Car insurance coverage with Fortunéo Gold Mastercard for Bulgaria

Hi there. First, please excuse the dry nature of my post—I’m going to talk about insurance and credit cards!

I’m renting a car in Bulgaria using my "Gold Mastercard." I know the benefits, and in this case, I don’t need to take out additional insurance from the rental company.

However, the assistance booklet states: "The insurer cannot, under any circumstances, reimburse the insured for the amount of the CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) or LDW (Loss Damage Waiver) insurance paid to the rental company if the insured forgot to decline it or if it’s automatically included in a package the insured accepted."

The issue is that when I look at different rental companies, it’s often specified that "insurance is included" (non-declinable because it’s part of the package), and I’m worried there might be some minimal CDW or LDW coverage that would prevent my Gold Mastercard coverage from applying if needed.

Since it’s difficult to contact or communicate with rental companies (most bookings are made online) and Mastercard’s responses are pretty vague, I’m turning to you all for help.

Here are my questions: - How can I be sure the rental company’s insurance doesn’t include CDW or LDW? - Do you know of any rental companies where this is clearly stated? - Does Gold Mastercard coverage work with local agencies? - Is it possible for a rental company to refuse Gold Mastercard coverage?

I assume travelers who can answer have already had this experience.

Thanks in advance for your help.

very interested in this clause too ^^ thanks ;p

A tip: call Mastercard and you’ll get the answers.

Otherwise,

- Is it possible that a rental company refuses Gold Mastercard coverage? I’d be surprised—you’re paying, so the rental company doesn’t really care how you’re covered.

The rental company makes a lot of profit on the insurance they sell themselves (it's often self-insurance, by the way), and this kind of issue comes up often.

I can't comment on Bulgaria. In Romania, several rental companies have a reputation for inspecting the car very thoroughly upon return, just to penalize those who didn’t take their insurance. I didn’t see this personally—I took their insurance, which wasn’t too expensive.

Hello. First, please excuse the rather dry nature of my message, as I’m going to talk about insurance and credit cards!

I’m renting a car in Bulgaria with my "Gold Mastercard." I know the benefits, and in this case, it’s not necessary to take out additional insurance from the car rental company.

However, the assistance booklet states: "The insurer cannot, under any circumstances, reimburse the insured for the amount of the CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) or LDW (Loss Damage Waiver) insurance paid to the rental company, if the insured forgot to decline it or if it is automatically included in a package that the insured accepted."

The problem is that when I look at different rental companies, it’s often specified that "insurance is included" (non-declinable because it’s part of the package), and I’m worried there might be some minimal CDW or LDW coverage that would prevent my "Gold Mastercard" coverage from being used if needed.

Since it’s difficult to contact or communicate with rental companies (most reservations are made online) and Mastercard’s responses are rather vague, I’m turning to you for help.

Here are my questions: - How can I be sure the rental company’s insurance doesn’t include CDW or LDW? - Do you know of any rental companies where this is clearly stated? - Does the Gold Mastercard coverage work with local agencies? - Is it possible for a rental company to refuse the Gold Mastercard coverage?

I assume travelers who can answer me have already had this experience.

Thanks in advance for your help.

So, I did a bit more research, and here’s what I (hopefully) understood: basically, you have to pay with your card and clearly mention the name(s) of the driver(s) who will be driving—that’s the normal part, but it has to be done properly.

The paragraph that’s confusing is that they won’t reimburse the "fee" for the CDW or LDW insurance included in the rental package, just as they won’t cover the full price you paid for the rental.

The advisor told me that it’s indeed not very clear, but in any case, when it comes to the deductible or repairs for "DAMAGES," regardless of whether they’re below or above the deductible required by the rental company in case of an accident—even if you’re at fault—the card’s insurance covers it according to the terms of your contract. This paragraph only concerns the daily amount you paid for the CDW and LDW insurance to the rental company.

Hi there, I’m not directly answering your question, but I’ll share some additional details about certain Bulgarian rental companies. Here’s my firsthand account of renting a car in Bulgaria (2023): Regarding your question about supplementary insurance, I’d advise you to first contact your Mastercard insurance provider to ask whether taking out additional coverage with the rental company affects your protection under the card’s insurance.

We booked through DiscoverCars for a 25-day rental. https://www.discovercars.com/bulgaria/sofia

Their rental terms specified that when paying with a credit card, the deposit (750 €) wouldn’t be debited from my bank account but simply "blocked", unlike with a debit card, where the deposit is systematically deducted on the first day of rental. I’ll note that I paid the deposit with a VISA PREMIER CREDIT card—a card I’ve used for over 30 years with no rental company in any country ever deducting the deposit amount.

I had a choice between several vehicle providers and went with the cheapest: "Yes Rent a Car". However, this company systematically deducts the deposit on the first day of rental. It’s written in fine print in their contract, which you sign when picking up the vehicle, and I didn’t notice it... Even if I had, I would’ve rented the car anyway—I had no other choice.

At the end of the trip, I returned the vehicle in perfect condition, and the "Yes Rent a Car" agent confirmed it in front of me but refused to give me a signed document attesting to it (which is standard practice with all rental companies). The deposit was supposed to be credited back to my account in the following days. A week after returning to France: still nothing! After several emails, they finally replied that I had to wait 14 business days—the time needed to thoroughly inspect the vehicle and check if I’d received any fines... The whole ordeal dragged on for a month and a half, and I had to have a specialized dispute management company draft a formal demand for the return of my deposit and threaten to file a complaint before I finally got it back.

I’ll also note that DiscoverCars acted dishonestly by telling me they weren’t responsible for their suppliers’ business practices, even though their rental terms clearly stated that the deposit wouldn’t be deducted but merely blocked.

In conclusion, I strongly recommend that travelers looking to rent a vehicle in Bulgaria **avoid at all costs** the rental company YES RENT A CAR. While I eventually got my deposit back after a month and a half of negotiations, many others are still waiting. (Check out Trustpilot to see the number of complaints against "Yes Rent a Car"—you’ll be shocked!)

Final takeaway: In Bulgaria, beyond the insurance issue (CDW, LDW), make sure the deposit isn’t deducted but simply "blocked" on your account. Also, insist on getting a document at the end of the rental confirming the vehicle wasn’t damaged during your rental period.

PS: If you’re heading to Romania, I have a contact for a professional and trustworthy rental company where everything goes smoothly. They’re very honest, will deliver the car to your hotel for free, the vehicles have under 10,000 km, and the rates are half the price of Bulgaria’s.

Hello. First of all, thanks to everyone for all the details you’ve shared. The CDW and LDW insurance issue is resolved (only third-party liability through the rental company I chose), and Gold Mastercard confirmed that the condition for coverage is that the agency be "professional" (with no distinction between local or international). However, after my post, I also realized that renting a vehicle abroad (at least in Bulgaria) is becoming really complicated. Here’s why: My new bank is Fortunéo (an online bank) which offers a free Gold Mastercard (under certain conditions). I then noticed that the vast majority of "international brand" rental companies refuse to be paid by a "neobank"! I had never seen or read about this drawback when signing up with my new bank. (Even though this neobank has been around for over 20 years!!) Total dismay! On top of that, most rental companies refuse "debit" cards (immediate debit) and only accept "credit" cards (deferred debit). Debit cards are far more common in France. I don’t understand this, because during my last trip (Azores), the deposit/excess was blocked on my account with a debit card without being deducted (just a hold). In the end, I found a local professional rental company (YourBGcar), at prices that beat all the competition, and which, according to some reviews, is very reliable. (I’ll let you know how it goes when I get back). Thanks again for your feedback, and see you soon on the Forum. PS: Dajlma, maybe my rental company is the one you mentioned? (Though I’m sure there are plenty of professional and trustworthy rental companies in Bulgaria.)

My new bank is Fortunéo (an online bank) which allows you to get a Gold Mastercard for free (but under certain conditions). I then realized that the vast majority of "international brand" rental companies refused to be paid by a "Neobank"!

I've had this card for 3 or 4 years. I've rented with it in Turkey, Albania, Montenegro, and recently in Romania without any issues. I think I also rented with this same card in Bulgaria... In the end, I didn't have any major problems except in Bulgaria where the agency Yes Rent a Car is to be avoided because they immediately deduct the deposit amount and take a long time to refund it to their customers' accounts (1.5 months for me). They kept telling me there was no problem, that it would be done "within 14 working days," but it really dragged on a bit longer! Make sure to check the rental agency's rating before paying the deposit. Yes Rent a Car was indeed a bit cheaper but had a worse rating...

My new bank is Fortunéo (an online bank) which allows you to get a free Gold Mastercard (but under certain conditions). I then realized that the vast majority of "international brand" rental companies refused to be paid by a "neobank"!

I've had this card for 3 or 4 years. I rented with it in Turkey, Albania, Montenegro, and recently in Romania without any problems. I think I also rented with this same card in Bulgaria... In the end, I didn’t have any major issues except that in Bulgaria, the agency Yes Rent a Car is to be avoided because they immediately deduct the deposit amount and take a long time to refund it to their customers' accounts (a month and a half for me). They kept telling me there was no problem, that it would be done "within 14 working days," but it really dragged on a bit longer! Be sure to check the rental agency's rating before paying the deposit. Yes Rent a Car was certainly a bit cheaper but had a worse rating...

I’m back from Bulgaria, and after all my questions about car rental agencies and payment methods by card, I feel I should give you a little rundown.

Bulgaria is a wonderful and charming country that you absolutely must visit. We rented a car from http://yourbgcar.com/ and were delighted with this very dynamic and efficient local agency. No matter what credit card you have (debit or credit), you won’t have any problems renting a vehicle from them at a price that beats the competition. One of the managers at this friendly agency speaks impeccable French, which was a plus for me.

Yes, Bulgaria is a lovely and charming country where the people are really friendly. Glad everything went smoothly with your car rental. If you ever go to Romania, I recommend renting from Francrocar in Bucharest. Several people at the agency speak French, and it’s easy to remember—they’re on Paris Street! They’ll bring the car to your hotel for free and pick it up the same way. To book, you just email them (in French), they prepare the contract and send it to you on request, and you don’t pay any deposit. You sign on the spot the day you pick up the vehicle, and the security deposit (no more than 300 €) is simply held. I’ve rented from them three times already.