{"id":101104,"date":"2020-08-05T10:47:25","date_gmt":"2020-08-05T13:47:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.rentcars.com\/?p=20730"},"modified":"2025-05-11T14:09:53","modified_gmt":"2025-05-11T14:09:53","slug":"collision-damage-waiver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.rentcars.com\/en\/collision-damage-waiver","title":{"rendered":"What is Collision Damage Waiver (CDW)?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_75 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"cursor:pointer\">\u00cdndice<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #f7a70a;color:#f7a70a\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #f7a70a;color:#f7a70a\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.rentcars.com\/en\/collision-damage-waiver\/#What_Is_Collision_Damage_Waiver_in_car_rental\" >What Is Collision Damage Waiver in car rental?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.rentcars.com\/en\/collision-damage-waiver\/#How_does_the_Collision_Damage_Waiver_work\" >How does the Collision Damage Waiver work?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.rentcars.com\/en\/collision-damage-waiver\/#What_does_the_Collision_Damage_Waiver_cover\" >What does the Collision Damage Waiver cover?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.rentcars.com\/en\/collision-damage-waiver\/#What_doesnt_the_Collision_Damage_Waiver_cover\" >What doesn\u2019t the Collision Damage Waiver cover?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.rentcars.com\/en\/collision-damage-waiver\/#Collision_Damage_Waiver_CDW_FAQ\" >Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) FAQ<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p><em>Everything you need to know about the Collision Damage Waiver, what it covers, what it doesn\u2019t and a complete FAQ on the topic.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>New to car rental? You may find yourself facing the words <em>Collision Damage Waiver<\/em> or simply CDW and wondering what it actually means.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_Collision_Damage_Waiver_in_car_rental\"><\/span>What Is Collision Damage Waiver in car rental?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Collision Damage Waiver is a type of protection offered by car rental companies. Different rental companies may refer to it in a slightly different way, but generally speaking they all cover the rental car against damage done to it in the event of an accident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check below if you want to know what exactly it covers!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You may see Collision Damage Waiver as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Collision Damage Waiver (CDW)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) \u2014 this is CDW + Theft Protection<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Collision Damage Insurance (CDI)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>When you see those names, they certainly cover damage done to the rental car \u2014 just be sure to check if there aren\u2019t any limitations to this as it may vary depending on the rental company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"\">Read more about all types of car rental insurances.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_does_the_Collision_Damage_Waiver_work\"><\/span>How does the Collision Damage Waiver work?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>What usually happens is the following: in the event of an accident \u2014 let\u2019s say you bumped into another car \u2014, it\u2019s usually the renter\u2019s responsibility to cover the expenses of the repair work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With a Collision Damage Waiver, that won\u2019t be the case. The limits (monetary amount covered) vary depending on the rental company, the kind of damage waiver, the car category and more, but, generally speaking, the cost of the repair work will be covered by the CDW.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The limits and specifics of the CDW of the rental company and car category of your choice are described in the rental agreement, so it\u2019s a good idea to pay attention to this important document!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_does_the_Collision_Damage_Waiver_cover\"><\/span>What does the Collision Damage Waiver cover?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Collision Damage Waiver covers damage done to the <strong>exterior of the rental car<\/strong> (the car\u2019s bodywork) in the event of an accident, but not the entire car. This is important as items such as tyres and windows are not covered by it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_doesnt_the_Collision_Damage_Waiver_cover\"><\/span>What doesn\u2019t the Collision Damage Waiver cover?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite covering for damages done to the car, the Collision Damage Waiver does not cover the <em>entire<\/em> car. Here\u2019s a list of things it doesn\u2019t cover, amongst other things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The car\u2019s engine<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mirrors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Windows<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tyres<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dead battery<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lost car keys<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Damage to any extras, such as GPS or booster\/child seats<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Anything inside the car<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The interior of the car<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Also, it\u2019s always good to mention that the Collision Damage Waiver <strong>does not cover damage done to any third party property<\/strong>, such as the other car involved in the accident. If you want to know more about it, read our post on <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.rentcars.com\/en\/third-party-insurance-car-rental\">Third Party insurance in car rental<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.rentcars.com\/en\/does-my-car-insurance-cover-rental-cars\">If you&#8217;re looking for an insurance that covers tyres, lost keys, windshields and more, read out post on RentalCover.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Collision_Damage_Waiver_CDW_FAQ\"><\/span><strong>Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) FAQ<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1596644071331\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What is Collision Damage Waiver?<\/strong> <\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Collision Damage Waiver, sometimes referred to by the acronym CDW, is an additional car rental coverage offered by rental companies. In short, it covers damage done to the rental car.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1596644087273\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What does the Collision Damage Waiver cover?<\/strong> <\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Generally speaking, the CDW covers damage done to the exterior of the rental car (the car\u2019s bodywork) in the event of an accident, <strong>but not the entire car<\/strong>. Items such as tyres and windors, for example, are not covered even if they are damaged during an accident.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1596644101608\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What doesn\u2019t the Collision Damage Waiver cover?<\/strong> <\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">While CDW does cover the damage caused by an accident, it doesn\u2019t cover <em>all <\/em>damage. If you have a problem with the car\u2019s engine, the tyres, the windows or even a dead battery, the Collision Damage Waiver won\u2019t cover the costs of repairing those. In addition to that, CDW also doesn\u2019t cover lost keys, damage done to extras such as child seats, or anything else inside the rental car.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1596644114310\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What is the difference between CDW and LDW?<\/strong> <\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">The Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) and the Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) both cover the rental car against damage done in an accident. However, the Loss Damage Waiver is a combination of CDW and Theft Protection (sometimes referred to as simply TP), which means the car is also insured in case it gets stolen.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1596644126104\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Am I required to get a Collision Damage Waiver?<\/strong> <\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">No, the Collision Damage Waiver is an optional and additional coverage offered by the rental company, and not in any way required in order to rent a car.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1596644140621\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Should I get a Collision Damage Waiver?<\/strong> <\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">As with any other type of additional coverage or insurance, we recommend it for the piece of mind. What you should check, though, is if you don\u2019t already get this coverage by other means. Credit card holders, for example, are sometimes already covered by a CDW which extends to a rental car. In this case, getting a CDW at the rental company counter isn\u2019t necessary as you\u2019re already covered \u2014 just check to see if the limits of the coverage are similar or adequate to your needs.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1596644153271\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>How much does Collision Damage Waiver cost?<\/strong> <\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">The price varies depending on the rental company, the car category and more. Overall, you will be charged an extra daily fee for the CDW and can expect to pay as low as $10 per day for economy car models.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Everything you need to know about the Collision Damage Waiver, what it covers, what it doesn\u2019t and a complete FAQ on the topic. New to car rental? You may find yourself facing the words Collision Damage Waiver or simply CDW and wondering what it actually means. What Is Collision Damage Waiver in car rental? Collision [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":20733,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-101104","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-car-rental-tips"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What is CDW in Car Rental &amp; How Does it Work?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Everything you need to know about the Collision Damage Waiver, what it covers, what it doesn\u2019t and a complete FAQ on the topic!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.rentcars.com\/en\/collision-damage-waiver\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" 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is Collision Damage Waiver?\",\"answerCount\":1,\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Collision Damage Waiver, sometimes referred to by the acronym CDW, is an additional car rental coverage offered by rental companies. In short, it covers damage done to the rental car.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.rentcars.com\/en\/collision-damage-waiver#faq-question-1596644087273\",\"position\":2,\"url\":\"https:\/\/blog.rentcars.com\/en\/collision-damage-waiver#faq-question-1596644087273\",\"name\":\"What does the Collision Damage Waiver cover?\",\"answerCount\":1,\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Generally speaking, the CDW covers damage done to the exterior of the rental car (the car\u2019s bodywork) in the event of an accident, <strong>but not the entire car<\/strong>. Items such as tyres and windors, for example, are not covered even if they are damaged during an accident.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.rentcars.com\/en\/collision-damage-waiver#faq-question-1596644101608\",\"position\":3,\"url\":\"https:\/\/blog.rentcars.com\/en\/collision-damage-waiver#faq-question-1596644101608\",\"name\":\"What doesn\u2019t the Collision Damage Waiver cover?\",\"answerCount\":1,\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"While CDW does cover the damage caused by an accident, it doesn\u2019t cover <em>all <\/em>damage. If you have a problem with the car\u2019s engine, the tyres, the windows or even a dead battery, the Collision Damage Waiver won\u2019t cover the costs of repairing those. 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