CDW and LDW are common terms used in car hire insurance lingo, and they ultimately refer to the same thing – loss or damage to your hire car.
Collision damage waiver and loss damage waiver policies offer varying levels of protection against damage, theft and loss depending on the country you’re hiring in and the company you’re hiring from. So, before you collect your hire car be sure to check exactly what cover you have in place.
CDW
CDW is short for Collision Damage Waiver This provides cover in the event of a collision or damage.
LDW
LDW is short for Loss Damage Waiver – This provides cover in the event of theft or loss of use of the vehicle
In Europe, Africa and Australasia basic CDW/LDW insurance is normally included as standard with the rental car. However, in other countries (e.g. the USA and Canada) Collision and Loss Damage Waiver may have to be purchased separately. Cover can be purchased from the rental company, however this can often be more expensive and less comprehensive than buying from a specialist provider, such as iCarhireinsurance.com.
It’s also worth noting that vulnerable parts of the hire car are sometimes excluded from the rental companies CDW cover altogether e.g. tyres, roof, windscreens and undercarriage. This means that if these parts of the vehicle became damaged you would be liable to pay an excess.
Our CDW/LDW policies cover these exclusions as standard with Zero excess provided as an option!
At iCarhireinsurance, full collision and loss damage waiver cover is included in both our USA & Canada and Worldwide Plus policies and covers you for up to £100,000 in the event of damage, theft or loss to the rental vehicle. What’s more, these policies also cover excess fees of up to £6,000 – so regardless of whether your vehicle is lightly damaged, badly damaged or stolen, you wouldn’t be left a penny out of pocket!
To find out exactly what’s covered under our CDW/LDW insurance policies, click here to visit our Car Hire Insurance Product Page.