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Car insurance depends on which
credit card used
Q. I am planning on renting a car in Italy. Can I use my credit card to
cover collision damage?
A. That depends on the credit card. American Express does not cover collision damage in Italy; Diners Club and Visa do; with MasterCard, it depends on the rental car agency (some do, some don't). Amex and Visa also don't provide coverage in Ireland, Israel and Jamaica; and Amex excludes Australia and New Zealand. In general, Diners Club offers the best rental car protection, and the yearly fee can pay for itself if you rent often.
Most credit-card collision insurance is secondary, meaning that the credit-card company expects your other sources of insurance to pay first and then they'll pick up anything left over, but Diners Club offers primary insurance, meaning that you don't need to tap other sources first.
Also, credit cards only cover collision damage with another vehicle, not damage to other objects, such as buildings, rocks or, heaven forbid, people, so you should look into liability coverage as well.
© Copley News Service
© Copyright 2000 Union-Tribune Publishing Co.
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