Travel Protections Comparison: Which Card Has the Best Coverage?

Types of Travel Protection

Premium credit cards can replace the need for separate travel insurance. The main protections to look for: trip cancellation/interruption, trip delay, lost luggage, rental car insurance, and emergency medical coverage.

Not all cards offer all protections, and the coverage limits vary significantly. Here's how the top travel cards compare.

Trip Cancellation & Interruption

The Chase Sapphire Reserve leads with up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip for pre-paid, non-refundable expenses. The Amex Platinum offers up to $10,000 per covered trip.

Important: you must pay for the trip with the card to be covered, and the cancellation reason must be a covered event (illness, severe weather, jury duty, etc.).

Rental Car Insurance

Most premium cards offer primary rental car insurance, meaning you don't need to file with your personal auto insurance first. The Chase Sapphire Reserve and Capital One Venture X both offer primary coverage.

Always decline the rental company's CDW/LDW when using card coverage. This alone can save $15-30 per day.

Our Recommendation

For the most comprehensive travel protections, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is hard to beat. Its combination of trip cancellation, primary rental car insurance, trip delay reimbursement ($100 per 6-hour delay), and emergency medical coverage ($2,500) makes it a one-card travel insurance solution.