17 January 2024

Why Choose Annual Car Hire Excess Insurance?

Annual car hire excess insurance policies can have added benefits. There are a few reasons why you may decide that an annual policy is a better option for you.

What is the main difference between a single trip policy and an annual policy?

A single trip policy covers just the one hire. You would need to match your dates to those of your hire and once that hire has ended, your excess insurance would also cease. A annual policy runs for a year from its start date and will cover any number of hires as long as none of those hires is longer than the maximum trip length as stated on the policy.

We would always recommend that you get quotes for both single trip and annual car hire excess insurance so you can make the best decision for your circumstances.

What are the benefits of an annual car hire excess insurance policy?

1 It could be cheaper.

Single trip policies are calculated on a daily price, annual policies are a flat fee. This does mean that when you get to about 16 days of hire within a year (and that could be spread over more than one hire), an annual policy starts to become cheaper than opting for single trip.

2 You can get cover for a garage loan or courtesy car.

Strictly speaking you can also get this cover through a single trip policy but most of us don't realise we are going to be driving a loan car until the last minute. Having an annual policy in place means you would be covered already without having to worry about starting a new policy before you can accept the car keys. You would need to use our garage loan car filter when running a quote to get this cover.

3 Some annual policies can cover more than one lead driver.

Do you and your partner both hire cars separately during the year? All the annual policies will cover at least 4 drivers on one hire car (a lead driver plus 3 additional drivers) but, if you and you partner hire separate cars, there will be 2 lead drivers. Filter for 'Policies which will cover more than one lead driver' if this is an option that will benefit you. These policies often require the lead drivers to live at the same address.

4. You can extend a car hire and still be covered.

Sometimes plans change. You may decide you want to keep hold of your rental car for longer - perhaps your flight has been delayed. If the rental company agree to allow you to extend your hire, you would still be covered under an annual car hire excess insurance policy as long as the hire is below the maximum trip length.

5 You can be more spontaneous.

Many people are now opting for a holiday which is less planned out. You may be heading to Australia for a longer holiday for example and don't want to be tied down to dates. You can explore in your own way and hire cars knowing that you have an excess policy in place. If you wait to buy a single trip once you are away, you may have fewer options as some policies are not available if you have already left the UK.

6 You can cover car club vehicles too.

Annual policies are available that also cover cars borrowed through a car club. The special filter can be used to tailor your car hire excess insurance quote to compare these particular policies.

7 You won't forget it!

It can be a little chaotic when you are off on holiday and it is easy to overlook the less interesting jobs like insurance. By taking out annual excess insurance - in much the same way as an annual travel insurance policy - you can tick it off your list and move on to the more exciting parts of your holiday planning.

Want more Information on car hire excess insurance?

Read our article covering car hire excess insurance. If you then still need more assistance please contact us - we will be delighted to help you.