Coverage

When using a Communauto vehicle, you are covered for the following:

a) third-party liability: any person authorized to operate a vehicle under the Rules and Regulations is covered by a third-party liability insurance policy and subject to all its terms, conditions, and exclusions. The third-party liability coverage is $5 million for vehicles based in Quebec (insured by Beneva: see coverage details), $2 million for vehicles based in other Canadian provinces (insured by Unica), and €100 million (unlimited in the event of bodily injury) for vehicles based in Paris, France (insured by MACIF).

b) collision: any person authorized to operate a vehicle under the Rules & Regulations is covered by collision insurance. Nevertheless, the Member is responsible for paying the Damage Fee corresponding with the Damage Protection Plan option selected by the Member.

Insurance Slips

• Québec
• Ontario
• Alberta
• Nova Scotia

When you join, you are asked to select what Damage Protection Plan you’d like to enroll in, which will determine the maximum Damage Fee you will have to pay in case of a collision or damage to a vehicle, as follows:

• In Canada: $0, $300, or $600 per event
• In France: €0, €300, or €600 per event

In Canada, in the case of a collision, the Damage Fee is billed regardless of whether you are at fault or not.

In the case of other damage, ensure you do a circle check prior to each trip, and report any new significant damage to the vehicle (a damage card can be found in the glove box of each vehicle). A Damage Fee could be applied to the member who booked the last trip prior to new damage being reported.

Please note, Communauto is not an insurance company. Our auto insurance policies are provided by Unica in Alberta, Ontario, and Nova Scotia, by Beneva in Quebec, and by MACIF in France. We do not sell insurance. While Communauto holds auto insurance, the Damage Protection Plan options are in place to limit the costs that would otherwise be billed to members in the event of a collision or damage. 

Except in Quebec and Paris, it is possible to waive your participation in Communauto’s Damage Protection Plan if you are paying your Communauto bills through a credit card that offers insurance coverage for vehicle rentals (typically called Collision Loss Damage Insurance), or if your personal auto insurance policy provides coverage.

You remain financially responsible for any damage incurred to our cars, should your own insurance protection fail to cover it, so ensure beforehand that it offers sufficient coverage.

You must fill out the online Damage Protection Plan Waiver form to choose this option. You can link to the form from the “Damage Protection Plan options” section of the Rates page on your branch’s website.

In Canadian branches of Communauto, our insurance policy includes a deductible that applies whether or not the Communauto driver is at fault in the accident. The nature of this insurance policy helps us minimize our overall insurance costs and, therefore, the cost of insurance passed along to members. As a result, the damage fee is also charged to members in the event of an accident or damage during their reservation, regardless of who is at fault in the incident.

This is not the case for our service in France, where the legal framework is different. If you have an accident while using a Communauto vehicle in France, the damage fee applies only to at-fault accidents or those where a third party is not identified. The damage fee does not apply in cases where a third party is found responsible.

See our Damage Protection Plan options on the Rates page for your location to learn more about reducing your financial responsibility in case of an accident.