Citi Card Rental Car Insurance: Coverage, Exclusions, and Claims

Most Citi credit cards do not include rental car insurance. Citi cut the benefit from the majority of its portfolio in September 2019, and only five current Citi cards still provide any form of rental car coverage. If you carry one of them, the protection covers damage to or theft of the rental vehicle itself, but it acts as secondary coverage when you rent in the United States, meaning your own auto insurance pays first.¹²

Which Citi Cards Include Rental Car Coverage

As of 2026, five Citi cards carry the benefit:

Citi Strata Premier, through Mastercard’s MasterRental Coverage program.³
Citi Strata Elite, with identical core MasterRental terms.⁴
Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard, with a $75,000 coverage limit.⁵
Citi / AAdvantage Globe Mastercard. Citi has not published specific dollar limits for this card.⁵
Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi, covering up to $50,000 for collision damage or theft.⁶⁷

If your Citi card isn’t on this list, it almost certainly doesn’t include rental car insurance. The Citi Double Cash, Citi Dividend, the former Citi Prestige, and several AAdvantage co-branded cards all lost the benefit effective September 22, 2019, when Citi cited “sustained low usage” for the cut.¹

What the Coverage Pays For

The benefit covers physical damage to and theft of the rental car itself. It does not cover liability for injuries to other people or damage to other vehicles or property, and it does not cover personal belongings stolen from the car.⁸²

For the Strata Premier and Strata Elite, the payout is the lesser of your contractual liability to the rental company, the car’s actual cash value, the repair cost, or the rental agency’s purchase price minus depreciation and salvage. Loss-of-use charges (what the rental company loses while the car is being repaired) are capped at $500. Towing is covered for up to two tows to the nearest repair facility.⁹

The Costco Anywhere Visa pays either the repair cost or the vehicle’s cash value, whichever is less, up to $50,000.⁷

When Your Own Insurance Pays First

All five cards follow the same rule. Inside the United States or your home country, the Citi coverage is secondary: you file with your personal auto insurer first, and Citi picks up what your insurer doesn’t pay, including your deductible.²⁹

When you rent outside your home country, the coverage becomes primary. Citi pays first, and you don’t have to involve your own insurer.⁴⁵ If you don’t carry personal auto insurance at all — common for people who don’t own a car — the secondary status at home is a real gap. Buying the rental company’s damage waiver or a standalone policy may be worth the cost.

How to Activate the Benefit at the Counter

Two things are required. Pay the entire rental with your eligible Citi card, and decline the rental company’s collision damage waiver or loss damage waiver (CDW/LDW).⁹ Splitting payment across two cards or another method can void the coverage.¹⁰

You must be named as the primary renter on the contract and take possession of the vehicle. Authorized additional drivers listed on the rental agreement are generally covered as well.⁹

Declining the CDW/LDW saves you the daily fee the rental company charges, often $20 to $35 a day. Don’t decline liability coverage if you lack your own auto insurance, though. Credit card rental benefits don’t cover liability for injuries or property damage you cause.¹⁰

Exclusions That Can Catch You Off Guard

Rentals of more than 31 consecutive days aren’t covered.⁹
Excluded vehicles include full-size vans on truck chassis, pickups, motorcycles, limousines, campers, trailers, antique cars (older than 20 years), and exotic or high-performance vehicles. The Strata guide names Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lotus, Maserati, Porsche, and Rolls Royce specifically.⁹²
Using the rental for ride-share services like Uber or Lyft voids coverage.⁹
Car-sharing platforms like Turo are specifically excluded on the Costco Anywhere Visa.¹¹
Damage from off-road driving or driving under the influence isn’t covered.²
The Strata cards specifically exclude diminished value claims, the argument that a repaired car is worth less than one that was never damaged.⁹

How to File a Claim

The filing process differs by card because different administrators handle the claims.

Strata Premier, Strata Elite, and AAdvantage Cards

These claims are administered by Sedgwick Claims Management Services on behalf of New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG subsidiary. Report the loss within 60 days of the incident and submit written proof of loss within 180 days. File online at www.mycardbenefits.com or call 1-833-251-6404. You’ll need the rental agreement, your card billing statement showing the charge, an itemized repair estimate from a certified facility, a copy of your personal auto insurance declaration page if the coverage is secondary, and a police report if the vehicle was stolen, vandalized, or involved in a multi-vehicle collision.⁹

Costco Anywhere Visa Card

Claims on the Costco card are handled by Virginia Surety Company. File online at mybenefits.cardbenefitclaims.com or call 1-866-918-4670, available daily from 8 a.m. to midnight Eastern. You have 180 days from the incident to submit the completed claim form along with the rental agreement, a damage report, and an itemized repair bill.¹¹

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