Protection Plans Terms
The short version: hosts pick an earnings plan that trades payout share for lower damage exposure; guests pick a protection plan that trades a per-trip cost for lower out-of-pocket risk. Both sides feed the same protection program, and every claim follows one published timeline — no informal, drawn-out back-and-forth.
Insurance status: Carvia's protection program is a marketplace-funded damage and liability program administered by Carvia. `[PENDING CARRIER]` — Carvia does not yet have a signed insurance carrier agreement. The structure below (host earnings plans, guest protection tiers, damage-responsibility caps, and third-party liability coverage) describes our target program design. Third-party liability coverage amounts are not yet active. Until a carrier is confirmed, hosts and guests should assume that liability beyond the damage-responsibility caps described below is not covered by Carvia, and should maintain their own appropriate insurance — see Insurance Disclosure for full detail. We'll update this page and notify all users the moment a carrier agreement is signed.
1. Host earnings plans
Every host picks one of three plans per vehicle. The plan sets both the host's payout share and how much of a damage claim on that vehicle is the host's financial responsibility versus covered by the protection program:
| Plan | Host share of trip price | Carvia's commission | Host's damage responsibility per claim |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Protection | 75% | 25% | $250 |
| Balanced | 85% | 15% | $1,250 |
| Max Earnings | 93% | 7% | $2,500 |
A lower damage-responsibility number means less of a claim comes out of the host's pocket — Max Protection is the safest financial position, Max Earnings pays the most per trip but carries the most exposure if something goes wrong. Hosts can change their plan for future trips at any time in listing settings; the plan active at trip start governs that trip.
2. Guest protection plans
Every guest picks one of three plans at checkout. The plan sets the guest's own damage responsibility if they're found at fault, plus what coverage is layered on top:
| Plan | Cost | Guest's damage responsibility if at fault | Included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | 10% of trip price | up to $3,000 | State-minimum liability only |
| Standard | 18% of trip price | up to $1,000 | Adds third-party liability coverage `[PENDING CARRIER]` |
| Premium | 28% of trip price | up to $250 | Adds third-party liability coverage `[PENDING CARRIER]` + 24/7 roadside assistance |
Guests 18-20 years old must book Premium protection and complete extended verification to be eligible to book at all.
There's no separate cash security deposit. At trip start, Carvia places a card authorization hold (not a charge) equal to the guest's damage-responsibility figure for their chosen plan. If no damage report is filed within 24 hours of trip completion, the hold releases automatically — no multi-day wait.
3. Filing a claim
1. Report within 24 hours of trip completion, in-app, with photos and a description. Either party can file.
2. Acknowledgment within 1 business day.
3. Evidence rule: if the reported damage is visible in the guest's own check-in photos, the claim against that guest is automatically rejected — new damage has to actually be new. This is the core of how Carvia avoids the "he-said, she-said" damage disputes common on other platforms.
4. Initial determination within 2 business days of all requested evidence being submitted.
5. Final resolution within 7 business days of all evidence being submitted.
6. Appeal: either party can appeal within 5 business days of the decision. A different claims specialist reviews it. Appeal decision within 5 business days.
7. Payment: approved payouts or refunds are issued within 3 business days of a final decision.
Filing a claim in good faith never results in a fee or penalty to the filer, even if it's ultimately denied. Full walkthrough: Claims SLA: what to expect.
4. What's covered vs. what isn't
Generally covered (subject to the applicable damage-responsibility cap and, once active, carrier-backed liability limits): collision damage to the host's vehicle during an active trip, third-party property damage or bodily injury caused by the guest while driving under the trip agreement `[PENDING CARRIER]`, and theft of the vehicle during an active trip when reported to police within 24 hours.
Generally not covered: damage from prohibited uses (see Prohibited Uses Policy — racing, towing, driving under the influence, unauthorized off-roading, subletting), normal wear and tear, mechanical failure unrelated to a trip incident, damage reported outside the 24-hour window without a documented reason it couldn't be reported sooner, and any use outside the trip's authorized dates/times.
5. Relationship to your own insurance
Carvia's protection program is not a substitute for a host's personal auto policy in states or situations where that policy is required to cover rental use, nor for a guest's own auto policy that may extend to rentals. See Insurance Disclosure for how these interact and what's still pending.