After a crash you'll hear three different offers that all sound like "we'll give you a car": the repairer's courtesy car, your insurer's hire-car benefit, and not-at-fault hire. They differ on who pays, what you drive, how long you keep it, and what it quietly does to your policy.
Option 1: the repairer's courtesy car
A loan car some repair shops keep for customers while they hold your vehicle. It's convenient and simple, and it's typically a small, older hatch, available only if one's on the lot, only while your car is physically in their workshop. Fine for a three-day bumper job; painful for a three-week structural repair when you drive a family SUV.
Option 2: your insurer's hire-car benefit
Many comprehensive policies from the major insurers (NRMA, AAMI, Allianz, Budget Direct and others) include or offer a hire car after a not-at-fault accident. Read the PDS closely though; these benefits usually come with:
- Day caps: commonly 14 to 21 days, whether or not your repair is finished
- Size caps: often a 'small hatch' class regardless of what you drive
- Trigger conditions: some require the at-fault party identified to their satisfaction first
- The structural catch: using it usually means lodging a claim on your own policy, with everything that follows (excess mechanics, claims history)
Note
Crash Assist is independent. We're not affiliated with, endorsed by or acting for any insurer. Policy examples above are general market observations; your PDS is the authority on your cover.
Option 3: not-at-fault hire (credit hire)
A like-for-like vehicle provided by a specialist on credit, with the cost recovered from the at-fault driver's insurer, because a not-at-fault driver's loss of use is the at-fault party's bill. No claim on your policy, no excess, no day-cap tied to marketing rather than your actual repair. Eligibility rules apply, and the fine print is here, plainly.
Side by side
| Category | Courtesy car | Insurer benefit | Not-at-fault hire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to you | Usually nothing | Policy claim; excess can apply | $0 if eligible: recovered from at-fault insurer |
| The car | Whatever's spare, usually a small hatch | Capped class, often small | Like-for-like with yours |
| How long | While the repairer has your car | Capped days (commonly 14 to 21) | Reasonable repair/settlement period |
| Your policy | Untouched | Claim recorded; bonus rules apply | Untouched in most cases |
| Availability | If the shop has one | Per PDS conditions | Arranged for eligible not-at-fault drivers, subject to availability |
So which should you take?
- At fault, or fault genuinely shared? Your insurer's benefit (or a courtesy car) is your lane: that's exactly what it's for.
- Not at fault with the other party identified? Not-at-fault hire almost always dominates: better car, real duration, policy untouched.
- Tiny repair, tiny needs? A courtesy hatch for three days may honestly be all you need. Take the simple option and move on.
Quick answers
Can I switch from a courtesy car to a like-for-like hire mid-repair?
Usually yes, if you're eligible. The entitlement doesn't expire because you started in the repairer's hatch. Timing matters for a clean recovery, so talk to us before the switch rather than after.
Does using my insurer's hire benefit affect my no-claim bonus?
The hire benefit rides on a claim on your policy, so the bonus outcome follows your policy's not-at-fault rules, typically preserved if the at-fault party is identified. The claim still enters your history. Details in the premium guide.
The repairer has no courtesy car and my policy has no benefit. Am I stuck renting?
Not if you're not at fault, that's the exact gap not-at-fault hire exists to fill. Check your eligibility before paying rental counters anything.
About this guide: general information for NSW drivers, prepared by the Crash Assist team, not legal, financial or insurance advice. Accidents turn on their facts; for an answer specific to yours, get in touch, it costs nothing to ask.