How to Claim Car Rental Damage With American Express

One of the benefits of being an American Express Card member is automatic insurance for rental car loss and damage. The key to activating this benefit is to reserve and pay for your rental using your American Express Card and to decline the collision damage waiver (CDW) offered by the car rental company. If you follow all the agreements between you and the rental company as well as the agreements with American Express, filing a claim is fairly simple.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• American Express credit card
• Computer with internet access
• Access to a telephone
• Rental agreement
• American Express Cardmember Insurance Plan
• Damage assessment from rental company

1. Reserve and pay for your car rental with an American Express credit card on which that you are the main account holder or authorized user of. Decline the CDW or similar option from the commercial car rental company by initialing the "I decline" section of the rental agreement.

2. Follow the guidelines of both the rental agreements and the American Express Insurance coverage to avoid having your claim denied. This includes the type of car you rent, the extend of your coverage based on which card you use and remaining the primary driver/responsible party of the vehicle during the rental period. Do not allow anyone else to operate the vehicle at any time to avoid disputes and denial of any claims.

3. Either call the American Express claims division toll free in the United States at [phone], or at [phone] from other locations outside the U.S. within 48 hours of the damage or loss. If this is not possible, call as soon as is reasonably possible. You can also file your claim online in the same time frame.

4. Fill out all claim forms completely and return to American Express with all the required documentation, including an itemized repair bill, copy of proof-of-charge to your American Express card for the rental; police report if applicable, photos of damage if available, a copy of the cardholders personal auto insurance or notorized letter of no insurance, copies of all claim documents and correspondence from the rental car company, a copy of the rental agreement--front and back--showing when the car was checked out and in, any other insurance coverage, and a copy of the cardmember's valid driver's license or other proof (i.e. license number on rental agreement) that the cardmember is a legal driver.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to know what is and is not covered under the American Express Insurance policy, such as bodily injury or property damage, taxes or other exemptions.

• Any violation of the the rental agreement or cardmember agreement will result in your claim being denied. Falsification of any required documents can result in non-payment of claims as well as criminal and civil action

References

• American Express: American Express Insurance Plan
• American Express: Rental Claim Forms
• American Express: Claim FAQs