Compare credit cards with travel insurance

What does credit card travel insurance cover?

You can get coverage for anything from car rental damage to trip interruption. These policies are considered complementary, though in most cases they’re factored into the cost of the card.

What types of credit card travel insurance are there?

• Car rental auto collision damage waiver.
  Get coverage for damage or theft to your rental car purchase. To be eligible, you usually must decline the rental agency’s own protection.
• Lost or damaged baggage.
  Be reimbursed up to a specified amount for lost or damaged bags.
• Delayed baggage.
  Pays for the cost of essentials until your luggage arrives.
• Trip delay.
  Pays to help mitigate the necessary expenses spent if your carrier delays your trip.
• Trip cancellation and interruption.
  Be reimbursed for a canceled or interrupted trip due to sickness, injury or other eligible events.
• Travel accident.
  You’ll be compensation should the unthinkable happen and you or an immediate family member suffer a serious injury.
• Emergency evacuation and transport.
  Get coverage for the cost of evacuation or transport to a care provider should you or an immediate family member become injured.
• Phone insurance.
  Be reimbursed in the event of damage or theft of your phone with credit card cell phone insurance.
• Roadside assistance.
  Provides coverage for roadside assistance such as towing.

Who does credit card travel insurance cover?

The cardholder, their spouse or domestic partner, and dependent children under a particular age are covered under most credit card travel insurance policies.

A common exception is rental car collision damage, which often only protects the name on the rental agreement, and in some cases any authorized drivers.

Travel insurance coverage by credit card issuer

	American Express	Bank of America	Barclaycard	Capital One	Chase	Discover
Auto rental collision damage
Baggage
Baggage delay
Baggage loss
Car rental
Emergency evacuation and transportation
Lost luggage
Lost luggage reimbursement
Premium roadside assistance
Travel accident
Trip cancellation
Trip cancellations and interruptions
Trip delay

Coverage is subject to change and may only by available for select cards issued by the provider.

Travel insurance policies offered by each card issuer

How to file a claim with the credit card issuer

Most credit card companies ask customers to follow these steps to file an insurance claim:

1. Contact the claims administrator at the company’s phone number or claims website within a specified time period.
2. You’ll be sent a claims form and informed of any additional documentation needed for filing. Make the necessary copies and fill out the form.
3. Send your completed form and documentation to the designated address. Some credit card companies let you upload and send these documents online.
4. You usually don’t need to do anything afterward, though you can call or check online to monitor the status of your claim.

Is a credit card with travel insurance all you need?

It depends on your coverage needs. Your credit card might only cover a few areas, such as luggage delays, and most credit card insurance policies only cover up to a certain dollar amount per year. If you’re looking for specific coverage, compare credit cards with rental insurance or other policies depending on your needs.

If you’re a frequent traveler or you often travel with family, a credit card might not offer enough insurance to effectively cover you throughout the year. In this case, you’ll want to supplement with other options. Of course, no credit cards offer direct medical insurance, though some issuers offer policies separate from their credit card insurance.

How to compare credit cards with travel insurance

Compare by first reviewing your insurance needs along with your spending needs and habits. Here are some factors to consider:

• Policy details. Does the insurance policy cover all the people you need covered while traveling? Does the offered coverage make the policy worth it? Or are there certain exceptions in the fine print that make the policy a bad fit for your travel needs?
• Rewards. If a card offers good travel insurance coverage but bad reward earnings on your travel, the card might not be worth it. Ideally, a card should provide great value even if you don’t use the travel insurance.
• Annual fees. Does the card have a high annual fee? If so, the overall value of the included travel insurance might feel less impactful — particularly if you don’t use the insurance.
• Interest rates. Finding a card with a reasonable interest rate is helpful if you need to carry a balance over a certain period of time, like when you’re traveling.
• Additional travel perks. If you travel frequently, consider a credit card that offers great travel perks to make travel easier and more fun.
• Foreign transaction fees. If you’re traveling abroad, consider a card that waives foreign transaction fees.

Bottom line

Credit card travel insurance can provide the coverage you need in the event of an unplanned event or accident on a trip. Plan out your travel and purchasing needs ahead of time to determine which card offers the best travel coverage and purchasing power for you.

If you’re looking for a business credit card that provides travel insurance, compare your range of options to find one that best fits your needs.

Frequently asked questions

• What's covered under trip cancellation insurance?

  It depends on your credit card. Many trip cancellation policies include common events such as illness, injury, or inclement weather in their coverage.

• Do business credit cards offer complimentary travel insurance?

  American Express, Chase, Capital One, Citi and Bank of America all provide business credit cards with complimentary travel insurance options. Some of the best travel business credit cards will offer travel insurance. The entire Chase Ink Business card travel insurance line, for example, offers rental collision damage, travel and emergency assistance and roadside dispatch.

• Does my travel insurance policy cover me while abroad?

  It depends on your credit card. Most insurance benefits work internationally, though some such as rental car collision damage insurance are subject to limitations.

• What does secondary coverage on car rentals mean?

  A card with secondary collision damage insurance will only kick in after your primary insurance applies to the loss first.