The Apple Card does not include rental car insurance. There is no collision damage waiver, no loss damage waiver, and no theft protection built into the card, so paying for a rental with your Apple Card leaves you personally on the hook for any damage to or loss of the vehicle. That puts the card in an unusual spot: many competing cards, including some with no annual fee, offer at least secondary rental coverage. The Apple Card offers none.1WalletHub. Apple Card Benefits
If you want to be protected when you drive off the rental lot, you need to arrange that protection somewhere else before you pick up the keys.
What the Apple Card Does Offer at the Rental Counter
The card has perks for rentals. None of them are insurance. Through the Rewards and Offers Hub in Apple Wallet, cardholders get a dedicated Hertz booking portal with 3% Daily Cash back on eligible rentals at U.S. Hertz corporate locations, at least 5% off “Pay Later” base rates, one free additional driver, and free emergency roadside service.2Apple. Apple Card Partner Offers and Benefits
The Hertz partnership also includes a discounted loss damage waiver at $16.95 per day plus tax.3MacRumors. Apple Card Daily Cash Hertz That is still a paid add-on you buy from Hertz, not a benefit built into the card, but it undercuts the $30 to $40 per day most rental companies charge for the same waiver.4Investopedia. Collision Damage Waiver
Rentals booked through Booking.com using the Apple Card benefits link earn 3% Daily Cash plus 2% in Booking.com Travel Credits.2Apple. Apple Card Partner Offers and Benefits Again, no insurance attached. Rent from any company other than Hertz without going through those portals and the card gives you only its standard rewards: 2% Daily Cash with Apple Pay, 1% without.5Apple. Apple Card Benefits
How To Cover Yourself When You Rent
Since the card itself does nothing to protect the vehicle, your real coverage has to come from one of three places.
Your Personal Auto Insurance
If you carry collision and comprehensive coverage on your own car, that coverage usually extends to a rental used for personal purposes within the United States, with the same deductibles and limits you have on your own vehicle.6Progressive. Rental Car Insurance Two catches. Personal policies often will not pay “loss of use” fees, which are the charges the rental company bills while the damaged vehicle sits in the shop, and filing a claim can push your premiums up at renewal.7GEICO. Everything You Need To Know About Rental Car Insurance Confirm with your insurer that your policy covers the type of vehicle you plan to rent; a rental significantly pricier than your own car can leave you underinsured.8State Farm. Rental Car Insurance Most U.S. personal auto policies also do not cover rentals outside the United States and Canada.
A Standalone Rental Car Policy
Several insurers sell rental coverage directly, usually at better daily rates than the rental counter. Allianz offers its OneTrip Rental Car Protector for $13 per day, with primary coverage up to $75,000 for collision, loss, and damage, plus 24-hour emergency assistance.9Allianz Travel Insurance. Rental Car Damage Protector Bonzah starts at $26.95 per day for primary coverage, with collision damage up to $35,000 or loss damage up to $100,000, and optional supplemental liability up to $500,000.10Bonzah. Bonzah Rental Car Insurance You buy these before your trip and generally bypass both the rental counter upsell and your personal insurer.
The Rental Company’s Waiver
If you have no auto policy and no standalone coverage, the rental company’s collision damage waiver or loss damage waiver is the fallback. It typically runs $30 to $40 per day, varying by location and vehicle.4Investopedia. Collision Damage Waiver The Hertz price through Apple Card drops to $16.95 per day, which is worth taking if you were already renting from Hertz anyway.2Apple. Apple Card Partner Offers and Benefits One important limit: rental company waivers only cover damage to the rental vehicle. They do not include liability for injuries or damage you cause to other people or their property.
If You Do Not Own a Car
Renters without a personal auto policy have a particular gap. A non-owner auto insurance policy provides liability coverage when you drive a borrowed or rented car, but it does not cover physical damage to the rental itself.11NerdWallet. Non-Owner Car Insurance To protect the vehicle, you would pair the non-owner policy with either a standalone rental product or the counter waiver. If you only rent a few times a year, buying coverage per trip may cost less than keeping a non-owner policy in force.
Carrying a Second Card for Rentals
You do not have to replace your Apple Card to get rental coverage. A common approach is to keep the Apple Card for everyday Daily Cash and reach for a different card at the rental counter.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred, at a $95 annual fee, includes primary rental coverage for the cash value of most rentals for up to 31 consecutive days.12The Points Guy. Cards With Rental Car Coverage The Capital One Venture X ($395 per year) and Chase Sapphire Reserve ($795 per year) both offer primary coverage up to $75,000.13NerdWallet. Credit Card Rental Car Coverage For no annual fee, the Chase Freedom Flex and Chase Freedom Unlimited offer secondary coverage, meaning your personal auto insurance pays first and the card picks up what remains.14The Points Guy. Cards With Secondary Rental Car Coverage Most American Express cards include secondary coverage, with an optional upgrade to primary coverage for a flat $20 to $25 per rental through American Express Premium Car Rental Protection.
Whichever card you choose, the coverage only triggers if you pay for the full rental with that card and decline the rental company’s own damage waiver, and the driver at the time of any incident must be listed on the rental agreement.15Capital One. Credit Cards Rental Car Insurance Coverage also excludes certain vehicle categories such as luxury cars, trucks, motorcycles, and large vans, and some countries are off-limits depending on the network.16CNBC Select. Credit Card Car Rental Insurance How It Works None of this credit card coverage includes liability for injuries or damage to others.
Will the Chase Transition Change This?
In January 2026, Apple and Chase announced that Chase will become the new issuer of the Apple Card, with the handoff expected to take roughly 24 months.17Apple. Chase To Become New Issuer of Apple Card Chase is known for including primary rental coverage on many of its own cards, so it is a fair question whether the Apple Card will pick up travel protections after the switch. The answer right now is unknown. Neither Apple nor Chase has announced any benefit changes, and Apple has said nothing changes for users during the transition.18Los Angeles Times. Apple Card Switches Hands but No Immediate Changes for Users For every rental you book until something is actually announced, assume the card still provides zero coverage and plan accordingly.