RAC is a UK motoring club with more than 13.6 million members, selling breakdown cover for drivers, families and businesses alongside car insurance, servicing and MOTs.
Prices are in GBP, and the rule to know is that introductory prices typically last 12 months, so a cheap first year can renew at a higher price.
The RAC began in 1897 under the name Automobile Club of Great Britain and took the Royal Automobile Club name after royal approval from Edward VII in 1907. It put uniformed patrols on the road in 1901, added emergency phone boxes along roads in 1912, became RAC Motoring Services Ltd in 1998, and has since passed through several owners, with investment firms as its current shareholders.
Its patrols carry RAC Scan+ diagnostic equipment, and in 2019 it developed RAC EV Boost, a van-mounted unit for charging flat electric cars. Beyond breakdown cover, RAC offers mobile mechanics who service and repair cars at home, approved garages and dealers, vehicle history checks, European breakdown cover, a route planner, traffic news and the myRAC app.
Past RAC sales
Breakdown cover sale (up to 33% off)Running when we read
RAC's site,
What payment methods does RAC accept?
Use a debit or credit card (not American Express), split the annual cost into monthly Direct Debits, or renew with Tesco Clubcard vouchers.
More about shopping at RAC
Breakdown cover levels
Basic starts from £5.29 a month with 24/7 roadside help, 5 callouts a year and recovery up to 10 miles; Standard and Extra add national recovery.
Business and family cover
Business breakdown cover starts from £15.50 a month, and joint or family cover protects up to 5 people at one address.
Cancellation
Call RAC to cancel at any time and it arranges any refund due; stopping the Direct Debit alone leaves the policy running. New cover has a cooling-off period.
Auto-renewal
Annual continuous policies can switch off automatic renewal in myRAC, a useful step before the introductory price runs out.
Europe
UK breakdown cover doesn't include Europe; European Rescue can be added to a policy or bought per trip.
Free extras
Standard, Extra and Complete include 2 free car health checks, and Complete adds 2 free MOTs.
RAC's time-limited breakdown sale, worth up to 33% off, applies only to Standard, Extra and Complete cover and excludes all add-ons.
The full 33% goes to new Standard cover for one person, and Basic isn't part of the sale.
If you have a discount code, add it before paying and check that the quote actually drops.
Compare paying annually with spreading the annual cost monthly by Direct Debit.
Then note your renewal date, because introductory prices typically last 12 months and the next year's price can be higher.
More ways to save at RAC
RAC's refer-a-friend scheme gives you and the friend who joins a £25 Amazon.Co.uk gift card each.
Found the same cover cheaper with the AA?
Within 7 days, RAC beats that price by 20%.
Members get RAC Rewards discounts on motoring and travel through the myRAC app, and a time-limited offer adds free front wiper blades to any car service.
Students can check the student deals link in the footer of the RAC site.
RAC questions, answered
How do you cancel RAC breakdown cover?
Call RAC to cancel at any time, and it arranges any refund due. Stopping the Direct Debit on its own doesn't end the policy.
Is there a cooling-off period on new RAC cover?
New RAC cover comes with a cooling-off period. Your policy documents set out its length and how any refund is worked out.
Does RAC beat AA breakdown prices?
If you find the same cover cheaper with the AA within 7 days, RAC beats that price by 20%.
How much is RAC breakdown cover a month?
Basic starts from £5.29 a month and business cover from £15.50 a month. These are introductory prices that typically last 12 months, and renewal can cost more.
Does RAC breakdown cover work in Europe?
UK breakdown cover doesn't include Europe. You can add European Rescue to your policy or buy it for a single trip.
What does the RAC refer-a-friend scheme pay?
You and the friend who joins each get a £25 Amazon.co.uk gift card.
Can Tesco Clubcard vouchers pay for RAC membership?
Clubcard vouchers can renew UK breakdown membership. Otherwise, pay by debit or credit card or monthly Direct Debit; American Express isn't accepted.