How Much Does Rental Car Insurance Cost?

Counter CDW costs $15 to $30 per day, making it the most common rental car insurance expense drivers encounter. Adding SLI, PAI, and PEC to a CDW policy typically brings the counter total to $40 to $60 per day. Where coverage is purchased, whether at the counter, through a credit card benefit, or as a policy add-on, is the primary cost driver, not the rental company or vehicle class.

Before you pay counter-rates for rental car insurance, check whether an [existing auto policy or credit card already covers the vehicle](covers the rental). Many drivers overpay by purchasing protection they already carry, or end up with unexpected out-of-pocket costs by skipping coverage when they hold only liability insurance.

Rental car insurance costs vary more by purchase channel than by product type. The same CDW protection costs nothing from a credit card benefit, $3 to $10 per month as a policy add-on, or $15 to $30 per day at the rental counter. The three channels are counter purchase, policy add-on, and credit card cardholder benefit. Each delivers similar protection at very different price points.

A driver with full coverage and a $500 deductible who buys counter CDW on a 7-day rental at $20 per day spends $140 on a product that duplicates coverage they already have. Over 10 rentals across five years, that equals $1,400 in unnecessary spending. Before purchasing any rental car insurance product, confirm whether to get rental car insurance based on what an existing policy already covers.

A driver with only liability coverage who declines counter CDW and damages a rental car is personally responsible for the full repair bill. A totaled economy rental can cost $15,000 to $25,000. At $20 per day, 10 days of CDW coverage costs $200, a fraction of even a minor repair bill. Knowing the cost is only the first question; the second is whether the coverage is necessary given existing protections.