if required

Mercury will then process the claim like any other collision, comprehensive, or liability loss under your policy. The same coverage limits, deductibles, and exclusions apply.

Keep in mind that filing a claim on your Mercury insurance for a rental car accident may impact your premium at renewal. Multiple claims can also risk policy cancellation. So consider paying out-of-pocket for minor damage if possible.

Using Personal Credit Cards for Rental Coverage

One way to avoid paying for rental company insurance is to rent the car with a personal credit card that includes rental car benefits. However, most credit cards provide secondary coverage that kicks in after your Mercury insurance:

For example, say you cause $5000 in damage to the rental. Mercury would first pay out $4500 after your $500 deductible. Only then would the credit card cover the remaining $500 deductible.

And if your Mercury policy doesn’t extend to rentals, the credit card would apply its coverage limits after the rental company’s insurance payout.

So while personal cards do offer an additional layer of coverage, relying on them fully for rental car protection isn’t advised. Your Mercury insurance still plays the primary role.

Top Tips for Renting with Mercury Insurance

Here are my top tips for smooth rental car insurance with Mercury:

• Review Mercury policy details before renting and verify coverage applies
• Consider supplemental rental liability limits for extra protection
• Inspect vehicle carefully before driving off the lot and note damages
• Use a personal credit card for secondary coverage if desired
• Avoid upgrades, exotic rentals, or extended rental periods
• Report any accidents/damage/theft to Mercury immediately
• Save rental agreement, police reports, and all claim documents
• Pay deductible amounts required by Mercury policy

The bottom line is Mercury Insurance does provide valid coverage for most standard rental cars if you already have collision, comprehensive, and liability. But limitations exist, so check in with your agent to confirm you’re fully protected before hitting the road.

How to Get a Free Quote on Mercury Insurance

If you don’t currently have Mercury auto insurance (or want a competitive quote to compare), you can easily get a free online quote in just minutes. Simply visit Mercury’s website and enter basic personal and vehicle details when prompted.

You’ll then receive a detailed premium estimate showing coverage costs from Mercury with various available deductions and discounts applied. Quotes are fully customizable, so you can adjust liability limits, add-ons like rental coverage, and deductible amounts to suit your budget.

Comparing quotes from Mercury and other top insurers ensures you find the best rate on the protection you need. Why overpay for rental car coverage you may already have? Get a free customized Mercury quote online today.