Renting a car can get expensive fast, especially when insurance is unclear. Many travelers want to know: does Discover card provide rental car insurance? Understanding this benefit can help you avoid costly rental coverage and get the protection your credit card already offers. In this guide, you’ll learn how Discover’s rental car coverage works, what it includes, and when you can rely on it instead of buying insurance from the rental company.
1. Does Discover Offer Rental Car Insurance?
Most users wonder: Does Discover card provide rental car insurance? The short answer is no—Discover no longer includes auto rental collision damage waiver, rental car protection, or any form of secondary rental insurance on its cards.
Previously, some Discover cards offered limited coverage, but the company has removed almost all travel insurance benefits, including rental car damage protection and collision coverage. That means when you rent a vehicle, your Discover or Discover It card does not provide rental car insurance coverage for theft, damage, or loss.
Instead, renters must rely on:
- their personal auto insurance policy,
- the rental company’s CDW (collision damage waiver), or
- another credit card brand that still offers auto rental insurance protection.
Discover does not cover rental car insurance, meaning you must review your insurance plan and the rental company’s policy before finalizing your booking.
2. How Discover’s Rental Car Coverage Compares to Other Credit Cards
While Discover cards don’t provide rental car insurance coverage, many other major credit card issuers still include auto rental collision damage waiver, making Discover less competitive for travelers. Cards from Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and premium travel cards often offer primary or secondary rental car insurance, covering damage, theft, and loss of use.
Compared to these cards, Discover provides no rental protection, no collision coverage, and no travel insurance benefits, which can leave renters relying entirely on their personal auto policy or the rental company’s CDW.
In practical terms, Discover falls behind other issuers in rental car insurance protection, coverage limits, and travel perk value, especially for users who frequently rent vehicles and expect built-in credit card insurance benefits.
3. When Discover’s Rental Car Insurance Applies — and When It Doesn’t
Discover cards do not provide rental car insurance, which means there are no situations where Discover’s auto rental protection, collision damage waiver, or secondary coverage will apply. Unlike cards that offer CDW protection, Discover provides zero coverage for rental car damage, theft, or loss of use.
This also means Discover does not cover:
- accidents involving rented vehicles
- physical damage or vandalism
- liability or medical expenses
- international rental car coverage
- luxury or specialty vehicle rentals
Since Discover offers no rental car insurance benefits, the only scenarios that apply are the ones where you must use alternative coverage—either your personal auto insurance or the rental company’s insurance options.
In short: Discover rental car insurance never activates, because the benefit no longer exists across Discover and Discover It card products.
4. What Type of Coverage Would Discover Provide Rental Car Insurance For?
Since Discover no longer offers rental car insurance coverage, there are no active coverage types, such as collision damage waiver (CDW), loss-of-use protection, or physical damage insurance, that typically come with other credit cards.
If this benefit still existed, it would usually cover:
- collision or damage to the rental vehicle
- theft protection
- towing or repair costs
- loss-of-use fees charged by rental agencies
However, Discover has removed all auto rental insurance benefits, which means there is:
- no CDW coverage,
- no secondary insurance,
- no rental car damage protection,
- and no travel insurance perks tied to Discover or Discover It cards.
Since Discover cards do not include rental car protection, users should rely on their personal auto policy or a credit card that still provides CDW insurance.
5. Do All Discover It Cards Include Rental Car Insurance?
Discover It cards do not offer rental car coverage of any kind. This applies to all versions, including Discover It Cash Back, Chrome, and Miles, as Discover removed CDW, auto rental protection, and secondary insurance benefits from every card.
This means:
- Discover It cards do not cover rental car damage or theft
- There is no CDW insurance, even on travel-focused cards
- No Discover It product provides rental car insurance benefits of any kind
Whether you hold a basic Discover It card or a rewards/travel variant, the policy is the same: Discover does not include rental car insurance on any of its cards, and cardholders must rely on personal auto coverage or the rental company’s insurance options.
6. How Long Does Discover’s Rental Car Insurance Protection Last?
Since Discover no longer offers rental car insurance protection, there is no coverage duration, no rental period limits, and no active CDW insurance timeframe tied to any Discover or Discover It card.
In the past, some credit cards offered coverage for the entire rental period—usually up to 15–31 days—but Discover has removed all forms of auto rental collision damage waiver, secondary rental coverage, and rental car insurance benefits.
Because the benefit has been discontinued, Discover provides:
- no coverage window,
- no protection period, and
- no extended insurance timeline for rental vehicles.
In simple terms: there is no rental car insurance duration for Discover cards, because the coverage itself no longer exists.
7. Does Discover Provide Rental Car Insurance for International Rentals?
Discover cards do not provide rental car insurance for international rentals, or for domestic rentals, because all auto rental insurance benefits, including collision damage waiver (CDW) and secondary coverage, have been discontinued.
Even if you’re renting a car abroad—whether in Europe, Canada, Mexico, or any other country—your Discover or Discover It card offers:
- no international rental car insurance,
- no overseas CDW protection,
- no theft or damage coverage,
- and no travel insurance benefits tied to foreign rentals.
Travelers renting vehicles internationally must rely on:
- their personal auto insurance (if valid overseas),
- the rental company’s international CDW,
- or another credit card that still offers global auto rental collision coverage.
To put it simply, Discover gives you zero international rental car coverage, regardless of location or provider.
8. Does Discover Provide Rental Car Insurance for Luxury or Exotic Cars?
…since Discover offers no collision damage waiver, no auto rental protection, and no secondary insurance coverage on any of its cards.
Even high-value or specialty vehicles—such as sports cars, luxury sedans, premium SUVs, or exotic rentals—receive no insurance protection, since Discover offers:
- no luxury vehicle rental coverage,
- no exotic car rental protection,
- no CDW insurance,
- and no rental car damage benefits of any kind.
For renters choosing high-end or specialty cars, Discover requires you to rely on:
- the rental company’s premium CDW insurance,
- your personal auto insurance (if it covers luxury/exotic rentals),
- or a credit card issuer that still offers auto rental collision insurance for luxury vehicles.
In short, Discover offers no rental car insurance for luxury, exotic, or specialty vehicles, since the benefit has been removed entirely.
9. How to Check Whether Your Discover Card Includes Rental Car Insurance Benefits
Since Discover no longer offers rental car insurance, cardholders won’t find CDW protection, secondary rental coverage, or any auto rental benefits in their card’s guide. You can confirm this by checking your Discover benefits documentation, which clearly shows that all travel insurance protections—including rental car insurance—have been removed.
The fastest ways to verify your coverage status are:
- Check the Benefits Guide inside your Discover online account
- Contact Discover customer service to confirm there is no rental car insurance
- Review the official Discover card insurance policy updates
- Search under “auto rental protection,” “collision damage waiver,” or “travel insurance”—all will show as discontinued
Following these steps makes it easy to see that Discover has no rental insurance, no CDW, and no protection at all—letting you sort out another option ahead of time.
10. Final Verdict: Does Discover Card Provide Rental Car Insurance in 2025?
As of 2025, no Discover credit card includes rental car insurance of any kind. Every Discover and Discover It card excludes the full range of auto rental protections, including:
No Collision Damage Waiver (CDW)
No theft or damage protection
No secondary rental coverage
No travel insurance or trip protections
This means Discover cannot be used as a source of rental car coverage — not primary, not secondary, and not partial.
If you’re renting a car, you must rely on:
Your personal auto insurance,
The rental company’s insurance, or
A different credit card issuer (Visa, Mastercard, Amex) that still offers rental coverage.
In summary: Discover provides zero rental car insurance in 2025, so securing another form of protection is essential before you rent a vehicle.