Ever found yourself scrambling for lost luggage when you’re traveling? Or trying to book alternate flights due to bad weather? These kinds of events can be stressful—and costly. When the unexpected happens, travel insurance through your card could help protect you from travel expenses beyond your control.
Many cardholders have travel insurance as part of their card benefits. Coverage varies by card, issuer and the network that provides the benefits. To prepare for your next trip, you might want to check out whether your card offers travel insurance and what benefits come with it.
Key takeaways
Card travel insurance can help protect you financially when you incur unexpected expenses during travel. Whether you’re visiting family, flying abroad or driving across the country, card travel insurance can be a kind of safety net.
By booking and paying for a trip with a card that offers travel insurance benefits, you could get compensation up to a set limit for your unexpected expenses. For example, some Capital One rewards credit cards offer benefits like travel accident insurance and lost luggage reimbursement.*
Imagine traveling with peace of mind, knowing that a potential accident or expensive mishap could be reimbursed. With travel insurance through your card, you could be covered in a number of scenarios.
Every card is different, so be sure to check your card’s terms and conditions to see what types of travel insurance you might receive. Here are a few of the most common types of coverage you may have access to:
Canceling a trip at the last minute or cutting it short can be disappointing. But getting your money back for flights and reservations you didn’t end up using might help relieve your stress.
If you booked and paid for your trip with a card that offers trip cancellation and interruption insurance, you may qualify for reimbursement in certain situations, like these:
You may want to make sure you’re aware of situations that aren’t typically covered by this type of insurance. For example, exclusions can include preexisting medical conditions or when a travel agency, hotel or airline goes out of business. Check the terms of your card to learn more about trip cancellation insurance.
Maximum reimbursement depends on your card and can vary significantly. Some cards might offer up to $2,000 per trip. (For others, it could be less.)
Travel schedules don’t always go as planned. Flights may get delayed or severe weather may affect your travels. Or you may need to pay for a meal or last-minute hotel room while you wait. If you paid for your trip with a card that has trip delay insurance, certain reasonable costs you incur during the delay might be covered.
Cards may vary in how long the delay must be before coverage kicks in. But having travel delay insurance could help take care of your most urgent needs.
If you pay for a rental car with your card, you might be able to skip the added cost of buying insurance through the rental company. Credit card rental car insurance could cover collisions, theft and towing if your car breaks down while you’re traveling.
This type of insurance usually goes into effect after your regular auto insurance policy does. Whether you’re renting a car in the U.S. or abroad may affect whether you’ll need additional coverage and how much. Remember, rental car insurance usually only covers the vehicle. You may need to buy liability coverage when traveling internationally if your personal auto policy is limited to the U.S.
Imagine that you’re waiting in the baggage claim area after a flight, confident that you packed everything you need for your trip. But your luggage never rolls by on the carousel.
Lost, delayed or even stolen baggage can interrupt your trip. If you need to buy replacement items, you could be reimbursed.
While travel often goes smoothly, sometimes it doesn’t. Accidents happen. Travel accident insurance could provide an added layer of support. In cases of severe injury or death, you or your family members could receive benefits if you booked and paid for your trip with a card that offers travel accident insurance.