Credit card travel insurance is a game-changer when trips go awry.
The right trip coverage may reimburse you for the cost of essentials when your bags are delayed or lost, help you pay for food and a place to stay when your flight is delayed or canceled, or cover the costs of repair or replacement if your rental car is damaged or stolen while in your possession. Some may even help you cover costly expenses such as emergency evacuation and medical treatment.
The best credit cards provide travel insurance as a complimentary benefit. There are several types of credit card travel insurance that apply under different circumstances, so read our guide to understand what you need.
Business Insider's personal finance experts reviewed dozens of credit cards available today to compile this list of our top picks based on coverage, overall value, and annual fees.
All of our recommendations provide certain protections when the unexpected happens, making these cards the best options for credit card travel insurance in 2025.
Best Credit Cards with Travel Insurance of 2025
| Best For | Card | Annual Fee |
| Best for no annual fee | Chase Freedom Unlimited® | $0 (rates and fees) |
| Best for road trippers | Bilt Mastercard® | $0 (rates and fees) |
| Best for families | Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | $95 (rates and fees) |
| Best for airport lounge access | Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card | $395 |
| Best for medical coverage | Chase Sapphire Reserve® | $550 (rates and fees) |
| Best for luxury travelers | The Platinum Card® from American Express | $695 (rates and fees) |
| Best for business owners | Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card | $95 (rates and fees) |
Types of Credit Card Travel Insurance
Many of the best credit cards come with trip protection benefits, all of which fall under the umbrella of travel insurance.
Some types of coverage reimburse expenses incurred during delayed or canceled flights where the airline is at fault. Others reimburse you for emergency medical services or cover the cost of damages to your rental car. Yet others help you pay for unexpected medical emergencies and associated expenses during your trip.
The primary forms of credit card travel insurance include:
- Trip delay insurance
- Baggage delay insurance
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
- Lost luggage insurance
- Rental car insurance
- Emergency evacuation insurance
- Travel accident insurance
Trip Delay Insurance
Trip delay insurance covers reasonable expenses like meals and lodging, up to a certain amount over a specific number of days, when your eligible trip is delayed by a specified number of hours due to a covered reason.
On the best credit cards with trip delay insurance, this benefit applies after six hours of delay; on others, the standard is 12 hours or more.
Baggage Delay Insurance
Baggage delay insurance pays for essentials like replacement clothing and toiletries if your luggage is delayed on a covered trip.
The best credit cards with baggage delay insurance reimburse up to $100 a day for up to five days. This is enough to help you replenish basics like clean socks and underwear if you're stranded without belongings.
Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance
Trip cancellation and interruption insurance protects you when you're no longer able to go on a covered trip, or your covered trip is interrupted mid-travel due to a covered incident such as illness, injury, death, and severe weather.
This type of insurance reimburses prepaid, nonrefundable travel expenses such as airfare, hotel stays, and tours. You may also be reimbursed for travel expenses to return home, at the underwriter's discretion.
The best credit cards with trip cancellation and interruption coverage cover up to $10,000 per person (up to $20,000 per trip if there is more than one eligible person in your party).
Lost Luggage Reimbursement
If your carry-on or checked baggage goes missing, this coverage reimburses you up to a specified amount, based on the underwriter's assessment of the original purchase price of your belongings, the actual cash value at the time of loss, and the cost of replacing those items.
The best credit cards with lost luggage protection offer up to $3,000 per eligible traveler per trip.
Rental Car Insurance
Many of the best credit cards with travel insurance offer auto collision damage waiver (CDW) coverage on rental cars. To qualify, you typically need to decline the coverage offered by the rental car company and charge the full cost of your rental to the credit card with this benefit.
Exclusions for car types and countries vary between cards and issuers, so make sure you read the fine print before every booking.
Credit card rental car insurance generally doesn't cover liability car insurance, damage to other cars, damage to personal property, personal bodily injury, or injury to others.
Primary Auto CDW Coverage
With primary car rental insurance, your credit card coverage takes precedence over your personal insurance in the event of damage due to theft or collision, so you don't have to file a claim on your own auto policy. (Note: Read your credit card's fine print for state-specific exclusions, particularly if you live in the state of New York.)
This is the best type of credit card rental car insurance because it helps you avoid raising premiums on your personal insurance. But read the fine print very carefully when booking your rental car, because many issuers require that you charge the full cost of the rental to that card in order to be eligible for coverage, and in some cases, you may even need to charge your entire trip to that card.
Secondary Auto CDW Coverage
With secondary coverage, your credit card insurance supplements any other auto insurance policy you have. So, in the event of damage due to theft or collision, car renters still have to file a claim through their personal auto insurance policy, and the secondary insurance is there to cover a portion of the leftover costs.
This type of coverage is nice to have as a backup, but it won't protect you from potential insurance premium hikes following a claim to your personal policy.
Emergency Evacuation Insurance
If you're injured or otherwise incapacitated and need to be evacuated, this coverage reimburses essential expenses such as a helicopter evacuation. The best credit cards with travel insurance cover up to $100,000 in medically necessary expenses.
This benefit often requires that your trip be more than five days but less than 60 days in duration, and you must be at least 100 miles from home to qualify.
Travel Accident Insurance
This benefit goes into effect in the event of accidental death or dismemberment. The best credit cards offer up to $1 million in coverage for major accidents such as loss of life, loss of speech, hearing, or sight.
Credit card benefits vary by product and issuer, so be sure to read all the fine print, and pay for the cash portions of your travel with the card that offers these benefits.
Best for No Annual Fee
$0
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months
18.99% - 28.49% Variable
Earn a $200 bonus
Good to Excellent
Pros
Cons
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a great choice for credit card beginners and experts alike. With no annual fee and a high earnings rate, it's worth considering as an everyday card — and it's even better when you pair it with an annual-fee Chase card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Chase Freedom Unlimited- Intro Offer: Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
- Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
- Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.99% - 28.49%.
- No annual fee – You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
- Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
- Member FDIC
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is the perfect credit card for travel insurance if you almost never travel, but want peace of mind for the rare occasions when you do. It's one of the best credit cards with no annual fee for many reasons — and complimentary trip protection is one of them.
Annual fee: $0
Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: Up to $1,500 per covered traveler and up to $6,000 per covered trip for nonrefundable prepaid expenses resulting from covered reasons when you pay for an eligible trip with this card
Rental car insurance: Secondary auto CDW coverage on eligible car rentals when you decline the rental car company's insurance and charge the full transaction to this card
Learn more in our Chase Freedom Unlimited review.
Best for Road Trippers
$0
N/A
See Terms
N/A
Good to Excellent
Pros
Cons
The Bilt Mastercard® is the first credit card to offer up to 100,000 points in a calendar year rewards for paying rent without the transaction fee — and you can redeem your points for travel, merchandise, and more. While it now offers bonus points on dining and select travel, if you're not a renter, you should consider other no-annual-fee rewards credit cards as well.
Bilt Mastercard®- $0 Annual Fee
- Earn 1x points on rent payments without the transaction fee, up to 100,000 points each calendar year
- Earns 3x points on dining
- Earn 2x points on travel
- Earn 1x points on other purchases
- Earn double points on the first of each month (excluding rent, up to 1,000 bonus points)
- Use the card 5 times each statement period to earn points
- Earn up to 5x Bilt points on Lyft rides when you link your Bilt account and pay with your Bilt card
- Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent payments, credit card statement credits, toward a down payment on a home, etc.
- Select "Apply Now" to learn more about the product features, terms, and conditions
Bilt Mastercard® cardholders get primary coverage on eligible car rentals — a rare benefit to begin with on low-annual-fee credit cards, and extremely valuable on a no-annual-fee credit card.
If you prefer to fly, the trip delay reimbursement benefit covers essentials like water and food if your trip is delayed by six or more hours and the airline doesn't offer you a meal voucher.
Annual fee: $0 (rates and fees)
Trip delay reimbursement: On eligible claims, up to $200 per day per covered traveler for up to three days when your trip is delayed by six or more hours; up to $1,800 maximum per trip across all covered travelers
Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: Up to $5,000 per covered traveler per trip
Rental car insurance: Primary coverage of up to $50,000 (secondary for New York state residents) when you decline the rental company's collision insurance and charge the entire rental cost to your card
Learn more in our Bilt Mastercard card review.
Best for Families
$95
N/A
19.99% - 28.24% Variable
Earn 60,000 bonus points
Good to Excellent
Pros
Cons
If you're new to travel rewards credit cards or just don't want to pay hundreds in annual fees, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a smart choice. It earns bonus points on a wide variety of travel and dining purchases and offers strong travel and purchase coverage, including primary car rental insurance.
Chase Sapphire Preferred- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 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, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the best credit cards for families who hit the road a few times a year, since it comes with strong travel insurance protections for the times you need it.
Its many benefits include primary auto CDW coverage and baggage delay insurance if your luggage is delayed for six or more hours.
Annual fee: $95
Trip delay reimbursement: On eligible trips delayed for 12 or more hours or that require an overnight stay, up to $500 per covered traveler for unreimbursed expenses such as meals and hotels
Baggage delay insurance: When your bag is delayed by six or more hours, this insurance reimburses essential purchases for up to $100 a day per covered traveler for up to 5 days
Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: On eligible travel that's canceled or cut short for a covered reason, up to $10,000 reimbursement per covered traveler and $20,000 per trip for pre-paid, non-refundable travel expenses
Lost luggage insurance: Reimburses up to $3,000 per covered traveler for replacing lost, damaged, or stolen baggage during a covered trip
Rental car insurance: Primary auto CDW coverage of up to $60,000 when you decline the rental car company's coverage and charge the full expense to your card (exclusions and conditions apply)
Travel accident insurance: Up to $500,000 for eligible common carrier travel accidents
Learn more in our Chase Sapphire Preferred card review.
Best Well-Rounded Pick
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is one of the best travel rewards credit card for travelers who value the simplicity of using a single credit card for everything.
Annual fee: $395
Trip delay reimbursement: Up to $500 per covered traveler toward reasonable incidentals not covered by the common carrier when a covered trip is delayed by six hours or more, or when an overnight stay is required
Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: Up to $2,000
Lost luggage insurance: Reimburses up to $3,000 per covered trip ($2,000 per bag for New York state residents) to replace items in baggage lost and not refunded by the common carrier (terms apply)
Rental car insurance: Primary auto CDW coverage on eligible rentals of vehicles with an original retail value of $75,000 or less (terms apply)
Travel accident insurance: Up to $1 million for accidental loss of life, limb, sight, speech, or hearing while traveling with a licensed common carrier when you charge the full cost of your fare to this credit card (terms apply)
Learn more in our Capital One Venture X Rewards credit card review.
Best for Medical Coverage
$550
N/A
20.24% - 28.74% Variable
Earn 60,000 bonus points
Good to Excellent
Pros
Cons
If you're new to rewards credit cards you may want to start elsewhere, but if you know you want to earn Chase points and you spend a lot on travel and dining, the Sapphire Reserve is one of the most rewarding options.
Chase Sapphire Reserve- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- $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℠ 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℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 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 PassTM Select and up to $120 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Member FDIC
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers some of the best travel insurance protections you'll get from any credit card, surpassing even that of the famous Amex Platinum Card.
This is the card to use if you're an adventurous traveler or if you need a little extra peace of mind. Note: Pre-existing conditions are typically excluded from coverage, so read the fine print before filing a claim.
Annual fee: $550
Trip delay reimbursement: On eligible trips delayed for 6 or more hours or that require an overnight stay, up to $500 per covered traveler for unreimbursed expenses such as meals and hotels
Baggage delay insurance: When your bag is delayed by six or more hours, it reimburses essential purchases for up to $100 a day per covered traveler for up to 5 days
Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: On eligible travel that's canceled or cut short for a covered reason, up to $10,000 reimbursement per covered traveler and $20,000 per trip for pre-paid, non-refundable travel expenses
Lost luggage insurance: Reimburses up to $3,000 per covered traveler for replacing lost, damaged, or stolen baggage during a covered trip, with a sub-limit of $500 max for jewelry and watches and a second sub-limit of $500 max for cameras and electronic equipment
Rental car insurance: Primary auto CDW coverage of up to $75,000 on eligible car rentals when you decline the rental car company's coverage and charge the full expense to your card (exclusions and conditions apply)
Travel accident insurance: Up to $1,000,000 for eligible common carrier travel accidents
Emergency evacuation and transportation insurance: On eligible trips 100 or more miles from home and between five to 60 days in length, up to $100,000 per eligible traveler (pre-authorization required) if you are injured or become ill enough to need emergency evacuation and transportation while traveling
Emergency medical and dental benefit: When you pay travel expenses with this credit card, up to $2,500 toward emergency medical or dental benefits on covered trips when you get sick or are accidentally injured, subject to a $50 deductible — may include an additional benefit of $75 per day for up to five days toward the cost of a hotel room
Learn more in our Chase Sapphire Reserve review.
Best for Luxury Travelers
$695
N/A
See Pay Over Time APR
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® points
Good to Excellent
Pros
Cons
If you want as many premium travel perks as possible, The Platinum Card® from American Express could be the right card for you. The annual fee is high, but you get a long list of benefits such as airport lounge access, travel statement credits, and more.
Amex Platinum Card- Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- 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 through American Express Travel using 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.
- Enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection, with over $500 of annual value if you visit Centurion Lounges and each of our partner lounges including Delta Sky Club® lounges when flying an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations) , select Lufthansa lounges when flying Lufthansa, Plaza Premium lounges and Escape Lounges, and enroll in Priority Pass Select. See terms.
- A Walmart+ membership can get you free shipping with no order minimum on eligible items shipped by Walmart. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) and receive one statement credit for up to $12.95 (plus applicable taxes. Plus Ups not eligible) each month. Free Shipping excludes most Marketplace items, freight & certain location surcharges. Paramount+ Essential plan only, separate registration required.
- $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® Account. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
- $200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card® Members can ride or dine in style with $15 in Uber Cash each month, plus a bonus $20 in December after adding their Card to their Uber account. Use your Uber Cash on rides and orders in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- $199 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps get you to your gate faster by using unique facial attributes to verify you are you at 50+ airports nationwide. Receive up to $199 per Calendar year in statement credits, when you pay for a CLEAR Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the Platinum Card.
- Receive either a $120 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.
- Use Global Dining Access by Resy to access premium dining experiences. Receive Priority Notify and unlock insider access to some of the world's most sought-after restaurants with Global Dining Access by Resy. Download the Resy iOS app or log into Resy.com and add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile to take advantage of your special benefits and discover restaurants near you.
- $695 annual fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
The Platinum Card® from American Express is best known for lavish benefits, premium customer service, and a high annual fee (rates and fees).
Travel insurance is one of those benefits: Cardholders enjoy several forms of generous trip protection coverage, including trip delay insurance that kicks in after just six hours, and cancellation/interruption coverage of up to $10,000 per trip for non-refundable prepaid expenses.
The American Express reputation for good customer service seems to carry over to travel insurance claims as well. Several cardholders online said they had positive experiences claiming trip protection reimbursement through their Amex Platinum Card even when airlines or hotels refused to offer compensation.
Some of the Amex Platinum Card's travel protection benefits come with specific exclusions and conditions, such as requiring you to purchase round-trip travel with this card to be eligible for coverage, so read the fine print before booking. Terms apply.
Annual fee: $695 (rates and fees)
Trip delay insurance: Up to $500 per eligible trip (maximum two eligible claims per 12-month period) when you use this card to pay for round-trip travel that's delayed by six or more hours
Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: Reimburses eligible non-refundable expenses on up to $10,000 per trip and up to $20,000 per eligible card per 12 consecutive months. Terms, conditions and limitations apply.
Baggage insurance: Up to $2,000 for checked baggage and up to a combined maximum of $3,000 for checked and carry-on baggage on anything that the airline doesn't cover, with a $3,000 aggregate limit per covered trip; exclusions and restrictions apply
Rental car insurance: Secondary auto CDW insurance by default; enroll (and pay a fee) for primary coverage when you charge
Emergency evacuation insurance: For covered incidents occurring more than 100 miles from home, emergency medical transportation and repatriation costs may be reimbursed through the Premium Global Assist hotline if all conditions are met
Learn more in our American Express Platinum card review.
Best for Business Owners
$95
N/A
20.24% - 26.24% Variable
Earn 90,000 bonus points
Good to Excellent
Pros
Cons
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers a huge welcome bonus and solid earning and benefits for a moderate annual fee. If your small-business expenses line up with the card's bonus categories and you like redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards® points for travel, this is one of the best small-business credit cards to consider.
Ink Business Preferred Card- Earn 90k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 cash back or $1,125 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.
- Member FDIC
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is one of the best small business credit cards for travel insurance coverage.
In addition to credit card cell phone protection and generous extended warranty, this card comes with a slew of trip insurance benefits, including rental car coverage, baggage delay benefits after six hours, and trip delay/cancellation reimbursement.
Annual fee: $95
Trip delay insurance: Up to $500 per covered ticket for reasonable expenses if your eligible trip is delayed by a covered hazard for more than 12 hours or overnight
Baggage delay insurance: Up to $100 per eligible traveler per day for up to five days when your baggage from a covered trip is delayed by more than six hours
Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: Up to $5,000 per eligible traveler and up to $10,000 per trip within a 12-month period for nonrefundable prepaid expenses resulting from cancellations for a covered reason
Lost luggage insurance: Up to $3,000 per eligible traveler (with limits of up to $500 per eligible traveler for jewelry, watches, cameras, video recorders, and other electronic equipment)
Rental car insurance: Reimburses up to the actual cost of the eligible rental vehicle for damage or theft on eligible car rentals; secondary coverage within your country of residence and primary coverage in other covered countries
Learn more in our Chase Ink Business Preferred card review.
How Does Credit Card Travel Insurance Work?
Travel insurance protects you financially if something bad happens while you're away from home. You can purchase a travel insurance policy or rely on complimentary travel insurance through a credit card that offers this benefit.
When it comes to credit card travel insurance, the old adage is true: You get what you pay for. You'll usually find the best credit card travel insurance coverage on premium cards with high annual fees, such as credit cards with airport lounge access.
But many of the best travel rewards credit cards include this benefit, even the ones with sub-$100 annual fees. And a handful of the best credit cards with no annual fees offer trip cancellation/interruption or trip delay reimbursement benefits.
Credit card travel insurance benefits typically apply to travel paid for with that card. Unlike standalone travel insurance policies, you don't need to purchase or activate credit card travel insurance every time you travel.
Top credit cards for travel insurance offer multiple types of coverage. Benefits on the very best credit cards kick in very quickly after the qualifying event, and offer high reimbursement thresholds.
Do I Qualify for Credit Card Travel Insurance?
You must have a travel insurance credit card and experience a qualifying event in order to file an eligible claim for travel insurance benefits. In some cases, you may also need to be 100 or more miles away from your home address to be eligible for coverage.
You must pay trip expenses using a credit card with travel insurance to be eligible for that card's benefits. If you book your flight and hotels with a debit card, for example, you won't be eligible for coverage from your credit card. Nor can you file an insurance claim with one credit card company on travel paid with a different card, even if they are issued by the same issuer.
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 on your flight or hotel with the eligible credit card.
Should I Buy Additional Travel Insurance?
If you have one of the credit cards featured in this guide, you may not need a separate travel insurance plan. 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 so you don't have any unpleasant surprises like finding out you aren't eligible for coverage when it's too late.
It's always worth considering supplemental travel insurance coverage if you want some extra peace of mind, anticipate potential hiccups, or if there are a lot of logistics to your itinerary. Cancel for any reason travel insurance, for example, can help you recoup non-refundable costs even if you cancel outside of illness or work requirements.
Airline and Hotel Credit Cards with Travel Insurance
Many premium airline credit cards and hotel credit cards also offer some trip protection coverage. However, we typically recommend sticking with non-branded travel credit cards for coverage because they earn more versatile rewards.
Some airline and hotel credit cards with noteworthy coverage include the:
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
- The New United Club℠ Card
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed the Best Credit Cards for Travel Insurance
To identify this roster of the best credit cards for travel insurance, we first identified the different types of travel insurance benefits. We then selected the best credit card options for each type of travel insurance by evaluating their specific benefits.
We also score each credit card on a scale of 1 to 5. We arrive at each score by following our methodology on how we rate credit cards, which factors in rewards, the welcome bonus, annual fee, and more.
FAQs
Which credit card has the best travel insurance?
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® has the most comprehensive travel insurance, covering everything from trip cancellations and interruptions to delayed baggage.
Do credit cards offer travel insurance?
Yes, many of the best travel credit cards offer various forms of travel insurance protection, including primary auto collision damage waiver coverage, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, baggage delay reimbursement, and more.
Does my credit card have travel insurance?
Your credit card may very well offer travel insurance benefits, even if it isn't a dedicated travel rewards credit card. The best way to find out is by reading the benefits guide linked to your card.
Does credit card travel insurance really work?
Yes, credit card travel insurance really does work when your claim meets all of the requirements for eligibility. Baggage delay reimbursement and trip delay insurance are two of the easiest benefits to claim.
Which credit cards offer free travel insurance?
Many credit cards offer complimentary travel insurance coverage, from no-annual-fee options to premium cards that cost hundreds of dollars a year in annual fees. The best low-annual-fee credit card with travel insurance is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, which offers premium-tier coverage for $95 a year.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, please click here.
Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Trip Delay Insurance, Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance, and Cell Phone Protection Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company. Global Assist Hotline Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers. 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. Extended Warranty, Purchase Protection, and Baggage Insurance Plan Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
***Terms, conditions, and exclusions apply. Refer to your Guide to Benefits for more details. Travel Accident Insurance is not guaranteed, it depends on the level of benefits you get at application.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
For rewards and benefits of the Bilt Mastercard, please click here.
For a guide to the benefits of the Bilt Mastercard, please click here.
