Protection plans for guests
Explore benefits, key terms, and how to use your plan in the event of an incident
You’re covered
Benefits of protection plans
When booking a car in Canada, you can choose from three protection plans — Premier, Standard, or Minimum — to limit the amount you’ll pay in the event something happens to the car. Spring for Premier** for peace of mind, or pay less for lighter protection.
The key difference between each plan is the level of financial responsibility you would pay for damage to the host’s vehicle.
All trips include $2,000,000 of liability insurance for damage or injury to another person or their property, whether you choose a protection plan or decline.*
Third-party liability insurance provided by
Protection plan
Financial responsibility for physical damage
Premier
(if available**)
$0
You pay nothing for exterior damage to the car.
Standard
$500
You pay up to $500 for any exterior damage to the car including administrative fees, whether or not you caused the damage.
Minimum
$2,000
You pay up to $2,000 for any exterior damage to the car including administrative fees, whether or not you caused the damage.
Decline
No maximum
You’re responsible for all costs related to physical, mechanical, and interior damage to vehicle, plus administrative fees.
Glossary
Financial responsibility
Each protection plan carries a different limit to the out-of-pocket costs you’d have to pay for any exterior damage to your host’s vehicle, whether or not you were at fault (see “Fault vs. responsibility”). The agreement between you and Turo that limits your financial responsibility for physical damage to your host’s vehicle is a contract, not insurance.* Your personal insurance would be applied first, then your protection plan would cover additional costs beyond your plan’s limit for financial responsibility.
For example, if you select the Standard plan ($500 limit for financial responsibility) and the cost to repair damage that occurred during your trip is $1,500, any personal insurance you have would be applied first. For any remaining cost, you’d only have to pay the first $500, then your protection plan would cover the rest.
Liability insurance
No matter which plan you select or if you decline protection, your trip includes $2,000,000 of liability insurance with Economical Insurance Company or ICBC, which protects against property damage or bodily injury to others, but not damage to your host’s vehicle.
Any personal insurance you may have would be applied first before the liability insurance coverage from Economical Insurance Company or ICBC.*
Fault vs. responsibility
Regardless of whether or not the damage was your fault, you are financially responsible for any covered damage to your host’s vehicle (up to your plan’s limit for financial responsibility) during your trip.
While damage is rare, incidents can happen even to the safest drivers, so choosing a protection plan helps limit the max you’d have to pay from your own wallet if something unexpected happens.
Glossary
Financial responsibility
Each protection plan carries a different limit to the out-of-pocket costs you’d have to pay for any exterior damage to your host’s vehicle, whether or not you were at fault (see “Fault vs. responsibility”). The agreement between you and Turo that limits your financial responsibility for physical damage to your host’s vehicle is a contract, not insurance.* Your personal insurance would be applied first, then your protection plan would cover additional costs beyond your plan’s limit for financial responsibility. For example, if you select the Standard plan ($500 limit for financial responsibility) and the cost to repair damage that occurred during your trip is $1,500, any personal insurance you have would be applied first. For any remaining cost, you’d only have to pay the first $500, then your protection plan would cover the rest.
Liability insurance
No matter which plan you select or if you decline protection, your trip includes $2,000,000 of liability insurance with Economical Insurance Company or ICBC, which protects against property damage or bodily injury to others, but not damage to your host’s vehicle. Any personal insurance you may have would be applied first before the liability insurance coverage from Economical Insurance Company or ICBC.*
Fault vs. responsibility
Regardless of whether or not the damage was your fault, you are financially responsible for any covered damage to your host’s vehicle (up to your plan’s limit for financial responsibility) during your trip. While damage is rare, incidents can happen even to the safest drivers, so choosing a protection plan helps limit the max you’d have to pay from your own wallet if something unexpected happens.
What to do if the car is damaged
Make sure you’re safe, and call emergency services if necessary
Report the damage in the “Help” tab and message your host in the Turo app to let them know what happened
Resolve directly with your host
In most cases, it’s cheaper, faster, and easier to resolve damage costs directly with your host. They’ll have the damage assessed within 72 hours after the trip and let you know the cost of repairs. You’d then pay your host for those repairs, up to your plan’s limit for financial responsibility.
Let Turo manage the claim
If the damage is more severe or you can’t come to an agreement with your host within 20 days, reply to the claim confirmation email and the Turo claims team will handle the physical damage reimbursement request. For a processing fee, they will determine how much you owe based on your protection plan, then charge the card you have on file for the damage (up to any limit for financial responsibility) or invoice you.
What’s covered by your protection plan?
Covered
Theft, exterior damage, vandalism, and acts of nature are all covered, up to your plan’s out-of-pocket maximum.
Not covered
Interior and mechanical damage caused by neglect or abuse are not covered by your protection plan, and you are fully responsible for any costs for these damages. Don’t ignore warning lights or drive in a way that could cause mechanical damage, or you’ll be responsible for repair costs.
How to make sure you’re protected
Take thorough pre-trip and post-trip photos to document the vehicle’s condition.
Promptly report any damage via the “Help” tab in the Turo app.
Use the Turo app when messaging with your host. If you communicate through text or other apps when resolving damage costs with your host, take screenshots to ensure there’s a record of your conversation.
Do not violate the Turo terms of service, including by engaging in prohibited uses such as smoking, offroading, driving on racetracks, engaging in illegal activities, or allowing non-approved drivers behind the wheel.
Do you need your own personal insurance?
No, you don’t need your own personal auto insurance to book a car on Turo. However, if you do have it, your personal insurance will be your primary coverage for both damage to the vehicle and liability for damage to third party’s property or injury, and your protection plan would be applied for any remaining costs.
* Terms, conditions, and exclusions apply.
** The Premier protection plan is not available for all trips. If it is available, it will show up as an option when booking a trip.