Insurance Coverage, Protection Plans and Rates

Should I buy additional rental car insurance in Hawaii ?

Types of Insurance | Car Rental Insurance Rates | Trip and Travel Insurance

It’s important to make sure all your bases are covered when it comes to insurance coverage, protection plans and rates with your car rental. Even if you think your own personal vehicle coverage might take care of any potential damages to your rental vehicle it’s always better to be safe than sorry and purchase car rental insurance and protection or check with your insurance company to see exactly what is and is not covered.

What kind of car rental insurance, accident protection plans and other coverages are available in Hawaii?
Insurance protection plans and coverages offered by the car rental companies are pretty close to the same for each company (and expensive too). Currently, Enterprise has the lowest car rental insurance rates. With Avis and Budget, you can pre-order your coverages online during your reservation process. With Dollar, Thrifty and Enterprise, order at the rental desk when you pick up your car in Hawaii. 

Renting for Business Reasons?
If you're renting for business reasons, your personal car policy probably will not cover the vehicle at all or in the same way. Check to see if your personal car policy will cover business rental cars or the rental of cargo vans, passenger vans, SUV's or pickup trucks.

Am I required to purchase insurance protections? 
No, but check with your car insurance company to see if you are 100% covered for any or all of the plans listed below. You are responsible for any damage to a rental car. People rarely are fully insured unless they have purchased special or additional coverage. It is especially important to purchase additional coverage if you are not an American citizen and are driving a rental car. 

Especially check to see if you're covered for the deductible and also loss of use. You may be charged a daily fee when an auto rental is out of service while it's being repaired. If you pay for a car rental with your credit card, some credit card companies may pay the deductible if you damage the rental car. You are responsible for anything that your personal vehicle coverage or credit card protection doesn't cover. 

Who is responsible if my "Additional Driver" gets into a (their fault) accident or damages the car?
It is our understanding if you are on the rental contract as the primary renter of the vehicle, and the "additional driver" gets into an accident, you are the responsible party since you are the person renting the car, whether you are driving at the time or not. Always check with your insurance company to see what and what is not covered in your particular policy. All the rental car companies have various types of insurance coverages available at the reservations desk or online when you reserve.

Is the daily rate the same if I rent for a month? 

Are the rates the same for an economy car and a luxury car?
Rates vary depending on company, vehicle model, and the number of days you rent the car.

*Types of Hawaii Car Rental Insurance - Coverages and Protections:

• Loss Damage Waiver:
  The Loss Damage Waiver can vary in price depending on the car rental company from which you’re renting. It’s usually around $17 to $30 per day depending on company and size of car. But it can absolve you from this liability if your rental gets damaged or stolen. For those who don’t want to take the chance, it’s a good investment to make.

• Personal Accident Insurance:
  For those who want additional protection you can add Personal Accident coverage to your daily rental bill as well. This will cover you and your loved ones financially if you happen to suffer injuries or a disability due to an accident.
  
  

• Personal Effects Coverage:
  This type of coverage won't protect you if you tear your hair out or need hair transplants, but if your regular coverage doesn’t already provide Personal Effects Coverage for rental cars, it’s not a bad option to add on to your daily rental. This will cover any personal items that are stolen from the vehicle. Especially when you’re in an unfamiliar area or country, this coverage can give you some piece of mind.

• Supplemental Liability Protection:
  In addition to Personal Accident Insurance and Personal Effects Coverage you can also add on Supplemental Liability Insurance to your daily rental car coverage. This type of coverage protects the operator of the vehicle from any third party claims for any bodily injuries, deaths or property damage caused by the operation of the rental vehicle.

• RoadSide Assistance:
  For those who are always want to be prepared, there is the Roadside Assistance option. In your vehicle break downs or gets a flat tire along the back roads of Hawaii this feature can provide you with the help you need. 
  
  

• Uninsured Motorist Protection:
  Maybe you're a safe driver, you're fairly well insured and you follow all the rules, but what about everyone else? Having insurance is the law but some people don't have any at all. Uninsured Motorist coverage is a option added on to a regular policy to protect you from negligent and uninsured drivers. If you carry Uninsured Motorist insurance, it can pay all or part of what the uninsured or under-insured driver is able to pay.

• Independent Trip & Travel Insurance:

Car Rental Insurance Rates: *Rates below are minimums and approximate.  

*PROTECTIONS / COVERAGES Order online Order online Order at rental desk Order at rental desk Order at rental desk Loss Damage Waiver $26.99/day $25.99/day $26.99/day $26.99/day $16.99/day Personal Accident Insurance $4.00/day > $6.95/day > $6.99/day > $6.99/day $3.00/day Personal Effects Protection $2.95/day n/a Supplemental Liability Protection $16.84/day $16.84/day $13.99/day $13.99/day $11.99/day Roadside Assistance $5.99/day $5.99/day $5.99/day $5.99/day $3.00/day Uninsured Motorist Protection n/a  n/a $6.95/day $6.95/day n/a Independent Trip and Travel Insurance See Below

*Rates above are minimums and approximate. Rates vary depending on location, vehicle model and length of rental. Rates may change without notice. Protections/Coverages are subject to tax in certain locations. This tax is not reflected in the Estimated Total and will be calculated at the time of rental. This page is not intended to state whether you are required to, or whether you should or should not purchase protection plans. For exact rates (if not already shown when reserving), please call the location directly. Please contact your own own personal insurance company as well as your credit card company for exact definitions and for what is and is not covered in your policy when renting a car. 

Independent Trip and Travel Insurance

Many people enjoy the peace of mind that comes with vacation travel insurance. The planning and money that goes into purchasing a trip is quite an investment both emotionally and financially. There are a few basic categories of commonly purchased travel insurance, including trip cancellation, travel major medical, travel medical, emergency medical evacuation, accidental death and flight accident insurance.

Most people get coverage in the unlikely event that a trip is canceled. This type of coverage protects an insured person if there’s a need to cancel or cut a trip short for a variety of reasons which can include injury, illness, weather, or even mechanical difficulties. 

For those who become ill or get injured while traveling it’s always a good idea to have some type of travel health insurance, including medical or major medical so your expenses are covered. Most people are unaware of the fact that their health coverage can only be utilized within their own country. Any outside usage will not be covered. In the US, you may have coverage that fully covers you at "In Network" locations, but it doesn't insure you as thoroughly at "Out of Network" medical facilities.

In the unlikely event that a policyholder is killed while traveling, travel life insurance can pay out benefits to the surviving beneficiaries. There are several kinds of specialized travel insurance products that are available to travelers. The type you decide to purchase when preparing for your trip can depend on your budget and your tolerance for risk taking.