If you’re renting a car in Costa Rica, the most confusing thing is the car rental insurance as every car rental agency in Costa Rica sets their own names, regulations and policies for insurances.
And yes – there is a mandatory car rental insurance that everyone must take in when renting a car in Costa Rica.
This post will be breaking down our partner Adobe Rent a Car’s car rental insurances as we have a partnership with them to offer our readers a Costa Rica car rental discount and extra benefits.
This post has affiliate links which we may earn a small commission from if you choose to purchase, at no extra cost to you. Listed prices are quoted in USD and are estimates. More info: Disclosure
Adobe Rent a Car Insurance
Read our experience with Adobe Rent a Car to see why we partnered with them!
In this post, I’m going to break down how Adobe Rent a Car’s insurance works, including which one is the mandatory insurance, which one can be declined, and which ones are 100% optional.
Below are the insurance options Adobe Rent a Car offers online.
Liability Protection (PLI)
The Liability Protection is what most car rental companies call their mandatory insurance. This insurance cannot be removed or declined.
What it covers:
- Coverage up to $20,000 USD in 3rd party damages with a 20% deductible*. It also has a coverage of 3rd parties not in the car (i.e pedestrian) up to $100,000 USD with 0 deductible.
- Liability Protection does not cover vehicle damage.
* All Mytanfeet readers have 0% deductible on Liability, up to $20,000 USD as one of our benefits.*
This insurance costs from $13.50 – $25 USD + tax a day depending on the vehicle.
Car Protection (LDW or CDW)
This insurance covers damages of the rented car in an accident, collision or roll over.
In case of total or partial theft of the rented car, the Car Protection also covers any financial losses due to the theft.
Declining Car Protection Insurance
You can use your credit card car rental insurance to decline this insurance.
In order to decline, you need to present proof of coverage from your credit card company stating that the credit card will cover the damages.
The letter needs to have the credit card company logo letterhead, the last four digits of the credit card being used and the name of the credit card holder.
Check with your credit card company to see if they will cover this insurance including but not limited to factors such as number of passengers, type of car and number of rental days.
For example, my Chase Sapphire credit card offers car rental insurance and I can use it to decline the Car Protection insurance for up to 30 days per contract.
I just call my credit card company to get the coverage letter and I present that to Adobe Rent a Car to remove Car Protection Insurance.
Important: Car Protection does NOT cover vandalism, road side assistance, tires or towing. The deductible is $1000 USD +13% tax and does NOT cover any 3rd party damages.
If you decline Car Protection insurance and use your credit card insurance and get involved in an incident, Adobe will charge you and then provide all the paperwork you might need in order to get reimbursed by your insurance company.
If you do not have a credit card that offers car rental coverage, then you must take Car Protection Insurance. Third party insurances are not accepted.
Extended Protection (SPP)
The third option, the Extended Protection is 100% optional. The Adobe representative will ask you once if you wish to get Extended Protection but you are completely free to decline it.
You can decide to add it when you make the reservation but you can decide not to get it when you collect the car.
Or you do not have to get it now when you make your booking online and you can decide later when you collect the car if you want it.
The Extended Protection Insurance covers:
- The 20% deductible of the Liability Protection so your deductible is 0.
- Covers vandalism, windows, damaged tires (NOT flat tires), road assistance 24/7 and tow truck.
- 100% of damages including 3rd party up to $2 million.
This costs around $20.50 USD with tax included a day depending on the vehicle.
If you are declining Car Protection Insurance, you cannot get Extended Protection.
In these cases, the Adobe agent will ask you in person if you want the next insurance which is only offered in person – not online, the TPW.
TPW (Third Party Waiver) In Person Insurance
If you decline the Car Protection insurance and are purchasing ONLY Liability Insurance, the Adobe agent will ask you if you would like to purchase an insurance called the TPW.
This TPW insurance is 100% optional. This insurance is offered ONLY by the Adobe agent in person – not online.
The TPW insurance increases your third party (Liability) coverage to $4 million USD from $20,000 USD. The Liability deductible goes down to $0 USD from 20%.
It is $9.99 + 13% tax USD a day, 100% optional and only offered in person by the Adobe agent when you collect the car.
This insurance will be offered only to clients who decline the Car Protection and Extended Protection and are purchasing ONLY Liability insurance.
Situations Where Adobe Rent a Car Insurance Does Not Cover the Rental
- Driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.
- Failure to immediately report a car accident that you are involved in.
- Damages to the car in situations when the driver is not authorized.
- Damages due to driving through rivers, on beaches, through lakes, mangroves and flooded roads (anywhere through water). Anywhere that an official road does not exist.
- Failure to comply with the legal procedure with the insurance company. This includes but is not limited to failure to report the accident to transit police, failure to report the accident and filling out the insurance claim and non-compliance with other legal process requirements.
- Flat tires are not covered under any of the insurances. Adobe gives you the necessary tools to change the flat tire yourself. Then you have go to any one of their offices in the country to get a new tire.
Why Rent With Adobe Rent a Car?
Insurance is Easy to Understand
Like I mentioned earlier, Adobe Rent a Car’s insurances are easy to understand.
Some other car rental companies can have 5, 6, 7 different insurances. That makes it really difficult to understand! And they make seem like the car rental is super cheap.
What you don’t know is that they add the insurance later when you’re about to pick up the car and clients have no knowledge of this, making it feel like a “scam” or at least a bit cheated. Which brings me to my next point.
Full transparency
Since Adobe Rent a Car is a Costa Rican company, they don’t want their clients to have a bad experience with car hires.
They know that many tourists come back to Costa Rica and they want them to rent with Adobe Rent a Car again.
Unfortunately car rentals have a bad reputation in Costa Rica due to the insurances and “hidden fees” by international companies.
Adobe Rent a Car does not add on any last minute taxes, fees or insurances. Their pricing is all-inclusive.
Peace of mind
Adobe Rent a Car is a 100% Costa Rican operated company meaning they know the Costa Rican laws inside and out.
As they have been operating for nearly 30 years, they know how the system works through and through and all their employees are very well vetted and knowledgeable.
I hope this posts clears up any questions you have any Adobe Rent a Car insurance.
Don’t forget to get our Costa Rica car rental discount and extra benefits!
You can read this post “Costa Rica car rental insurance” to see how several car rental companies’ insurance policy works if you are comparing other companies.
Read these post below for more tips on driving/renting a car in Costa Rica.
Costa Rica Vacation Checklist
- First time to Costa Rica? Read our First Time in Costa Rica guide.
- Not sure how to move around Costa Rica? Read our How to Get Around Costa Rica guide to find the best transportation method for you.
- Click the link to get our detailed Costa Rica Packing List so you know what essential items to bring.
- Check our Costa Rica destinations map and Costa Rica restaurant map
- Do not forget to purchase Travel Insurance for your trip to Costa Rica.
- Stay connected by purchasing a prepaid SIM Card in Costa Rica.
- Save money with Mytanfeet Deals for tours and hotels and our Costa Rica Car Rental Discount.
will says
Sammi –
We plan to use Adobe through your link. We get in around 8PM. I’m assuming better to just wait until the morning to get the car. My question is, would it be less hassle and faster to just take the shuttle back to the airport in the morning to meet Adobe instead of listing the pickup location as the airport hotel? How about returning the car? Better to go straight to the airport or let them come to the airport hotel?
Sammi says
Hi Will. Adobe waits for every client when they fly in so you can still pick up the car when you land at 8 PM. They have a shuttle to take you back to their office to pick up the car but if you don’t feel like driving that night after a long day of flying, all Mytanfeet readers get free delivery and pick up to nearby hotels so you can have them deliver the car to your hotel at 8 AM the next day and you don’t need to shuttle back to the airport or anything. Then for returning the car, you can drop it off at the office or have Adobe pick it up, either way is fine but the latest they can pick up is 5 PM and then you will need to find your own transportation to the airport. I hope this clarifies your questions, I think that it would be better to have Adobe deliver the car to your hotel the day after you land in the morning so you don’t need to worry about driving at night.
Tony says
Just booked! I emailed them to confirm the delivery of the vehicle to our hotel (we get in late, so we will shuttle to the hotel and go from there).
It should be noted that once you make the reservation, you still need to contact them via email or phone in order to give them your credit card informationion. If you don’t, they can’t guarantee the vehicle.
Your blog was amazingly detailed and so helpful. I appreciate all of the time you have taken to help others!!!
Sammi says
Hi Tony, thanks for reading our blog and please let us know if you have any questions with your car rental 🙂 Our main goal is to make sure everyone has a safe and fun trip to Costa Rica!
yeison says
Hello Dawn,
First of all we want to thank you for reading our blog and We hope you are doing great!
Here are the answers for your questions:
1) This is a great questions, so let me start telling you that the only one that you can’t decline is the Liability Protection (PLI) because the credit card companies only cover the rented car damage. Then as you know you can declined the Car Protection insurance by presenting a letter from your credit card company and the Total Protection is optional. Now if a reader would like to declined the Car Protection and get the Total Protection it will apply only to the third parties damages, with the Total Protection only you will not have to pay the 20% deductible and in case of injuries to pedestrians it will cover up to 5 million dollars instead of the $100 000 for the PLI. If you get all three the only situation where you will have to cover something is if you driver under the influence, drive the car where in there are not roads at all or negligence.
2) An Adobe representative will be waiting for you at the arrivals area, there are very easy to see and after that they will take you on a shuttle to their airport office which is located 3-5 minutes ride from the terminal.
Finca rosa blanca is a beautiful place we stayed there a few months ago the attention was great here is an article about our visit Finca Rosa Blanca.
Please let us know if you have any questions and thank you again for reading Mytanfeet
Dawn Vogelgesang says
HI there. Awesome information. I also liked your Facebook page which is amazing to see all your post from all the fun you both are having.
I am your website using he wiget – Adobe. On Adobe it is showing Mytanfeet in the top corner.
If we want Total Protection do I select all 3 insurance options or the ?
We arrive SJO airport on April 22 in the morning 7:00am. Customs I heard was about 2 hours. So I put 9:30 shuttle pick up from airport.
We are going to Mal Pais. I selected 4×4 Hyundai Sante Fe.
Returning to SJO area April 30th around 1-2:00pm(coming from Mal Pias).
Adobe will give us a shuttle up back to SJO airport?
*April 30 – May 3rd – we are going to Finca Rosa Blanca resort- coffee plantation for 3 days after we drop car off. Finca Rosa Blanca does have shuttle to pick us up at SJO airport for small fee $25 *
Sammi says
Hi Michelle, you can check around the widget and see which cars are available, sometimes there are last minute cancellations and a car opens up. You can also email us at web @ mytanfeet. com and please include your dates and location and we’ll talk to Adobe and see if they can find a SUV.
Michelle says
Hi,
I understand that an airport fee is incurred when picking up a vehicle from areas around the airport; is the estimate given include that extra cost? Seeing as I will be landing at SJO at 9pm I do not wish to drive at night in unfamiliar terrain. How do I arrange for the car to be dropped off at my hotel in the morning? I will be driving to La Fortuna as well as Monteverde, will the Hyundai I10 be able to navigate the more difficult terrain?
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions.
Sammi says
Hi Michelle, with Adobe there is no airport fee, they have a free shuttle to pick you up at the airport to take you back to their office and pick up the car there. You can also arrange for the car to be delivered to your hotel if it’s nearby San Jose, just put a note in the comments the hotel you are staying at and that you’d like the car to be dropped off there including the time. The road to Monteverde is very bumpy and not well maintained as well as the roads around MOnteverde so it is necessary to have a 4×4, a Hyundai i10 is a compact and is much too small, I recommend getting a 4×4 for Monteverde.
Michelle says
The Hyundai was the only car available for that time period according to the site. Will there be more availabilties if I choose a different pick up area? Or will I have to browse other companies? I would love to use Adobe since it seem to be such a trusted company.
Thank you so much for your prompt reply.
Keith says
Hello Sammi and Yeison,
Thanks so much for the great blog and all the useful information.
We are travelling to CR in April. We will arrive at LIR around 8pm and we are spending the night at a nearby hotel about 1km away from Adobe. Would we need to get a shuttle to the Adobe office or is the car available for pickup at the airport? If so, is the shuttle free? Our other option is to find a way to get to our hotel, and then have Adobe deliver our car there the next morning. What would you suggest? Also, I saw that you were setting up another user with a cooler from Adobe, that would be a great perk as we’ll be doing a bit of travelling. Would it be possible for us to get one as well?
Sammi says
Hi Keith, since you are landing a bit late, you can get a shuttle/taxi to your hotel and Adobe can deliver the car to your hotel in Liberia free of charge for Mytanfeet readers. Many of our readers do this if they’re landing later at night so they don’t need to worry about driving and looking for their hotel in the dark. And yes, just leave a note in the comment section that you’d like a cooler and we’ll reserve one for you if there is one available 🙂
Keith says
Thanks Sammi, I’ll book today!
Sammi says
You’re very welcome!
Senthil says
Hi Sammi,
your blog is super helpful. I have a trip coming up in April. I am flying into San Jose (SJO) and want to pick up the car there. I’ll be flying out to Liberia airport (LIR) a week later. I have two questions. Is there an extra charge for returning the car at a different location from pick up ? My return flight is at 7.30am. But the location at Liberia opens only at 8am. Is there anyway i can return the car at 4.00am in the morning at LIR ? What should i do in this case ?
yeison says
Hello Senthil
Thank you for reading our blog, regarding your questions there is an extra fee for delivering the car in a different office you will see how much it is in the online reservation system when after you select the car, then the Adobe Liberia office opens by 4:50 AM, you will not have any problem returning the car at 5 AM.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
Lori J. says
Hi!
We have rented a car from Adobe through you for March. We will be arriving at the San Jose airport around 8 p.m. on a Friday. Would it be better to take a shuttle to our hotel that evening and have the car delivered in the morning or pick up the car when we arrive and drive into San Jose? I’m a bit concerned about driving in the evening. Thanks!
Lori
Sammi says
Hi Lori, if you are getting a pre paid sim card with data or have international data, you can use the gps app Waze to get around San Jose. It works amazing in the city and can take you on roads to bypass traffic. 8 PM shouldn’t have too bad of traffic in San Jose and you can get by fine as long as you use Waze. If you don’t plan on having data on your phone or getting a GPS, I recommend getting a shuttle to your hotel and have the car delivered instead because San Jose roads are not great and signage is awful, they don’t even have addresses or street names so it’s difficult to find your way around and it’ll be even more stressful at night and if it’s your first time in Costa Rica.
Lori J says
Thanks, Sammi! Great info to help make our decision. Your blog has been an excellent resource for planning our first trip to Costa Rica!
Sammi says
You’re very welcome and I’m glad the blog has helped plan your trip 🙂 Thank you for reading!
Jess says
Hi,
My name is Jess. I was wondering if u could tell me.
With the adobe insurance. If I totalled the car completely i would be charged no more than $1,000 correct? Say a rock hits the side of the vehicle and dents it, they can assess the value of it. Maybe its only 400 to fix so they charge me that. Or maybe its 1300 but id only get charges the 1000.
Now: If i however choose to pick the total protection i would be charged $0 in the event of a rock hitting the vehicle, me hitting a driver,? Or does this just cover window and the tires?
Thanks for ur help in this matter. Please email me. I greatly appreciate it.
yeison says
Hello Jess,
Thank yo for reading our blog! Regarding your questions you are correct, with the Car Protection insurance you have a deductible of $1000 for your vehicle damages and up up $20000 for third parties with $0 deductible (For the 3rd party damages). With the Car Protection there is no deductible $0 and it covers tires, windshields and your cover goes up to 5 million USD, this is the best cover you can get you are 100% cover on everything.
The only scenario where either insurance will not apply is in case of an accident driving under the influence or for negligence for example if the police officer or witnesses say that you crash or hit another car in purpose, or if by any chance the driver decides to go a cross a deep river, you know things like that.
Please let us know if you have any questions