09 - 108 Vehicle Rental/Insurance via PCard

The preferred payment method for vehicle rentals from USNH-contracted local rental agencies is the USNH Purchasing Card. If the USNH Purchasing Card is used to rent a vehicle, insurance coverage is provided in the event there is damage to the rental vehicle. USNH's business auto policy provides liability coverage on all rental vehicles.

A. How To Get Insurance Coverage

1. Initiate and pay for the entire rental agreement/contract (tax, gasoline, and airport fees are not considered rental charges) with your MasterCard Pcard.  If a rental agency promotion/discount of any kind is initially applied toward payment of the rental vehicle, at least one (1) day of the rental must be billed to your PCard.

2. You must decline the Collision/Damage Waiver (CDW) offered by the vehicle rental agency. As this coverage is provided based on the MasterCard Guide to Benefits associated with the USNH purchasing card. Travelers using the USNH purchasing card or another means of payment will not be reimbursed for CDW or Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) charges if they accept the coverage or choose to use another means of payment, unless pre-approved in writing by the USNH Vice Chancellor for Financial Affairs or designee. Travelers with a USNH purchasing card should contact Wells Fargo at 1-800-932-0036 prior to travel to inquire about insurance coverage for overseas rentals. If separate coverage is required, a written explanation on the travel expense voucher, as well as supporting documentation is necessary for reimbursement of the CDW charges.

3. You must rent the vehicle in your own name and sign the vehicle rental agreement/ contract. Any other employee traveling with you that will be driving the vehicle must be listed on the rental contract as an authorized driver to be covered by the PCard insurance.

Please note: Any traffic violation or parking fines automatically charged to the PCard by the rental company will need to be reimbursed by the individual who was driving or had parked the vehicle illegally at the time of the violation. The reimbursement should occur as soon as the individual returns from the business trip (i.e. when submitting receipts to their PCard Manager).

4. Your rental agreement/contract must be for a rental period of 31 consecutive days or less.  Rental periods that exceed or are intended to exceed 31 consecutive days are not covered.

5. You may only rent a vehicle (including minivans and sport utility vehicles that are designed to accommodate nine passengers or fewer) that is intended for bound surfaces, such as pavement, concrete and tarmac.  Rented vehicles must have a manufacturer’s suggested retail price that does not exceed $50,000.

B. The Type of Coverage You Will Receive

In the event of an accident with a rental vehicle charged to the traveler's USNH purchasing card, the traveler should contact MasterCard at 1-800-MC-Assist. MasterCard representatives will handle the claim with the rental agency. The USNH PCard Program Administrator and USNH Treasurer's Office must also be notified of the accident as soon as possible.

MasterCard’s MasterRental program will pay the rental agency for covered damages on a primary basis for which you or any other authorized driver (as indicated on the rental contract) is legally responsible.


The official version of this information will only be maintained in an on-line web format. Any and all printed copies of this material are dated as of the print date. Please make certain to review the material on-line prior to placing reliance on a dated printed version.

This page last updated Monday, November 4, 2019. For information on the adoption and effective dates of policies please see explanation on the OLPM Main Menu.