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The best travel credit cards with travel insurance
A credit card’s travel insurance feature may not sound as exciting as a 100,000-point sign-up bonus or a high earning rate on everyday spending — but when you find yourself in a bind, it can be significantly more valuable.
Restrictions, delays, cancellations, and various other misfortunes continue to seesaw in response to developing news of the coronavirus and its variants (most recently Omicron). If you’re a would-be traveler who is now rethinking an upcoming vacation or work trips, you’ll benefit from having a card that reimburses you for things like:
- Non-refundable flights
- Delayed bags
- Missed connections
- Illness that cuts your travel short
- Death
Here’s everything you need to know about credit card travel insurance, along with the best credit cards offering the most comprehensive coverage.
Different types of travel insurance
Let’s examine some important definitions before we jump into the best credit cards with travel insurance. Several types of protections fall under the umbrella of travel insurance:
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance — This protects you if you’re no longer able to go on a covered trip or your covered trip is interrupted mid-travel for reasons such as illness, injury, weather, or a terrorist incident. This is the type of coverage you’d invoke if you needed to adjust your travel plans due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
- Trip delay insurance — If your covered trip is delayed by a specified number of hours due to a covered reason, this will cover expenses like meals and lodging (up to a specified maximum).
- Baggage delay insurance — This coverage provides reimbursement for essentials like clothes and toiletries if your luggage is delayed on a covered trip.
- Lost luggage insurance — If your carry-on or checked baggage goes missing, this coverage could reimburse you up to a specified amount.
- Rental car insurance — Many credit cards offer either primary or secondary car rental insurance, so you can waive the coverage offered for an additional fee when you rent a car. With primary car rental insurance, in the event of damage due to theft or collision, your credit card coverage will kick in before your personal insurance. With secondary insurance, the coverage kicks in after whatever other insurance is in place. Note that liability coverage isn’t included in any credit card auto collision damage waiver.
- Travel accident insurance — This is the kind of insurance you’ll hopefully never have to use.
- Emergency evacuation insurance — If you’re injured or otherwise incapacitated and need to be evacuated, this coverage would reimburse expenses such as a helicopter evacuation.
For these coverages to kick in, you’ll have to pay for your travel with a card that offers trip insurance. In other words, if you book your flight and hotels with a debit card, you won’t be eligible for coverage from your credit card.
Read more: I only use a credit card for my spending — here’s why I never use debit or cash
On that same note, however, redeeming airline miles or bank points for your travel should not disqualify you from coverage — as long as you pay the taxes and fees with your eligible credit card.
Best Chase credit card for travel insurance: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
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Here’s what to expect:
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: Reimbursement of up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip for pre-paid, non-refundable travel expenses like plane tickets, hotel reservations, cruises, etc.
- Trip delay insurance: Up to $500 per ticket in coverage for expenses like meals and lodging (that aren’t reimbursed by the airline or other “common carrier”) when your trip is delayed more than six hours or requires an overnight stay.
- Baggage delay insurance: Up to $100 in reimbursement per day for up to five days for essential purchases like clothing and toiletries for baggage delays of six hours or more.
- Lost luggage reimbursement: Up to $3,000 per person if you or an immediate family member check or carry on luggage that is damaged or lost.
- Rental car coverage: Primary coverage; up to $75,000 for theft and collision for rental cars in the US and abroad.
- Travel accident insurance: Up to $1,000,000 of accidental death or dismemberment coverage.
- Emergency evacuation coverage: Up to $100,000 to cover you, your spouse/domestic partner, and/or legally dependent children for emergency evacuation and related emergency medical services.
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- Up to $300 in annual travel statement credits (offsets the first $300 in travel you purchase each year with the card)
- Airport lounge access (Priority Pass Select and, eventually, Chase lounges)
- Up to $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
You’ll also earn
Read more: Top benefits of the Chase Sapphire Reserve
Best Capital One credit card for travel insurance: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the newest member of the premium credit card space. It offers top-notch travel insurance for an annual fee of
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: Reimbursement of up to $2,000 per person for prepaid, non-refundable travel expenses like plane tickets, hotel bookings, etc.
- Trip delay insurance: Up to $500 per ticket in coverage for expenses like meals and lodging when your trip is delayed more than six hours or requires an overnight stay.
- Lost luggage reimbursement: If you or an immediate family member’s check or carry-on luggage is damaged or lost, you’re covered for the difference between the “value of the amount claimed” and the common carrier’s compensation, up to $3,000 per covered trip.
- Rental car coverage: Primary coverage; up to $75,000 for theft and collision for rental cars in the US and abroad.
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card comes with
- Up to $300 per year in statement credits toward Capital One Travel bookings
- Priority Pass and Capital One airport lounge access
- 10,000-mile bonus each account anniversary
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
Read our Capital One Venture X credit card review for more info.
The best American Express card for travel insurance: The Platinum Card® from American Express
Many of its travel insurance benefits come with more restrictions than Chase’s policies, such as the limit of up to two claims per consecutive 12-month period for the trip cancellation and trip delay benefits, but hopefully, you’ll never have to take advantage of this coverage more than twice a year.
Here are the card’s travel coverages:
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: Reimbursement of up to $10,000 per trip and $20,000 per card for prepaid, non-refundable travel expenses like plane tickets, hotel reservations, and hotels in a consecutive 12-month period.
- Trip delay insurance: Up to $500 per ticket in coverage for expenses like meals and lodging (that aren’t reimbursed by the airline or other “common carrier”) when your trip is delayed more than six hours or requires an overnight stay — with a maximum of two claims per eligible card in a consecutive 12-month period.
- Lost luggage reimbursement: Up to $2,000 per covered person for checked luggage, up to $3,000 per person for carry-on luggage.
- Rental car coverage: Primary rental car insurance when you pay between $19.95 and $24.95 per rental period (not per day). You are covered for up to $100,000 in damage or theft.
- Emergency evacuation coverage: You, your spouse/domestic partner, and/or legally dependent children are covered for emergency evacuation and related emergency medical services, no matter how much it costs. You must be at least 100 miles from home.
This card has a
- Up to $200 in airline fee credits each calendar year**
- Up to $100 in Saks Fifth Avenue credits each calendar year**
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
- $179 per year in credits for CLEAR membership**
- Up to $200 in annual credits toward prepaid hotel bookings through Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts or The Hotel Collection
- Terms apply
Read our American Express Platinum credit card review.
Best credit card for travel insurance for under $100: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: Reimbursement of up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip for pre-paid, non-refundable travel expenses like plane tickets, hotel reservations, and hotels
- Trip delay insurance: Up to $500 per ticket in coverage for expenses like meals and lodging (that aren’t reimbursed by the airline or other “common carrier”) when your trip is delayed more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay
- Lost luggage reimbursement: Up to $3,000 per person if you or an immediate family member check or carry on luggage that is damaged or lost
- Baggage delay insurance: Up to $100 in reimbursement per day for up to five days for essential purchases like clothing and toiletries for baggage delays of six hours or more.
- Rental car coverage: Primary coverage; up to the actual cash value of the rental car for theft and collision for rental cars in the US and abroad.
- Travel accident insurance: Up to $500,000 of accidental death or dismemberment coverage.
You may notice a few couple differences between this card and the
The
Best small business credit card for travel insurance: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
If you have a for-profit venture, even if it’s a side-gig, you qualify for small business credit cards. Whether you are a tutor, tennis instructor, DoorDash delivery driver, or freelance writer, you should have your eye on cards like the
This card comes with a
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: Reimbursement of up to $5,000 per trip for prepaid, non-refundable travel expenses like plane tickets, hotel reservations, and hotels.
- Trip delay insurance: Up to $500 per ticket in coverage for expenses like meals and lodging (that aren’t reimbursed by the airline or other “common carrier”) when your trip is delayed more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay.
- Baggage delay insurance: Up to $100 in reimbursement per day for up to five days for essential purchases like clothing and toiletries for baggage delays of six hours or more.
- Lost luggage reimbursement: Up to $3,000 per person if you or an immediate family member check or carry on luggage that is damaged or lost.
- Rental car coverage: Primary coverage when you’re renting a car for business purposes; up to the actual cash value of the rental car for theft and collision for rental cars in the US and abroad.
- Travel accident insurance: Up to $500,000 of accidental death or dismemberment coverage
The
Best U.S. bank credit card for travel insurance: U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card
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Here are the card’s travel coverages:
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: Reimbursement of up to $2,000 per person for prepaid, non-refundable travel expenses from the common carrier.
- Trip delay insurance: Up to $500 per ticket in coverage for expenses like meals and lodging (that aren’t reimbursed by the airline or other “common carrier”) when your trip is delayed more than 6 hours or requires an overnight stay.
- Lost luggage reimbursement: Up to $3,000 per person if you or an immediate family member check or carry on luggage that is damaged or lost.
- Rental car coverage: Primary coverage; up to $75,000 for theft and damage to rental cars in the US and abroad.
- Travel accident insurance: Up to $500,000 of accidental death or dismemberment coverage.
The
- $325 in annual travel credits
- Up to $100 in statement credits toward Global Entry and TSA PreCheck
- 30% discount on Silvercar rentals
Frequently asked questions
Which credit card has the best travel insurance?
The
Do most cards offer travel insurance?
Most rewards credit cards offer some degree of travel insurance, but the specifics can vary wildly from card to card. The big exception is Citi, which eliminated most elements of its travel coverage from cards in late 2019. Don’t reserve travel with a Citi card if you want any sort of insurance.
If my credit card has travel coverage, do I need to buy additional travel insurance?
If you have one of the credit cards featured in this guide, you may not need an additional travel insurance policy. However, make sure you read the fine print of your credit card’s benefits guides to make sure the travel coverage is sufficient for your needs — and so you don’t have any unpleasant surprises like finding out you aren’t eligible for coverage when it’s too late.
On the other hand, if you want some extra peace of mind, or if there’s a good chance you may cancel your non-refundable trip, it’s worth looking into supplementary travel insurance. Also keep in mind that you may need to purchase travel insurance if you’re traveling for an extended period, since most credit card travel insurance only applies for about a month-long trip.
Who is covered by credit card travel insurance?
Refer to your credit card’s benefits guide, but as a general rule credit card travel insurance applies to the cardholder and the cardholder’s immediate family.
What isn’t covered by credit card travel insurance?
Each credit card travel insurance policy is different, so it’s important to look at your specific card’s benefits guide to make sure you know exactly what is and what is not covered. And when in doubt, don’t be afraid to call the card issuer for clarification!
Your credit card travel insurance won’t cover a trip that you don’t purchase with the card, though in some cases paying for a trip in full or in part with that card’s rewards points will qualify you for coverage.
Other areas where potential exclusions could crop up are covered reasons (if your trip is canceled or delayed because decide to change your plans, not because of illness or weather), covered trip length (most credit card travel insurance is capped at a certain amount of time, usually around a month), and covered destination (if you’re traveling to a region where your card’s coverage doesn’t apply).
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