Planning to rent a car in Aruba and considering using your Amex Premium Car Rental Insurance? It’s a smart move to explore your options for coverage. Having visited nearby Bonaire for over 25 years and learned from local rental experts in the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao), we’ve gathered insights to help you navigate car rentals in Aruba, especially when it comes to insurance.
Many tourists from the USA, Canada, and Western Europe choose to rent cars while visiting Aruba and its neighboring islands. However, dealing with vehicle damage in a tourist-heavy location presents unique challenges for rental companies. The process of repair, from getting on the repair schedule to sourcing parts, can be lengthy. Since most visitors depart shortly after their trip, rental companies often face difficulties in resolving damage claims post-departure.
This is why many Aruba Car Rental agencies prefer that renters opt for their local Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) coverage. This simplifies the process significantly for them in case of any incidents. With local CDW, the rental company, the local insurance provider, and repair shops can handle everything directly, without needing to chase after tourists for payments or deal with international insurance complexities.
Now, let’s address your question about Amex Premium Car Rental Insurance. Yes, Amex Premium Car Rental Insurance does offer primary coverage. To utilize this, you need to enroll beforehand through the provided link and Amex will charge the appropriate fee upon seeing the rental transaction on your account. It’s a good practice to verify your Amex account after starting your aruba car rental period to confirm the insurance fee has been applied. Sometimes, due to smaller business operations, Amex might not immediately recognize the charge as a car rental. A quick call to Amex can resolve any uncertainties.
However, here’s a crucial point: not all aruba car rental companies readily accept Amex or other external insurance coverages. Some prefer to avoid the complexities associated with processing claims with companies outside of Aruba. Whether an aruba car rental company accepts Amex Premium Car Rental Insurance is ultimately at their discretion. The best way to find out is to directly contact the specific rental companies you are considering before you book.
Furthermore, it’s worth noting that American Express isn’t universally accepted across the ABC islands, including Aruba. Some businesses, including certain aruba car rental services, avoid Amex due to higher merchant fees compared to Visa or MasterCard.
Therefore, your ideal approach is to find an aruba car rental company that not only accepts Amex for payment but also recognizes Amex Premium Car Rental Insurance. Doing a little upfront research and directly communicating with rental companies will save you potential headaches and ensure a smoother aruba car rental experience in Aruba.
We hope this detailed guide helps you in planning your aruba car rental and insurance strategy!
