Add travel insurance coverage to your credit card for greater peace of mind while traveling overseas. Many cards offer protections such as rental car coverage and medical coverage as primary or supplementary options.
For these benefits to apply, travel should typically be booked using a credit card and either paid for using points earned on that card, or the payments were covered using points. In this article we compare some of the top rewards credit cards with travel insurance policies and what each covers.
Coverage
Credit card travel insurance offers solutions to some common travel woes, but it’s essential to understand its limitations. Cardholder benefits typically include trip delay coverage (up to 12 hours of overnight delays or interruption) and travel interruption coverage.
Other cards offer evacuation coverage to help their cardholder find safe transportation when weather or other events interrupt their trip, and emergency medical evacuation coverage, which reimburses you the cost of returning home for treatment if an illness or injury requires treatment unavailable locally.
To take advantage of travel protection benefits offered by your card, you generally must either pay with it directly for your trip, or charge taxes and fees to it. Each card’s travel coverage varies, so before making a decision it is essential to read carefully the fine print to understand whether this option suits you.
Requirements
Credit card travel protections differ slightly from standalone travel insurance policies in terms of qualifying requirements; usually you’ll need to use all of your trip expenses on one card in order to be covered, with certain limitations or requirements depending on its coverage area.
Credit cards provide travel protection benefits that range from trip delay and cancellation coverage, medical evacuation assistance and lost luggage reimbursement – to get full details, refer to your card’s terms and conditions.
Though many travelers assume their credit card’s travel insurance will provide enough coverage on trips, this may not always be true. Separate travel policies may provide more extensive protection and higher benefit limits than policies included with some cards. It is therefore crucial to familiarize yourself with your specific card’s travel protections before booking any next journey – the top cards offer comprehensive cancellation, preexisting condition and medical evacuation coverages for the best protection available.
Exclusions
Some cards impose strict limitations on coverage; for instance, some exclude activities like skiing and motorcycling typically covered by standalone policies. Furthermore, others restrict trip duration while only offering coverage when the entire cost was paid with their card.
Some travel insurance plans may also include limits for events like terrorism or weather disasters; other policies may exclude preexisting conditions or age limitations as well as countries or locations considered high-risk by their provider.
Credit card travel insurance can be an ideal solution for travelers who desire comprehensive protection with the ease of using credit cards, but it’s essential that you compare different offerings and terms between cards in order to find one suitable to your needs. Keep in mind that many robust travel protection cards require an annual fee – be sure the benefits outweigh costs before choosing this route!
Claims
Credit card travel insurance cards that provide full protections such as trip cancellation/interruption coverage, primary rental car damage insurance and emergency evacuation assistance could save a significant amount of money, especially if traveling for work and encountering sudden job loss or another unexpected issue that forces cancellation.
Some credit cards provide primary rental car damage coverage that allows you to forgo expensive rental car agency policies. Others provide travel accident insurance that protects both you (and potentially, your immediate family members) in case of accidental death or dismemberment while traveling on common carriers like an airplane, train or bus.
Most travel insurance policies offered through credit cards require you to cover covered expenses out of pocket before filing a claim later for reimbursement. Sometimes receipts or other supporting documentation is necessary when filing claims.
