stg credit card travel insurance

St.George credit card complimentary travel insurance

Got a st.george credit card with travel insurance here’s what you need to know about cover and how to make a claim..

In this guide

Which St.George credit cards have complimentary travel insurance?

• What’s covered by St.George complimentary international travel insurance?
• What do I need to do to use St.George’s credit card international travel insurance?

Pre-existing medical conditions

How to make a claim through your st.george credit card complimentary international travel insurance policy, other types of st.george complimentary credit card travel insurance, st.george credit card complimentary insurance for shopping, st.george business credit card complimentary insurance options, frequently asked questions.

St.George offers complimentary insurance on its platinum and signature credit cards, with policies that cover domestic and international trips, as well as cover for some of the things you buy with your card. The actual policies are underwritten by Allianz Australia Insurance Limited (Allianz).

Just like any insurance policy, there are conditions you need to meet to get cover and successfully make a claim. That's why it's always best to read the policy document. But we know reading terms and conditions can be hard, so we have pulled out the key details to give you a better picture of St.George’s complimentary credit card insurance.

Have a question or need to make a claim right now? Call Allianz Global Assistance on 1800 091 710 (Australia) or +61 7 3305 7468 (overseas).

As you can see, St.George offers complimentary international travel insurance for 4 cards but it separates them into Level 1 and Level 2 categories. The key difference between these levels is the length of cover you get for international travel insurance, as we’ve shown in the table.

Have a St.George credit card that’s not on this list? Check the terms and conditions available on the St.George website to see if your card is eligible.

What’s covered by St.George complimentary international travel insurance?

The cover you get is broken down into “benefits” based on what you can and can’t claim. It includes cover for medical and dental emergencies, cancellation and luggage, with selected COVID-19 cover from 30 June 2022. Some claims also have an excess you need to pay before you’ll get any money back (if your claim is approved).

To help you understand the cover available, we’ve put the key options for different types of claims and situations into a table. But remember: you should always read the insurance policy booklet for complete details of the cover.

Medical, dental and emergencies cover with a St.George credit card

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From 30 June 2022, St.George complimentary international travel insurance has select cover for COVID-19 and other known pandemics and epidemics. This includes for:

• Overseas emergency assistance
• Overseas emergency medical
• Medical evacuation and repatriation
• Cancellation
• Additional expenses

To make a claim, you need to be positively diagnosed with COVID-19 (or another pandemic/epidemic disease) and meet all the other requirements for a claim. It also applies if a travel companion is positively diagnosed. But it won’t apply if you’re travelling against government advice or if the mass media have published details of advice or warnings against travel.

As there are specific conditions to meet for this type of cover, make sure you read the amended policy booklet or call Allianz on 1800 091 790 before you travel.

What’s not covered?

Every insurance policy has details of when you will and won’t get cover. These details can be very specific, which is why it is important to always check your insurance policy documents.

To give you an idea, here are some of the key things you won’t be covered for with St.George credit card complimentary international travel insurance:

• Issues that come up because of alcohol or non-prescription drugs
• Travel that’s for the purpose of medical treatment
• If you’re a crew member or pilot of any of the transport
• If you’re over 81 or anyone relating to a claim is over 81
• Changes to your plans due to government restrictions
• If you or your partner gives birth during the trip, or there are complications arising after week 26 of the pregnancy
• Dangerous activities including rock climbing (with equipment), white water rafting, bungy jumping, off-piste snowboarding or skiing, and quad or motorbike riding on a vehicle that has an engine capacity of 200cc or more

Want cover for a skiing trip, bungy jumping or other overseas adventures? Check out adventure sport travel insurance costs and conditions.

What do I need to do to use St.George’s credit card international travel insurance?

At the moment, countries and regions around the world all have their own restrictions and guidelines around the coronavirus pandemic. These can change, so it’s worth checking where you can travel before booking anything.

Then, to get international travel insurance cover through your St.George credit card, you’ll need to meet the following requirements:

• Travel bookings. You need to use your St.George credit card to pay for at least $500 of your travel expenses before the start of the trip. An easy way to do this is to use your card to pay for your overseas flights or accommodation.
• Australian residency. You must live in Australia, and start and end your trip in Australia.
• Age. You’ll be covered if you’re under 81 years of age. If you’re over 81 and want overseas travel insurance, there are some policies you can buy that give you cover up to the age of 100 .

Does St.George credit card travel insurance cover family members?

Yes, if you meet the eligibility requirements for cover on an upcoming trip, your spouse and dependants (i.e. your children) can get cover under this policy when they’re travelling with you for at least half of your trip and meet the following requirements:

• They need to live in Australia, and start and end their journey in Australia
• They need to have a return travel booking before they leave
• At least $500 of their travel costs need to be paid for with your St.George credit card before the start of the trip
• They need to be under 81 years of age at the time they become eligible for the insurance

They also need to meet the same age requirements and other conditions of the insurance policy.

This complimentary international travel insurance only covers a few pre-existing medical conditions, with very specific circumstances.

Here, we’ve summarised the key details for conditions that are covered. If you have any pre-existing conditions, you should also look at the insurance document for full details or call Allianz on 1800 091 710.

🔥 Hot tip: The easiest way to find details in the insurance policy booklet is to open your digital copy and use the find tool (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) to search for the terms (for example, “Pre-existing medical conditions”).

What if I don’t meet the requirements or have a different pre-existing condition?

In simple terms, you won’t get cover if you don’t meet the requirements for a pre-existing medical condition or if you have another pre-existing medical condition.

This means you won’t be able to make a related claim if you've previously seen a doctor or other qualified professional about a condition that ends up causing issues overseas. It's the same for any physical, medical, mental or dental condition that you’re aware of before you travel.

If you’re not sure whether your pre-existing medical condition will be covered, call Allianz on 1800 091 710 to check if you can get cover. You can also apply to get written confirmation from Allianz that a pre-existing medical condition is covered, although be aware that additional fees may apply.

Need cover for a pre-existing health condition? Check out travel insurance policies that offer cover for conditions including high blood pressure, high cholesterol and physical disabilities.

Pre-existing medical condition definition for St.George credit card insurance

Travel insurance policies all have specific ways of looking at pre-existing medical conditions, so it’s really important you’re aware of the actual definition they use.

As well as the summary above, we have included the definition that’s in the current St.George card insurance policy document, effective from 1 March 2023 (page 18):

“A condition of which a reasonable person in the circumstances, should have been aware at the time eligibility for the cover available was met, including:

• Any dental condition; or
• Any physical condition; or
• Pregnancy; or
• Any lifelong illness; or
• Any chronic illness; or
• Any mental illness; or
• Was treated by surgery (including day surgery); or
• Required regular medication; or
• Required on-going treatment; or
• Was referred to a specialist medical adviser; or
• Had regular reviews or check-ups; or
• Caused admission to hospital; or
• Was treated at a hospital emergency department or out-patient clinic”

Your first step should be to contact Allianz Global Assistance as soon as you think you might need to make a claim so that they can give you specific information.

You can do this by calling 1800 091 710 in Australia, or from overseas by calling the emergency assistance number: +61 7 3305 7468. You can also email [email protected] but may have to wait longer for a response. `

There are 2 main ways you can submit your claim:

You will hear back about your claim within 10 business days, according to the online claims website.

What to include in your claim

With insurance claims, it’s always good to include as much detail and supporting documentation as possible. It makes it easier for the insurer to look at the claim and your eligibility for a payout.

So when you're travelling overseas with this cover, try to get as much written or photo evidence as you can for any claim you need to make. This could include:

• A referral or letter from a doctor or other professional you see in relation to a claim
• Official medical reports
• Police reports
• Photos of damaged items
• Emails or letters from airlines that relate to a claim
• Receipts or other proof of purchase

When you fill in the online claim form, you’ll also be asked for some key personal details, including part of your St.George credit card number (to confirm you’re eligible for cover).

Overseas transit accident insurance

• What is it? Cover for accidents that happen when you're travelling overseas on a plane, train, cruise ship, bus or other eligible vehicle. You also get cover for related accidents that happen when you're boarding or leaving the transport.
• When can I use it? If you have paid for the entire trip with your eligible St.George credit card before you leave. If your partner or dependants are travelling with you, they'll also get cover.
• Is there an excess cost? No, you don't need to pay an excess for any claims but there are limits to how much you can get paid out. For example, the loss of 1 hand or foot has a maximum benefit of $250,000.

Interstate flight inconvenience insurance

• What is it? Cover for specific issues that come up when you're travelling to a different state or territory in Australia. This can include costs relating to cancelled return flights, flight delays of 4 hours or more, delayed or lost luggage and funeral expenses.
• When can I use it? You’ll get cover for up to 14 days in a row if you have paid for the entire trip with your eligible St.George credit card. Your spouse and any dependants can also get cover when you have used your St.George card to pay for their travel and they will be with you for at least half the trip.
• Is there an excess cost? There is a $300 excess for claims that relate to cancellation or luggage (except for delayed luggage). There are no excess costs for other claims.

Rental vehicle excess in Australia insurance

• What is it? Cover for damage or theft of a car or other vehicle you have hired in Australia, up to a maximum of $5,500 (or less if the amount specified in your rental vehicle agreement is lower).
• When can I use it? If you have paid for the vehicle hire with your eligible St.George credit card and the vehicle hire agreement lists an excess cost.
• Is there an excess cost? There is a $300 excess for each claim, including when you submit more than 1 claim at a time.

How to make a claim under one of these policies

Call Allianz on 1800 091 710. You can also get a claim form online at https://travel.agaassistance.com.au/nacb2c/stgeorge/make-a-claim and email it to [email protected] .

St.George credit cards give you access to other types of insurance, which are also provided by Allianz. Below is a snapshot of the different types.

Purchase protection insurance

• What is it? Cover for the cost of a new item that is stolen, accidentally damaged or lost. It covers most household and personal items such as laptops, shoes, jewellery and glasses. Exclusions include second-hand items, perishables, cash, computer software, vehicles and items you’ve accidentally left in a hotel after checking out.
• When can I use it? If you use your eligible St.George credit card to pay for covered items, this insurance will apply for the first 4 months from when you get them. This cover is available for personal items bought anywhere in the world. If the item was a gift for someone else, that person needs to be a permanent Australian resident for the cover to apply.
• How can I make a claim? You need to show proof that you own the item and report the loss, theft or damage to the local police or relevant authorities (such as the office of a transport company). Ideally, you should get written confirmation of this report. Then, call Allianz on 1800 091 710 or submit your claim through the Allianz online claim portal.
• Is there an excess cost? An excess of $300 per claim applies. There are also maximum claim amounts, which vary depending on the item, with a yearly maximum of $135,000 for all claims.

Extended warranty insurance

• What is it? Cover that doubles the manufacturer's warranty for items bought in Australia, up to a maximum period of 12 months. For example, if you bought a laptop with a 12-month manufacturer's warranty and it stopped working for no reason after 12 months, you could make a claim under this cover.
• When can I use it? If you used your eligible St.George credit card to pay for an item worth up to $20,000 and it came with an Australian manufacturer’s warranty of between 6 months and 5 years. You can make a claim if something happens after the original warranty period has ended.
• How can I make a claim? Call Allianz on 1800 091 710 or submit your claim through the Allianz online claim portal at https://claims.agaassistance.com.au/ .
• Is there an excess cost? An excess of $300 per claim applies. There are also maximum claim amounts, which vary depending on the item.

Don’t have complimentary insurance on your credit card yet? Compare St.George credit cards or check out other cards that offer insurance .

St.George business credit cards offer complimentary unauthorised transaction insurance to help protect you if an additional cardholder uses the account for something that's not allowed.

The St.George Amplify Business Card also offers complimentary overseas transit accident insurance if you have used it to pay for the entire overseas trip.

Want a credit card for your business? Compare a wide range of cards that offer insurance, rewards and other perks.

Does St.George credit card international travel insurance cover coronavirus?

Yes, some cover is available for COVID-19 and other pandemics or epidemics, including for overseas emergency medical and cancellation claims. There are very specific conditions you need to meet to make a claim, so it’s important to read the complimentary insurance policy document or call Allianz on 1800 091 710.

If you want more details about COVID-19 travel insurance, Finder also has a whole guide covering questions about this pandemic and travel insurance .

Can I get proof of my cover?

Yes. If you’re going on a cruise or tour that requires proof of insurance, you can get a letter of eligibility online at http://www.checkyourcover.com.au/stgeorge .

Amy Bradney-George

Amy Bradney-George was the senior writer for credit cards at Finder, and editorial lead for Finder Green. She has over 16 years of editorial experience and has been featured in publications including ABC News, Money Magazine and The Sydney Morning Herald.

More guides on Finder

This card offers a low ongoing purchase interest rate and up to $400 cashback offer.

New St.George Amplify Qantas Platinum cardholders can earn up to 70,000 bonus Qantas Points plus save with a balance transfer offer, a first-year annual fee discount and complimentary insurance cover.

The St.George Amplify Qantas Signature Credit Card offers 90,000 bonus Qantas Points plus complimentary insurance covers.

The St.George Amplify Business is suited to smaller businesses, offering expense tracking tools and a $0 first-year annual fee.

Designed especially for larger businesses, the St.George Corporate Mastercard offers unlimited cards for employees and a suite of finance management tools.

The St.George Amplify Signature offers huge value to point-seekers, with a 0% balance transfer offer, a first-year annual fee discount and 150,000 points.

This platinum card offers bonus Amplify points, a 0% p.a. introductory balance transfer offer and complimentary travel and purchase insurance.

As well as a $0 annual fee, the St.George No Annual Fee credit card offers a 24/7 security and the convenience of contactless payments.

Get up to 99 additional cards for employees, detailed monthly statements and a competitive purchase rate with the St.George BusinessVantage Visa.

Offers a 0% introductory rate on balance transfers for 28 months (with a 1% BT fee) and a competitive purchase rate.

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18 Responses

Does my Vertigo Platinum complimentary travel insurance cover my husband and I if we have a 21-day mediterranean cruise included in our Europe trip, also we are taking our 19-year-old granddaughter with us can we include her in our policy as a dependent?

Usually an insurance policy through your credit card covers you and your travelling spouse, but may not cover any dependants. It would be worth contacting them to see if there is an option to add your granddaughter.

Their terms and conditions don’t specify whether their cover provides coverage for a cruise. You can contact them for clarification on 1800 091 710.

Does visa platinum complimentary travel insurance cover south pacific cruise?

Hi Daniela, If you’re going on a cruise or tour that requires proof of insurance, you can check your eligibility and cover online at http://www.checkyourcover.com.au/stgeorge . I hope this helps.

I have Advantage Platinum Visa card from St George, amI intitled to complementary travel insurance to travel to USA

Hi Nada, Yes, the St.George Platinum Advantage Credit Card offers complimentary international travel insurance for up to 3 months as it’s listed as a Level 2 card on the St.George website . To get cover, you’ll need to use your St.George credit card to pay for at least $500 of travel before you leave, have a return booking Australia and live in Australia, and be under 81 years of age. This guide has an overview of the cover but it’s important to read the insurance policy document for full details. Or call the insurance provider, Allianz Global Assistance, on 1800 091 710. I hope that helps.

Because I am stay overseas 7 months and I have with my amplify card 3 months can I pay for the 4 months..

Hi Georgia,

According to the current St.George Credit Cards Complimentary Insurance policy information booklet ( pdf ), you can’t extend this cover period. If you have questions about it, you can call Allianz on 1800 091 710.

Alternatively, you can compare other travel insurance policies on Finder to see if one fits with your travel plans. I hope that helps.

The current terms and conditions of the St George travel insurance dated Oct 2018 notes that not all cards have all the insurance cover and that each must be checked for each benefit. Overseas travel for instance does NOT include the Amplify Platinum. It was in the previous version dated 2015. The insurer says it does cover as a Level 2 card. St George says it is a Level 2 card in its card ads. But its policy doc does not include it. How to fix? I have contacted St George and Alliance to no effect.

Thanks for your message. Sorry to hear there is confusion on which terms and conditions to follow for the St. George complimentary insurance. I wish I could help you out however, while we review St. George in our pages, it’s helpful to know that we neither work with them or answer for their company. It would be best to contact the customer service support of Allianz directly for further assistance.

Hope this clarifies and we hope they find a quick resolution for you!

With care, Nikki

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St. George Complimentary Credit Card Insurance and COVID-19 (Coronavirus) FAQ

Information for st george eligible cardholders regarding covid-19.

Information on this page is correct as of  30 June 2022 .

Stay up to date on Travel Information for COVID-19 from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)  Smartraveller  website and  World Health Organisation  (WHO) and  Department of Home Affairs .

Always consult the smartraveller.gov.au website prior to any travel. In addition to visas, COVID-19 testing, and proof of vaccination requirements, many countries now have compulsory insurance and medical cover proof conditions. Check with the nearest embassy, consulate or immigration department of the destination you are entering. If you require additional documentation regarding the complimentary international travel insurance policy due to international entry requirements, please contact us on 1800 091 710.

Information for Westpac Eligible Cardholders regarding COVID-19

From 30 June 2022, if during the period of your cover, you (and your spouse/dependents, if they’re eligible for cover) are positively diagnosed as suffering a sickness recognised as an epidemic or pandemic (such as COVID-19), cover may be available under the following sections:

• 1.1 Overseas Emergency Assistance
• 1.2 Overseas Emergency Medical
• 1.4 Medical Evacuation & Repatriation
• 2.1 Cancellation
• 3.1 Additional Expenses

If your travel companion is positively diagnosed as suffering a sickness recognised as an epidemic or pandemic, such as COVID-19, which impacts your journey, cover may be available to you under the following sections: 

Note, you won’t be covered while travelling against advice or warnings issued by the Australian government and you did not take reasonable care to avoid contracting the sickness, for example by delaying travel to the country listed in a warning.

The above is a summary only, please refer to  St. George Credit Card Complimentary Insurance Policy Information Booklet  for eligibility criteria, full terms, conditions, limits and exclusions.

A General Exclusion for epidemic/pandemic applies for all claims relating to any epidemic/pandemic outside of the select benefits in the applicable policy information booklet  St. George Credit Card Complimentary Insurance Policy Information Booklet  Please note, terms, conditions, limits and exclusions apply.

To receive a formal outcome, Eligible St George Cardholders must submit a claim.

Eligible St George travellers who meet the eligibility criteria should be aware that other General Exclusions have the potential to apply.

What is a General Exclusion?

A General Exclusion is an exclusion which will be applied across all sections of an insurance policy, and applies regardless of when eligibility for cover was gained. Should a General Exclusion apply, this means that your complimentary credit card travel insurance excludes cover for the event, activities or circumstances (specified in the exclusion) that causes your claim.

To understand what is excluded from the St George Complimentary Insurance covers, please refer to Part D – Excesses & General Exclusions section and the section specific exclusions of the relevant St George Policy Information Booklet for which your eligible St George card is applicable under:   St. George Credit Card Complimentary Insurance Policy Information Booklet .

Other exclusions may apply depending upon the circumstances of an individual claim. General Exclusions include but are not limited to:

• by the Australian government (when a ‘Reconsider your need to travel’ or ‘Do not travel’ alert is in place), which can be found on   www.smartraveller.gov.au ; or
• which was published in a reliable mass media source.
• any interference with your travel plans by any government, government regulation or prohibition or intervention or official authority. For example, if  Smartraveller   has a warning, ‘Do not travel’ or ‘Reconsider your need to travel’ due to the risk of COVID-19 infection for a destination, and a cardholder chooses to ignore the warning and is infected with COVID-19, cover may be excluded. Or if a government closes its borders to inbound travellers due to COVID-19 and you are unable to enter and follow your planned travel across the closed border, cover may be excluded.

What if a St George Eligible Cardholder has booked travel and needs to cancel due to contracting COVID-19?

If you are unable to travel as a result of contracting COVID-19, Cancellation cover may be provided to eligible travellers, if you or your travel companion are positively diagnosed as suffering a sickness recognised as an epidemic or pandemic such as COVID-19, and cover is expressly included under the Cancellation section of the relevant St George Policy Information Booklet for which your eligible St George card is applicable under:   St. George Credit Card Complimentary Insurance Policy Information Booklet .

If you are unable to travel as a result of an Epidemic or Pandemic related event which does not include you or your travel companion being positively diagnosed as suffering a sickness recognised as an epidemic or pandemic, for example a border closure, there may be no provision to claim as a general exclusion for epidemic and pandemic applies. A General Exclusion for epidemic/pandemic applies for all claims relating to any epidemic/pandemic outside of the cancellation benefits in the applicable policy information booklet. Please note, terms, conditions, limits and exclusions apply.

You therefore need to consider your own personal circumstances. We are not able to provide you with a cover decision before submitting a claim. To receive a formal outcome, St George Eligible Cardholders must submit a claim.

You should also contact your travel agent or travel service provider (airline, cruise line or Tour Company, etc) as they may be able to support you in obtaining refunds, credits or travel re-scheduling.

Can St George Eligible Cardholders make a claim for consideration?

Every St George Eligible Cardholder can submit a claim and have their individual circumstances considered in accordance with the eligibility criteria which includes the terms, conditions, limits and exclusions that apply as set out in the  St. George Credit Card Complimentary Insurance Policy Information Booklet .

If you would like to claim, we encourage you to claim online via  insurance.agaassistance.com.au/stgeorge .

Call the Allianz Global Assistance Claims team

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Travel insurance helps you get your money back when things go wrong with your trip. And it remains a debate: Do you really need it, and is it worth it?

Personally, I’ve often skipped travel insurance, preferring to put the extra money toward my trip. Yet as I pulled into the airport after a winter ski trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in my SUV rental, a snowplow kicked up a rock and a crack extended across the windshield. And just like that, I got in the dreaded rental car accident .

Thankfully, I had rented my car with my Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card , which covered rental car windshield reimbursement. Note that I had also specifically opted out of the car rental's insurance coverage offered at the counter, which is a requirement in order to allow my credit card coverage to kick in. Terms apply.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

A number of credit cards provide various types of travel insurance (including trip cancellation, trip interruption and car rental loss and damage insurance) when you use your card to pay for flights, rental cars and other travel expenses. So do you need additional travel insurance? Maybe not.

What does your travel insurance cover?

First, let’s look at the different types of coverage that your credit card may offer to help protect your trip, from your bags to your rental car to your health.

Baggage delay . If your luggage doesn’t arrive when you do, you may receive a reimbursement to offset the costs of having to purchase new attire and other items you may need. The length of delay required and the coverage offered varies by card.

Lost/damaged baggage . If your bags are lost or damaged by a carrier, or items have been stolen from your baggage, your provider may provide monetary compensation.

Trip delay . If your trip on a common carrier is delayed, you may receive monetary compensation to help cover meals, hotels, transportation and necessary purchases up to a certain amount per ticket.

Trip cancellation . If you need to cancel a prepaid, nonrefundable trip, you may receive compensation to offset the lost funds. This benefit generally applies to cancellations for covered reasons, which vary by card.

Trip interruption . If you miss a portion of your trip due to a covered reason, this benefit will reimburse you for any unused, prepaid, nonrefundable reservations (i.e., excursions, hotel nights).

Medical treatment . If you are hurt while traveling and require medical treatment, medical expenses may be covered up to a certain dollar amount.

Medical evacuation . If your illness or injury requires you to return home immediately for care, the insurance coverage through your card may cover the costs.

Travel accident insurance. In the case of accidental death or dismemberment, your credit card may provide coverage to you or to your beneficiary

Rental car insurance. This coverage provides protection to your rental car against theft and damage. Coverage may be primary or secondary to your personal auto insurance, depending on the card.

» Learn more: Should you insure your cruise?

Popular credit cards with travel insurance

Some of the best travel rewards cards include various forms of travel insurance. These are a few of our favorite cards that offer certain types of coverage. If you have a different travel rewards card, it’s a good idea to check the benefits of your card before assuming that it either does or doesn’t have any of the coverage listed here.

1. Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Trip cancellation: Up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip. Maximum benefit of $40,000 per 12-month period.

Trip interruption: Up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip. Maximum benefit of $40,000 per 12-month period.

Trip delay: Up to $500 per ticket for delays more than six hours.

Baggage delay: Up to $100 per day for five days.

Lost luggage: Up to $3,000 per passenger.

Travel accident: Up to $1,000,000.

Rental car insurance: Up to $75,000.

2. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Trip delay: Up to $500 per ticket for delays more than 12 hours.

Travel accident: Up to $500,000.

Rental car insurance: Up to the actual cash value of the car.

3. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

Lost luggage: Up to $2,000 for checked bag and up to $3,000 for checked and carry-on bag. New York state residents get $2,000 per bag, up to a maximum of $10,000 for all covered persons per trip.

Travel accident insurance. Up to $500,000.

Trip delay insurance: Up to $500 per trip. Maximum benefit of $1,000 per 12-month period.

Trip cancellation: Up to $10,000 per trip. Maximum benefit of $20,000 per 12-month period.

Trip interruption: Up to $10,000 per trip. Maximum benefit of $20,000 per 12-month period.

4. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card

Baggage delay: Up to $100 per day for five days for essential purchases like toiletries and clothing for delays of over six hours.

Lost luggage: Up to $3,000 per passenger for checked or carry on luggage.

Damaged luggage: Up to $3,000 per passenger for checked or carry on luggage.

5. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

Baggage delay: Up to $100 per day for three days.

Travel accident insurance: Up to $250,000 to $500,000 (Visa Platinum and Visa Signature, respectively).

Rental car insurance: Up to actual cash value of vehicle.

Travel and emergency assistance services: Assistance and referral via the Benefit Administrator, cardholder is responsible for all costs.

6. United℠ Explorer Card

Trip cancellation: Up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip.

Trip interruption: Up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip.

Rental car insurance: Covers damage or theft with restrictions.

7. Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card

Lost carry on luggage: Up to $1,250 per person for carry on baggage while in direct transit to or from a common carrier terminal, while traveling on a common carrier or while at a common carrier terminal.

Lost checked luggage: Up to $500 per person while traveling on a common carrier.

Rental car insurance: Up to $50,000.

Terms apply.

8. The Platinum Card® from American Express

Trip delay: Up to $500 per trip for delays more than 6 hours.

9. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Lost luggage: Up to $3,000 per passenger. For New York state residents, coverage is limited to $2,000 per bag.

Travel accident insurance: Up to $250,000.

Rental car insurance: Covers damage or theft with restrictions. Eligible rental periods are limited to 15 consecutive days in the cardholders home country or 32 consecutive days outside it.

10. Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

Baggage delay: Up to $100 per carrier for three days.

Do I need additional travel insurance?

Even with the coverage listed above, some credit cards offering travel insurance benefits may not provide enough insurance for your needs. For example, if you have paid $10,000 for a vacation using your card and trip cancellation is not offered, you may want to purchase additional coverage. Likewise, if you book a very expensive trip but your card only covers $10,000 in trip cancellation coverage, you may want to consider additional coverage.

American Express offers full travel insurance options through AmEx Assurance . This specific benefit is available to all travelers and does not require an American Express card. You can pick and choose the coverage you want, and a quote will be processed based on your age, trip expense and days traveling.

For example, here's what we found when requesting insurance for a two-day trip that costs $1,000. You can decide what coverage you'd like and see the full cost of your options:

The quote we received covered 100% reimbursement for cancellation, then offered different levels for other types of coverage.

Medical protection was available for $25,000 to $100,000.

Travel accident protection was available for $250,000 to $1,500,000.

Baggage protection was available for up to $500 to $2,500.

Trip delay coverage was offered for $150 to $1,000 per day, depending on selecting basic, silver, gold or premium options.

When renting a car, be sure to check the specific requirements of your credit card, which may vary by location and type of vehicle.

So do you need travel insurance? A good rule of thumb is if the amount you could lose is more than you want to lose (or can afford to lose) if something goes wrong, get the insurance. For a list of travel insurance companies that provide online quotes, read more about how to find the best travel insurance .

» Learn more: Does trip insurance cover award flights?

Cards with travel insurance, recapped

If you are concerned about an upcoming trip and want to be fully protected, combine your travel credit card insurance with a build-your-own plan to cover what your credit card does not.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Chase's website

1x-10x Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

75,000 Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,125 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

75,000 Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's over $900 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1x-2x Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming. Earn 1X points on all other purchases.

50,000 Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

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Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). However, the credit card information that we publish has been written and evaluated by experts who know these products inside out. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers that are on the market. See our advertising policy here where we list advertisers that we work with, and how we make money. You can also review our credit card rating methodology .

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The 7 Best Credit Cards for Travel Insurance Coverage and Protection [May 2024]

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Chase Sapphire Preferred ® Card (Best Overall Card for Travel Insurance)

Chase sapphire reserve ® (best for premium travel insurance), the platinum card ® from american express (best amex card for travel insurance), capital one venture x rewards credit card (best capital one card for travel insurance), united club℠ infinite card (best united card for travel insurance), ink business preferred ® credit card (best overall business card for travel insurance), the business platinum ® card from american express (best premium business card for travel insurance), trip cancellation and trip interruption protection, trip delay coverage, rental car insurance, travel accident insurance, emergency evacuation insurance, lost or delayed baggage, roadside assistance, main benefit of having a credit card with travel insurance, what to look for in a card for travel insurance coverage and protection, call your issuer, know what is covered, keep your receipts, final thoughts.

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Securing travel insurance has become a priority for many travelers, but most people don’t know that you can actually get a substantial amount of travel insurance and coverage just from your credit card!

That said, not all credit cards offer the same level of travel insurance benefits. Read on to see a breakdown of travel coverages and benefit levels by card, as each has widely differing benefits. We’re exploring the travel insurance coverages offered on a select group of popular travel rewards cards.

The Best Credit Cards for Travel Insurance Coverage (Summary)

• Chase Sapphire Preferred ® Card
• Chase Sapphire Reserve ®
• The Platinum Card ® from American Express
• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
• United Club℠ Infinite Card
• Ink Business Preferred ® Credit Card
• The Business Platinum Card ® from American Express

The Best Credit Cards for Travel Insurance (Comparison Table)

A fantastic travel card with a huge welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred ® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.

Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance . With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.

• 5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Travel portal
• 5x points on select Peloton purchases over $150 (through March 31, 2025)
• $95 annual fee
• No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status
• Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s over $900 when you redeem through Chase Travel SM .
• Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel SM , 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
• Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel SM . For example, 75,000 points are worth $937.50 toward travel.
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
• Member FDIC
• APR: 21.49%-28.49% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None
• Credit Card Reviews
• Travel Rewards Credit Cards
• Best Sign Up Bonuses

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Chase is a major credit card issuer known for offering a strong selection of travel insurance benefits on its cards. As one of our top recommended cards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card comes with a long list of valuable benefits and perks , including several travel insurance coverages.

Here are the major travel insurance coverages and protections you’ll get with this card:

• Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver — Reserve and pay for your rental car with your card, decline the rental car agency’s collision damage waiver (CDW) or loss damage waiver (LDW), and receive primary car rental insurance coverage for damage or theft.
• Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance — Purchase your trip with your card or rewards earned on your card and receive up to $10,000 per person, $20,000 per occurrence, up to a maximum of $40,000 within a 12-month period, when a covered event disrupts your trip.
• Trip Delay Reimbursement  — If your trip is delayed for a covered reason for 12 hours or more, or overnight, you could receive reimbursement for up to $100 per day for necessary incidentals for up to 5 days.
• Lost Luggage Reimbursement — Receive up to $3,000 per covered person , per trip, for checked and carry-on baggage that is lost, stolen, or damaged.
• Baggage Delay — If your baggage is delayed 6 hours or more, you could receive reimbursement of up to $100 per day for 5 days for incidentals.
• Travel Accident Insurance — Should accidental death or dismemberment occur involving a common carrier and you purchased the trip with your card, you could receive up to $500,000 for common carrier travel accident insurance and up to $100,000 for 24-hour travel accident insurance.
• Roadside Dispatch — Pay a set pre-negotiated fee per service call to receive towing, tire changing, fuel, jump-starting, lock-out service, and more.
• Travel and Emergency Assistance Services — Receive assistance when traveling away from home with message relays, referral services for legal and medical assistance, emergency transportation, and more. Cardholders are responsible for the cost of actual services.

In addition to having a fine selection of travel benefits, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card stays at the top of our list for a lot of reasons.

• 5x points on Lyft (through March 31, 2025)
• 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel
• 5x points on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $250 (through March 31, 2025)
• 3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries
• 2x points on other travel
• 10% cardmember anniversary bonus based on total dollar amount spent
• $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit
• Redeem Ultimate Rewards points earned on the card for 1.25 cents each for travel via the Chase Travel portal or Chase transfer partners for even greater potential value
• Purchase protection and extended warranty
• No foreign transaction fees

A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns 3x points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.

If you’re looking for an all-around excellent travel rewards card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve ®  is one of the best options out there.

The card combines elite travel benefits and perks like airport lounge access , with excellent point earning and redemption options.  Plus it offers top-notch travel insurance protections to keep you covered whether you’re at home or on the road.

Don’t forget the $300 annual travel credit which really helps to reduce the annual fee!

• 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase TravelSM immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually
• 10x points on Lyft purchases March 31, 2025
• $550 annual fee
• Does not offer any sort of hotel elite status
• Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $1,125 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel SM .
• $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
• Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel SM  immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel SM . For example, 75,000 points are worth $1125 toward travel.
• 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
• Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass TM  Select and up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck ®
• APR: 22.49%-29.49% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: $0

Want a premium travel rewards card delivering a collection of travel benefits that’s difficult to beat? The Chase Sapphire Reserve card might be a fit.

Here’s a sample of the premium travel insurance benefits you can expect on the card:

• Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver — Pay for your rental car bill entirely with your card, decline the rental car agency’s CDW or LDW coverage, and receive primary car rental coverage for damage or theft.
• Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance — As one of the most valuable travel insurance coverages, trip cancellation/interruption insurance pays up to $10,000 per occurrence. Limits cap out at $20,000 per incident and $40,000 within a 12-month period.
• Trip Delay Reimbursement — If your trip is delayed for a covered reason for 6 hours or more , or overnight, you could receive reimbursement for up to $100 per day for necessary incidentals for up to 5 days.
• Lost Luggage Reimbursement — If your checked or carry-on luggage is lost, stolen, or damaged, you could receive up to $3,000 per person, per trip.
• Baggage Delay — If your baggage is delayed 6 hours or more, you could receive up to $100 per day in reimbursements for incidentals, for up to 5 days.
• Medical Evacuation Insurance — If you, or an eligible family member, become ill or injured when traveling, you could receive emergency transport coverage up to $100,000.
• Emergency Medical and Dental Benefit — Receive up to $2,500 for emergency treatment should you or an eligible family member become ill or injured when traveling 100 miles or more from home.
• Travel Accident Insurance — Pay for your trip with your card and receive up to $1,000,000 should accidental death or dismemberment occur.
• Roadside Assistance — Receive up to 4 free $50 service calls each year at no cost should your vehicle break down when away from home.
• Travel and Emergency Assistance Services — Make 1 phone call and receive medical or legal referrals, assistance with emergency transportation, and more.

While the Chase Sapphire Reserve card comes with a higher annual fee, the card could earn its place in your wallet if you spend a lot on travel, find value in worldwide lounge access , and will use the $300 travel statement credit.

See what’s great about the Chase Sapphire Reserve card outside of the travel insurance perks:

• Priority Pass Select membership with access to more than 1,400 lounge and lounge-alternative properties worldwide
• Redeem Ultimate Rewards points for 1.5 cents each via the Chase Travel portal or transfer points at a ratio of 1:1 to airline and hotel partners for potentially greater value
• $300 statement credit for travel purchases each card anniversary year
• Global Entry , NEXUS , or TSA PreCheck application fee reimbursement as a statement credit
• 10x points on Lyft purchases (through March 31, 2025)
• 10x points on hotels, rental cars, and Chase Dining booked through Chase Travel
• 10x points on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $250 (through March 31, 2025)
• 5x points on airfare purchased through Chase Travel
• 3x points on dining
• 3x points on other travel purchases
• Luxury hotel benefits via the Chase Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection
• Car rental status privileges with National, Avis, and Audi on demand

Hot Tip: Read our comprehensive article on the benefits of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card for a more detailed look.

Want help deciding which of these Chase cards is a fit for you? We’ve gathered all the information in our comparison of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card vs. the Chase Sapphire Reserve card .

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than The Platinum Card ® from American Express.

Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card  is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access , hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.

• The best airport lounge access out of any card (by far) — enjoy access to over 1,400 worldwide lounges, including the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, and many more!
• 5x points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year)
• $695 annual fee ( rates and fees )
• Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)
• Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards ® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card ® , Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
• Earn 5X Membership Rewards ® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards ® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
• $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts ® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card ® . The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card ® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
• $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card ® . Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Up Benefits are excluded.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card ® .
• $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Terms Apply.
• $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $300 back in statement credits per calendar year on an Equinox membership, or an Equinox club membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you pay with your Platinum Card ® . Enrollment required. Visit https://platinum.equinox.com/ to enroll.
• $189 CLEAR ® Plus Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR Plus at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues nationwide and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Platinum Card ® . Learn more.
• $100 Global Entry Credit: Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck ® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card ® . Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
• Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card ® . That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
• $300 SoulCycle At-Home Bike Credit: Get a $300 statement credit for the purchase of a SoulCycle at-home bike with your Platinum Card ® . An Equinox+ subscription is required to purchase a SoulCycle at-home bike and access SoulCycle content. Must charge full price of bike in one transaction. Shipping available in the contiguous U.S. only. Enrollment Required.
• Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card ® to your Resy profile.
• $695 annual fee.
• Terms Apply.
• APR: See Pay Over Time APR

American Express Membership Rewards

Hot Tip:  Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 125k (or 150k) points with the Amex Platinum. The current public offer is 80,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)

The Amex Platinum card is easily one of the best credit cards for travel. We like it because it earns valuable Membership Rewards points , offers flexible redemption options , and comes with plenty of statement credits for specific purchases.

When it comes to travel insurance benefits and protections, the Amex Platinum card is also a winner. Note that terms may apply and enrollment may be required, so make sure you check your American Express account to ensure you’re enrolled in your benefits!

Here’s what you can expect from the Amex Platinum card in the way of travel insurance benefits :

• Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance — Receive up to $10,000 per covered trip, to a maximum of $20,000 within a 12-month period, should your trip be disrupted due to a covered event.
• Trip Delay Program — If a trip you paid for with your card is delayed 6 hours or more, you could receive up to $500 per trip, a limit of 2 claims per 12-month period, for necessary incidentals.
• Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance — The card comes with secondary car rental insurance, which means you must file a claim with your own insurance first. However, cardholders have access to purchase Amex Premium Car Rental Protection for 1 low fee of $12.99 to $24.99 which covers the entire rental car period up to 42 consecutive days.
• Baggage Insurance Plan — Use your card to pay for your ticket and receive up to $2,000 for checked baggage and $3,000 for carry-on baggage, with a maximum combined total of $3,000 per person, $10,000 per trip if your bags are lost, damaged, or stolen.
• Premium Global Assist Hotline — Receive needed emergency assistance whenever you’re more than 100 miles from home. The coverage also includes emergency medical evacuation for the cardholder and qualifying family members with no specified dollar limit.

In addition to useful travel insurance benefits, the frequent traveler will receive elevated earnings on flights and prepaid hotels, travel-related and shopping benefits, flexible redemption choices, and statement credits for select purchases. Note that some benefits require enrollment through your American Express account.

What we like about the Amex Platinum card:

• Redeem points for 1 cent each for flights via AmexTravel.com
• Use American Express transfer partners for potentially greater value
• Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy Gold elite status
• Hertz, National, and Avis car rental perks and benefits
• Worldwide airport lounge access to over 1,400 properties including the Centurion lounge network
• Elite benefits at American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts and the Hotel Collection
• Statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee
• Up to $100 statement credit for Saks Fifth Avenue purchases
• Up to $240 in digital entertainment credits every year
• Up to $200 in Uber Cash every year
• Up to $300 in Equinox credits every year
• Up to $200 in airline fee credits every year
• Up to $189 in CLEAR Plus credits every year
• Purchase protection, return protection, cell phone protection, and extended warranty

The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the premium Capital One travel rewards card on the block.

Points and miles fans will be surprised to see that the Capital One Venture X card packs quite the punch when it comes to bookings made through Capital One, all while offering the lowest annual fee among premium credit cards.

Depending on your travel goals and preferences, the Capital One Venture X card could very well end up being your go-to card in your wallet.

• 10x miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel
• 5x miles per $1 on flights purchased through Capital One Travel
• $395 annual fee ( rates & fees )
• Does not offer bonus categories for flights or hotel purchases made directly with the airline or hotel group, the preferred booking method for those looking to earn elite status
• Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
• Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
• Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
• Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
• Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
• Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
• Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
• Elevate every hotel stay from the Premier or Lifestyle Collections with a suite of cardholder benefits, like an experience credit, room upgrades, and more
• Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck ®
• APR: 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)

Capital One Miles

The Capital One Venture X card is Capital One’s ultra-premium personal credit card. This card has a lot of benefits and features going for it, but it’s particularly noteworthy when it comes to travel insurance and protections :

• Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance — Although not as good as the other card options, this card’s trip cancellation/interruption insurance pays up to $2,000 per ticket.
• Trip Delay Reimbursement — If your trip is delayed for a covered reason for 6 hours or more or requires an overnight stay, you could receive reimbursement for up to $500 for necessary incidentals.
• Lost Luggage Reimbursement — If your checked or carry-on luggage is lost, stolen, or damaged, you can receive reimbursements of up to $3,000 per person, per trip.
• Travel and Emergency Assistance Services — With just a phone call, you can access medical or legal referrals, assistance with emergency transportation, and more.

The Capital One Venture X card has other noteworthy benefits and rewards that can help level up your travel:

• 10x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
• 2x miles on other purchases
• 10,000-mile anniversary bonus after every renewal year
• $300 Capital One Travel credit
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee statement credit
• Complimentary Hertz President’s Circle status
• Access to Capital One Lounges , Plaza Premium Lounges , and a Priority Pass Select membership
• Cell phone protection , purchase protection, extended warranty, and no foreign transaction fees ( rates & fees )

Perfect for frequent United flyers who want premium perks like United Club access and free baggage benefits.

The United Club℠ Infinite Card  is a premium card designed for the most dedicated of United frequent flyers who are looking for a card that provides the opportunity to earn extra United MileagePlus miles and receive lounge access via a yearly United Club membership.

United frequent flyers will find that the United Club Infinite card provides an enhanced experience on their United flights thanks to the money saved on each flight and the conveniences it provides.

• 4x miles per $1 on United purchases
• 2x miles per $1 on travel and dining purchases
• $525 annual fee
• Does not earn transferable rewards
• Earn 80,000 bonus miles after qualifying purchases
• Earn 4 miles per $1 spent on United ®  purchases
• Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on all other travel and dining
• Earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Free first and second checked bags - a savings of up to $320 per roundtrip (terms apply) - and Premier Access ® travel services
• 10% United Economy Saver Award discount within the continental U.S. and Canada
• Earn up to 10,000 Premier qualifying points (25 PQP for every $500 you spend on purchases)
• APR: 21.99% - 28.99% Variable
• Airline Credit Cards

The United Club Infinite card is the ultimate premium travel credit card for United travelers . In addition to a well-rounded collection of travel benefits, it also offers benefits specific to traveling with United Airlines. Let’s take a look at the travel insurance perks:

• Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver — Pay for the entire rental with your card, decline the agency’s CDW/LDW coverage, and receive primary car rental coverage for damage and theft.
• Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance — If your trip is disrupted due to a covered event, you can expect to receive up to $10,000 per covered person, with a total of $20,000 per trip for associated prepaid, non-refundable travel expenses.
• Trip Delay Reimbursement — Once your trip has been delayed 12 hours or overnight, you may receive reimbursement for incidentals of up to $100 per day for 5 days, up to $500 per ticket.
• Lost Luggage Reimbursement — If you or your eligible family member’s luggage is lost, damaged, or stolen, you could receive a benefit of up to $3,000 for checked or carry-on luggage.
• Baggage Delay Insurance — If your baggage is delayed more than 6 hours, you could receive up to $100 per day for up to 3 days in reimbursements for purchasing incidentals.
• Medical Evacuation Insurance  — If you become ill or injured when traveling, you could receive emergency transport coverage up to $100,000. Eligible family members are also covered.
• Roadside Assistance — Receive up to 4 service calls each year at no cost, up to $50 in value, should you break down when away from home.
• Travel Accident Insurance — Pay for your common carrier trip with your card and receive up to $500,000 for accidental death or dismemberment.
• Travel and Emergency Assistance Services — Use United’s dedicated phone line when traveling and receive medical or legal referrals, assistance with emergency transportation, and more.

Now let’s take a look at what you can expect for United-specific benefits on the card.

• Complimentary upgrades on United award flights
• United Club  membership ($650 value)
• First and second checked bag free for the cardholder and 1 companion
• Premier Access Services including priority check-in, security screening, boarding, and baggage handling
• Expanded access to award space inventory

While there’s plenty of value for the United Airlines traveler and a good foundation of travel benefits on the card, there are still more reasons to consider the United Club Infinite card:

• 2x miles for travel and dining purchases
• Statement credit for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck application fee
• Avis President’s Club status
• Luxury Resort & Hotel Collection benefits such as complimentary breakfast, room upgrades, and free Wi-Fi
• Visa Infinite concierge services
• Purchase protection and return protection

The Ink Business Preferred card is hard to beat, with a huge welcome bonus offer and 3x points per $1 on the first $150,000 in so many business categories.

The Ink Business Preferred ® Credit Card is a powerhouse for earning lots of points from your business purchases , especially for business owners that spend regularly on ads.

Plus the card offers flexible redemption options, including access to Chase airline and hotel transfer partners where you can achieve outsized value.

Business owners will also love the protections the card provides like excellent cell phone insurance , rental car insurance, purchase protection, and more.

• 3x Ultimate Rewards points per $1 on up to $150,000 in combined purchases on internet, cable and phone services, shipping expenses, travel, and ads purchased with search engines or social media sites
• Cell phone protection
• No elite travel benefits like airport lounge access
• Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠
• Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
• Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
• With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
• Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
• Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Travel℠
• Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
• APR: 21.24%-26.24% Variable
• Best Business Credit Cards

The Ink Business Preferred card comes with the same travel benefits and protections as the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, with these exceptions:

• Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption — The limit for these coverages on the Ink Business Preferred card is $5,000 per person, $10,000 per trip .
• Cell Phone Protection — Pay your cell phone bill with your card and receive $1,000 in cell phone protection with a $100 deductible.

You can also expect to enjoy these benefits:

• 3x earnings on travel, internet service/cable/phone, advertising on social media/search engines, and shipping (up to $150,000 in purchases each card anniversary year)
• 5x earnings on Lyft purchases through March 31, 2025
• Redeem points for 1.25 cents each via the Chase Travel portal or transfer to airline or hotel partners for potentially greater value
• Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection benefits
• Purchase protection, extended warranty, and no foreign transaction fees

This card is ideal for business travelers who enjoy luxury travel and are looking for a card loaded with benefits!

The Business Platinum Card ® from American Express is a premium travel rewards card tailored toward business owners who are frequent travelers with a high number of annual expenses.

When you factor in the large number of perks that the card offers like the best airport lounge access at over 1,400 lounges , along with tons of annual credits, it’s easy to see why this card can is a top option for frequent traveling business owners.

Hot Tip:  Check to see if you’re eligible for a huge welcome bonus offer of up to 170,000 points with the Amex Business Platinum. The current public offer is 150,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)

• 5x Membership Rewards points per $1 on flights and prepaid hotels at Amex Travel
• Access to over 1,400 worldwide airport lounges as part of the American Express Global Lounge Collection
• High annual fee of $695 ( rates & fees )
• Airline fee credit does not cover airfare, only incidentals like checked bags
• Welcome Offer: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards ® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
• 5X Membership Rewards ® points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases.
• Earn 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on each eligible purchase at US construction material, hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
• Unlock over $1,000 in statement credits on select purchases, including tech, recruiting and wireless in the first year of membership with the Business Platinum Card ® . Enrollment required. See how you can unlock over $1,000 annually in credits on select purchases with the Business Platinum Card ® , here.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to the Card.
• $189 CLEAR ® Plus Credit: Use your card and get up to $189 in statement credits per calendar year on your CLEAR ® Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use the Business Platinum Card ® .
• The American Express Global Lounge Collection ® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market as of 03/2023.
• $695 Annual Fee.
• APR: 19.49% - 28.49% Variable

Hot Tip:  Check to see if you’re eligible for a huge welcome bonus offer of up to 170,000 points with the Amex Business Platinum. The current public offer is 150,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)

The Amex Business Platinum card comes with the same list of travel insurance benefits as the personal version of the card.

Its other features and benefits differ. As with the personal card, terms may apply and enrollment may be required to receive the stated benefits, so verify your enrollment in your American Express account.

Also, you’ll get these incremental benefits:

• Redeem Membership Rewards points for 1 cent each for flights via AmexTravel.com or transfer to airline/hotel partners for potentially greater value
• 35% rebate on qualifying airfare paid for with points
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee statement credit
• Worldwide airport lounge access to over 1,400 properties including Centurion lounges
• Elite-level benefits at American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts and the Hotel Collection
• National, Avis, and Hertz car rental elite status and perks
• Up to $400 statement credit for Dell purchases
• Up to $360 statement credit for Indeed purchases
• Up to $150 statement credit for Adobe purchases
• Up to $120 in wireless statement credits
• Up to $200 airline fee credit

Hot Tip: Access our comprehensive article on the travel insurance benefits offered on American Express cards  for more detailed information.

Types of Credit Card Travel Insurance

There are many variations of credit card travel insurance, here is a look at some of the different types of coverage.

Trip cancellation or trip interruption coverage could be a valuable benefit if you need to cancel your trip due to a covered reason such as an illness or if your trip is disrupted due to a covered event such as weather.

Both the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and Chase Sapphire Reserve card provide up to $10,000 per person, $20,000 per occurrence , up to a maximum of $40,000 during a 12-month period.

Several credit cards offer a benefit if your trip is delayed, but many require more than a 12-hour delay and a lower benefit level of $100 per day for up to 3 days. Both of our recommended cards offer elevated benefit levels for delays 6 hours or more and up to $100 a day for up to 5 days .

To learn more about the best credit cards for trip delay coverage , we’ve got all the information you need in our detailed comparison.

A credit card could offer primary car rental coverage or secondary coverage. Secondary coverage requires you to first file a claim with your own insurance, while primary coverage does not.

We like the Chase Sapphire Preferred card best of all because it charges a lower annual fee while still providing a long list of travel insurance benefits, including primary car insurance coverage .

For a list of additional cards with primary car rental insurance , check out our recommendations.

Travel accident insurance is widely offered but seldom used. According to the most recent available data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics,  there were 0 deaths on a U.S. air or commuter carrier in 2020.

However, the best cards for travel accident insurance provide peace of mind that there would be a benefit offered if an accidental death or dismemberment should occur. We like that these cards offer up to $1,000,000 in coverage .

Should a medical emergency occur and there is a need for evacuation, you could be facing a steep bill for the expense. According to a leading travel insurance company Allianz , emergency evacuations start at a minimum of $15,000 and can exceed $200,000 .

The Amex Platinum card and Amex Business Platinum card provide coverage for emergency evacuation through the associated Premium Global Assistance coverage with no specified limit .

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card and United Club Infinite card come with $100,000 in emergency evacuation coverage plus $2,500 for emergency medical and dental services.

There are several things that can happen to your baggage during your trip. The common carrier could lose your bags, the bags could become damaged, someone could steal your bags, or your bags could just be delayed.

Given that, it is important that you hold one of the best credit cards for lost baggage if things go wrong during your trip. These coverages can offer up to $100 per day for a maximum of 5 days if your baggage is delayed for more than 6 hours, or up to $3,000 per covered person for lost luggage.

Roadside assistance (or roadside dispatch, as it can commonly be referred to) usually means you’ll have a dedicated phone line to call for referral services when you have a vehicle roadside emergency.

Services can include towing, tire changes, emergency fuel, and other related vehicle breakdown-related services. Basic roadside assistance coverage comes complimentary on a lot of the best credit cards for roadside assistance .

Bottom Line:  While a particular card may stand out over another in specific benefit options, you won’t go wrong selecting any one of these premium travel rewards cards for their overall package of travel insurance benefits. 

The main benefit of having a credit card with travel insurance is simply that it can save you money, time, and stress if anything happens to go wrong during your travels.

Having a card with trip delay insurance can cover a hotel and other necessities if your flight is delayed overnight. A card with baggage delay insurance can cover your cost of new clothes and toiletries if the airline misplaces your bag. Renting a car? No need to pay extra for the rental company’s insurance policy when your credit card provides one as a complimentary benefit.

No one wants to think about things going awry during their trip, but these things do happen, and when they do you’ll be immensely thankful that you have a credit card with travel insurance.

Many credit cards come with various levels of complimentary travel benefits and protections. And while credit card travel insurance coverages are not meant to replace a comprehensive travel insurance policy , the coverage may still be sufficient for most of your trips.

We’ll get down to the specifics of which travel insurance coverages are offered on credit cards shortly, but first, let’s talk about some of the limitations of these benefits and protections.

As with all types of insurance, there are exclusions, terms, and conditions. Here are some of the most common ones normally associated with credit card travel insurance:

• If you decide to cancel your flight because you do not want to fly, flight cancellation insurance on your credit card will not provide coverage . In fact, only the reasons published in the card’s guide to benefits are covered for trip cancellations.
• Credit card travel insurance such as trip cancellation/interruption/delay coverage or lost baggage insurance/delay is normally secondary to any other reimbursement you may receive. You must usually make a claim with the travel provider or other applicable coverage you might have before coverage applies.
• Credit cards require that the trip must be paid for either entirely or partially using the eligible credit card and/or the card’s associated rewards points.
• There are conditions for coverage to be valid, such as declining coverage with the car rental agency, for the car rental insurance on your credit card to apply.
• The claim process can be difficult as credit card issuers do not directly handle travel insurance claims. Claims are processed by a third-party administrator, which could require a lot of information, documentation, and follow-up.

There can be many other exclusions and conditions for coverage to be valid, which is common with insurance in general, but the travel insurance that comes with your credit card can still offer tremendous value .

Bottom Line: While many credit cards come with complimentary travel insurance coverage, benefit levels can vary greatly. Additionally, there are exclusions to coverages, terms and conditions that must be met, and in many cases, the credit card coverage is secondary to that of the travel provider. The claim process can also be challenging. Despite all this, credit card travel insurance can be worth it. 

How To Submit a Travel Insurance Claim

The exact process for submitting a claim for your travel insurance protection is going to vary based on your card issuer, but here are a few most-do things.

Give a call to the bank that issues the credit card that you have your travel protection through and let them know the issue you are having. They can then walk you through your coverage details, what you need to do to submit a claim, and how long it might take to expect your reimbursement.

You can get a good idea of the purchases that should and should not be covered by reading the policy terms that your credit card provides. If you’re filing a claim for trip delay insurance, then reasonable purchases like a hotel stay, meals, etc., should be covered.  However, extravagant or unnecessary purchases, such as a new laptop, are likely to be denied.

When you submit your claim, you’ll need to provide proof of all the purchases you made and their amounts to be reimbursed. Keep the receipts of every expense you incur and consider making copies of any receipts that aren’t digital.

The coverage you have on your credit cards may be sufficient to not only provide peace of mind, but serve as a more-than-adequate backup coverage if the airline or other travel provider doesn’t come through should something go wrong during your travels.

Also, keep in mind that premium travel rewards cards can come with higher annual fees. If you don’t find value in these elevated benefit levels, selecting a card with fewer benefits and a lower annual fee may be an appropriate alternative.

Keep in mind that we have not listed every benefit on each card and descriptions have been abbreviated. Before traveling, you should reference your card’s benefits guide or call the number on the back of your card for specific coverage information.

Plus, if you’re planning an expensive and/or complicated trip, it’s best to purchase a travel insurance policy that will cover that specific trip or an annual travel insurance policy that covers all of the trips you might take in those 12 months.

If you’re worried about canceling a trip for reasons not listed in the card’s coverage description,   you could consider Cancel for Any Reason insurance.  Credit card travel insurance will not cover a voluntary cancellation.

To learn more about purchasing travel insurance, check out our additional articles on the topic:

• The Best Travel Insurance Companies for All Travelers
• An Introductory Guide to Travel Insurance

If you’re comfortable with the economic risk associated with a specific trip being disrupted, there’s no need to purchase a stand-alone travel insurance policy.

For the car rental collision damage coverage benefit of The Platinum Card ® from American Express, car rental loss and damage insurance can provide coverage up to $75,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car rental loss or damage coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. For the trip cancellation and interruption insurance and trip delay insurance benefits of The Platinum Card ® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company. For the baggage insurance plan benefit of The Platinum Card ® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. For the Premium Global Assist Hotline benefit of The Platinum Card ® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/ benefitsguide for more details. If approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline, emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost. In any other circumstance, card members may be responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers. For the cell phone protection benefit of The Platinum Card ® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/ benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company. For the extended warranty and purchase protection benefit of The Platinum Card ® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the car rental collision damage coverage benefit of The Business Platinum Card ® from American Express, car rental loss and damage insurance can provide coverage up to $75,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car rental loss or damage coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. For the trip cancellation and interruption insurance and trip delay insurance benefits of The Business Platinum Card ® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company. For the baggage insurance plan benefit of The Business Platinum Card ® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. For the Premium Global Assist Hotline benefit of The Business Platinum Card ® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. If approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline, emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost. In any other circumstance, card members may be responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers. For the cell phone protection benefit of The Business Platinum Card ® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

All information and content provided by Upgraded Points is intended as general information and for educational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as medical advice or legal advice. For more information, see our  Medical & Legal Disclaimers .

The information regarding the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card ® from American Express, click here . For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card ® from American Express, click here .

Frequently Asked Questions

Which credit card has the best travel insurance.

The best credit cards for travel insurance are generally premium travel rewards credit cards issued by Chase, Capital One, or American Express.

However, the best overall card for you may not be the one with the best travel insurance coverage. Other factors, such as earnings that match up with your greatest spending categories, redemption priorities, and the card having specific benefits you will actually use, should play key roles in selecting the best credit card for you.

Is credit card travel insurance worth it?

Credit card travel insurance can be worth it if you ever have to use it. For example, if you pay for your rental car with your card and have a covered accident, the coverage would have tremendous value.

The travel insurance coverage that comes complimentary on your credit card can also serve as backup coverage if the travel provider does not come through with compensation. For example, if your flight is disrupted due to weather and the airline will not cover a hotel, your credit card insurance trip interruption or delay insurance may provide some coverage.

If you’re spending a lot of money on a multi-faceted trip that involves several travel providers and you have money tied up in non-refundable deposits, you may want to consider purchasing travel insurance.

If you just pay for a flight and hotel with your eligible card, the coverage that comes with the card may be more than sufficient.

Is my trip covered if I book with points?

Yes. If you pay for your trip with your eligible card and/or with points/miles earned on that card, you would have coverage for a covered loss.

Does my credit card cover trip cancellation?

The trip cancellation insurance that comes with your credit card covers limited reasons for canceling your trip. Voluntary cancellation is not one of those reasons. If you or a family member becomes ill and you cannot travel, however, this situation could be covered.

If you are concerned that you may have to cancel a trip, you should consider purchasing refundable travel or Cancel for Any Reason insurance .

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About Christine Krzyszton

Christine ran her own business developing and managing insurance and financial services. This stoked a passion for points and miles and she now has over 2 dozen credit cards and creates in-depth, detailed content for UP.

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Guide to travel insurance with credit cards

As you plan your next trip, check your credit cards for their travel insurance benefits

Published: July 13, 2022

Author: Susan Ladika

Editor: Grace Pilling

Reviewer: Kaitlyn Tang

How we Choose

This guide features what’s included in travel insurance and how to assess what coverage you need based on your trip type, destination and length.

The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of our partner offers may have expired. Please review our list of best credit cards , or use our CardMatch™ tool to find cards matched to your needs.

Travel insurance has your back when the unexpected happens on a trip. In fact, many countries—from Anguilla to the United Arab Emirates—require visitors to have travel insurance upon arrival.

One way to protect your investment in a grand getaway or storybook honeymoon is through travel insurance. A number of credit cards offer travel insurance , covering everything from canceled or interrupted travel to lost luggage and damage to a rental car. That said, the type of coverage varies.

According to Carol Mueller, vice president of Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, about 25 percent to 30 percent of leisure travelers in the United States purchase travel insurance.

But before you purchase a travel insurance policy for your next vacation or hop on a flight assuming your credit card’s got you covered, here’s what you should know about travel insurance and how to pick the right coverage for you.

• What is travel insurance?

Travel insurance (sometimes called trip insurance) will reimburse your prepaid travel expenses if things go awry or compensate you in the event of an emergency.

Depending on the type of coverage you have — either offered via a credit card or with a travel insurance policy you paid for — you may get your money back if you have to cancel the trip before you depart or if you cut your trip short for an unforeseen reason.

Credit cards may include types of coverage that you won’t find with a travel insurance policy you purchase, such as coverage for rental cars. And the travel insurance you purchase may offer coverage that your card doesn’t include, such as medical evacuation insurance.

• Who needs travel insurance?

In some cases, the insurance benefits provided by your credit card may be enough. In other cases, you might want to boost your benefits by purchasing travel insurance. The difference may depend on where you’re headed and how much the trip costs.

If you spend $200 on an airline ticket to visit your parents one state over, you might not need additional travel insurance. But if you’re going on a cruise that costs thousands of dollars and need to make payments months in advance, you might want the extra protection that travel insurance offers.

To determine what kind of travel insurance you need, including how much coverage you need in terms of dollars, consider the following questions:

• Will you be traveling domestically or internationally?
• How long will you be traveling? Is it a short trip (seven days or less) or a long trip?
• Are you traveling for business, pleasure or an emergency?

For example, if you’re going on a quick business trip, you will likely not need the same level of travel insurance coverage as if you’re heading out on a weeklong vacation outside the U.S.

How much does travel insurance cost?

If you have a credit card that offers travel insurance, then there’s no extra cost. You generally need to just use that card to pay for the trip in order to be eligible for coverage.

If your cards don’t meet your travel insurance needs — or you just want to be covered for any contingency — you may want to supplement your coverage by purchasing a travel insurance policy.

A travel insurance policy usually costs about 5 percent to 7 percent of the cost of the trip, Mueller says.

The main factors in the price of a travel insurance policy are the type of trip, including cost, length and destination, and the traveler’s age and any existing medical conditions.

What are the types of travel insurance?

There can be big differences between credit card coverage and a travel insurance policy you pay for out of pocket. The types of coverage offered can also vary greatly from one credit card to another.

Trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance

Trip cancellation insurance can reimburse your nonrefundable travel costs if you need to cancel your trip for a covered reason, such as illness or injury, before you depart.

Trip interruption insurance can reimburse your costs when you’re already on the road and your trip is interrupted for a covered reason, such as an illness or a natural disaster.

Many credit cards provide either trip cancellation, trip interruption insurance or both. There can be wide variations in coverage limits for trip cancellation/interruption insurance, and premium cards usually offer more generous policies.

For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve , which has a hefty $550 annual fee, offers both trip interruption and cancellation insurance that provides coverage of up to $10,000 per person (up to $20,000 per trip) for prepaid, nonrefundable travel expenses. Meanwhile, the no-annual-fee Wells Fargo Visa Signature credit card * provides up to $2,000 per person in trip cancellation or interruption insurance.

Travel accident insurance

Travel accident insurance (often called flight accident insurance or accidental death and dismemberment insurance) is included with several credit cards. This insurance can provide a payout if you are killed or lose a limb or one of your senses — such as sight or hearing — while traveling on a common carrier.

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card , for example, provides up to $250,000 of such insurance.

Emergency medical and evacuation insurance

This type of insurance covers emergency evacuation if you or your spouse, domestic partner or dependent children become seriously injured or ill while you’re traveling. Both the Citi Prestige® Card * and Chase Sapphire Reserve cards cover emergency services and transportation up to $100,000.

Once you are evacuated to a hospital, though, you may have to foot your own medical bills.

According to Steven Benna, spokesperson for the travel insurance site Squaremouth.com, Medicare generally does not pay if you have a medical emergency outside of the United States, and many private health insurance plans may not cover you if you’re traveling abroad.

Travel insurance policies you purchase on your own can include both emergency evacuation insurance and emergency medical insurance.

‘Cancel for any reason’ insurance

Cancel for any reason (CFAR) insurance will allow you to earn refunds on hotels and flights even if you cancel these reservations for reasons not included by traditional travel insurance policies.

These policies can be expensive, with most carriers who provide them offering them as an upgrade to a traditional travel insurance policy. Not all CFAR policies reimburse all your travel costs. Some policies, for instance, only reimburse you for 75 percent of your costs.

Trip delay insurance

Both comprehensive travel insurance policies and many credit cards, including some airline credit cards , will cover your expenses if your trip is delayed for a certain amount of time. The United Explorer Card , for example, will cover expenses such as meals or lodging if your trip is delayed more than 12 hours or if an overnight stay is required.

Lost or delayed baggage

Comprehensive travel insurance will typically cover the purchase of clothing and other essentials if your baggage is delayed. Some credit cards will also cover lost or delayed luggage. The Capital One Venture Rewards Card, for example, reimburses you for up to $3,000 if your luggage is lost.

Auto insurance

Credit cards may also offer travel protections that extend beyond flights, hotels and cruises. A number of credit cards, including the American Express® Gold Card , will cover you if you decline the collision damage waiver when renting a car and your rental vehicle is damaged or stolen.

Comprehensive insurance

Comprehensive insurance is by far the most popular type of coverage sold by travel insurance companies, Mueller says.

It bundles different coverages for one flat fee and can include trip interruption and cancellation insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, travel delay insurance, emergency medical, dental and evacuation insurance and baggage delay insurance.

Who is covered by travel insurance?

Benefits provided by your credit card may cover you, your spouse or domestic partner and your dependent children. If you purchase travel insurance, you can buy a policy just for yourself or for your whole family if you are traveling together.

Be sure to check your benefit details or clearly communicate with an insurance provider when purchasing a policy to ensure your travel insurance offers sufficient coverage for all travelers in your party who need it.

• How to find travel insurance

If you’ve got a trip coming up, first check your credit cards to see which types of coverage they provide. Travel insurance benefits on Chase cards , for example, tend to be impressive, especially on cards with a higher annual fee. You can also find solid travel insurance benefits with American Express and other issuers.

If you’re in the market for a new card and you’ve got a big trip on the horizon, you might want to check the travel benefits offered before applying for the card. You might even land a sweet sign-up bonus that will help cover some of your travel costs.

If you want to supplement your card benefits with other coverage, reach out to your current provider for home or auto insurance or check out travel insurance aggregators such as InsureMyTrip or SquareMouth .

Mueller recommends buying travel insurance within 15 days of making a deposit or paying for your trip.

Considering many policies have exclusions for preexisting conditions, you don’t want to be diagnosed with a disease and then be unable to buy travel insurance. Another reason to buy insurance well ahead of your trip includes the potential for unforeseen circumstances, such as a natural disaster or terrorist attack near or at your trip’s destination.

What to look out for with travel insurance

Changes to your credit card benefits.

Even if one of your credit cards offered travel insurance when you initially signed up, card issuers can change or remove benefits, so be sure to check your coverage before you depart. By the same token, perhaps you’re unaware of coverage offered by a card or, less commonly, one of your existing cards may also start offering travel insurance, so it’s wise to check the offerings on all your cards before a trip.

Exclusions and fine print

Both travel insurance that comes with your credit card and coverage you purchase will have exclusions, so read the fine print . For example, travel insurance typically won’t cover you for preexisting medical conditions or if you’re traveling against the advice of a physician.

Accidents arising from certain activities may also be excluded from coverage — if you’re participating in a competitive sport, for example, or a high-risk activity like sky diving. If your itinerary includes such activities, you might be able to purchase a special policy, often tagged as an “adventurer” package.

Bottom line

Whatever you do and wherever you go on your next trip, you’ll want to be prepared. To be safe, be sure your next trip’s planning involves checking your credit card travel insurance benefits and purchasing additional travel insurance if you feel it’s needed.

*All information about Wells Fargo Visa Signature and Citi Prestige has been collected independently by CreditCards.com. The issuer did not provide the content, nor is it responsible for its accuracy.

Editorial Disclaimer

The editorial content on this page is based solely on the objective assessment of our writers and is not driven by advertising dollars. It has not been provided or commissioned by the credit card issuers. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners.

Susan Ladika spent more than three decades working as a journalist, reporting everywhere from Bali to Bosnia to Tampa Bay. Susan began writing about the fascinating field of personal finance for CreditCards.com and Bankrate during the heart of the Great Recession, when everyone wanted to learn how to save money and spend what they had more wisely. Over the years she’s written about a wide range of personal finance topics, including credit cards and debit cards, financial scams and frauds, savings and checking accounts, real estate and insurance.

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• Cost of travel insurance
• Types of travel insurance
• Who is covered?
• What to look out for

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What You Need to Know About Credit Card Travel Insurance

What does credit card travel insurance cover how does it work and what are some credit cards that offer trip protection start to unravel the complexities in this beginner’s guide..

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Whether your flight was delayed or your trip was derailed by COVID, you could recoup some of your costs with insurance provided by travel credit cards.

Photo by Shutterstock

AFAR partners with CreditCards.com and may receive a commission from card issuers. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Compensation may impact how an offer is presented. Our coverage is independent and objective, and has not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are entirely those of the AFAR editorial team.

Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.

Travel can be fun and exciting, but many things can go wrong on a trip. There are flight cancellations and delays, lost luggage, and even the dreadful reality of contracting COVID away from home . Investing in travel insurance can alleviate the fear of such situations. But sometimes protections offered by travel insurance companies are ones that you already get for free from your credit card .

You read correctly. Just by charging travel to your credit card, you may be entitled to coverage that you never knew you had. As with third-party travel insurance—and basically any insurance for that matter—so many terms and conditions apply, there are rules after rules, and COVID reimbursements are a tricky topic.

The subject of credit card travel insurance is very complicated—way too complicated for a single article—yet the basics are worth knowing before booking your next trip.

What is travel protection on a credit card?

Most—but not all—credit cards provide several implicit travel insurances as benefits for being a cardholder. These insurances usually kick in when charging travel to the credit card or using points for travel through a credit card’s loyalty program. Said travel insurances are collectively referred to as travel protections in credit card literature. Typically, when searching for the travel coverages your credit card provides, you will find them lumped under a banner or heading labeled “Travel Protections.”

What does your credit card travel insurance cover?

Some of the best travel credit cards provide travel insurance as part of their regular benefits. Some do not. Depending on the credit card, you may be entitled to some compensation under the following insurances:

• Emergency Evacuation & Transportation: If you become ill on your trip and require medical evacuation and treatment
• Trip Interruption and Cancellation: If you need to cancel or cut short your trip due to specific unforeseen circumstances
• Emergency Medical and Dental Benefit: If you require emergency medical or dental services during a covered trip
• Trip Accident Insurance: If you are severely injured, maimed, or–eek–die on your trip
• Trip Delay: If your common carrier is delayed more than a specified number of hours
• Delayed Baggage: If your bags arrive late, beyond a specified number of hours
• Lost Baggage: If your bags are deemed lost for good
• Rental Car Insurance: If you rent a car more than a specified number of miles away from your domicile and experience theft or damage to the rental car that you did not cause

Again, it’s important to note that not all cards with travel insurance include all these coverages. Each is different. Moreover, if you buy third-party travel insurance , it may or may not include specific protections (and covered reasons) that you don’t already get with your credit card.

What credit cards come with travel insurance?

Remember those pamphlets that arrived in the mail when you received your credit card, the ones you threw in the recycling bin? Likely within that paperwork was a handy “Guide to Benefits” that detailed the travel insurances of your credit card. Thankfully, most of this information can still be retrieved online when logging into your credit card account or even doing a simple Google search.

In the most general sense, every credit card is unique in its benefits—and that includes travel insurances. Some cards like the Citi Premier® Card , which ranks best in class for extended warranty protection on shopping purchases and is great for earning points on travel, comes with zero travel protections. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Chase Sapphire Reserve® has the most comprehensive suite of travel protections, ranging from Medevac insurance to rental car insurance as primary coverage.

Below is a chart of six popular travel credit cards and the insurances they do and do not provide.

Within each box of this chart lies more layers of complexity. Often, you are entitled to itemized coverages only under specific circumstances known as “covered reasons.” Moreover, several cards may offer the same protection, say “Trip Delay Protection,” but each may define a delay differently (i.e., 6 hours vs. 12 hours) and then may cap reimbursements at different amounts. Similarly, while some rental car insurance policies like the Chase Sapphire Reserve offer primary coverage, others offer only secondary coverage (meaning, you’d need to go through your own regular car insurance first). On top of that, travel to specific countries may be excluded under some policies.

All this to say, read the fine print!

Where does COVID related coverage fit into credit card travel insurance?

To start, your credit card travel insurance is not an umbrella policy for COVID-related expenses. But you can find some COVID coverage within the Trip Cancellation & Interruption policies of select cards.

In the most general sense, if you decide to cancel your trip because of COVID (or civil unrest—another big topic nowadays), you will not be covered. Even the most generous of travel insurance-promoting credit cards, Chase Sapphire Reserve, states in its Guide to Benefits that “your disinclination to travel due to an epidemic or pandemic” is not covered by its Trip Cancellation & Interruption policies.

However, should you get sick while traveling, some coverage may kick in. Again, this will require reading through the fine print of your specific credit card’s Guide to Benefits. Within the Trip Cancellation & Interruption policies of Chase Sapphire Reserve, it states, “quarantine of you or your travel companion imposed by a physician or by a competent governmental authority having jurisdiction, due to health reasons,” is a covered event while the guide for The Platinum Card® from American Express (see rates and fees ) states, “quarantine imposed by a physician for health reasons” is also a covered event. What may be covered (if and when documented properly) is any prepaid trip expense charged to the credit card that you are unable to fulfill due to your illness. That means things like changing your flight home or a refund for the part of your trip/hotel stay missed after testing positive and having to quarantine. That said, neither card will pay for your expenses to stay in a hotel to recover from COVID.

Credit card travel insurance is complicated, and policies differ by card. However, it’s worth deciphering your card’s coverages to know exactly what you’re entitled to as a cardholder before booking your next trip–and to avoid redundant third-party travel insurance.

While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they are subject to change at any time, and may have changed or may no longer be available.

Best credit cards for travel insurance in 2024

Travel insurance benefits offered through credit cards can include trip cancellation and interruption insurance, travel delay coverage and lost luggage reimbursement. You must pay for travel with a common carrier with your respective card for complimentary travel insurance benefits to apply. While credit cards with travel insurance can help protect your trip, they come up short when it comes to protection for emergency medical expenses.

Our top recommendations

• card_name : Best travel insurance benefits overall.
• card_name : Best travel insurance benefits, runner-up.
• card_name : Best for premium benefits.
• card_name : Best for luxury travel.
• card_name : Best for food spending.
• card_name : Best for flat-rate rewards.
• card_name : Best with no annual fee.
• card_name : Best airline credit card for travel insurance.
• card_name : Best for Marriott Bonvoy.
• Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card : Best for Hilton Honors.

card_name : Best travel insurance benefits overall

Chase sapphire reserve®, why we like it.

This card’s points can save you a bundle on travel in two key ways: You can redeem them for airfare, hotel stays, rental cars and more through Chase Travel at a rate of 1.5 cents. Or, you can convert them into several different airline miles and hotel points currencies to potentially get a value of 2 cents (or more) in travel from your rewards.

• Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to airlines and hotels.
• Get 50% more value for travel booked through Chase.
• Comes with $300 travel credit each year.
• Includes airport lounge access.
• No foreign transaction fees.
• Comes with generous travel insurance benefits.
• annual_fees annual fee.
• High variable APR.
• Requires very good or excellent credit.

Travel insurance benefits:

• Trip cancellation coverage worth up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip.
• Trip interruption coverage worth up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip.
• Trip delay coverage worth up to $500 per ticket (six-hour delay required).
• Baggage delay coverage worth up to $100 per day for five days.
• Lost luggage reimbursement worth up to $3,000 per passenger.
• Travel accident insurance worth up to $1 million.
• Primary rental car coverage worth up to $75,000.
• Emergency medical and dental benefits worth up to $2,500 when you're at least 100 miles from home.
• Emergency evacuation coverage worth up to $100,000.

The card_name Card has the best selection of travel insurance benefits of any credit card on the market today by far. Its coverage is broad and rewarding with included benefits for medical expenses and emergency evacuation you don't see from other travel credit cards.

This card also earns valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points that can be redeemed for cash back, gift cards, merchandise or travel through Chase with 50% more value. Points also transfer 1:1 to airline and hotel partners like British Airways, Southwest Rapid Rewards, United MileagePlus and World of Hyatt.

card_name : Best travel insurance benefits, runner-up

Chase sapphire preferred® card.

The biggest selling point of the card is its flexible rewards. You can travel for pennies on the dollar by transferring the points you earn to airline and hotel loyalty programs such as Hyatt, United Airlines, British Airways and many more. You can also redeem your points for flights, rental cars and cruises through Chase Travel at a rate of 1.25 cents each.

• Points transfer 1:1 to Chase airline and hotel partners.
• Get 25% more value for points when booking travel through Chase.
• Other flexible rewards options.
• Excellent earning rate for everyday purchases.
• Comes with a $50 annual hotel stay credit.
• Requires very good to excellent credit.
• No luxury travel benefits.
• Trip interruption insurance worth up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip.
• Trip delay insurance worth up to $500 per ticket (12-hour delay required).
• Baggage delay insurance worth up to $100 per day for five days.
• Travel accident insurance worth up to $500,000.
• Primary rental car insurance worth up to the actual cash value of the car.

The card_name offers similar travel insurance protections as the Reserve, but with fewer benefits and some lower coverage limits. However, the annual fee on this card is just annual_fees , and users still earn valuable and flexible Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

This makes the card_name a good option for frequent travelers who want the chance to transfer their rewards to airline and hotel partners but want to keep costs down. Customers can also use their points to book travel through the Chase portal, or they can redeem for cash back, gift cards or merchandise.

card_name : Best for premium benefits

Capital one venture x rewards credit card.

• Earns flexible miles that transfer to Capital One airline and hotel partners.
• $300 annual travel credit.
• Airport lounge membership included.
• Excellent rewards rate for eligible travel purchases.
• Lower annual fee than other premium cards with airport lounge access.
• High APR if you carry a balance.
• Excellent credit required.
• Trip cancellation coverage worth up to $2,000 per person.
• Trip interruption coverage worth up to $2,000 per person.
• Lost luggage reimbursement worth up to $3,000 per covered trip ($2,000 per bag in New York).
• Trip delay insurance worth up to $500 per ticket (six-hour delay required).
• Primary auto rental coverage worth up to $75,000.

The card_name is a Visa Infinite card, so it includes a range of travel insurance protections you won't find with other cards. This flexible travel credit card also earns Capital One miles that can be used to book travel through Capital One or transferred to Capital One airline and hotel partners. Additional flexible redemption options include gift cards, statement credits, merchandise and more.

Other reasons to love this card include its $300 annual travel credit, airport lounge membership, cell phone protection and Hertz President's Circle status.

card_name : Best for luxury travel

The platinum card® from american express.

( Rates & Fees )

Insurance disclosures

• Trip Delay Insurance - Up to $500 per Covered Trip that is delayed for more than 6 hours; and 2 claims per Eligible Card per 12 consecutive month period. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
• Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance - The maximum benefit amount for Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance is $10,000 per Covered Trip and $20,000 per Eligible Card per 12 consecutive month period. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
• Premium Global Assist Hotline - You can rely on Global Assist Hotline 24 hours a day / 7 days a week for medical, legal, financial, or other select emergency coordination and assistance services while traveling more than 100 miles away from your home. Plus, we may provide emergency medical transportation assistance and related services. Third-party service costs may be your responsibility. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. If approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline, emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost. In any other circumstance, Card Members may be responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.
• Cell Phone Protection - Coverage for a Stolen or damaged Eligible Cellular Wireless Telephone is subject to the terms, conditions, exclusions, and limits of liability of this benefit. The maximum liability is $800, per claim, per Eligible Card Account. Each claim is subject to a $50 deductible. Coverage is limited to two (2) claims per Eligible Card Account per 12 month period. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
• Extended Warranty – When an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase to an Eligible Card, Extended Warranty§ can provide up to one extra year added to the Original Manufacturer’s Warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your Card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
• Return Protection - With Return Protection, you may return eligible purchases to American Express if the seller won’t take them back up to 90 days from the date of purchase. American Express may refund the full purchase price excluding shipping and handling, up to $300 per item, up to a maximum of $1,000 per calendar year per Card account, if you purchased it entirely with your eligible American Express® Card. Purchases must be made in the U.S. or its territories. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
• Purchase Protection - Purchase Protection is an embedded benefit of your Card Membership and requires no enrollment. It can help protect Covered Purchases made on your Eligible Card when they’re accidentally damaged, stolen, or lost, for up to 90 days from the Covered Purchase date. The coverage is limited to up to $10,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Coverage Limits Apply. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
• Baggage Insurance Plan - Baggage Insurance Plan coverage can be in effect for Covered Persons for eligible lost, damaged, or stolen Baggage during their travel on a Common Carrier Vehicle (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus) when the Entire Fare for a ticket for the trip (one-way or round-trip) is charged to an Eligible Card. Coverage can be provided for up to $2,000 for checked Baggage and up to a combined maximum of $3,000 for checked and carry-on baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the Common Carrier. The coverage is also subject to a $3,000 aggregate limit per Covered Trip. For New York State residents, there is a $2,000 per bag/suitcase limit for each Covered Person with a $10,000 aggregate maximum for all Covered Persons per Covered Trip. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
• Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance - Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $75,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
• Earns flexible Amex Membership Rewards points.
• $1,500+ in statement credits each year.
• Broadest airport lounge membership available today.
• Very good to excellent credit required.
• Statement credits can be difficult to use.
• Trip cancellation coverage worth up to $10,000 per trip (maximum benefit of $20,000 each 12-month period).
• Trip interruption coverage worth up to $10,000 per trip (maximum benefit of $20,000 each 12-month period).
• Trip delay coverage worth up to $500 per trip (six-hour delay required).
• Secondary rental car insurance worth up to $75,000.

‌ card_name doesn't offer as many travel insurance benefits as other premium travel credit cards on our list, but it does offer more statement credits and the broadest airport lounge membership available from a credit card. This card also earns flexible American Express Membership Rewards points that can be used for travel through Amex, point transfers to Amex airline and hotel partners, gift cards and other flexible options. Terms apply.

card_name : Best for food spending

American express® gold card.

Trip Delay Insurance - Up to $300 per Covered Trip that is delayed for more than 12 hours; and 2 claims per Eligible Card per 12 consecutive month period.

• Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply.
• Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
• Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

Global Assist Hotline - You can rely on Global Assist Hotline 24 hours a day / 7 days a week for medical, legal, financial or other select emergency coordination and assistance services while traveling more than 100 miles away from your home. Third-party service costs may be your responsibility.

• Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.

Extended Warranty - When an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase to an Eligible Card, Extended Warranty§ can provide up to one extra year added to the Original Manufacturer’s Warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your Card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year.

• Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

Purchase Protection - Purchase Protection is an embedded benefit of your Card Membership and requires no enrollment. It can help protect Covered Purchases made on your Eligible Card when they’re accidentally damaged, stolen, or lost, for up to 90 days from the Covered Purchase date. The coverage is limited up to $10,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Coverage Limits Apply.

Baggage Insurance Plan - Baggage Insurance Plan coverage can be in effect for Eligible Persons for eligible lost, damaged, or stolen Baggage during their travel on a Common Carrier (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus) when the entire fare for a Common Carrier Vehicle ticket for the trip (one-way or round-trip) is charged to an eligible Account. Coverage can be provided for up to $1,250 for carry-on Baggage and up to $500 for checked Baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the Common Carrier (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus). For New York State residents, there is a $10,000 aggregate maximum limit for all Covered Persons per Covered Trip.

Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance - Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $50,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply.

• Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
• Points transfer to Amex airline and hotel partners.
• Comes with up to $240 in statement credits each year.
• Generous rewards for food spending and airfare.
• High APR can apply.
• Baggage insurance plan worth up to $1,250 for carry-on bags and up to $500 for checked bags ($10,000 aggregate coverage limit for residents of New York).
• Secondary auto rental coverage worth up to $50,000 per rental agreement.
• Trip delay insurance worth up to $300 per covered trip (up to two claims allowed per 12-month period).

The card_name offers a few important travel protections, plus generous rewards for big food spenders. In addition to its impressive rewards rates for purchases at U.S. supermarkets and restaurants worldwide, this card also comes with up to $240 in credits per year that can apply to select dining purchases and Uber rides or Uber Eats food deliveries.

Cardholders with the card_name also earn American Express Membership Rewards points that are highly flexible and valuable when it comes to travel redemptions.

card_name : Best for flat-rate rewards

Capital one venture rewards credit card.

• Earns flexible rewards with Capital One.
• Miles transfer to Capital One airline and hotel partners.
• Excellent flat rewards rate.
• Fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership included.
• Primary auto rental coverage worth up to the actual cash value of a vehicle if you don't have your own insurance (secondary coverage if you have your own insurance)
• Lost luggage reimbursement worth up to $3,000 per trip ($2,000 per bag for New York residents)
• Travel accident insurance worth up to $250,000

The card_name offers a few travel insurance benefits that can help protect your trip. Cardholders also earn flexible Capital One miles that can be used to book travel through Capital One or transferred to airline and hotel partners. Rewards can also be used for statement credits, gift cards and other flexible options.

The annual_fees annual fee on this card makes it a steal when you consider the sign-up bonus you can earn, along with perks like a fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership.

card_name : Best with no annual fee

Chase freedom unlimited®.

A high return rate on everyday purchases is great, but this card ups the ante in a big way: You can turn the cash back you earn into airline miles and hotel points for nearly free travel — skyrocketing the potential value of your rewards. You’ll need to hold an annual fee-incurring Chase Ultimate Rewards card, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, to do it; but it’s a nice redemption option to have if travel is a goal of yours.

• Generous cash back rate for everyday purchases.
• Comes with intro APR offer.
• Rewards points are flexible.
• Points do not transfer to Chase airline and hotel partners.
• High variable APR after intro offer.
• Charges foreign transaction fees.
• Trip cancellation coverage worth up to $1,500 per passenger and $6,000 per covered trip.
• Trip interruption coverage worth up to $1,500 per passenger and $6,000 per covered trip.
• Secondary auto rental coverage.

The card_name is an excellent choice for infrequent travelers who want protection for trip cancellation and interruption first and foremost. This card doesn't charge an annual fee, and it features incredible cash back rates in several everyday spending categories. Users even get an intro_apr_rate,intro_apr_duration and balance_transfer_intro_apr,balance_transfer_intro_duration , which can help them save on interest payments for more than a year.

card_name : Best airline credit card for travel insurance

United quest℠ card.

These valuable benefits make it easy to justify the card_name annual fee, even before you factor in rewards earnings. Plus, the up to 6,000 in PQPs every year makes it easier to access United status benefits that make traveling even more enticing.

• Earns United miles that are redeemable for flights with United and Star Alliance partners.
• Comes with frequent flyer benefits.
• Earn PQP toward elite status.
• annual_fees annual fee applies.
• Rewards inflexibility.
• Trip cancellation coverage worth up to $1,500 per traveler and up to $6,000 per covered trip.
• Trip interruption coverage worth up to $1,500 per traveler and up to $6,000 per covered trip.
• Baggage delay insurance worth up to $100 per day for three days (six-hour delay required).
• Trip delay reimbursement worth up to $500 per ticket (12-hour delay or overnight stay required).
• Primary auto rental coverage worth up to the cash value of the vehicle.

While the card_name requires a annual_fees annual fee, this card comes with a robust selection of travel insurance benefits and frequent-flyer perks. Users also earn United miles that can be used for flights with United and partners to more than 1,200 destinations in 186 countries around the world.

This card also gives members the chance to earn PQP toward elite status with the United MileagePlus program.

card_name : Best for Marriott Bonvoy

Marriott bonvoy brilliant® american express® card.

Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance - The maximum benefit amount for Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance is $10,000 per Covered Trip and $20,000 per Eligible Card per 12 consecutive month period.

Premium Global Assist Hotline - You can rely on Global Assist Hotline 24 hours a day / 7 days a week for medical, legal, financial or other select emergency coordination and assistance services while traveling more than 100 miles away from your home. Plus, we may provide emergency medical transportation assistance and related services. Third-party service costs may be your responsibility.

• If approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline, emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost. In any other circumstance, Card Members may be responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.

Return Protection - With Return Protection, you may return eligible purchases to American Express if the seller won't take them back up to 90 days from the date of purchase. American Express may refund the full purchase price excluding shipping and handling, up to $300 per item, up to a maximum of $1,000 per calendar year per Card account, if you purchased it entirely with your eligible American Express® Card. Purchases must be made in the U.S. or its territories.

Baggage Insurance Plan - Baggage Insurance Plan coverage can be in effect for Covered Persons for eligible lost, damaged, or stolen Baggage during their travel on a Common Carrier Vehicle (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus) when the Entire Fare for a ticket for the trip (one-way or round-trip) is charged to an Eligible Card. Coverage can be provided for up to $2,000 for checked Baggage and up to a combined maximum of $3,000 for checked and carry-on Baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the Common Carrier. The coverage is also subject to a $3,000 aggregate limit per Covered Trip. For New York State residents, there is a $2,000 per bag/suitcase limit for each Covered Person with a $10,000 aggregate maximum for all Covered Persons per Covered Trip.

Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance - Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $75,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply.

• Automatic Platinum Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy.
• Includes a range of travel benefits and statement credit offers.
• Comes with airport lounge membership.
• Generous welcome bonus and earning rates.
• Trip cancellation insurance worth up to $10,000 per covered trip and up to $20,000 per eligible card per 12-month period.
• Trip interruption insurance worth up to $10,000 per covered trip and up to $20,000 per eligible card per 12-month period.
• Trip delay insurance worth up to $500 per trip (six-hour delay required) with a maximum limit of two claims per 12-month period.
• Baggage insurance plan worth up to $2,000 for checked bags and up to $3,000 for both checked and carry-on luggage ($2,000 per bag in coverage for New York residents with aggregate limit of $10,000).

The card_name offers a suite of impressive benefits Marriott Bonvoy enthusiasts will love, including annual dining credits, automatic Platinum Elite status, and a $100 property credit. Other cardholder perks help justify the annual_fees annual fee, including Priority Pass Select membership and the credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership.

This card also includes more travel insurance benefits than many other hotel credit cards on the market today.

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card : Best for Hilton Honors

Hilton honors american express aspire card.

• Comes with automatic Hilton Diamond status.
• Range of hotel benefits and statement credits included.
• Comes with Priority Pass Select membership.
• Free night award each year.
• Several flight benefits included.
• $550 annual fee.

The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card offers a robust selection of benefits for air travel, airports and stays with the Hilton brand. While the $550 annual fee is high, perks like airport lounge membership, annual hotel stay credits and a free night award each year can more than make up for it. The included travel insurance benefits for this card are also generous, and they can be well worth having if you need to file a claim.

Best credit cards for travel insurance 2024: Comparison

How we chose the best credit cards for travel insurance.

To find the best credit cards for travel insurance, we looked at cards based on their included insurance benefits first and foremost. We gave preference to cards that offer trip cancellation and interruption coverage, as well as insurance for lost or delayed bags and travel delays.

We also looked for credit cards that offer the most lucrative rewards structures and welcome offers, as well as flexibility within their designated rewards programs. Other factors we took into consideration include annual fees and interest rates.

Choosing the best credit card for travel insurance: Where to begin

The best credit card for travel insurance can vary from person to person, and assessing each card based on the most important factors can help you in your search. Consider the following criteria as you select a credit card for your next trip.

Travel insurance benefits

The credit cards in this ranking offer complimentary travel insurance protections, although you have to pay for travel with your card for a trip to be covered. These benefits can include trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage delay coverage, lost luggage reimbursement, trip delay insurance, primary auto rental coverage and more. Some cards even offer limited coverage for emergency medical expenses and emergency medical evacuation.

Annual fees

Credit cards with the most benefits tend to charge annual fees of $395 to $695. Meanwhile, there are some credit cards with travel insurance that charge $0 to $95 per year.

Either way, you'll want to make sure any annual fee you pay is worth it based on the travel insurance benefits, rewards and other perks you receive.

Travel perks and features

Decide if you want premium travel benefits like airport lounge access, expedited airport security or annual travel credits. If you do want a travel credit card with all the bells and whistles, prepare to pay several hundred dollars in annual fees each year.

Customer satisfaction rankings

You can also look at customer service rankings from different card issuers to determine the quality of customer service you'll receive. Consider the customer service scores below from J.D. Power's 2023 U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study, which were assigned by using responses from 31,418 credit card customers from August 2022 through June 2023.

Eligibility by credit score

Note that the majority of credit cards with travel insurance require very good or excellent credit. If you have poor credit or fair credit, you should focus on improving your credit score and financial health before you apply.

Rewards programs

Finally, consider the rewards rates for cards you're looking at and the type of rewards you'll earn. You'll find that credit cards with travel insurance can earn cash back , flexible rewards for travel, airline miles or hotel points.

What does travel insurance from a credit card cover?

Credit cards with travel insurance can offer different protections with their own unique coverage limits and policy limitations. The most common types of travel insurance you can get with a credit card include:

• Trip cancellation coverage : This coverage can reimburse you for prepaid travel expenses when you must cancel a trip for a covered reason like the death of an immediate family member or a sudden illness.
• Trip interruption coverage : Interruption insurance can reimburse you for prepaid travel expenses when a trip must be interrupted for a covered reason, such as falling ill during your vacation.
• Trip delay coverage : This coverage can pay for sudden hotel bills or meals when a trip is delayed by at least six or 12 hours or a delay forces an overnight stay.
• Baggage delay insurance : Baggage delay coverage can pay for clothing, toiletries and other essentials when your bags are delayed by at least six or 12 hours.
• Lost luggage reimbursement : Insurance for lost luggage can reimburse you for your baggage and belongings when your luggage is lost in transit while in the care of a common carrier.
• Rental car coverage : This protection can be primary or secondary to your own insurance, and policy limits apply.
• Medical and dental expense coverage : This protection can pay for emergency medical and dental expenses you incur when traveling away from home.
• Medical evacuation coverage : This type of travel insurance can pay for transportation in a helicopter, an ambulance or a plane when you must be medically transported due to a health emergency.
• Travel accident insurance : This coverage can kick in if you lose your life or are accidentally dismembered during a covered trip.

Pros and cons of credit card travel insurance

Credit card travel insurance comes with its share of benefits that cannot be denied, but there are downsides that come with relying on a credit card for travel insurance protection as well.

Consider these pros and cons:

Pros of credit card travel insurance

• Complimentary coverage : The biggest upside of credit card travel insurance is the fact it's offered for free. You just have to pay for travel with your credit card (or your rewards points in some cases) for coverage to apply.
• Coverage limits can be high : Some credit card insurance protections come with high limits that are enough to cover most trips.
• Can apply to family members : The best coverages apply to the primary cardholder and other companions they're traveling with, including family members.

Cons of credit card travel insurance

• Low coverage limits in some cases : Some cards have relatively low travel insurance limits that may not provide enough protection when you need it most.
• Limited coverages with some cards : Some credit cards with travel insurance only have a few kinds, so they may leave you without important protections you need.
• Minimal protection for emergency medical expenses : Only one credit card offers travel insurance for emergency medical expenses (the card_name ), and this coverage is only worth up to $2,500 when you're traveling more than 100 miles from home.

Do you need additional travel insurance?

Whether you need to buy travel insurance that applies independently of what your credit card offers depends on the type of trip you're taking and how much it costs. If you're driving a few towns away to stay in a hotel, for example, you may be fine with credit card travel insurance. The same is true if you're flying to another state for a relatively inexpensive vacation.

If you're traveling internationally where your own health insurance won't apply, however, you'll likely want to purchase a travel insurance plan that includes robust protection for emergency medical expenses and emergency medical evacuation. Expensive trips may also need travel insurance with higher limits than you can get with credit card coverage.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Do credit card companies sell travel insurance.

Credit card companies do not sell travel insurance, but plenty of reputable travel insurance providers do. If you're ready to compare plans, you can check out companies like Allianz, Travelex and World Nomads.

Is travel insurance worth it for international travel?

Travel insurance is essential for international travel if you want to have coverage for emergency medical expenses and emergency medical evacuation. After all, U.S. health plans do not work overseas, nor do government healthcare programs like Medicare.

Does my Visa card cover travel insurance?

The travel insurance protections you get with a credit card depend on the exact card you have.

How do I know if my credit card covers travel insurance?

Read over your credit card's guide to benefits to find out which protections are already included. You can also call your card issuer to inquire about coverage, but make sure they send you the information in the mail.

For rates and fees of the card_name , please visit URL .

AP Buyline has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. AP Buyline and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.

4 times your credit card's travel insurance can help with summer travel woes, and 7 times it won't

Travel is more unpredictable than ever this summer. I've been lucky that none of my summer trips so far have been incredibly affected by delays or cancellations. But, air travel is a total nightmare right now , and staffing is still an issue for many travel providers — so it's likely only a matter of time.

Other TPG staffers have recently experienced issues. For example, TPG's Sean Cudahy got caught in last week's travel mess , while TPG's Nick Ewen spent time in New Jersey instead of Greece due to weather-related delays.

If you've been reading TPG for a while, you may already know that some credit cards provide travel insurance when you use your card to book your flights (or pay the taxes and fees on award flights ). And you may even be using one of these cards to book your trips. But you may not know what is and isn't covered by these benefits when your travel doesn't go smoothly.

In this guide, I'll give a high-level overview of some scenarios where you can — and can't — expect your credit card's travel insurance benefits to assist.

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Credit card travel insurance

We've written entire articles about credit cards that provide travel insurance . So, I recommend checking out the following stories to learn more about the travel insurance provided by top travel rewards cards :

• What your credit card's trip protection covers — and what it doesn't
• Flight delayed? Remember these 4 things if you want trip delay reimbursement from your credit card
• Flight delayed or canceled? Here are the best credit cards with trip delay reimbursement
• When to buy travel insurance versus when to rely on credit card protections

But, the protections provided by each card are different. So I recommend reading — or at least skimming — your card's guide to benefits before your next trip to familiarize yourself with those specifics. You can call the number on the back of your card for a physical copy or link if needed.

Cards like the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card , Chase Sapphire Preferred Card , Ink Business Preferred Credit Card and The Platinum Card® from American Express provide excellent travel protections. But, I believe the Chase Sapphire Reserve provides the best travel insurance overall.

In this guide, I'll discuss how the benefits offered to Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders (see the Chase Sapphire Reserve guide to benefits here ) would help (or not) in several scenarios. If you generally pay for your travel with a different card, consider how the benefits on your card may differ.

Related: Travel is tricky right now — here are 7 mistakes to avoid on your next trip

4 times when your credit card's travel insurance can help

If your travel doesn't go smoothly this summer, benefits from your travel rewards credit card may offer reimbursement or other help. Here are four real-life scenarios where your credit card's travel insurance may come in handy.

Your flight is significantly delayed or canceled

First, the bad news: You'll need to work with your airline to get rebooked if your flight is canceled. And if your flight is significantly delayed, you'll need to either wait out the delay or work with your airline to get rebooked on a different flight.

But, the good news is that some cards offer trip delay reimbursement when you use your card to pay for your flight (or the taxes and fees on an award ticket). And this benefit can help as you wait for your delayed or rebooked flight.

For example, if you used the Chase Sapphire Reserve to book your original flight, Chase may reimburse you for "reasonable expenses incurred during the delay." In particular, you can get up to $500 per ticket when you're delayed for more than six hours or your delay forces you into an overnight stay. Chase says reasonable expenses include "meals, lodging, toiletries and medication."

But, you'll only be covered if you are delayed due to "equipment failure, inclement weather, strike [or] hijacking/skyjacking." So, if you're delayed due to the crew timing out during inclement weather, you'll be covered. But if the airline simply can't find any crew to operate your flight and doesn't provide you documentation stating the delay or cancellation is due to one of the aforementioned eligible reasons, you won't be covered.

Related: Chase paid for my $1,100-per-night hotel room thanks to built-in trip delay coverage

Your baggage is significantly delayed

Once again, let's discuss the bad news first: You must report your delayed baggage to the travel supplier. For example, if your checked baggage doesn't appear on the belt after your flight, you'll need to go to the airline's baggage office and fill out a report.

Usually, the airline will start trying to locate your baggage at this point. But often, the airline won't offer to reimburse you for any essentials you might need while you're separated from your baggage.

Luckily, some credit cards cover baggage delays . For example, if you used the Chase Sapphire Reserve to book your flight, Chase may reimburse you "for the emergency purchase of essential items, such as toiletries, clothing, and chargers for electronic devices (limit one per device)."

In particular, Chase may reimburse you up to $100 per day for up to five days. To qualify for this coverage, your baggage must be "delayed or misdirected" for at least six hours.

The items you purchase and include for reimbursement should be "essential." But, Chase excludes some items from reimbursement, including hearing aids, artificial teeth, prosthetic devices, tickets, jewelry, electronics and recreational equipment.

Related: What to do when your luggage is delayed or lost by an airline

You must cancel or interrupt a trip

First things first: No credit card offers " cancel for any reason " trip insurance as a complimentary benefit. But, if you must cancel or interrupt your trip for specific reasons, Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders might be eligible for reimbursement of "nonrefundable prepaid travel expenses charged by a travel supplier" and "redeposit fees imposed by a rewards program administrator." And in the case of trip interruption, cardholders can be reimbursed change fees and costs to return a vehicle to their residence or the closest rental agency.

Many credit cards offer trip cancellation and interruption insurance . But, you'll only be eligible for reimbursement if you must cancel or interrupt your trip for specific reasons listed in the guide to benefits. For example, you may be eligible for reimbursement if you can't postpone or waive a call to jury duty or subpoena from the courts, and you prepaid for nonrefundable travel expenses with your Chase Sapphire Reserve .

Related: American Express adds new 'cancel for any reason' coverage option on flights

Your luggage is lost or damaged

Earlier, I discussed a scenario where your baggage is delayed. But, it's also possible that your luggage becomes lost, stolen or damaged. As with delayed baggage, you'll need to file a claim with the travel provider once you discover the issue.

Some travel providers will provide reimbursement to repair or replace your luggage. But, if the reimbursement isn't enough, you can also seek additional reimbursement via the baggage insurance offered by your credit card. If you booked your travel with your Chase Sapphire Reserve, you could get up to $3,000 per traveler per trip.

Related: The airline couldn't find my luggage — luckily I had Apple AirTags

7 times your credit card's travel insurance won't help

Of course, your credit card's travel insurance won't help you in every situation. Although you may still find relief through your travel provider or individual travel insurance , here are some real-world scenarios where you wouldn't be covered by the Chase Sapphire Reserve's travel protections :

• You want to be on a different flight: Flight delays and cancellations are frustrating. But, you'll need to work with your airline to get on a different flight. None of the trip delay insurance offered by credit cards will let you buy a new flight and then reimburse it.
• Staffing issues lead the airline to delay or cancel your flight: According to the Chase Sapphire Reserve's guide to benefits, only delays to your trip that are caused by "equipment failure, inclement weather, strike [or] hijacking/skyjacking" are eligible for trip delay reimbursement. So, if the airline can't find crew for your flight due to its employees being sick, for example, you won't be covered.
• Your lodging canceled on you: It's frustrating to be walked from a hotel or have your lodging canceled on you. After all, you may face much higher prices if you need to book a new stay. But, except in specific cases covered by trip cancellation and interruption insurance — such as if your lodging at your trip's destination is "made uninhabitable" — your credit card benefits aren't going to help.
• Your common carrier or travel insurance policy already provides what you need: As an example, if you are delayed overnight and the airline provides you with hotel and meal vouchers, you can't claim reimbursement for these same expenses through your credit card's trip delay benefit . The Chase Sapphire Reserve's guide to benefits states the trip delay benefit "applies to reasonable expenses incurred during your delay not otherwise covered by your common carrier, another party or your primary personal insurance policy."
• Your delay caused you to miss things you already paid for: Trip delays may cause you to miss shows, activities, separately booked flights, hotel nights and more. But, the Chase Sapphire Reserve's trip delay benefit is only for reasonable expenses you incur during your delay. As such, any prepaid trip expenses won't be covered.
• You have to cancel or interrupt your trip for a noncovered reason: As discussed above, the trip cancellation and interruption insurance offered by credit cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve only covers you if you need to cancel or interrupt your trip for select reasons. So, if you need to cancel or interrupt your trip for other reasons, your credit card's travel insurance won't help. For example, you wouldn't be covered by the Chase Sapphire Reserve's insurance if you didn't obtain a necessary visa or your airline became financially insolvent.
• You left an item or bag behind on the train, airplane or boat: Although some Amex cards include recently purchased items you lose under purchase protection insurance , most travel insurance offered by credit cards won't reimburse you for items you inadvertently left behind.

Travel insurance benefits vary from card to card, though. And, only select family members may be covered along with you for some benefits. So take a look at your card's guide to benefits or call the number on the back of your credit card to learn whether your specific scenario will be covered.

Related: 8 times your credit card's travel insurance might not cover you

Bottom line

Of course, this article assumes you used a credit card with travel insurance to pay for your trip, and the exact protections vary from card to card. But hopefully, this guide gave you an idea of the types of help you may get from your credit card's travel insurance if things go wrong with a trip this summer or beyond.

Finally, some premium travel cards offer an additional perk that may help if you face troubles this summer: lounge access . It can be much more relaxing to wait out a delay in the comfort of a lounge. Plus, you may gain access to agents that can help you rebook or handle complicated bookings if you have access to your airline's lounge.

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply

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St.George Credit Cards

Discontinued: st.george vertigo platinum credit card.

Updated 18 February 2022

This card is no longer available for application. This information has been left for those who still have the card or were previously interested

St.George's lowest credit card purchase rate at 12.99% p.a. making things that much better. The annual card fee is $99 and you can also apply for 3 additional cardholders at no extra cost. Overall this is a great low rate credit card offer from St.George.

Purchase Rate (p.a)

Balance transfer (p.a).

6.99% for 12 months No balance transfer fee. Reverts to 21.49% p.a.

Annual Fee (p.a)

Interest free period (up to).

55 days on eligible purchases

• The annual fee is charged in the first month. • You only pay the minimum monthly payment of your overall balance each month. • You do not spend or withdraw cash on the card until the balance transfer period ends or is paid in full. • All other fees and charges that may apply are excluded. When there is no interest savings or a negative interest saving after the introductory period, the calculator will display $0."> $ 0 over 12 months

My transfer amount, balance transfer from:, my annual fee, my interest rate.

Your savings • The annual fee is charged in the first month. • You only pay the minimum monthly payment of your overall balance each month. • You do not spend or withdraw cash on the card until the balance transfer period ends or is paid in full. • All other fees and charges that may apply are excluded. When there is no interest savings or a negative interest saving after the introductory period, the calculator will display $0.">

over 12 months

• Pros & cons
• Rates & fees
• Eligibility

Pros and cons

• Low purchase rate of 12.99% p.a.
• Complimentary overseas travel insurance for up to 6 months
• 3 additional cardholders at no extra cost
• Complimentary purchase cover insurance
• Complimentary extended warranty insurance
• Eligible with Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay
• Charges a 3% foreign currency conversion fee

Creditcard.com.au review

Editor review, the st.george vertigo platinum credit card.

So you want a card with a low purchase rate? Okay, that’s reasonable. You want platinum perks as well? That may be pushing it a little. Now we know you’re dreaming!

Actually, no. Getting all of those things on one card is possible. Just check out the St.George Vertigo Platinum Credit Card. While platinum cards tend to have higher purchase rates, this platinum offering has a low variable rate of 12.99% p.a. – which just happens to be St.George’s lowest rate on purchases.

What else do you get? Well, there is a whole heap of platinum benefits and an amazing offer.

Interested? Let’s take a closer look.

What we love...

What’s not to love about that low purchase rate? In the long term, having a card with a low rate can certainly help you save money on interest. However, it also has another benefit.

What’s not so great...

It’s worth pointing out the card’s ongoing annual fee is $99. While this is relatively low for a platinum card, it’s still quite a lot to pay out for a credit card. To make it worthwhile, just make sure you’re making the most of the platinum benefits – and that you’re paying off the balance of the card before interest starts accruing.

Why should you choose this card?

Want platinum perks? You got it! The card provides you with a whole host of complimentary insurance covers perfect for the frequent traveller – and the frequent shopper. In terms of travel cover, the card provides overseas travel insurance, domestic flight inconvenience insurance and transit accident insurance. As for retail cover, the card offers price guarantee cover, purchase cover insurance and extended warranty insurance.

Anything else? Sure. You can enjoy up to 55 days interest free on purchases, and up to three additional cardholders at no extra cost.

Overall Rating

As a low rate platinum card this card combines a fantastic low purchase rate, and platinum perks.

User reviews

Discontinued: st.george vertigo platinum credit card ( based on 35 creditcard.com.au user reviews ), 92% rating based on 35 reviews, customer service, 97% of users who have rated this card would recommend it, review the discontinued: st.george vertigo platinum credit card, rewards (not available for this card).

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Personal Finance Expert - Creditcard.com.au

Creditcard.com.au Visitor

Good Balance Transfer period. Poor Customer Service though. St George Stuffed up our Mailing address, which is a Privacy issue for Financial Statements being sent to who knows who. Also we Declined Future Credit Limit increase offers But St George Still put the account on Accepting Limit Increase Offers. All these issues were eventually rectified Only once We found them and Contacted St George, who had no real explanations and Refunded our Annual Fee to assist in us not contacting FOS and providing these examples of POOR Banking/CREDIT practices.

I love the long 0% balance transfer as it gives me time to pay off my debt.

Rates and fees

Interest rates.

Purchase rate 12.99 % p.a.

Cash advance rate 21.49 % p.a.

Interest free period on purchases up to 55 days

Balance transfer

Balance transfer rate 6.99 % p.a. for 12 months

Balance transfer revert rate 21.49 % p.a.

Balance transfer from personal loan No

Balance transfer fee No fee

Balance transfer limit 80% of approved credit limit

Brands you can't balance transfer from Bank of Melbourne, BankSA, St.George

Credit limits

Minimum credit limit $6,000

Maximum credit limit $80,000

Fees & repayments

Annual fee $99 p.a.

Additional cardholder fee Up to 3 at no extra cost

Foreign transaction fee 3%

Minimum repayment 2% or $10, whichever is greater

Cash advance fee 3%

Late payment fee $15

Additional features

Complimentary insurance.

International Travel Insurance Yes - up to 6 months

Flight Inconvenience Insurance Yes

Transit Accident Insurance Yes

Smartphone Screen Insurance No

Purchase Protection Insurance Yes

Extended Warranty Insurance Yes

Rental Vehicle Excess In Australia Insurance Yes

Disclaimer: The interest free period is the maximum number of days during which interest is not charged on new purchases. If your account has an interest free period for purchases, to be entitled to that interest free period, you need to pay off the “monthly payment balance” listed on your statement of account (not the full closing balance) by the relevant payment due date.

Key features

• Overseas travel insurance - up to 6 months . Available if you are a permanent resident and pay for at least $500 of your prepaid travel costs to your Vertigo Platinum card. Covers unlimited hospital and medical expenses incurred overseas. Up to $30,000 for lost or damaged personal property. Up to $3,750 for alternative transport to a special event.
• Purchase Insurance . Up to 4 months cover against theft, loss or damage on selected purchases. Extended warranty insurance for up to 12 additional months. Price guarantee cover of up to $300 on eligible purchases in Australia - if you find it cheaper within 21 days, you can claim the difference.
• $99 annual card fee
• Lowest St.George purchase rate of 12.99% p.a.
• Up to 55 days interest free on purchases
• Apply online in 10 minutes. 5 mins for existing St.George customers

Minimum criteria to apply for this card

Be over 18 years old

Good Credit and have not applied for multiple credit cards recently

Resident or citizen of Australia. Temporary residents are eligible.

You have your personal details ready to complete the online application

Pauline is a personal finance expert at CreditCard.com.au, with 8 years in money, budgeting and property reporting under her belt. Pauline is passionate about seeing Aussies win by making their money – and their credit cards – work smarter, harder and bigger

Recently Asked Questions

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Purchase Rate  

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NAB Low Rate Credit Card – Balance Transfer Offer

0% on balance transfers for 28 months.

2% BT fee applies; reverts to 21.74% p.a. Enjoy $0 annual fee for the first year ($59 thereafter) plus, low variable purchase rate of 13.49%. New members only.

Low variable purchase rate of 13.49% p.a. No annual fee for the first year and get a free additional cardholder.

Purchase rate

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save card more info

• The annual fee is charged in the first month. • You only pay the minimum monthly payment of your overall balance each month. • You do not spend or withdraw cash on the card until the balance transfer period ends or is paid in full. • All other fees and charges that may apply are excluded. When there is no interest savings or a negative interest saving after the introductory period, the calculator will display $0.'> Filter your savings

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• ABN: 76 646 638 146
• ACR: 528318
• AFCA: 80717

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Why you shouldn't rely on credit card travel insurance alone.

MINNEAPOLIS , May 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Although some credit cards include travel insurance, is it actually reliable coverage? The travel insurance experts at Yonder Travel Insurance compared the insurance offerings of several top credit cards with their comprehensive policies available on their comparison site. Yonder's research findings reveal that travelers shouldn't rely on credit card coverage alone.

Difference Between Credit Card Travel Insurance and Travel Insurance While general retail travel insurance typically offers comprehensive coverage, surprisingly, not many credit cards with travel insurance included do.

"Even if you pay a high annual fee for your credit card, the coverage offered lacks critical benefits to protect you and your trip investment," says Terry Boynton , co-founder and president of Yonder Travel Insurance.

Is Credit Card Coverage Enough? Shockingly, numerous credit cards that offer travel insurance fail to provide sufficient benefits for an emergency before or during your trip.

Yonder found the following discrepancies when it comes to credit card coverage:

20-27 less reasons to cancel your trip

10x less medical evacuation coverage

5x less trip delay coverage

When You Should Consider Additional Travel Insurance Even if your credit card provides some coverage, ensuring you have sufficient third-party medical coverage during your trip should be first priority.

" Medical evacuation and medical expense benefits are rarely included with credit card coverage, leaving you to pay any medical bills incurred during your trip," says Boynton.

Additionally, some credit cards have capped trip cancellation limits. If your trip cost exceeds this amount, the remaining trip costs might not be reimbursed if they aren't insured through additional insurance. Conversely, not paying off your credit card balance for the trip amount could cause you to pay interest on the trip costs.

Fill in the gaps of your credit card coverage by opting for comprehensive coverage through a travel insurance comparison site like Yonder Travel Insurance . Insure trip costs above your card's trip cancellation/interruption limits and make sure your combined medical expense and medical coverage total at least $100,000 each if traveling internationally.

The experts at Yonder Travel Insurance  have poured over hundreds of policies from the best travel insurance providers in the US to provide the best travel insurance recommendation for how YOU travel.

Contact: Meagan Palmer , Marketing Director (952-358-6459) [email protected]

View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/why-you-shouldnt-rely-on-credit-card-travel-insurance-alone-302137658.html

SOURCE Yonder Travel Insurance

Understanding What Travel Insurance Covers

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• Travel insurance is intended to cover risks and financial losses associated with traveling.
• Coverage can include trip cancellation, baggage protection, medical care, and emergency evacuation.
• When filing a claim, be specific and comprehensive in your documentation to ease the process.

Whether it's a trip across the world or a trip across the state, having travel insurance provides major relief if things go awry. Flight delays, lost baggage, illness, injuries, and other unforeseen events can disrupt even the best-laid plans. With a major disruption comes the potential for unanticipated expenses.

Travel insurance and the coverage it offers can help keep you protected and save you money in the long run.

Overview of Travel Insurance Coverage

Travel insurance policies protect travelers from financial losses should something go wrong during their trip. You can customize which coverages you want to include, and there are several to choose from.

"Common types of coverage include trip cancellation, trip interruption, baggage protection, coverage for medical care if you get sick or hurt during your trip, and emergency medical evacuation," says Angela Borden, a travel insurance expert and product strategist for travel insurance company Seven Corners.

Travel insurance plans offer nonrefundable payments and other trip-related expenses. While monetary compensation is a primary benefit, there is another valuable perk of travel insurance. It can provide peace of mind.

What does travel insurance cover?

Your specific travel insurance plan (and its terms and conditions) will determine the minutia and specifics of what is covered. As with most other forms of insurance, a general rule of thumb is the more you spend, the better your coverage.

"Travel insurance can be confusing, so it's best to research a reputable company that specializes in travel insurance and has a long history of successfully helping travelers all over the world," says Borden.

Trip cancellation and interruptions

A travel insurance policy can reimburse you for a prepaid, nonrefundable trip if it is canceled for a covered event, such as a natural disaster or a global pandemic.

Trip interruption insurance covers you if you're already on your trip and you get sick, there's a natural disaster, or something else happens. Make sure to check with your travel insurance providers to discuss any inclusions, coverage, and more.

Travel delays and missed connections

Travel delay insurance coverage provides reimbursement for any expenses you incur when you experience a delay in transit over a minimum time. Reimbursements can include hotels, airfare, food, and other related expenses.

Medical emergencies and evacuations

Typically, US healthcare plans are not accepted in other countries. So travel insurance with medical coverage can be particularly beneficial when you are abroad. Medical coverage can also help with locating doctors and healthcare facilities.

Medical transportation coverage will also pay for emergency evacuation expenses such as airlifts and medically-equipped flights back to the US. Out of pocket, these expenses can easily amount to tens of thousands of dollars. Certain plans may even transport you to a hospital of choice for care.

Travel insurance generally does not include coverage for pre-existing conditions. That said, you can obtain a pre-existing condition waiver, which we will talk about later.  

Baggage and personal belongings

Most airlines will reimburse travelers for lost or destroyed baggage, but be prepared for limitations. Travel insurance plans will typically cover stolen items, such as those stolen out of a hotel room. This may not include expensive jewelry, antiques, or heirloom items. Typically, airlines have a few days to recover your bag.

In the meantime, you can make a claim to pay for items like certain toiletries and other items you need to pick up. If your bag is truly lost or you don't get it for an extended period, you can file a true lost baggage claim.

What does credit card travel insurance cover?

A major perk on several travel credit cards is embedded credit card travel insurance . Typically, you will need to use the specific card for the transaction (at least with partial payment) for travel coverage to kick in.

Each card has specific rules on what exactly is covered. But one of the industry leaders is the $550-per-year Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card. Here's a snapshot of what is covered with this specific card:

• Baggage delay: up to $100 reimbursed per day for up to five days if a passenger carrier delays your baggage by more than six hours.
• Lost and damaged baggage: up to $3,000 per passenger per trip, but only up to $500 per passenger for jewelry and watches and up to $500 per passenger for cameras and other electronic equipment.
• Trip delay reimbursement: up to $500 per ticket if you're delayed more than six hours or require an overnight stay.
• Trip cancellation and interruption protection: up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip for prepaid, nonrefundable travel expenses.
• Medical evacuation benefit: up to $100,000 for necessary emergency evacuation and transportation when on a trip of five to 60 days and traveling more than 100 miles from home.
• Travel accident insurance: accidental death or dismemberment coverage of up to $100,000 (up to $1,000,000 for common carrier travel).
• Emergency medical and dental benefits: up to $2,500 for medical expenses (subject to a $50 deductible) when on a trip arranged by a travel agency and traveling more than 100 miles from home.
• Rental car coverage: primary coverage for damages caused by theft or collision up to $75,000 on rentals of 31 days or fewer

More protections are included with cards with an annual fee, but there are exceptions. The no-annual-fee Chase Freedom Flex , for instance, includes up to $1,500 per person (and up to $6,000 per trip) in trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage.

However, there are some differences between credit card travel coverage and obtaining coverage from a third party.

"Credit card coverage does not typically provide travel medical benefits," Borden says. "For protection if you get sick or hurt while traveling, you'll want a travel insurance plan with medical coverage."

Whether you get your travel insurance in a standalone policy or through a credit card, it's important to review your plan details carefully. In either case, there may be exclusions and other requirements such as deadlines when filing a claim, Borden notes.

What travel insurance coverage do you need to pay more for?

Knowing what travel insurance doesn't cover is as important as knowing what it does cover.

"Travelers should understand that travel insurance benefits come into play only if a covered reason occurs," Borden says. Most standard travel insurance plans won't reimburse you for the following:

Cancel for any reason (CFAR)

Cancel-for-any-reason travel insurance covers a trip cancellation for any reason, not just a covered event. your standard benefits won't kick in unless it's a covered event. For instance, you'll be reimbursed simply for changing your mind about taking a trip.

That said, CFAR travel insurance is not without its downsides. For one, it's more expensive than traditional insurance, and most CFAR policies will only reimburse you for a percentage of your travel expenses. Additionally, CFAR policies aren't available for annual travel insurance . 

You can find our guide on the best CFAR travel insurance here.

Foreseen weather events

Sudden storms or unforeseen weather events are typically covered by standard travel insurance plans. There are exceptions to be aware of. For example, an anticipated and named hurricane will not be covered.

Medical tourism

If you're going to travel internationally for a medical procedure or doctor's visit, your travel insurance plan will not cover the procedure itself. Most medical travel plans also won't cover you if something goes wrong with your procedure.

Pre-existing conditions and pregnancy

Those with specific pre-existing conditions, such as someone with diabetes and needing more insulin, will not be covered by most plans. In addition, pregnancy-related expenses will likely not be covered under most plans.

That said, you can obtain a pre-existing condition waiver for stable conditions. In order to obtain a wavier, you will need to purchase travel insurance within a certain time frame from when you booked your trip, usually two to three weeks, depending on your policy.

Extreme sports and activities

Accidents occurring while participating in extreme sports like skydiving and paragliding will typically not be covered under most plans. However, many plans offer the ability to upgrade to a higher-priced version with extended coverage.

Navigating claims and assistance

When a trip goes awry, the first thing you should do is document everything and be as specific as possible with documentation. This will make the claims process easier, as you can substantiate and quantify your financial losses due to the delay.

For example, your flight home has been delayed long enough to be covered under your policy, you'll want to keep any receipts from purchases made while waiting. For instances where your luggage is lost, you will need to file a report with local authorities and document all the items you packed.

Cancellation protection also requires meticulous attention to detail. If you're too sick to fly, you may need to see a doctor to prove your eligibility. If an airline cancels a flight, you'll also need to document any refunds you received as travel insurance isn't going to reimburse you for money you've already gotten back. 

Part of the benefit of CFAR insurance is the reduced paperwork necessary to file a claim. You'll still need to document your nonrefundable losses, but you won't have to substantiate why you're canceling a trip.

Choosing the right travel insurance

Each plan should be personalized to meet the insured party's needs. Some travelers prefer to stick to the bare minimum (flight cancellation benefits through the airline). Others want a comprehensive plan with every coverage possible. Before you buy anything, set your destination. Are there any travel restrictions or changes pending? Does your destination country require emergency or other medical coverage?

If the destination airport is known for lost or delayed luggage, travelers should keep important items in carry-ons. Lost or delayed luggage coverage protects insured parties in the event of a significant delay or total loss.

Second, check current credit card travel benefits to avoid redundancies. Savvy travelers don't need to pay for the same coverage twice.

Finally, consider your individual needs. Do you have a chronic medical condition, or do you feel safe with emergency-only medical coverage? Keep in mind, this does not include coverage for cosmetic surgery or other medical tourism. Do you have a budget limit for travel insurance? Asking and answering these important questions will help every traveler find the right product.

Most travel insurance plans are simple, and Business Insider's guide to the best travel insurance companies outlines our top picks. Remember, read your policy and its specifics closely to ensure it includes the items you need coverage for.

No one likes to dwell on how a trip might not go as planned before even leaving. However, at its core, travel insurance provides peace of mind as you go about your trip. While the upfront cost may seem significant, when you compare it to the potential expenses of a canceled flight, emergency evacuation, or a hefty medical bill, it's a small price to pay in the grand scheme of things.

Get Travel Insurance Quotes Online

Protect your trip with the best travel insurance . Compare travel insurance quotes from multiple providers with Squaremouth.

What does travel insurance cover frequently asked questions

Does travel insurance cover trip cancellations due to a pandemic like covid-19.

Coverage for pandemics vary from policy to policy. Some travel insurance companies have specific provisions for pandemic-related cancellations, while others may exclude them entirely.

Are sports injuries covered under travel insurance?

Sports injuries are often covered under travel insurance, but high-risk or adventure sports might require additional coverage or a special policy.

Can travel insurance provide coverage for travel advisories or warnings?

Travel advisories have different effects on your travel insurance depending on your policy. Traveling to a country already under travel advisory may invalidate your coverage, but if you're already traveling when a travel advisory is announced, you may be covered.

How does travel insurance handle emergency medical evacuations?

Travel insurance usually covers the cost of emergency medical evacuations to the nearest suitable medical facility, and sometimes back to your home country, if necessary.

Are lost or stolen passports covered by travel insurance?

Many travel insurance policies provide coverage for the cost of replacing lost or stolen passports during a trip.

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Is the Delta SkyMiles Blue card worth it? 

Delta skymiles blue card rewards, delta skymiles blue card benefits, delta blue card fees, rates & limit, how the delta blue card compares, is the delta skymiles blue card right for me, how do i apply for the delta blue card, faq: delta skymiles blue card.

Delta SkyMiles Blue Credit Card: Good for Occasional Delta Flyers

• The Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card is a simple travel rewards credit card that earns miles for every qualifying purchase.
• What we think: The Delta SkyMiles Blue card is not nearly as perk-heavy as other Delta cards, but if paying an annual fee for an airline credit card isn’t something you want to do, this is a decent option. However, if you fly frequently, you’ll certainly find more value in a higher-tier card.
• If you spend $1,000 in six months after opening the account, you’ll earn a welcome bonus of 10,000 SkyMiles. 
• The Delta SkyMiles Blue card has no annual fee or foreign transaction fees ( see rates and fees ).
• Restaurant orders, including takeout and delivery in the U.S., earn 2 miles per dollar.

If you’re not a regular traveler, it can be hard to get enough value from a premium travel credit card to justify the annual fee. That’s where the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card comes in — this card gives you the opportunity to earn SkyMiles without paying an annual fee.

In this guide, we’ll explain everything you need to understand about this Delta card from American Express , including:

• How to earn and redeem Delta SkyMiles rewards
• Cardholder benefits
• Fees and interest rates
• No annual fee
• 20% in-flight savings
• Easy-to-earn welcome bonus
• Low earning rate
• No free checked bags
• No priority boarding

If you’re loyal to Delta but don’t travel frequently, the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card could be a good option. 

It offers an easy way to earn SkyMiles on your everyday purchases, so you can save money on flights in the future — and you don’t need to pay an annual fee. Plus, you’ll get a few perks that come in handy on vacation and in real life, including car rental insurance and purchase protection.

Pros and cons of the Delta SkyMiles Blue card

• Solid welcome offer
• Straightforward SkyMiles earnings tiers
• Discount on Delta in-flight purchases
• No intro APR offer

Learn more about Delta SkyMiles Blue card

Terms apply / Rates & fees

The Delta SkyMiles Blue card from American Express is a co-branded card; instead of points, it earns Delta SkyMiles. That’s a great perk, especially if you tend to fly Delta more than other airlines.

Welcome bonus

If you spend up to $1,000 in the first six months of having the Delta SkyMiles Blue card, you’ll earn a welcome bonus of 10,000 miles. Only purchases of goods and services count toward this spending threshold; fees and interest charges, prepaid card purchases and gift cards do not.

Keep in mind that American Express may decide you’re not eligible for this welcome offer if you’ve ever had one of the following cards:

• Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

Earn Delta SkyMiles Blue rewards

The most exciting aspect of this SkyMiles credit card is, of course, the rewards. There are three easy-to-understand earnings tiers. You’ll earn 2 Delta SkyMiles per dollar for every purchase you make at restaurants and directly with the airline. For all other eligible purchases, you’ll earn 1 mile for every dollar you spend. If you’re a Delta flyer, it’s relatively easy to accrue miles — a $500 flight earns 1,000 SkyMiles.

Redeem Delta Blue rewards

Delta and American Express offer a variety of ways to redeem the SkyMiles you earn with your Amex Delta Blue card. One of the most popular is the Pay with Miles option. When you book a flight on Delta, you can redeem miles to pay for part or all of the flight. Every 5,000 miles gives you up to $50 off the cost, which is a maximum value of 1 cent per mile.

However, it’s important to note that you can only redeem blocks of 5,000 miles. If your flight isn’t an exact multiple of $50, you’ll lose a bit of value. To pay for a $175 flight entirely with rewards, you’ll need to redeem 20,000 miles.

Can’t fly with Delta? You can also use SkyMiles to book SkyTeam Alliance flights. Member airlines include KLM, AirFrance, AeroMexico, Virgin Atlantic and Korean Air.

Other ways to redeem your Amex Delta SkyMiles rewards include:

Once you book a flight on Delta, use your SkyMiles to purchase an upgrade or select a preferred seat.

Checked bags:

Use miles to cover the fees for standard checked bags. This option is only available at a few airports in the United States.

Hotel stays:

With Delta Stays, you can use SkyMiles to pay for hotels.

Charity donations:

Don’t need your miles? Donate them to charity through Delta, and they’ll go to organizations that help children, veterans and natural disaster victims, among others.

Delta Vacations:

Make a booking through Delta Vacations, and you can use miles to pay for some or all of the cost.

Magazine subscription:

Choose from a wide variety of magazines, including Better Homes & Gardens and InStyle.

Premium drinks in Delta Sky Club lounges:

There’s no need to shell out for an expensive gin fizz the next time you’re in a Sky Club; just use your miles to cover the cost.

Delta Sky Club lounge memberships:

If you’re a SkyMiles Medallion Member, you can use your SkyMiles to buy lounge memberships. An individual annual membership is 69,500 miles, which is a value of $659.

Delta SkyMiles Experiences:

Get access to one-of-a-kind experiences, ranging from special chef dinners to VIP seating at sporting events — then pay for them with miles.

SkyMiles aren’t the only perk you get with a Delta Blue card from American Express. Your card also entitles you to a variety of benefits you can use while traveling or going about your life.

Travel benefits

Taking a trip? Make sure you’re taking advantage of these Delta SkyMiles card benefits:

• Car rental insurance:  With the Delta SkyMiles Blue card, you don’t need to worry if your rental car is damaged or stolen. As long as you book and pay for it with your card — not with miles — you’ll be covered for up to $50,000.
• In-flight savings:  Pay for food and drinks with your Blue card on a Delta flight, and you’ll automatically get a statement credit that equals a 20% discount.
• Global Assist Hotline: In trouble on the road? The Global Assist Hotline can help you access a range of services, including referrals for medical or legal assistance. It can even wire you cash if you can’t access it otherwise.

Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/​benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.

Shopping and entertainment benefits

If you love to shop and seek out entertainment experiences, these Delta SkyMiles Blue card benefits may save you money:

• ShopRunner membership:  Your Delta SkyMiles Blue card entitles you to free two-day shipping if you enroll in a ShopRunner subscription.
• Amex Offers:  Use your Delta Blue card to enroll in Amex Offers, and you can earn extra SkyMiles on certain deals.
• American Express Experiences: Get access to exclusive tickets for events, including concerts and sporting events; these deals are available only to American Express cardholders.
• Send & Split: This special feature allows you to split payments with friends who use PayPal or Venmo — without ever logging into either platform. You can manage the split right in the American Express app.

Protections and assistance

If you love to shop, these Delta SkyMiles Blue card benefits can help you save:

• Purchase protection:  When you make a purchase with your Delta Blue card, American Express will reimburse you if it’s damaged or stolen in the first 90 days of ownership. That means if your brand-new laptop is stolen, you can get your money back — coverage includes up to $10,000 per item.
• Extended warranty: Get an extra year of warranty protection on eligible purchases with manufacturer’s warranties of up to five years. If you need to make a claim against the extended warranty, you can get up to $10,000 per item and $50,000 per card per year.

Before you make a final decision on the Delta Blue Amex card, make sure to consider the fees and interest rates ( see rates and fees ).

Delta SkyMiles Blue fees

When it comes to fees, the Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express card offers a good deal — you won’t pay an annual fee or foreign transaction fees.

Here are the card’s standard fees:

• Annual fee: $0
• Foreign transaction fee: $0
• Balance transfer fee: N/A
• Cash advance fee: The greater of $10 or 5% of the transfer
• Late or returned payment fee: Up to $40

Delta SkyMiles Blue card interest rates

Your Delta Blue card from American Express includes a variable annual percentage rate (APR) of 20.99% to 29.99%. American Express will determine your APR based on your application and credit profile.

Here’s a look at variable APRs available at Delta SkyMiles Blue card:

If you make a late payment or if your bank returns a payment, American Express is within its rights to switch you to a penalty APR of 29.99%. It may not, depending on your creditworthiness and account history. After you’re hit with the penalty, this APR will stay for a minimum of six months.

Delta SkyMiles Blue credit limit

If American Express approves you for the Delta SkyMiles Blue card, your credit limit will be assigned based on a range of factors. This might include your income, credit history, credit score, debt and other factors the issuer decides are relevant. Most cardholders have a limit of at least $1,000; yours may be considerably higher.

Compared to other Delta airlines cards , the Delta Amex Blue card is a pared-down option.

Although it earns miles and offers a few perks, it doesn’t include benefits that are standard on other cards — namely, free checked bags. If you travel frequently, you’re probably better off getting a different card; the lack of bag fees alone will likely make up for the annual fee. If not, this card is a solid option; it’s a basic airline credit card with no annual fee.

Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card vs. Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

American Express issues both the Delta SkyMiles Blue and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card , but they sit at opposite ends of the travel card spectrum. While the Delta Blue is a no annual fee card , the Reserve will run you a whopping $650 per year ( see rates and fees ). 

The Reserve is geared toward frequent travelers — it comes with $2,500 Delta Medallion Qualification Dollars per year, free access to Delta Sky Clubs, a free round-trip companion certificate each year, and more. The Blue card, on the other hand, is intended for occasional travelers who are Delta-loyal.

Read our full Delta SkyMiles Reserve card review

Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card vs. Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card falls somewhere between the Blue and the Reserve cards. It has a $150 annual fee after the first year ( see rates and fees ). For that, you get a free checked bag, priority boarding, a $100 credit to Delta Stays and a $200 Delta flight credit after you spend at least $10,000 in a year. Plus, you’ll earn 2 SkyMiles for every dollar spent, compared to the 1 mile per dollar with the Blue card. 

If you’re a somewhat regular traveler but not quite ready for a luxury card, the Gold card is better than the Blue — it only takes five flights to make up for the annual fee in checked bag fees alone.

Read our full Delta SkyMiles Gold card review

Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card vs. Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card is a general travel credit card; instead of SkyMiles, it earns points that you can redeem for travel. You’ll need excellent credit to be approved for this Capital One card , compared to the good credit that’s required for the Delta SkyMiles American Express card.

Both cards eliminate foreign transaction fees, but the VentureOne is accepted in more places around the world — an important consideration if you plan to travel internationally.

Read our full Capital One VentureOne card review

You might choose the Delta SkyMiles Blue Card if you’re a Delta fan and you’re searching for a basic rewards credit card .

It’s an effective way to earn SkyMiles on your everyday purchases — and with no annual fee, you don’t have to worry about getting your money’s worth in perks. As long as you can spend an average of $167 per month in the first six months, you’ll earn a 10,000-mile welcome bonus.

If you don’t travel often, one of these general rewards cards may suit you better:  

• Amex Blue Cash Preferred card
• Capital One Venture X Rewards card
• Chase Sapphire Preferred card

You can learn more about the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card and apply online. 

To get approved for the Delta Blue card, you’ll need good to excellent credit . 

While American Express doesn’t give a credit score requirement, this usually means 690 FICO score or higher. When you apply, expect to provide your employment information and financial details.

What credit score do you need for Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express card?

There are no hard and fast credit score rules for the Delta SkyMiles Blue card, but you will likely need a minimum score of 690 to get approved. The decision will take into account factors that might include your score, credit history and income.

Is the Delta SkyMiles Blue credit card good?

The Delta SkyMiles Blue credit card is good if you’re a loyal Delta flyer and you want to earn SkyMiles. It doesn’t offer many perks, but it comes with a $0 annual fee.

Do you get a free checked bag with the Delta SkyMiles Blue card?

No, you don’t get a free checked bag with the Delta SkyMiles Blue card.

What is the credit limit for the Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card?

The credit limit for the Delta Blue card from American Express varies based on your qualifications.

What are the benefits of Delta Blue Card?

The Delta Blue Card comes with benefits that include rental car insurance, purchase protection, extended warranty coverage and access to American Express experiences and offers.

Elizabeth Smith is an experienced travel and finance writer who specializes in topics including credit cards, travel insurance, and personal finance. Travel insurance, in particular, has both professional and personal significance for Smith. She’s traveled to 73 countries, and has extensive experience choosing and using various policies — she understands how valuable the right plan can be in an emergency, and loves to help readers find the perfect fit.

Smith comes to the world of finance from a scientific and technical background. She spent more than 10 years writing about engineering, science, and technology for universities and private companies. When she’s not writing or traveling, Smith can usually be found hiking or Nordic skiing.

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Comparing the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey: How does it stack up against other premium travel cards?

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The release of the new Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card in March may seem like a good option with competitive rewards rates, but how does it stack up to some of the best travel credit cards on the market today? And does it deserve a place in your wallet?

In this article, we’ll examine the cards’ welcome offers, rewards, benefits and travel partners to assess their overall value. Let’s see how the Autograph Journey measures up to these four competitors:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
• Citi Premier® Card
• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
• The Platinum Card® from American Express

Welcome offers

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey SM Card has a competitive welcome offer of 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in the first three months. According to Bankrate’s valuations , Wells Fargo Rewards are worth about 1.0 cents per point, giving the welcome offer a value of $600. After completing the spending requirement, you could have anywhere from 64,000 to 80,000 points, depending on which categories you utilize to meet the spending requirement. That’s a return of 16 percent on the low end to 20 percent on the high end, though you’ll likely fall somewhere in the middle.

How the Autograph Journey stacks up

The welcome offer on the Autograph Journey matches up with the regular offers from the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Citi Premier exactly. All three give the same bonus, for an identical spending requirement and timeframe, with the same annual fee. However, both Chase Ultimate Rewards and Citi ThankYou Points are worth more, at about 2.0 cents and 1.6 cents per point, respectively, when transferred to a high-value travel partner. This gives the edge to both, with Chase being the most valuable at $1,200 and Citi at $960.

Looking around, the Capital One Venture X offers more miles for the same amount of spending requirement and timeframe. With this card, you’ll get 75,000 miles, but also pay a higher $395 annual fee. Capital One miles are also more valuable at about 1.7 cents per point, making its welcome offer worth $1,275.

The Platinum Card® from American Express offers the most points of any of these offers — at 80,000 Membership Rewards points — but it also requires the highest spending at $8,000, although you’ll get twice as long to meet that amount (six months). It also has the highest annual fee of these cards at $695. Since Membership Rewards points are valued at about 2.0 cents cents per point, this offer has a value of $1,600.

Our decision: Not as good as the competition

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey offers the lowest overall value of any of these welcome offers, due to the lower value of the Wells Fargo Rewards it earns.

When deciding between these cards, consider:

• Whether you can meet the spending requirement
• What you want the points for
• The return on your spending

Based on these criteria, the best overall value comes from the Venture X since your return on spending will likely be a higher percentage — even though the Amex Platinum offers the most points and the highest value.

Rewards and benefits

Outside of its welcome bonus, the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey comes with excellent earning rates in numerous categories focusing on travel. Specifically, you’ll earn 5X points at hotels, 4X points on airlines and 3X points on other travel and restaurants. All other purchases earn 1X points.

You’ll also get a $50 annual statement credit with a $50 minimum airline purchase — utilizing this credit offsets more than half of the $95 annual fee. Additional benefits include:

• Trip protection coverage
• Auto rental collision coverage
• Emergency/roadside assistance
• Cell phone protection
• My Wells Fargo deals
• Visa Signature benefits

As it is, the card earns solidly enough to function as a standalone card, offering excellent protection and benefits. However, let’s compare this more closely with its competitors to assess its actual value.

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred®

Both of these cards come with a $95 fee. For travel purchases, the Autograph Journey gets 5X on hotels, 4X on airfare, and 3X on other travel, while the Sapphire Preferred only earns 2X on travel (but can earn 5X if you go through the Chase Travel portal or use Lyft). Chase points also get a 25 percent boost when booking travel through Chase Travel. While both cards earn 3X on dining, the Sapphire Preferred also earns 3X for streaming and online grocery purchases.

Whereas the Autograph Journey has a $50 air credit, the Sapphire Preferred has a $50 hotel credit instead. You’ll also get a points boost on your account anniversary equal to 10 percent of your spending from the prior year. Chase has more extensive transfer partners, including four of Wells Fargo’s airline partners. There are also more Chase cards available that can combine points with the Sapphire Preferred via the Chase trifecta , giving it an even further advantage.

You might choose the Autograph Journey if your travel spending aligns better with Wells Fargo’s bonus categories. However, for most people, the Sapphire Preferred will be the more flexible option.

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey vs. Citi Premier®

These cards also have the same annual fee — and once again, the Autograph Journey earns slightly better on hotel and air purchases. While the Citi Premier has limited-time earnings of 10X on hotel and car rentals through the Citi Travel portal through June 30, 2024, it earns 3X in the following categories:

• Restaurants
• Supermarkets
• Gas stations

By covering a more comprehensive range of everyday expenses, Citi Premier gets the edge for earning rewards.

The Citi Premier also offers an annual $100 hotel credit on a stay of $500 or more when booked through the Citi Travel portal — more than double the Autograph Journey’s air credit. While Citi overlaps on a few of Wells Fargo’s transfer partners, it also offers a more extensive list than Wells Fargo. Citi also has the Citi trifecta that allows you to combine points from multiple cards.

As a result, the Citi Premier generally offers more value overall, unless your spending is primarily travel-focused.

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey vs. Capital One Venture X

The Capital One Venture X comes with a higher annual fee than the Autograph Journey, coming in at $395 instead of $95. Still, this higher fee can be easily offset with the card’s $300 annual travel credit on the Capital One travel portal and the 10,000 bonus miles you’ll earn on your account anniversary (worth $100).

The main difference between the two is that the Venture X earns a flat rate of 2X miles on all purchases. If you book through the portal, you’ll get 5X on airfare and 10X on hotels and car rentals. If you book travel directly, the Autograph Journey is likely a better choice, but the Venture X still has the potential for higher returns. Non-bonus spending will do better on the Venture X, for example, but you’ll earn more with dining purchases on the Autograph Journey.

Overall, Capital One miles have a higher value and more transfer partners while overlapping most of Wells Fargo’s partners. You’ll also get more benefits and perks like extensive airport lounge access . Even with the higher annual fee, the Venture X is a clear favorite almost across the board.

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey vs. The Platinum Card® from American Express

These two cards approach travel from opposite positions. While the Autograph Journey has a manageable annual fee and earns solid reward rates, the Amex Platinum has one of the highest annual fees out there and mediocre earning rates outside of its 5X rate on airfare and hotels purchased through Amex Travel. Beyond travel purchases, the Autograph Journey is superior for spending.

Where the Amex Platinum shines above the rest is its laundry list of perks and benefits . For as high as the $695 annual fee is, you can still come out ahead if you take advantage of all the credits offered, including:

• $200 annual airline incidental credit with your selected airline
• $200 Uber credit ($15 each month, $35 in December)
• $100 Saks Fifth Avenue credit ($50 semi-annually)
• $200 annual credit with Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts
• $240 entertainment credit ($20 monthly)
• $189 annual CLEAR membership credit
• $300 Equinox/SoulCycle annual credit
• Walmart+ reimbursement ($12.95 monthly cost)
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit once every four years
• *Enrollment required for select benefits

Maximizing these credits more than compensates for the card’s annual fee, covering everything from travel and shopping to lifestyle purchases. In addition, you’ll get extensive airport lounge access, excellent travel protections, a superior list of transfer partners and complimentary elite status with Hilton, Marriott and several car rental companies. Here, the overall value offered by the Amex Platinum’s perks and credits far exceed any other card — if you can fully utilize them.

Our decision: Perks fall short but rewards measure up

These comparisons point to a glaring weakness of the Autograph Journey — its perks and benefits. Each main competitor card offers more value in credits, benefits and point value. Even the higher annual fee cards make up for that difference with superior returns in the benefits category. If you’re looking at this card specifically to handle your travel needs, you may want to consider one of the other cards, all of which give better returns.

However, the card holds up well with its reward-earning rates, particularly in the travel and dining categories. The rates for hotels and airfare purchases are strong and don’t require you to shop through a travel portal. This distinction can be helpful, as many hotel chains and airlines will deny your elite benefits when you book through a third party like this. With plenty of bonus categories, the Autograph Journey should be able to cover much of your everyday spending.

Airline and hotel transfer partners

Each card has its own set of airline and hotel transfer partners — multiple cards can cover some programs, while others may be unique to a single card. We’ve compiled a list of all the partners to help you decide which card is best for you. All transfer ratios are 1:1 unless otherwise noted.

Our decision: The Autograph Journey doesn’t measure up

As you can see, the Autograph Journey has the smallest number of transfer partners — each of which is covered by at least two competitors. Further, considering that the Autograph Journey comes with the lowest overall point value, the card’s competitors are likely to be a better choice if you’re looking for a specific transfer partner, given their wider selection and better value.

You could certainly use the Autograph Journey’s welcome offer to supplement the point balance in one of its partners, but in most cases, you shouldn’t use it as the primary method to accrue those points unless you’re spending in its top categories.

The bottom line

While introducing a travel card with transfer partners is a big milestone for Wells Fargo, the Autograph Journey unfortunately doesn’t quite rise to the level of its competition. While the reward rates are decent, the lower value of Wells Fargo points keeps it a step behind the competition. Given that, this card is best suited for people who may already have a solid portfolio of credit cards and are looking for a new program to supplement their points balances. But if you’re looking for your first premium travel card, you’ll likely get more value from one of the other cards in this space.

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