Car rental insurance: included cover and options

Insurance is the hardest line of the price to read, and often the one that causes disagreements at return. Here is how it works on a rental car, and how DriveGo displays it.

What is mandatory

In Morocco as in the United Arab Emirates, any car on the road must at least be insured for damage caused to others: third-party liability. A rental car listed by a verified agency is therefore always insured at that level. The real question is not whether the car is insured, but what remains payable by you if damage occurs.

The excess, the word that matters

The excess is the share of a damage that stays with the driver. The higher it is, the higher your risk. Insurance options offered by agencies almost always reduce this excess, sometimes to zero, or cover items often excluded such as glass and tyres.

Included cover or option

On DriveGo, each car shows the insurance defined by its agency:

• The included cover. Its cost is already in the price: it shows as "Included" in the breakdown.
• The options. For example a standard cover that reduces the excess, or a premium cover. Their price is shown, per day or as a percentage of the rental depending on the agency.

You choose before booking, and the price breakdown is recalculated with your choice.

Deposit and insurance are two different things

The deposit is an amount held and then returned; insurance decides what you pay if damage happens. A reduced excess does not necessarily remove the deposit, which is still set by the agency for each car.

What to check

If damage occurs

If damage is found at return, the agency compares it with the pickup inspection: photos and the car diagram. That is why the pickup inspection is your best protection, insurance or not. After an accident, the agency opens a file in the app and follows it until the car is back for rent, with its insurer's approval.

Next, read how the inspection works or see how DriveGo works.