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Erika’s Picks for Best Credit Cards With Travel Insurance
- Best for overall coverage:
Chase Sapphire Reserve® - Best for luxury travel:
The Platinum Card® from American Express - Best for business travel:
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card - Best for low annual fee:
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Best for hotel perks:
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card - Best for airline perks:
United℠ Explorer Card
If you travel a lot, you know how important travel insurance is.
Insurance can cover things like lost luggage, emergency medical treatment, expenses from a flight delay, and so much more.
But that doesn’t mean you necessarily need to buy insurance from the airline, rental car company, or another third party. The right credit card could already have you covered.
Best for Overall Coverage
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Rewards Rate
- 10x points on hotel stays and car rentals through Chase Travel℠
- 5x points on dining purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards and on Lyft purchases (through March 2025)
- 5x points on flights booked through Chase Travel℠ (after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually)
- 3x points on restaurants and travel
- 1x points on everything else
Welcome Offer
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Annual Fee
$550
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is easily one of the best travel credit cards — and not just for its solid travel rewards. This card offers a broad range of travel insurance benefits.
- Trip cancellation or interruption: Reimbursement up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip
- Trip delay: Up to $500 per ticket if delayed more than six hours
- Lost luggage: Up to $3,000 per passenger
- Baggage delay: Up to $100 per day for up to five days
- Medical evacuation: Up to $100,000
- Accidental death or dismemberment: Up to $1 million
- Emergency medical and dental benefit: Up to $2,500 for medical expenses if at least 100 miles from home
- Roadside assistance: Up to $50 per incident, four times per year
- Car rental collision/theft: Up to $75,000 when you’ve paid for the rental car with your card
The long list of travel insurance benefits that come with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® easily put it at the top of our list. Not only that, but it also comes with a ton of travel perks.
While the annual fee is steep, if you can take advantage of all the benefits, like global lounge access, a $300 annual travel credit, and a statement credit for TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry, then you can definitely earn back the value.
But perhaps the best part of the Sapphire Reserve is how flexible it is. You can transfer points to travel partners like Hyatt, Marriott, Southwest Airlines, and British Airways — in many cases for even more value than you get by booking through Chase Travel℠.
Best for Luxury Travel
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Rewards Rate
- 5x points on directly booked flights and hotels booked through American Express Travel (up to $500,000)
- 1x on all other spending
Welcome Offer
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $8,000 in the first 6 months
Annual Fee
$695 (rates and fees)
The Platinum Card® from American Express has a high annual fee, but also has lucrative benefits* if you travel often and want luxury experiences.
- Trip delay insurance: Up to $500 per trip when delayed by more than six hours; up to two claims annually
- Trip cancellation or interruption: Up to $10,000 of non-refundable costs per trip; benefit can be used twice per calendar year
- Car rental loss and damage: Secondary coverage when you pay for the rental with your card and decline the rental company’s coverage in an eligible territory (not available for rentals in Italy, Australia, or New Zealand)
- Premium Global Assist Hotline: 24/7 phone assistance on legal, medical, and financial issues while traveling at least 100 miles from home
For the ultimate in luxury travel, you can't really beat having The Platinum Card® from American Express in your wallet.
In addition to all the travel insurance benefits, you also get perks like unlimited lounge access, complimentary premium status with several car rental companies, and up to $200 in statement credits for incidental airline fees, like seat assignments, baggage fees, and in-flight food and beverages.
The Platinum Card is also extremely flexible, with the option to transfer your rewards to 21 different travel loyalty programs. You can also redeem for statement credits, gift cards, or to qualify for special flight deals via Insider Fares on AmexTravel.com (if you can pay the entire flight price with points).
Yes, the annual fee is steep, but if you can make use of all the perks and prefer to travel in a bit of luxury, the fee may be worth it.
Best for Business Travel
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Rewards Rate
- 3x points on every dollar spent on shipping, advertising with social media and search engines, internet, cable, phone, and travel — up to the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in these categories
- 1x per dollar spent everywhere else
Welcome Offer
Earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
Annual Fee
$95
Business owners will like that the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has a modest annual fee but offers strong coverage as well as a good rewards program.
- Trip cancellation/interruption: Up to $5,000 per person and $10,000 per trip on non-refundable expenses that you’ve prepaid using the card (illness and inclement weather are the primary covered situations)
- Roadside dispatch: Phone number for towing, locksmith, fuel delivery, and other roadside emergencies (fees for services apply)
- Auto rental collision damage waiver: Up to the actual cash value of the rental vehicle when you decline the car rental company’s collision damage coverage. This is primary coverage when used for business purposes.
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is Chase’s premier business travel rewards card, with an annual fee that's lower than some competitors' cards — and the perks are more than worth the annual cost.
It's a particularly good card for business travelers, since Chase has one of the best rewards programs out there and you can transfer points to partner hotels and airlines, such as Hyatt, Marriott, and Southwest Airlines.
On top of its travel insurance benefits, the Ink Business Preferred also comes with purchase protection, cellphone protection, and extended warranty.
Best for Low Annual Fee
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Rewards Rate
- 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
Welcome Offer
Earn 60,000 bonus points after $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
Annual Fee
$95
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has a lower annual fee than the Chase Sapphire Reserve, but you get many comparable travel insurance benefits:
- Trip cancellation/interruption: Up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip for prepaid, non-refundable expenses, when trip is canceled or ended due to illness or weather
- Trip delay: Up to $500 per ticket when trip is delayed over 12 hours or requires overnight stay
- Lost luggage: Up to $3,000 per passenger
- Baggage delay: Up to $100 per day for up to five days when baggage is delayed at least six hours
- Auto rental collision damage waiver: Coverage up to the actual cash value of the vehicle in the event of theft or collision
- Travel and emergency assistance: Phone assistance to help arrange legal or medical services or other emergency assistance
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has nearly all the same travel insurance benefits as the pricier Sapphire Reserve (minus medical), but for a far more affordable annual fee.
Plus, with the Sapphire Preferred, you still get to take advantage of Chase's standout rewards program and travel transfer partners. You also get other perks like a 10% anniversary bonus for total purchases made the previous year and a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards® Hotel Credit.
While you won't get lounge access or TSA PreCheck®/Global Entry credits like you do with the Reserve, it may be worth sacrificing some of those perks for a more affordable annual fee.
Best for Hotel Perks
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Rewards Rate
- 6x points on eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® program
- 3x points on restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines
- 2x points on everything else
Welcome Offer
Earn 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of card membership
Annual Fee
$650 (rates and fees)
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card provides several powerful travel coverage benefits* and can be the perfect choice if you travel primarily to Marriott hotels.
- Trip cancellation/interruption: Up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip every 12 months for round-trip travel purchased entirely with the card
- Trip delay: Covers costs incurred by delays of over six hours, up to $500 per trip and a maximum of two claims every 12 months
- Lost, stolen, or damaged baggage coverage: Up to $2,000 per checked bag and $3,000 combined for checked and carry-on. Residents of New York: up to $2,000 per bag, with a combined total of $10,000 per covered person on a covered trip.
- Premium Global Assist Hotline: 24/7 phone assistance in arranging emergency assistance when traveling 100 miles from home
- Car rental loss and damage: Up to $75,000 for theft or damage of a rental car vehicle when you pay with your card and decline the rental company’s coverage in an eligible territory (not available for rentals in Italy, Australia, and New Zealand)
- Premium car rental protection: Up to $5,000 per person for medical expenses due to a car accident, up to $300,000 per accident for accidental death and dismemberment, and up to $1,000 per person and $2,000 per accident for loss of personal property
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card is loaded with travel insurance, and it also comes with nice perks for Marriott hotel stays, like instant Platinum Elite status and a $300 dining credit. It also has travel benefits like Priority Pass™ Select lounge access and a statement credit every four years for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application.**
While this card is Marriott's most premium-level card, it does offer a lot of perks, so if you frequently travel and stay at Marriott hotels, you could easily get the value back through its benefits, like an annual free night award on your cardmembership anniversary.
Best for Flight Perks
United℠ Explorer Card
Rewards Rate
- 2x miles United purchases, dining and hotel stays
- 1x mile on everything else
Welcome Offer
Limited Time Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open
Annual Fee
$95 ($0 in your first year)
If you frequently fly on United Airlines, the United℠ Explorer Card offers great travel insurance benefits in addition to other rewards.
- Trip cancellation/interruption: Up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip for trips interrupted or canceled due to illness, severe weather, and other situations
- Trip delay: Up to $500 per ticket on costs incurred due to a flight delay of over 12 hours, or requiring an overnight stay
- Baggage delay: Up to $100 per day for three days if delayed over six hours by the airline carrier
- Travel accident: Up to $500,000 for accidental death or dismemberment on air, bus, train, or cruise transportation paid with the card
- Auto rental collision damage waiver: Primary coverage for theft and collision damage to reimburse you up to the actual cash value of a rental car
In addition to its travel insurance benefits, the United℠ Explorer Card has plenty of perks for flying with United, all for a very reasonable annual fee.
With this card, you'll get perks like free checked bags for you and a companion, 25% off in-flight purchases, priority boarding, and two UnitedClub one-time passes per year. You'll also get reimbursement for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck®, or NEXUS membership, and the card charges no foreign transaction fees.
All these features make it a stand-out card for those who frequently fly United, or who might start thanks to the card's perks.
Pros and Cons of Credit Card Travel Insurance
While these credit cards offer fantastic travel insurance benefits, you must read the fine print to ensure you’ll be covered.
Card issuers have limitations on the types of events that are covered. You may still need to purchase additional travel insurance.
Pros
- Cheaper than buying a separate travel insurance policy
- 24/7 phone assistance in arranging medical, legal, or other services
- Earn rewards in addition to travel protection
Cons
- Requires payment with the specific credit card to be eligible
- Restrictions and limitations apply, including lower benefit limits
- Usually only available from cards with a high annual fee
How to Choose a Credit Card With Travel Insurance
Generally speaking, when choosing a credit card, you’ll want to consider the rewards offered, what fees you’ll have to pay, and what additional perks it comes with.
Consider the types of travel problems that most concern you. Of course, you can’t predict every obstacle you’ll face on a trip, but be logical about your travel needs.
For example, if you only ever travel with a carry-on, maybe you don’t need coverage for lost luggage. Or if you prefer a specific hotel chain, you’ll want a card that caters to that brand.
The Bottom Line
Although insurance might not be a priority when you’re choosing a new credit card, you could end up very thankful for its protection.
Just imagine the trip you’ve planned for months getting canceled due to a blizzard. Or a careless driver who dings your rental car in the resort parking lot.
When the unexpected happens, credit cards with travel insurance policies can help you recoup the cost.
* Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
** Receive either a $100 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 American Express Card. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
