Credit card travel insurance is an invaluable perk for frequent travelers, offering cancellation/interruption coverage, rental car collision damage waiver insurance and luggage delay/loss coverage among other benefits.
Discover decided to discontinue its travel insurance benefit as well as additional card extras like extended warranties and purchase protection in 2018, but other card issuers still provide these features.
Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance
Many credit cards provide trip cancellation and interruption insurance that can help you recover some of your prepaid expenses when travel plans are disrupted for covered reasons, such as illness or severe weather prior to your departure date. For example, this coverage could cover airline tickets, hotels or any pre-purchased items you can’t recoup from travel providers like airfare. Each card issuer defines their policies regarding which reasons qualify as covered cancellation reasons so always read them closely to make sure any claim you intend on filing are covered by them.
As well as trip cancellation and interruption insurance, some cards offer coverage against other unexpected travel-related costs such as lost baggage, rental car collision damage and medical emergencies overseas. It is essential that travelers understand these policies prior to travelling – such as their respective deductibles and limits – in order to maximize protection.
Many credit cards offering travel-related coverage provide 24-hour travel assistance and emergency hotline services that can offer guidance, support and information in case of an unforeseen crisis or emergency while away from home. Some cards even allow users to submit claims online instead of needing physical documentation such as receipts and doctor’s notes for filing claims.
Discover Card travel protection benefits were once common among its cash-back credit cards, but were discontinued as early as 2018. You may still find some similar or equivalent policies from other credit cards – for instance premium travel cards from American Express and Visa – though Discover does offer less robust travel protection plans than its rivals. To take full advantage of any such insurance ancillaries benefits when selecting your next credit card we suggest browsing our list of the best travel cards with such protection policies.
Trip Delay Insurance
Travel delay insurance offers reimbursement of additional expenses incurred due to any delay that falls under its coverage. Eligible expenses often include meals, lodging and toiletry items in a hotel during prolonged delays as well as transportation costs between hotel and destination during an extended delay period; lost/stolen items may also be covered in some instances. Before seeking reimbursement most insurers require receipts and documentation as evidence of expenses prior to claiming reimbursement; some may only cover certain expenses up to an agreed limit.
Travel delays can be extremely inconvenient and costly, forcing travelers to spend money on extra costs such as hotel rooms or meals during their travel delay. That is why some credit cards offer trip delay insurance to help offset these extra expenses in case your flight is significantly delayed; depending on their card and policy this benefit could prove invaluable to many travellers.
Typically, this coverage extends to you, your spouse and dependent children traveling together who use the same Visa card, as well as anyone purchasing tickets with it. Up to $500 may be covered per trip for up to four cards purchased simultaneously with each trip being covered; depending on which card it may also provide emergency cash vouchers in case of lengthy travel delays.
To file for trip delay benefits, you will need to provide proof of travel documents and expenses to the insurance company. Most insurers allow customers to file claims through either an online portal or mobile app; some, like Allianz, even offer user-friendly apps which make the process quicker and simpler.
Before filing a travel expense claim, it is crucial that you use every effort within your financial means to modify or cancel your trip, particularly non-refundable airfare, tours and hotels. Most credit card travel insurance policies only reimburse cancellations or interruptions caused by covered circumstances – therefore it’s a wise idea to read your policy’s terms and conditions thoroughly to understand which circumstances qualify as “covered reasons.”
Flight Accident Insurance
Discover offers travel insurance on its credit cards to cover an array of issues. Common benefits include flight accident coverage and lost/stolen baggage protection; some cards also provide auto rental collision damage waiver and purchase protection.
Most major credit cards provide some type of travel protection, with benefits varying by card issuer and benefit plan. Cardholders can usually find more information online or in their terms and conditions. Furthermore, many issuers offer help lines to answer questions about specific policies as well as provide assistance with filing claims.
Credit card industry standards define travel insurance as a supplement policy that reimburses for unexpected costs before, during and after trips. Credit cards usually offer this supplementary coverage that provides second tier protection when primary policies don’t cover expenses fully.
Some credit cards also offer trip cancellation and interruption coverage, which reimburses non-refundable travel expenses should illness or weather impede a planned journey. Bank of America Premium Rewards credit card includes this protection in addition to additional safeguards such as baggage delay insurance and emergency medical and dental expense coverage.
Discover previously offered travel accident insurance that would reimburse cardholders up to $50,000 within one year in case of accidental death or dismemberment while traveling on an eligible trip. It also provided secondary auto rental collision and theft coverage as well as purchase protection and extended warranty protection; these features were all discontinued early 2018.
Some credit cards combine reward points and travel insurance benefits, like the Chase Ink Plus Business Credit Card and Citi Premier Card. Both offer trip cancellation/interruption coverage, car rental collision/theft protection and baggage delay insurance in addition to offering the potential to earn 60,000 bonus points when spending $4,000 in 90 days after opening an account. American Express Platinum Card also features this combination of benefits along with lost luggage reimbursement services and medical/dental/travel assistance services.
Medical Insurance
Though medical coverage may not offer as comprehensive a protection as standalone travel policies, this benefit can help ensure you receive the care and services you need while traveling abroad. Depending on your card, medical expenses could be reimbursed such as repatriation back home as well as emergency evacuation coverage; some cards even offer 24/7 travel assistance such as assistance finding local hospitals or physicians to suit your needs.
Are You Travel Accident Insurance and Lost Luggage Covered by Credit Cards? As these two benefits are popular among credit cards for travel purposes, it would be prudent to research cards that offer travel accident coverage and coverage against lost luggage – two common travel benefits of credit cards. Along with trip cancellation, interruption, delay coverage these cards usually offer car rental collision damage waivers as well as loss or delayed arrival protection and cover car rental collision damage waivers and baggage loss/delayed arrival protection as additional features. You should compare available coverages and maximum payout limits before selecting cards that may meet your travel needs best.
Some credit cards provide travel-related coverages while others do not. Discover cards once offered some basic travel benefits like flight accident and car rental collision damage insurance; however, this feature was recently eliminated along with others such as purchase protection and extended warranty coverage.
Due to Discover’s current lineup of cards not offering travel insurance policies, you will likely not find any discover travel insurance options within. Instead, use another card like a Visa or Mastercard which offers comprehensive travel benefits. Use your Discover card when booking flights, trains or cruises using its benefits; that way you can enjoy your trips knowing that any unexpected expenses will be covered by your Discover card. And if you already possess a Visa or Mastercard that offers similar benefits, bring that along too, just in case your Discover card becomes lost or stolen while abroad. That way you’ll still be able to enjoy its perks while away.