I am travelling to Ireland next month (May) and plan to use my USAA Platinum Mastercard to avoid having to pay the exhorbitant CDI/CDW insurance. I have heard conflicting stories where the rental company refuses to accept the credit card insurance. Some rental companies state they will accept if accompanied with a letter from the credit card company - Mastercard do not offer such letters. Any suggestions?

Did you just tell us that Mastercard refuses to put into writing that they will provide the coverage if you decline it from the agency? That's kind of hard to imagine!

I have a USAA Platinum M/C and just recently got my renewal card in the mail. There's a little pamphlet that came with the credit card called "Guide to Benefits." The insurance is called MasterRental Insurance Coverage. Normally this coverage is good for 15 consecutive days, but with USAA Plat, you are provided coverage for up to 31 days, including SUV's.

The Benefits Guide tells you to decline CDW when renting the vehicle and explains the kind of coverage you will receive.

I got a letter from M/C a couple of years ago when I rented in Ireland. They must have stopped issuing them.

Beware that some credit cards mention in the fine print that if you have your own car insurance at home, that car insurance at home will be your primary insurance, with the credit card CDW as a secondary insurance.

Oops...itchy trigger finger. Anyway, as a result, I've always found that I would rather give my money to the rental companies than deal with what could be a disaster at home should anything happen on the road.

But then, my experience in renting cars internationally extends to Canada, not Ireland.

I don't think I helped, but good luck anyway.

<b>Read the fine print and phone them.</b>

In some credit card agreements <i>Ireland and Northern Ireland</i> (along with Israel and Lebanon) are specifically <i>excluded</i> from supplemental CDW/theft coverage - obviously a holdover from the troubles.

Verify, verify, verify.

USAA Car Insurance will not insure your rental car in Ireland, or anywhere overseas. Mastercard is providing the insurance, provided you use your Plat CC to rent the car.

Mastercard is the company that is providing the CDW insurance, not the credit card company, i.e. Chase, BofA, Capitol One, USAA, etc.

I used my Capital One platinum MasterCard to rent a car in Ireland last May. Auto Europe wanted documentation that my credit card provided coverage in Ireland. When I first got the card, I was sent a multi-page document that included the MasterRental provisions. In that document it says that auto insurance in Ireland IS covered. Since I'd had the card for quite a few years, I called to be sure things hadn't changed. They hadn't. I took a photocopy of the appropriate page with me and everything was fine.

Neither here not there, but just wanted to say that I'm not sure whether the exclusion on Ireland has to do with the troubles or the fact that they have the highest highway fatality rate. I believe Jamaica is the other country excluded.

This has always confused me as we have used our Mastercard car insurance while traveling. But we did not use it in Ireland..

I just looked up the benefits under Mastercard rentals and found this: You are insured 100 miles from home except in Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Laus, Liabya, N Korea, Kil Lanka, Vietnam and any other country we might deem unsafe.

Also, it says, &quot; Accepted worldwide but there are exceptions. You might NOT be covered in Australia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica,&amp; New Zeland. check with your car rental place&quot;.

So, maybe you are and maybe your not....I find it confusing.

<i>Neither here not there, but just wanted to say that I'm not sure whether the exclusion on Ireland has to do with the troubles or the fact that they have the highest highway fatality rate. I believe Jamaica is the other country excluded.</i>

But mine covers me in Portugal. Ever driven in Portugal? Go figure.

Portugal's nothing, Gardyloo. Most MasterCards will cover you driving in Florida!
LOL