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Wow, it is amazing this still gets asked so often. No, you do not need to pay with Amex, and yes I have successfully claimed having used a Clarity card for the rental to avoid FX fees.
The T&Cs will always be the final answer compared to a random bit of the website. They do still ask for evidence that you have actually paid what you are claiming for, for which an upload of my Halifax online banking was good enough.
It’s late, I’m tired and I’ve had a bad day, so I’m struggling to understand the Platinum car hire insurance wordings….
My husband and I need to hire a car. I probably won’t drive it. I have a Platinum card and a BAPP, he is NOT a supplementary cardholder on my Platinum (with hindsight, no idea why not!) but has a Gold Amex of his own.
Will he be covered if the car is booked in his name regardless – because he is a family member? Does it make a difference either if I pay (preferably using my BAPP) or if he pays using his BAPP? Or do I need to be specified on the booking (and pay extra as additional driver)?
I know I could book it in my name and add him as an additional driver, but again that would incur an extra charge from the car hire company.
@louie – unfortunately the wording of the Plat policy is terrible and the car rental benefit section is particularly bad. Two things are clear, 1) this section is not contingent on use of the card, but it would certainly be prudent to use the Platinum card for the deposit and 2) the concept of ‘family’ which applies to other sections does not apply to the car rental section and holding another Amex card doesn’t assist.
The Platinum card holder does need to be “named” and here my reading is different to those in my household who have superior professional knowledge and say the Plat cardholder, main or supplementary, should be the main driver. For certainty, it’s better to book it in your name as the Plat cardholder (or at least have yourself named on the contract as the main driver), even if you aren’t planning to drive.
Thanks @JDB, your response is much appreciated. Good to know it’s their wording and not my brain that’s the problem!
When I tried to book the car a further complication occurred – they don’t take Amex! So I booked in my name and paid using my Barclaycard, with hubby as an additional driver.
I think the lesson learned is to get hubby a supplementary card on my Platinum account, which I think I can do for free as it’s the old charge card version.
@Louie
If I am booking a pay on collection car then my strategy was to cover the costs with Amex Plat and, providing the final bill can be agreed on return (ie) no damage, switch to a non amex non FX fee card at the end. It’s a bit of a faff but the savings can be considerable.You could get your OH a supplementary card and use that to pay as it comes with same deal.
Given my experience with EurpoAssist over a stone chip I would be taking @JDB advice in the future
Has anyone experienced a serious accident in the U.S. and had to rely on their Amex Platinum for coverage? I’m trying to figure out if, in the event of a total loss, they’d require me to pay upfront and then reimburse me later.
Has anyone experienced a serious accident in the U.S. and had to rely on their Amex Platinum for coverage? I’m trying to figure out if, in the event of a total loss, they’d require me to pay upfront and then reimburse me later.
Yes, for this Plat excess cover and other standalone car hire excess insurance policies, it is on a pay now, claim later basis which is why these policies are simply not a substitute or alternative for the insurance offered by car rental companies. They are different products. It’s not to say they are bad or useless products but it is important to understand the terms and how they work vs the products offered by hire companies. The difference is all the starker in jurisdictions which are perhaps more lawless and where there’s often a presumption against the tourist in the event of an incident.
Has anyone experienced a serious accident in the U.S. and had to rely on their Amex Platinum for coverage? I’m trying to figure out if, in the event of a total loss, they’d require me to pay upfront and then reimburse me later.
My strategy in the USA (if you have a Plat AMEX), is to join the Avis / Hertz status scheme, use your Plat AMEX as the payment method and book directly with either Avis or Hertz using the account you joined the status scheme with. I’ve found that the excess is then $0 (but check).
As an example, I had a chipped windscreen, returned the car and heard nothing afterwards.
You may pay slightly more but it’s probably worth it (IMHO).
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