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We’ve compiled a list of travel insurance companies that offer different levels of car hire excess insurance as part of their travel insurance policies. If you get this cover as part of your travel insurance, you won’t need to buy it from the rental car company (psst, this way is usually cheaper).
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From visitors to this site, here are the most popular brands for car rental excess from April - July 2019. These brands automatically include rental car excess insurance in their policies so you don't have to pay extra for cover, except for Fast Cover where it's only automatically included on domestic policies.
1Cover | Budget Direct | Australia Post | Fast Cover | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Limit on international policies | $5,000 | $6,000 | $3,000 | Optional add-on |
Limit on domestic policies | $5,000 | $4,000 | $3,000 | $5,000 |
Option to increase limit? | ||||
Brands | Limit on international policies | Limit on domestic policies | Option to increase limit? | Apply |
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | $5,000 | $5,000 | ||
![]() | $6,000 | $4,000 | ||
![]() | $3000 | $3000 | ||
![]() | Optional add-on | $5000 |
*Table last updated 21st September 2019
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You can get cover you for:
If you want to compare prices, here's a table with our top-selling brands for travel insurance with car rental excess cover. Prices are based on a 7 day trip to New Zealand for a 30-year-old.
1Cover (Comprehensive) | Budget Direct (Comprehensive) | Australia Post (Comprehensive) | Fast Cover (Comprehensive) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Limit on international policies | $5,000 | $6,000 | $3,000 | Optional add-on |
Price | $84.11 | $71.84 | $125.00 | $99.99 |
Brands | Policy Type | Limit on international policies | Price | Apply |
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Comprehensive | $5,000 | $84.11 | |
![]() | Comprehensive | $6,000 | $71.84 | |
![]() | Comprehensive | $3,000 | $125.00 | |
![]() | Comprehensive | Optional add-on | $99.99 |
*Quote was made on 21st September 2019. Prices are indicative, get a quote for accurate pricing for your trip
Here's a comparison of prices for travel insurance with car rental excess for a domestic trip. Prices are based on a 7 day trip for a 30-year-old.
1Cover (Domestic) | Budget Direct (Domestic) | Australia Post (Comprehensive) | Fast Cover (Domestic Plus) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Limit on domestic policies | $5,000 | $4,000 | $3,000 | $5,000 |
Price | $38.08 | $36.73 | $125.00 | $38.89 |
Brands | Policy Type | Limit on domestic policies | Price | Apply |
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Domestic | $5,000 | $38.08 | |
![]() | Domestic | $4,000 | $36.73 | |
![]() | Comprehensive | $3,000 | $125.00 | |
![]() | Domestic Plus | $5,000 | $38.89 |
*Quote was made on 18th July 2019. Prices are indicative, get a quote for accurate pricing for your trip
Before you sign your car rental agreement, car rental companies will offer the option to reduce your car rental excess charge for a daily fee. This is often referred to as an excess waiver or excess reduction option, and you will often be able to reduce the excess to zero if you are willing to pay the additional amount. While this may sound like an attractive option, paying a daily fee to reduce your excess can actually work out to be quite costly. A travel insurance policy that includes car rental excess cover is a much more cost-effective way to take out financial protection as shown below.
Travel insurance does not usually cover you for the actual damage you cause to a car or the cost of getting that damage repaired. These costs can be covered by physical damage insurance provided by the rental company. This insurance is commonly known as the loss damage waiver or the collision damage waiver, and it’s usually automatically included in the basic cover provided by a rental company. Many travel insurers will only provide cover if your rental agreement includes some form of motor vehicle insurance.
Travel insurance policies typically include personal liability cover, but they do not offer protection if you injure someone else or damage someone else’s property while driving a rental car. This cover can be obtained through the compulsory liability motor vehicle insurance available from the rental company. In fact, most travel insurers include a requirement for your car rental agreement to have third-party liability motor insurance.
Travel insurance provides cover for medical costs if you’re injured in an accident overseas. If you crash your car and need ambulance transportation, medical treatment, hospital accommodation and even repatriation to Australia, your travel insurer will be able to cover the costs. You won’t receive any cover if you break an exclusion on your policy, such as failing to follow the road rules in the country you’re in, so make sure you’re aware of the exclusions in your policy before you get behind the wheel.
In order to be eligible for travel insurance with rental car excess cover, you will need to make sure you have the following:
Although cover differs between insurers, your car rental excess claim will usually not be paid if:
We have researched a list of our travel insurance partners and found these brands automatically include car rental excess insurance in their policies. If you're hiring a luxury car or just need a higher excess limit in general, consider choosing an option that allows you to increase your excess for an extra premium.
Brand | Rental car excess limit | Conditions | Option to increase cover? | |
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | International: $5,000 Domestic: $5,000 | This policy automatically provides cover for all plans except for Medical only and Essentials. You can increase your benefit level and additional premiums may apply. | ||
![]() | International: $3,000 Domestic: $3,000 | You can increase this amount by paying an additional premium. Car rental excess insurance is not available on the International Basic plan. | ||
![]() | International: $6,000 Domestic: $4,000 | You are covered for the agreed stated amount on your policy that you are liable to pay as a result of damage or theft to a hired vehicle. | ||
![]() | International: $4,000 Domestic: $4,000 | You are covered for the agreed stated amount on your policy that you are liable to pay as a result of damage or theft to a rental vehicle you are in control of. | ||
![]() | International: Optional up to $8,000 Domestic: $5,000 | Automatically included on domestic policies only. Available as an optional upgrade on international policies except basic. | ||
![]() | International: $5,000 Domestic: $5,000 | Holiday Rescue will pay rental vehicle insurance excess or the cost of repairing the rental vehicle if the rental vehicle is damaged or stolen due to an unexpected event. | ||
![]() | International: $4,000 Domestic: Up to $7,500 | Rental car excess waiver is available if you choose Silver or Gold cover. | ||
![]() | International: $3,000 Domestic: $3,000 | You are covered for the agreed stated amount on your policy that you are liable to pay as a result of damage or theft to a hired vehicle. | ||
![]() | International: $4,000 Domestic:$3,000 | You can increase your cover up to $3,500 by paying an additional premium. There is no Rental Car insurance excess cover on the International Medical Only Plan. | ||
![]() | International: $8,000 Domestic: $5,000 | Get cover for up to $8,000 on international policies except the travel care plan. RACV also offer a Car Excess only plan. | ||
![]() | International: $5,000 Domestic: $5,000 | You will be covered for any excess you are liable to pay in the event of an accident, damaged or stolen involving the rental vehicle. | ||
![]() | International: $4,000 Domestic: $4,000 | Available for Standard or Top Cover only. | ||
![]() | International: $5,000 Domestic: $5,000 | You can increase your excess every $500 on all policies except for, Bare Essentials Travel Plan, Australian Cancellation and Additional Expenses Travel Plan, where no cover is available. | ||
![]() | International: $4,000 Domestic: $4,000 | You are covered for the agreed stated amount on your policy that you are liable to pay as a result of damage or theft to a hired vehicle. | ||
![]() | International: $3,000 Domestic: $3,000 | You choose your desired excess amount and pay additional premiums. | ||
![]() | International: $5,000 Domestic: $5,000 | You are covered for the agreed stated amount on your policy that you are liable to pay as a result of damage or theft to a hired vehicle. |
Note: Information last obtained on September 2019 and is subject to change. Make sure you understand the general conditions surrounding car rental excess cover for each policy. The cover amount is for an International trip (comprehensive policy )and domestic trip per single person. For a comprehensive list of the conditions of each policy, please read the product disclosure statement of the policy.
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Gary Hunter is a writer at Finder, specialising in insurance. He has a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of Glasgow and has previously worked for Real Insurance as a content specialist.
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