For first time car renters, it can be somewhat confusing: there is the daily vehicle rental price, taxes, surcharges and optional added extras to deal with; pick up charges to consider; and gasoline payments to ponder.

And, when it is the question of insurance, the majority of customers are too busy or uninterested to handle the fine print and just sign in the dotted area.

In some countries, renters need to have an insurance cover with a car rental firm for each rental, but in others, they may already be insured and do not require their cover.

A good number of renters make payments for their rental using a credit card and get some degree of cover against damages or theft from Visa or MasterCard. To avoid unnecessary expense, customers can call their insurance agent and credit card provider to know what is covered, before they book a rental car.

Carolyn Gorman, vice president of the Insurance Information Institute in New York, said, "More often, these prestigious cards are starting to change the advantages they offer to their cardholders, and often times the cardholders are unaware.

You could be driving uninsured and not even know it, until you get into a bad accident and have no insurance to cover you. It's a dangerous, scary thing".

For people who do not have any cover, selecting an insurance policy can be a tough job, as there are a large number of options available in the market with varying prices. However, taking time for planning can help customers in making a right decision.