Skip to content

Home / Insurance broker / Personal

Car hire excess insurance: getting the rental deductible back

Rental cars in Germany and across Europe usually come with collision cover that carries an excess, in German Selbstbeteiligung. After damage, the rental company charges that amount to your card. A separate excess policy from a German insurer refunds it, often including glass, tyres and underbody, and usually costs less than the waiver offered at the desk.

The question almost everyone asks first

What does car hire excess insurance pay?

It refunds the excess the rental or car sharing company charges you after an accident, theft or other insured damage, up to the sum insured. It works on a reimbursement basis: you pay the rental company first, then send the rental agreement, damage report and invoice to the insurer. The rental agreement normally has to include collision damage waiver or comprehensive cover with an excess. The policy does not replace the deposit held on your credit card.

Desk waiver or your own policy: what changes at pick-up

At the desk, rental companies sell a waiver that cuts the excess to zero or a small amount, priced per day. The appeal is simplicity: after damage nothing is charged, and the deposit is often lower or dropped. The price adds up over a week, and the German automobile club ADAC reports that members are regularly pressed to buy such extras.

A standalone excess policy is a contract between you and an insurer. The rental agreement stays as booked: the excess remains in it, the deposit is still blocked on your credit card, and the rental company charges you first if something happens. Knowing this, you can decline the desk offer and insist on the rate you reserved. Make sure your card limit covers the deposit.

Glass, tyres, underbody and roof: the usual gaps

Many rental companies carve the most exposed parts out of their collision cover: windscreen, tyres and rims, underbody and roof. A stone chip on the autobahn or a kerbed alloy is then billed in full, even though the agreement says comprehensive.

Stronger excess policies name these parts explicitly, and some add lost keys, misfuelling or towing. Whether a policy refunds only the excess under the collision cover, or also damage the rental company has excluded from it, is the main difference between German policy wordings.

Buying in Germany as a newcomer

German excess policies come as single rental cover, priced by rental days, or as an annual policy for any number of rentals, each up to a maximum length. Cover generally has to be bought before you collect the car. Some policies are only open to residents of Germany, and some exclude rentals in your country of residence, so check both if you rent at home as well as on holiday.

Car sharing is common in German cities and is not included in every policy. Providers charge excesses from a few hundred to more than a thousand euros depending on car class and driver profile, and sell their own protection packages. If you share cars often, choose an annual policy that names car sharing. Policy documents are usually in German, so ask us for a summary in English before you sign.

What is covered

  • Excess under the collision cover after an accident
  • Excess after theft of the rental car
  • Vandalism, fire and natural hazards, depending on the policy
  • Glass, tyres and rims where the policy names them
  • Underbody and roof where the policy names them
  • Car sharing vehicles in many annual policies
  • Additional drivers listed in the rental agreement

What is not covered

  • Damage while driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and intentional damage
  • Drivers who are not named in the rental agreement
  • Breaches of the rental terms, such as banned countries or unpaved roads
  • Fines, tolls and fuel charges
  • Wear and tear and purely mechanical breakdown
  • Damage that was already there when you collected the car

Who needs it

  • Holidaymakers who booked the cheaper rate with an excess
  • Frequent renters and business travellers with several rentals a year
  • Car sharing users who do not want to pay for a protection package on every trip
  • Newcomers without a car of their own who rent for weekends and moves

Who does not need it

  • A separate policy if the car is already booked with zero excess and glass, tyres and underbody are included
  • Double cover if your credit card demonstrably refunds the excess on rentals paid with it

Wheel of misfortune

Spin the wheel of bad luck

Six things that really happen. The wheel picks yours and shows who pays.

See all six cases
  1. Scrape in a tight multi-storey car park, the excess, often EUR 600 to 3,000. Budget policy: pays, Strong policy: pays. The standard case: the rental company charges the excess under its collision cover and the policy refunds it up to the sum insured.
  2. Stone chip on the autobahn, windscreen at the rental company's rates. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: pays. Glass is often excluded from the rental company's cover. Only policies that name glass refund the bill.
  3. Kerbed alloy wheel, rim and tyre at list price. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: pays. Tyres and rims are the most common dispute at return. A strong policy includes them.
  4. Underbody hit on a gravel track, up to the full repair. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: does not pay. If the rental terms ban unpaved roads, this is a breach of contract. Neither the collision cover nor the excess policy pays.
  5. Rental car stolen abroad, the theft excess. Budget policy: pays, Strong policy: pays. The theft excess is often higher than the accident excess. A police report and the keys are essential.
  6. Dent in a shared city car, a few hundred to over EUR 1,000. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: pays. Car sharing is only covered if the policy says so. Report existing damage in the app before you drive.

What it costs

A standalone policy usually costs a fraction of what the desk waiver adds up to over the rental period. An annual policy tends to pay for itself from the second or third rental.

What drives the premium

  • Single rental by days or annual policy
  • Sum insured per claim
  • Europe or worldwide, with or without USA and Canada
  • Vehicle type: car, van, motorhome
  • Car sharing included or not
  • Any deductible within the policy itself

We do not quote premium ranges, because we lack a current independent market comparison for this line. Your premium is only fixed in the quote.

The policy levels on the market

01

Single rental

Cover for one rental period, priced by day. Suits one holiday a year.

02

Annual policy, Europe

Any number of rentals in Europe, each up to a maximum length. For people who rent or share several times a year.

03

Annual policy, worldwide

As above plus long-haul trips, depending on the policy including USA and Canada, often with a higher sum and extras.

How to recognise a good policy

CriterionMinimum standardStrong policyWhy it matters
Sum insured covers the excess on a small car also covers high excesses on larger classes If the sum is lower than the excess in your rental agreement, you carry the difference.
Glass, tyres, underbody, roof excess under collision cover only all four named explicitly These are the parts many rental companies exclude from their own cover.
Car sharing not covered station-based and free-floating included Regular users save the protection package on every single trip.
Territory and residence Europe, residents of Germany only worldwide including USA and Canada, home rentals included Some wordings exclude certain countries or rentals in your country of residence.
Maximum rental length a few weeks longer rentals as well In an annual policy each rental is capped. A long road trip can exceed the cap.
Policy deductible fixed deduction per claim no deduction A deduction inside the policy eats into the refund on small claims.

Insurers on the German market

The German market is small. It is carried by travel insurers and by specialist intermediaries with changing underwriters behind them. This list is an overview of insurers that write travel and rental car protection. Whether a company currently offers a suitable policy is something we check when we quote.

InsurerBackground
HanseMerkur ReiseversicherungHamburg travel insurer with its own rental car policy, sold via brokers, travel agents and online
ERGO Reiseversicherungtravel specialist of the ERGO group with its own rental car policy, formerly Europäische Reiseversicherung
die BayerischeMunich insurance group with a rental car protection product
Würzburgerspecialist travel insurer, often behind intermediary brands
Union Reiseversicherungtravel insurer of the Versicherungskammer group, also sold through savings banks

From the BaFin register

95

95 insurers supervised by BaFin, the German regulator, are licensed for this class of insurance.

(Finanzielle Verluste, Gewinnausfall)

Show all 95 names from the register
  • ADLER Versicherung AG
  • Allcura Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE
  • Allianz Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Alte Leipziger Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Ambra Versicherung AG
  • andsafe Aktiengesellschaft
  • ARAG Allgemeine Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • ARAG SE
  • AXA Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Baloise Sachversicherung Aktiengesellschaft Deutschland
  • Bayerische Landesbrandversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Bayerischer Versicherungsverband Versicherungsaktiengesellschaft
  • Bergische Brandversicherung Allgemeine Feuerversicherung V.a.G.
  • BGV-Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • CONSTANTIA Versicherungen a.G.
  • DARAG Deutschland AG
  • Debeka Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft Sitz Koblenz am Rhein
  • Delvag Versicherungs-AG
  • Deutsche Assistance Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • DEVK Allgemeine Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Dialog Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Die Haftpflichtkasse VVaG
  • Dolleruper Freie Brandgilde
  • ERGO Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • EXTREMUS Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Feuersozietät Berlin Brandenburg Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • GARANTA Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Gartenbau-Versicherung VVaG
  • Generali Deutschland Versicherung AG
  • Gothaer Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Gothaer Versicherungsbank VVaG
  • Great Lakes Insurance SE
  • GRUNDEIGENTÜMER-VERSICHERUNG Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • GVV-Kommunalversicherung, Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Hamburger Feuerkasse Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • HanseMerkur Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • HanseMerkur Reiseversicherung AG
  • HDI Global SE
  • HDI Global Specialty SE
  • HDI Haftpflichtverband der Deutschen Industrie Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • HDI Versicherung AG
  • Helvetia Schweizerische Versicherungsgesellschaft AG Direktion für Deutschland
  • Helvetia Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • HUK-COBURG-Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • Hübener Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • INTER Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • Interlloyd Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • InterRisk Versicherungs-AG Vienna Insurance Group.
  • ISSELHORSTER Versicherung V.a.G.
  • KRAVAG-LOGISTIC Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Landschaftliche Brandkasse Hannover
  • Lifestyle Protection AG
  • Lippische Landesbrandversicherung AG
  • Lucura Versicherungs AG
  • LVM Landwirtschaftlicher Versicherungsverein Münster a.G.
  • Mannheimer Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Markel Insurance SE
  • Mecklenburgische Versicherungs-Gesellschaft auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • MVK Versicherung VVaG
  • MÜNCHENER VEREIN Allgemeine Versicherungs-AG
  • Neuendorfer Brand-Bau-Gilde
  • Newline Europe Versicherung AG
  • NV-Versicherungen VVaG
  • NÜRNBERGER Allgemeine Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • OKV - Ostdeutsche Kommunalversicherung auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Ostangler Brandgilde, Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit (VVaG)
  • OSTBEVERNER Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit (VVaG)
  • Pallas Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Provinzial Nord Brandkasse Aktiengesellschaft
  • Provinzial Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • R+V Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • RheinLand Versicherungs Aktiengesellschaft
  • Rhion Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Schleswiger Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • SHB Allgemeine Versicherung VVaG
  • SIGNAL IDUNA Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Sparkassen-Versicherung Sachsen Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • SV SparkassenVersicherung Gebäudeversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • uniVersa Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • Vereinigte Hagelversicherung VVaG
  • Vereinigte Tierversicherung, Gesellschaft auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Versicherer im Raum der Kirchen Sachversicherung AG
  • Versicherungskammer Bayern Versicherungsanstalt des öffentlichen Rechts
  • VHV Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • VOLKSWOHL-BUND SACHVERSICHERUNG AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
  • VPV Allgemeine Versicherungs-AG
  • Waldenburger Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • WGV-Versicherung AG
  • WWK Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Württembergische Gemeinde-Versicherung auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Württembergische Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Würzburger Versicherungs-AG
  • Zurich Insurance Europe AG
  • Öffentliche Feuerversicherung Sachsen-Anhalt

Source: BaFin company database, 18 September 2026; EU insurers without a German office excluded.

Legal basis and sources

Products and add-ons

Single rental cover

Bought before pick-up for exactly one rental period and ends when the car is returned.

Annual rental car policy

Covers every rental in a year up to the maximum length per rental. Depending on the policy it renews automatically.

Annual policy with car sharing

Adds car sharing trips and replaces the providers' own protection packages.

Add-on to travel insurance

Some travel packages include rental car protection, sometimes with a top-up of third party liability limits abroad.

Myth or truth

True or false?

Five things people say about this insurance. Guess first, then see the answer.

With my own excess policy I can decline the extra cover at the desk.

This is true.

True. The desk waiver and your own policy protect against the same risk. You are entitled to the rate you booked.

The insurer pays the rental company directly.

This is false.

False. It is a reimbursement product. The rental company charges your card first and the insurer then pays you.

Comprehensive cover in the rental agreement includes windscreen and tyres.

This is false.

Often not. Many rental companies exclude glass, tyres, underbody and roof. The rental terms say so.

Without collision cover in the rental agreement, an excess policy is of no use.

This is true.

Correct. It requires collision cover with an excess. It does not pay for the full damage to the vehicle.

An annual policy covers a rental of any length.

This is false.

No. Each rental is capped at a maximum number of days. Longer rentals need a suitable policy or single rental cover.

Common mistakes

  • Buying the desk waiver on top and paying twice
  • Trying to buy cover after the car has been collected
  • Choosing a sum insured below the excess in the rental agreement
  • Returning the car without photos, a handover report or, where required, a police report
  • Assuming the policy lowers the deposit on the credit card

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Do I still have to pay the rental company first?

Yes.

The rental company charges the excess to your card or sets it off against the deposit.

You then submit the documents and the insurer refunds you.

Does the policy reduce the deposit?

No.

Nothing changes for the rental company,

which blocks the deposit as for any agreement with an excess.

Your credit card needs enough headroom.

Can I buy a German policy if I have just moved here?

Usually yes, once you are resident in Germany.

Some insurers only accept residents, so a German address matters more than nationality.

Does it work if I booked through a comparison portal?

As a rule yes.

What counts is the rental agreement with the rental company and that it includes collision cover

with an excess.

How is this different from the refund product sold by booking portals?

Portals often sell their own excess refund for that single booking.

It works in a similar way but only for that rental.

An annual policy covers all your rentals wherever you book.

Are glass and tyre damage always included?

No.

Some policies refund only the excess under the collision cover.

If glass, tyres, underbody and roof are not named in the wording, do not count on them.

Is gross negligence covered?

It depends on the policy.

Driving under the influence is excluded throughout.

Whether other grossly negligent behaviour leads to a reduction is set out in the wording.

Does it cover a van for moving flat?

Only if the policy includes vans.

Many are limited to passenger cars or to a weight limit, so check before you hire a van for a move.

NAMMERT insurance broker

Request quotes for Car hire excess insurance

We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison, free of charge.

You can write in English.

1Who is it for?
2Which insurance?

Choose as many as you like. For each one, the details an insurer needs for a quote appear below.

Personal

Business

3Details

Car hire excess insurance

4Your current policy
5How can we reach you?

Free of charge and without obligation. A person will get back to you.

Often goes with it

Car insurance

Car insurance

Can I use my no-claims bonus from abroad in Germany?

Travel medical

Travel medical

I have statutory health insurance in Germany. Do I still need travel medical insurance?

Boat or yacht? NAMMERT has its own cover concepts for boats, arranged by the same broker.

Boat insurance

Updated