Rental Car Insurance Excess Cover and More
Get cover for your next driving holiday with Cover-More
Are you planning to hire a car, campervan, or caravan while you’re travelling? Or maybe you’re taking your own car on your driving holiday within Australia?
Before you hit the road, you might want to consider how travel insurance can help protect your driving holiday.
Our Cover-More plans offer a range of benefits to drivers at home and abroad – from insurance excess cover for your own and rental vehicles, to comprehensive cover for hired vehicles.
Ready to protect your vehicle with rental car excess insurance cover or more? Get a free quote online before you hit the road.
Jump ahead to read:
- Does Cover-More travel insurance provide cover for driving holidays?
- What does Cover-More consider a rental vehicle?
- What is rental car excess insurance?
- What does Cover-More’s rental vehicle insurance excess cover include?
- Does Cover-More’s rental vehicle insurance excess cover motorcycles and mopeds?
- What does Cover-More’s rental vehicle comprehensive cover include?
- Will Cover-More cover me if I’m driving my own car?
- What does Cover-More’s personal vehicle insurance excess cover?
- What doesn't Cover-More provide cover for on driving holidays?
Does Cover-More travel insurance provide cover for driving holidays?
If you’re taking a road trip, we offer three different types of coverage to help protect you on the road:
- Rental vehicle insurance excess: this cover applies to your rental vehicle’s excess only and is available on our Domestic/International Comprehensive and Comprehensive+ Plans and Inbound Plan.
- Rental vehicle comprehensive cover: this extra coverage applies to your rental vehicle only and is available on our Domestic/International Comprehensive+ Plan only.
- Personal vehicle insurance excess: this cover applies if you have comprehensive car or motorcycle insurance for your own vehicle that is being used on your road trip within Australia. It is available on our Domestic Comprehensive and Comprehensive+ Plans only.
Read on to decide what coverage is right for your driving holiday, whether you’re renting a vehicle or driving your own.
What does Cover-More consider a “rental vehicle”?
At Cover-More, we cover more than only rental cars.
When we refer to the term “rental vehicle” we mean a:
- campervan/motorhome/caravan that does not exceed six tonnes
- SUV
- sedan
- station wagon
- hatchback
- people mover
- coupe
- convertible
- four-wheel drive or
- minibus
…rented from a licensed motor vehicle rental company, car club company, or agency.
If you have included our Motorcycle/Moped Cover in your policy for an additional premium, a motorcycle or moped is also considered a “rental vehicle”.
What is rental car excess insurance?
Rental car excess insurance helps to protect you from expenses related to the damage or theft of your rental vehicle while travelling.
It’s a type of insurance coverage that covers the insurance excess that you might have to pay if your car is damaged or stolen, as typically your rental car hire insurance will require you to pay the excess on the policy held for the vehicle.
At Cover-More, we refer to this as rental vehicle insurance excess.
What does Cover-More’s rental vehicle insurance excess cover include?
Our Cover-More travel insurance plans can help put your mind at ease with rental vehicle insurance excess.
Our Domestic and International Comprehensive and Comprehensive+ Plans include rental vehicle insurance excess to help protect you in the event you run into car trouble on your trip.
This excess cover applies if you:
- hire a rental vehicle (including a motorcycle or moped if your policy includes Motorcycle/Moped Cover);
- are the nominated driver on the rental car agreement; and
- have comprehensive motor vehicle insurance for the rental car for the hire period.
If the rental car is damaged or stolen whilst in your control during the journey, cover is provided for the lower of the rental car insurance excess or the repair costs to the rental car that you become liable to pay. It is your responsibility to provide the final loss/repair report to substantiate your claim.
The maximum benefit limit for our rental vehicle insurance excess benefit is:
| Plan | Benefit Limit |
|---|---|
| International Comprehensive+ | $5,000 |
| International Comprehensive | $5,000 |
| International Basic | $Nil |
| Inbound | $5,000 |
| Domestic Comprehensive+ | $5,000 |
| Domestic Comprehensive | $5,000 |
| Domestic Basic | $Nil |
Any limits, exclusions, and conditions on what is and isn’t covered is in the PDS.
Does Cover-More’s rental vehicle insurance excess cover motorcycles/mopeds?
You will need to include our Motorcycle/Moped Riding Cover option in your policy (an additional premium applies) for insurance excess cover to apply should you become liable to pay for damage to or theft of a motorcycle or moped rented from a licensed motor vehicle rental company.
If you are a Cover-More Domestic Plan policyholder and driving your own motorcycle within Australia on your trip, we can provide cover for insurance excess if your motorcycle is covered by comprehensive motorcycle insurance.
There is no cover for liability in respect to damage caused to someone else’s property or the injury or death of someone else.
What does Cover-More’s rental vehicle comprehensive cover include?
Want cover beyond rental vehicle insurance excess? Our Domestic and International Comprehensive+ Plans include comprehensive cover for rental vehicles.
As a Comprehensive+ policyholder, this cover applies if you:
- hire a rental vehicle;
- are the nominated driver on the rental vehicle agreement; and
- have comprehensive motor vehicle insurance for the rental vehicle for the hire period.
…and you must also:
- take all reasonable steps to protect the rental vehicle against loss and damage; and
- ensure the rental vehicle value does not exceed $200,000 and that it is not more than 10 years old.
The maximum benefit limits for our rental vehicle comprehensive cover are:
| Benefit Limit | ||
|---|---|---|
| Benefit | USA & Canada | World (excluding USA/ Canada) |
| Rental Vehicle Insurance Excess | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| Collision/Loss Damage Waiver | $200,000 | - |
| Misfuelling | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| Lock Out | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| Replacing Lost/Stolen Keys | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| Loss of Use Charges | $250 | $250 |
| Cancellation of Rental Agreement Fees | $750 | $750 |
| Accidental Damage to Permanent fixtures to Campervans and Motorhomes | $500 per item ($1,500 maximum limit) | $500 per item ($1,500 maximum limit) |
| Unsealed Roads (if your rental agreement allows) | $2,000 | $2,000 |
This cover is not included in the following Cover-More plans: International Comprehensive, International Basic, Inbound, Domestic Comprehensive, and Domestic Basic.
Will Cover-More cover me if I’m driving my own car?
If you’re thinking about taking a self-driving holiday in Australia, we can help. After all, not all domestic driving holidays involve renting a vehicle – especially if you already own your own vehicle and can drive or ride it to your intended destination.
See below for more details.
What does Cover-More’s personal vehicle insurance excess cover?
Our Domestic Comprehensive and Comprehensive+ Plans offer up to $2,500 in personal vehicle insurance excess cover. It is ideal for self-driving holidays within Australia where you’re able to take your own car or motorcycle to get to your destination.
However, this cover only applies if you have comprehensive car or motorcycle insurance on your own vehicle.
Please read the PDS for full details about this benefit and any limitations or exclusions that apply.
Learn more about our other travel insurance benefits here.
What doesn’t Cover-More provide cover for on driving holidays?
Our travel insurance is created to protect our customers from unforeseen incidents, and it doesn’t cover all scenarios.
If you’re contemplating protecting your trip with one of our comprehensive Cover-More travel insurance plans that include cover for driving holidays, there are conditions and exclusions you need to be aware of. This includes conditions related to our insurance excess benefits for both personal and rented vehicles and our comprehensive rental vehicle cover.
Please check out the PDS for full policy conditions, including any limits and exclusions relevant to your trip and chosen plan.
Want coverage before you hit the road?
Find out how we can protect your driving holiday with travel insurance today.