Don't Overpay For Rental Car Insurance

During the busy summer travel season, millions of families take vacations and many will use rental cars to get around. If you're renting a car this summer, there are a few things you need to know about insurance. Walking up to the counter to pick up your rental car, you may be asked if you want to purchase additional rental insurance while you are driving the car. This insurance can run up to $40 per day, according to WNCT, a North Carolina news station.

You might want to automatically take the extra insurance, just in case something were to happen during your vacation. However, you might not be aware that you could already be covered through your auto insurance or your credit card. Before you take on the charges for coverage, it is a good idea to check your car insurance policy for coverage with rental vehicles. You may at least have partial coverage, and may not need to purchase anything extra.

When it comes to credit cards, using one can provide coverage and save you money by avoiding paying more. According to the 2014 Credit Card Auto Rental Insurance Report by Cardhub, all four major credit card companies offer some kind of rental car insurance coverage. To be eligible for the coverage offered by credit companies, you have to deny the additional insurance offered by a rental car company. Of the four major providers - American Express, MasterCard, Visa and Discover - American Express customers had the most options and coverage for rental vehicles.

Before you go on your trip, check with your credit card company to see how much you could save with the coverage you already have. Between your home car insurance and credit card, you could be completely covered while on vacation.