Best Credit Card for Travel Insurance Ranked

November 17, 2020

According to the Bureau of Transportation, less than 80% of flights will arrive on time this year. Travel can be unpredictable and it can be a bummer if something totally unexpected pops up that interrupts, delays, or cancels your trip.

That’s where credit cards with travel insurance come in handy.

This insurance can save you a lot of money when you are traveling away from your home and are met with complications like flight cancelation, baggage delay, or a family medical emergency.

In this guide, we will take a look at some of the top credit cards and find out which one is the best credit card for travel insurance.

Product
Rating
Key Features
Website
1
OVERALL RATING
4.6
Expert Review
  • The most affordable card for families who want to use travel miles.
  • Strong travel coverage.
  • Sign up bonus and affordable annual fee.
PRICE: $ 95
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2
OVERALL RATING
4.7
Expert Review
  • Very comprehensive coverage.
  • Let you transfer points to popular airlines and hotel partners.
  • Up to $100 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
PRICE: $ 550
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3
OVERALL RATING
4.1
Expert Review
  • Very comprehensive coverage.
  • Up to $200 in Uber credits per year.
  • $100 for Saks Fifth Avenue purchases per year
PRICE: $ 550
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4
OVERALL RATING
3.8
Expert Review
  • No annual fee for the first 15 months.
  • Offers purchase security
  • Great card for those who want to earn rewards on every purchase.
PRICE: $ 0
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5
OVERALL RATING
4
Expert Review
  • The card may also cover you and your eligible family members up to $100,000 for travel accidents.
  • No transaction fee on purchases outside of the U.S.
  • 24/7 travel and emergency assistance services.
PRICE: $ 0
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6
OVERALL RATING
3.7
Expert Review
  • Offer $250,000 worth of travel accident insurance
  • This is a great card for travelers who are moderate spenders but want to earn rewards on their spendings.
  • No foreign transaction fee
PRICE: $ 0
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7
OVERALL RATING
4.7
Expert Review
  • Very comprehensive coverage.
  • High sign up bonus.
  • Has low yearly fees
PRICE: $ 95
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8
OVERALL RATING
4.2
Expert Review
  • Generous welcome bonus.
  • It provides medical services and evacuation.
  • Best for high-saving Bank of America customers.
PRICE: $ 95
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9
OVERALL RATING
4.6
Expert Review
  • Damage and Theft Purchase Protection.
  • No annual fee.
  • You can use it outside Costco.
PRICE: $ 0
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10
OVERALL RATING
4.5
Expert Review
  • Free first checked bag.
  • No foreign transaction fee.
  • Points do not expire.
PRICE: $ 75
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11
OVERALL RATING
4.8
Expert Review
  • Comprehensive travel insurance.
  • Very affordable fee.
  • This card provides comprehensive benefits for United Airline flyers
PRICE: $ 95 (First Year Free)
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Best Travel Insurance Cards with Travel Insurance Reviews

  • Sign-up Bonus 80,000 points after you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months.
  • Rewards 5x points on Lyft rides till March 2023, 2x points on travel and dining, and 1x point for everything else.
  • Credit Score Good to excellent (700-749)
  • Annual Fee $95

Chase Sapphire Preferred travel insurance covers up to $10,000 per person in case of trip cancellation or interruption and $20,000 per trip for non-refundable prepaid travel expenses. You can also claim up to $500 per person if your trip has been delayed for more than 12 hours.

If your baggage has been delayed, you can also claim $100 per day for baggage delay up to 5 days. This coverage is activated after 6 hours of not getting your baggage. In case your baggage is lost or damaged, every person covered in the policy can claim $3,000. You can claim only up to $500 for jewelry and watches, cameras, and other electronic equipment.

In case of accidental death or dismemberment during the trip, you are eligible for $100,000. Chase Sapphire Preferred benefits also include primary coverage for rental cars that have been involved in a collision or were stolen. The coverage is up to the actual value of rental cars if the car is rented for 31 days or less.

Chase Sapphire Preferred is a great card for a usual family as it also provides you the benefit of transferring the Chase Ultimate Rewards points you have earned with no-annual-fee cards to Chase’s travel partner. This is the most affordable card for families who want to use travel miles.

PROS:
  • Very affordable annual fee
  • Sign up bonus with lots of points
  • Comprehensive and strong travel coverage
CONS:
  • 4% return on travel purchases
  • No Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit
  • Sign-up Bonus 50,000 points after you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months.
  • Rewards 10x points on Lyft rides till March 2023, 3x points on travel and dining, and 1x point for everything else.
  • Credit Score Excellent (750-850)
  • Annual Fee $550

Chase Sapphire Reserve card provides trip interruption and trip cancellation insurance up to $10,000 per person, and $20,000 per trip for non-refundable prepaid trip expenses, and $40,000 per year. If there is a delay for 6 hours or more, each covered person will be reimbursed $500 per ticket.

It also provides you $100 coverage for up to 5 days if your baggage has been delayed more than 6 hours. In case your baggage is lost or becomes damaged, every person covered in the policy can claim $3,000. You can claim only up to $500 for jewelry and watches, cameras, and other electronic equipment.

This is pretty much everything covered by the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. The Chase Sapphire Reserve travel insurance card offers medical evacuation benefits for up to $100,000 on a trip for 5 to 60 days if you are traveling more than 100 miles away. It also offers $100,000 in case of travel accidents that result in dismemberment or death and up to $1,000,000 for common carrier travel.

It also offers you $2,500 for medical and dental benefits less $50 deductible as well as rental car coverage of up to $75,000 on rentals 31 days or less.

As you can see, this card offers very comprehensive coverage but it comes at a higher price.

PROS:
  • $300 annual travel credit
  • Up to $100 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
  • Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership
  • Membership for DashPass, including $60 on DoorDash annual credits and free delivery on orders of $12 or more.
  • Let you transfer points to popular airlines and hotel partners
CONS:
  • The annual fee is very high
  • DoorDash points may not be useful for everyone
  • Sign-up Bonus 60,000 points after you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months
  • Rewards 5x points on direct flight bookings with airlines or with American Express Travel (5x points up to $500,000 starting Jan 1, 2021), 5x points on booked and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, 1x point on everything else.
  • Credit Score Excellent (750-850)
  • Annual Fee $550

American Express Platinum card travel insurance includes cover for trip cancellation and interruption for up to $10,000 per trip and up to $20,000 per card per 12 month period for non-refundable prepaid travel expenses. You can also claim up to $500 per covered trip for trip delays and up to two claims per one year period if the delay of 6 hours or more is from a common carrier.

You are also eligible to claim $3,000 for lost or damaged carry-on baggage and up to $2,000 for checked baggage, and $1,000 per traveler for high-risk items. American Express Platinum travel insurance will also be provided emergency medical transportation at no cost if the Premium Global Assist Hotline deems it is necessary to move the patient. You must be traveling more than 100 miles on a trip of 90 days or less.

You can also claim rental car coverage of up to $75,000 of the rental is for 30 days or less.

PROS:
  • Credit card trip insurance cover is very comprehensive
  • Yearly credits that can reduce out-of-pocket cost for an annual fee
  • $200 in annual airline incidental fee credit
  • Up to $200 in Uber credits per year
  • $100 for Saks Fifth Avenue purchases per year
CONS:
  • Only $1,000 to cover high-risk items
  • Very high annual cost
  • Sign-up Bonus N/A
  • Rewards 5x points on up to $12,500 worth of expenses on gas, grocery, and drugstore purchases for the first 6 months. Points take on 50% more value when redeemed for air tickets.
  • Credit Score Good to excellent (700-749)
  • Annual Fee None

Wells Fargo Visa Signature card is unique in that it has no annual fee. It also does not offer sign-up bonuses which can translate into a lot of saved dollars for clients. 

For travelers, the Wells Fargo credit card travel insurance offers 50% more value if its points are redeemed to buy air tickets. It offers trip cancellation for up to $2,000 per person for non-refundable costs. If your luggage is lost or damaged, it can reimburse up to $3,000 per trip. It also offers secondary auto insurance for rental car collision or theft.

With its Visa Signature Luxury Travel Collection, the card includes room upgrades, $25 food and beverage credit, complimentary Wi-Fi, 3 pm late checkouts, and daily continental breakfast.

It also protects covered items for 90 days due to vandalism, theft, weather conditions, or water damage. It covers cell phone theft or damage expenses by offering up to $600 per claim less $25 deductible, with a $1,200 cap per 1 year period.

This is a great card for those who want to earn rewards on every purchase.

PROS:
  • No annual fee for the first 15 months
  • Privilege include inside access to popular events
  • Free access to FICO Credit Score through Wells Fargo website
  • 50% more airfare value
  • Offers purchase security
  • Transfer points across Wells Fargo accounts
CONS:
  • 1x reward rate after 1 year
  • Potentially high APR
  • Sign-up Bonus $150 cash bonus after spending $500 in the first 3 months
  • Rewards Unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases
  • Credit Score Fair or average (580-669)
  • Annual Fee None

With the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards credit card, travelers do not have to pay the 1% to 3% transaction fee for purchases made outside of the US. It also offers new members the Mastercard World Elite benefits that can protect travel experiences and purchases. 

If you have paid for your airfare with the card, you will be eligible to reimburse $1,500 per trip in case of trip cancellation or interruptions. The card may also cover you and your eligible family members up to $100,000 for travel accidents and you may also be eligible for transport to and from the airport.

If your baggage is delayed for more than 4 hours at another place, you will have secondary coverage of up to $100 for 3 days for essential items. The Capital One Quicksilver travel benefits also offer coverage for auto rental collision damage up to a certain amount.

The card has 24/7 travel and emergency assistance services which can connect you to local emergency services and resources, like roadside assistance.

PROS:
  • 1.5% cashback on all spending
  • No annual fee
  • No transaction fee on purchases outside of the U.S.
  • 24/7 travel assistance
CONS:
  • Coverage is not as transparent or comprehensive as American Express or Chase cards
  • Sign-up Bonus 20,000 bonus miles when you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months.
  • Rewards Get 1.25x miles per dollars spent on all purchases
  • Credit Score Good to excellent (700-750+)
  • Annual Fee None

The Capital One Venture Rewards is one of the top travel insurance credit cards in the market, which has an edge over other travel insurance due to its high travel accident coverage. In case of accidental dismemberment or death during travels, the Capital One Venture one offers you coverage of up to $250,000, as long as you paid the fare with the Venture One Card.

Additionally, you are given further protection when traveling abroad as you won’t be charged foreign transaction fees. This Capital One credit card travel insurance also covers secondary car rental insurance in case of vandalism and theft of a rental car. You also get 24/7 travel assistance.

This is a great card for travelers who are moderate spenders but want to earn rewards on their spendings.

PROS:
  • Can redeem air miles for any travel purchases, whether the flight is booked through Capital One or another site.
  • Offer $250,000 worth of travel accident insurance
  • Credit towards Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
  • No foreign transaction fee
  • Can transfer miles to Capital One partners
CONS:
  • Not the best customer service
  • Does not offer a lot of credit card travel insurance beyond travel accident
  • If you want a cashback, the reward value is reduced
  • Sign-up Bonus 10,000 Chase Ultimate Reward points after spending $15,000 in the first 3 months.
  • Rewards Get 3x points on the first $150,000 spent in combined travel, shipping purchases, phone, internet, and cable services. 1x points on everything else. Points will be 25% more in value if redeemed through Chase Ultimate Reward.
  • Credit Score Good to excellent (740)
  • Annual Fee $95

Ink Business Preferred credit card offers comprehensive credit card trip insurance that can reimburse up to $5,000 per person and up to $10,000 per trip for trip cancellation and trip interruption. It covers trip delays up to $500 per ticket if your trip is delayed for over 12 hours or requires you to stay overnight.

In addition, with the Ink Business Preferred card, you may also be eligible for up to $100 reimbursement per day for up to 5 days if a common carrier delays your baggage for more than 6 hours. It also covers lost or damaged baggage up to $3,000 per passenger, but only up to $500 for jewelry and watches as well as cameras and electronic equipment.

The credit card also covers accidental death or dismemberment for up to $100,000 and up to $500,000 for common carriers per trip. You may also be eligible for primary rental car coverage up to the actual cash value of the car if it has been rented for 31 days or less.

Another major benefit of this card is that you will not be charged any transaction fees outside of this business.

As it stands, the Ink Business Preferred credit card is meant for small business owners, for whom travel is an integral part of growing their business, and who require a decent amount of credit card travel protection.

PROS:
  • High sign up bonus
  • Offer 3x bonus on several types of purchases
  • Offer comprehensive coverage
  • Has low yearly fees
CONS:
  • The minimum spending requirement on welcome bonuses is very high.
  • Sign-up Bonus 50,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. Bonus worth $500. You can earn 25% to 75% more on each dollar you spend on this card.
  • Rewards Get 2x points on dining and travel. 1.5x points on all other things.
  • Credit Score Excellent (750-850)
  • Annual Fee $95

With the Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card, you can reimburse up to $50,000 per person on trip cancellation and trip interruption, plus $500 per ticket if the trip is delayed for 12 hours or more.

The Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card provides coverage for baggage delay up to $100 for 5 days if the delay is for 6+ hours. Additionally, it also provides coverage if your baggage goes missing or is stolen. It also includes secondary rental car insurance.

Another major benefit of this card is that it provides medical services and evacuation if you or your immediate family member becomes sick away from home.

Travel benefits also include a $100 incidental airline fee credit that can be used every year. You can also get up to $100 in credit every four years for TSA PreCheckor Global Entry.

However, its major drawback is that it requires at least a $20,000 deposit in the bank to use it, and if you want to avail the 75% tier reward, you need at least $100,000 in the bank. That is why Bank of America credit card travel insurance is only best for high-saving Bank of America customers.

PROS:
  • Generous welcome bonus of 50,000 points
  • 25% to 75% more rewards for every dollar spent on the card
  • TSA PreCheck or Global Entry membership
CONS:
  • Requires a large deposit to be placed in the bank to use this card
  • Sign-up Bonus N/A
  • Rewards Get 4% cashback on gas purchases on spendings of up to $7,000 a year, then 1% back. Receive 3% cashback on travel and restaurant purchases, 2% cashback on Costco and Costco.com, and 1% on everything else.
  • Credit Score Excellent (750 – 850)
  • Annual Fee None

The Costco Anywhere Visa card by Citi is an “open-loop” credit card, which means you can use it anywhere, not just on Costco purchases, and get a whole lot of rewards for it.

Some of the benefits that travelers reap from the Costco card are Damage and Theft Purchase Protection, which can compensate or repair your purchases made with the card if you report them damaged or stolen within 90 to 120 days, depending on which state you live in. It also offers an extended warranty to its customers.

Additionally, it offers you huge rewards like 4% cashback on gas cost if you spend over $7,000 in a single year and a 3% cashback on travel and restaurant. It helps you avoid transaction fees too.

The Costco Anywhere Visa card offers credit card travel insurance coverage, including trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage. It has great travel accident coverage which could insure each family member for up to $500,000 if you get injured during a trip.

It gave lost baggage insurance for up to $3,000. Unfortunately, Citi cut out these insurances as of September 2019.

Still, the card offers a decent amount of rewards for people who are Costco customers.

PROS:
  • Bonus cashback on categories
  • No annual fee
  • High rewards for some categories
CONS:
  • You need to be a Costco member
  • Needs excellent credit
  • Rewards can be redeemed only at Costco once a year.
  • Costco credit card travel insurance coverage cut on September 2019
  • Sign-up Bonus 40,000 miles, $100 statement credit, Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare from $121, $2,000 or more in the first 90 days (limited offer)
  • Rewards 3 miles per dollar on Alaska Airlines purchases, and 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases.
  • Credit Score Good - Excellent ( 670-850)
  • Annual Fee $75

With the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card, you don’t get actual insurance but a lot of perks and rewards. You get the first checked bag free on the Alaska Airlines flight as well as for 6 other passengers on the same flight. It offers you 20% cashback on in-flight purchases such as food and Wi-Fi made on Alaska Airlines flights.

With Alaska Airlines credit card travel insurance, you are not required to pay a surcharge for foreign transactions or charge a cancellation or change fee 60 days before travel. You are also eligible for 50% off day passes for lounge access.

In addition, Alaska Airlines miles are worth 1.2 cents when redeemed on domestic flights, but you may be able to get more depending on how the miles are redeemed. 

You can also earn more miles by flying on Alaska Airlines and partner airlines. You will earn 1 mile for every mile flown.

You can also get bonuses, depending on your flyer loyalty status and fare class. For example, a coach flyer who wanted to fly on a 500-mile trip on Alaska Airlines would earn 1,200 miles from using this travel protection credit card and 500 miles for flying on the Alaska Airlines.

PROS:
  • Free first checked bag
  • Discounted lounge access
  • Flying on Alaska Airline will earn you more miles if you pay with the card
  • No foreign transaction fee
  • Points do not expire and can be reinstated 1 year after the closure of your account
  • One-way reward tickets are allowed
CONS:
  • Only provide benefits for Alaska Airlines frequent fliers or partner flight flyers
  • Reward seats may be limited
  • Sign-up Bonus 40,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months.
  • Rewards Get 2 miles per dollar spent on United purchases, hotel stays and restaurants, and eligible delivery services like DoorDash, Caviar, GrubHub, and Seamless. Receive 25% back on United in-flight purchases and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases.
  • Credit Score Excellent (750-850)
  • Annual Fee No fee for the 1st year, then $95

The United Airlines United Explorer card offers some of the nicest travel insurance and benefits for a co-branded airline rewards card.

You can make a credit card claim for canceled flight as well as an interruption for up to $1,500 per person and up to $6,000 per person for non-refundable prepaid travel expenses. It offers up to $500 as trip delay insurance if a common carrier is delayed for 12+ hours.

It provides baggage delay reimbursement up to $100 for 3 days if the baggage is delayed for over 6 hours. It is one of the few credit cards which gives a primary waiver for auto rental collision damage up to the cash value of the vehicle in the U.S. and abroad.

Plus it comes with a whole host of perks like complimentary Premium Upgrades on award tickets, priority boarding, two one-time United Club passes every year, visa concierge, and 25% cashback on in-flight purchases on United Airlines.

You also get up to $100 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fee credit as well as a free first checked bag when you make a purchase with the card.

All in all, this card provides comprehensive benefits for United Airline flyers and is one of the best credit cards for travel insurance.

PROS:
  • Comprehensive travel insurance and perks
  • Affordable fee
  • Miles do not expire as long as your account is open
CONS:
  • FICO score needs to be excellent
  • The APR is very high

Methodology

To find out which are the best credit cards for travel insurance, we evaluated the following metrics:

We checked how many sections of the following lists are covered and to what extent:

  • Canceled trip coverage
  • Delayed trip coverage
  • Baggage delay
  • Lost baggage reimbursement
  • Travel death and dismemberment
  • Auto rental collision damage waiver
  • Emergency medical coverage

We marked what people are protected under the credit card travel insurance coverage:

  • Credit cardholder only
  • Immediate family
  • Full family

We also looked at the annual credit card travel protection cost, as well as the rewards and benefits it offers.

How to Make a Credit Card Travel Insurance Claim

If there has been an incident during your trip that makes you believe you may be eligible to claim credit card travel insurance, you first need to read through your card’s guide to benefits. 

You may also call the customer care number added to the back of your card. By calling the office, you can ensure that the terms and conditions haven’t changed, you are protected, learn about the deadlines to make your claims, and find out which documents you need for opening a credit card claim.

The administration will typically provide you with a step-by-step guide to make the claim. These days, there are many credit card companies that allow their clients to file a claim online, without needing to send them the physical copy of their documents that prove the incident.

Make sure you know what the deadlines are for starting your claim. If you miss the deadline, your claim will become invalid. In the same way, if you miss sending a document or send a wrong one, you may risk getting your claim rejected.

FAQs

What is credit card travel insurance?

Some credit card companies also offer travel insurance among their perks. This travel insurance can cover clients in the event of canceled, interrupted, or delayed trips, missed connections, lost or damaged luggage, rental car damage, and even sickness, severe injury, and death during a trip.

Depending on the type of card you have and the card-issuing company, you may be given comprehensive credit card travel protection or limited travel coverage.

Should you purchase travel insurance or rely on credit card protection?

If we are considering travel insurance vs credit cards with travel insurance, we think that travel insurance companies offer more comprehensive insurance. 

Neither Chase nor Amex cards cover all types of incidents that can occur during travel. Still, most travel insurance provides some level of coverage for almost all mishaps during a trip.

In addition, you will have more options to customize your paid travel insurance policies, like choosing higher coverage limits, adding rider packages to your insurance for more benefits, and even upgrading to “cancel for any reason”. This can help you reimburse your plane ticket cost for any unexpected reason, like the current COVID-19.

Which credit card has the best trip cancellation insurance?

In our guide, we have listed American Express Platinum card travel insurance as the one that carries the best trip cancellation insurance, covering up to $10,000 per trip and up to $20,000 per card per 12 month period for non-refundable prepaid travel expenses.

The same terms are offered by Chase Sapphire Preferred and Reserve credit cards which we have listed as our overall best credit card section.

What is not covered by credit card travel insurance?

Credit card travel insurance is often more limited than paid travel insurance. Many credit cards do not offer coverage for “cancel for any reason” including bad weather, pandemics, flight purchases with miles, hotel accommodation that don’t meet your expectations, ticket scams, last-minute change, and anything that is not in the list of covered things.

What credit cards offer the best rental car insurance?

As you can see from our list, most credit cards with travel insurance offer rental car insurance as secondary insurance. 

What credit cards offer free travel insurance?

All the credit cards listed above have an annual fee. Once this fee is paid, clients can enjoy all the rewards, benefits, and perks that come with that card, including travel insurance.

Does my credit card have travel insurance?

Not all credit card companies offer travel insurance. If you want to find out if your card has travel insurance, check its guide to benefits or call the customer care office.

What is the best travel credit card?

We believe that the credit cards from top-rated companies all have their unique selling points that give them an edge against their competitors. Depending on your insurance needs, you can pick out any one of the credit cards that we have mentioned in our list. 

That said, according to our evaluation criteria, we think that Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card is among the best credit cards for travel insurance due to its comprehensive coverage and low annual fee.