Our experts answer readers' credit card questions and write unbiased product reviews (here's how we assess credit cards). In some cases, we receive a commission from our partners; however, our opinions are our own. Terms apply to offers listed on this page.
Joseph Hostetler/Insider
- The
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers coverage like car rental and trip delay insurance. - These benefits have saved me an average of $500 per year since I opened the card.
- If you travel even occasionally, it's worth booking with a card with travel insurance.
- Read Insider's guide to the best Chase credit cards.
The first travel rewards credit card I ever opened was the
Having spent years diligently reading a collection of travel websites, it was the unanimously recommended credit card for beginners in the world of award travel. Its points were easy to use, and they were valuable enough to single-handedly fulfill bucket-list travel goals of mine (like visiting Machu Picchu and flying to the other side of the world in a lie-flat airplane seat).
I've received many thousands of dollars in value from earning and using Chase Ultimate Rewards® points. But I've been thoroughly astonished at how much money I've saved from its ongoing benefits — namely, the card's travel insurance.
The
The
Here's what you can expect from Chase Sapphire credit card travel insurance.
We're focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won't be worth it if you're paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it's important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.
Chase Sapphire Travel Insurance
Primary Rental Car Insurance
Rental agency fees
When you pay for your rental car with either the
I've used this benefit dozens of times, and have saved more than $800 from not being required to purchase proprietary insurance at the front desk.
Damage to the rental car
During a trip to Ireland, I scraped my rental car against a cement pillar in a parking lot. The damage was minimal, though there was a bit of paint missing. I informed the rental company of the mishap, and they told me they'd assess the damages and charge my card accordingly.
A few days later, a charge for $2,300 appeared on my credit card — exorbitant for the minimal damage done to the car. I contacted Chase, and after sending a few documents regarding the accident, they sent me a check for $2,300 to cover the bill. There were no headaches, and I had the check within a few weeks.
Trip Delay Insurance
The
This is great for anyone who routinely flies during the holidays or through airports notorious for bad weather. Airlines generally aren't responsible for any expenses you incur because of weather-related service disruptions. That means you'll be on the hook for food, toiletries, changes of clothes, and a hotel room if you end up in that situation.
When you reserve your flight with the
- Meals at the airport or at a restaurant
- Rideshare expenses from the airport to a hotel
- Hotel accommodations (nice ones, too)
To be eligible, one of the following things must have happened:
- Your flight is delayed by more than 12 hours
- Your delay causes you to stay overnight
You'll be covered up to $500 per ticket. I've used trip delay insurance a handful of times, usually when I purchase a fare that is the last scheduled flight of the day. If my flight is delayed and I miss a connection, I'm stuck there until morning.
If your flight is delayed by 12 hours or warrants an overnight stay, you're free to start swiping your card for free food, hotel, etc. Just file a claim and Chase will promptly refund you.
The
Baggage Delay Insurance
When you reserve your flight with the
Reasonable expenses include items like:
- Clothing
- Shoes
- Toiletries
- Phone chargers
During a trip a few years ago, my bag was lost for over a week. I received the full $500 payout from this card benefit, and purchased a new suit and dress shoes, as I was going to a conference and my formal wear was in my checked bag. All things considered, I'd say that delay was worth it to receive $500 in clothes.
Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance
It's likely that a handful of your trip expenses are nonrefundable. When you pay for any qualifying prepaid travel that you can't cancel without losing your money, such as a hotel stay, airplane ticket, cruise, etc. with either the
Lost Luggage Reimbursement
Both the
In this case, you and your immediate family traveling with you will each be covered for up to $3,000.
Travel Accident Insurance
Of all the travel insurance you'll hopefully never need, travel accident insurance must be at the top of the list.
For travel accident insurance to trigger, one of the following tragedies must occur during your trip:
- Loss of speech
- Loss of hearing
- Loss of at least one hand or foot
- Loss of sight in at least one eye
- Loss of thumb and index finger of the same hand
- Loss of life
The
Emergency Medical and Dental Coverage
One benefit that the premium
Emergency Evacuation Insurance
The
The maximum reimbursement you can receive from this benefit is $100,000.
How to File a Chase Sapphire Travel Insurance Claim
Chase outsources claims management to a third-party company called Card Benefit Services. You can start an insurance claim by going to its website. After entering your name and card details, you'll be brought to a menu with different claim options (car rental insurance, trip interruption and cancellation, trip delay, and more). Select the type of claim you want to file.
For this example, we'll show how to file a trip delay claim (but the process is similar for other types of claims, although the documentation required will be slightly different).
The trip delay claim form begins by asking for your name and contact information.
Card Benefit Services
Once you've provided that information, you'll need to provide details about your flight and the reason for the delay. Then you'll be taken to a screen with a whole bunch of upload buttons to provide documentation. Not all of these will apply to every trip delay, and you may also be asked for additional documents not listed here:
- Copy of your detailed original travel itinerary and/or tickets showing the original date and time of the flight(s) and the total amount charged for the covered trip.
- Copy of your monthly billing statement showing the last four digits of the account number to confirm the fare was charged to your covered account (if your complete original itinerary includes the last four digits of your account number, your monthly billing statement may not be required).
- A statement from the airline (or other common carrier) saying why your flight was delayed or canceled. The easiest way to do this is to ask for a "Military Excuse" at the gate. Otherwise, you may need to send a note to your airline's customer service department asking for a statement.
- Receipts for your expenses. Anything you're seeking reimbursement for will require a receipt. You'll want itemized receipts rather than just credit card charge slips (though they will accept charge slips for meals under $50 per person).
- Copy of updated travel itinerary and/or tickets showing the date and time of your rescheduled flight(s).
If you get to this final step and don't have all those documents available, don't despair — you can submit your claim without attaching documents, and come back to add them later or submit documents by email to eclaimsline@eclaimsline.com.
In the next week or two, (it says five business days, but it's usually a bit longer) a claims examiner will review the documents you've submitted, and then you'll receive a letter (likely via email and US mail) outlining what additional documents you need, if any. Once they've received everything to their satisfaction, you'll get a message saying your claim has been approved and asking whether you want to receive your reimbursement via paper check or direct deposit. You should receive your funds within a few days of submitting that information.
If they need more documentation, you'll have to take the time to gather those documents or make what you've already submitted more clear. Sometimes it takes multiple back-and-forths with Card Benefit Services before your claim is approved — persistence is key!
Compare Chase Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve Travel Insurance
| Travel insurance benefit | ||
| Rental car insurance | Primary insurance covering up to the cash value of the car toward theft or collision damage (more expensive cars may not qualify) | Primary insurance covering up to $75,000 in coverage against theft and collision damage |
| Trip delay insurance | Up to $100 in coverage per day (max five days) for reasonable expenses after a delay of at least 12 hours (or required overnight stay) | Up to $100 per day (max five days) for reasonable expenses after a delay of at least six hours (or required overnight stay) |
| Baggage delay insurance | Up to $100 in coverage per day (max five days) when your bag is delayed by at least six hours | Up to $100 in coverage per day (max five days) when your bag is delayed by at least six hours |
| Trip cancellation/interruption insurance | Up to $10,000 in coverage per ticket (max $20,000 per trip) for prepaid nonrefundable travel expenses | Up to $10,000 in coverage per ticket (max $20,000 per trip) for prepaid nonrefundable travel expenses |
| Lost luggage reimbursement | Up to $3,000 in coverage each for primary cardholder and immediate family when common carrier loses or damages luggage | Up to $3,000 in coverage each for primary cardholder and immediate family when common carrier loses or damages luggage |
| Travel accident insurance | Up to $500,000 in coverage for accidental death or dismemberment | Up to $1,000,000 in coverage for accidental death or dismemberment |
| Emergency medical and dental coverage | N/A | Up to $2,500 in coverage for medical expenses for primary cardholder and immediate family when traveling at least 100 miles from home |
| Emergency evacuation insurance | N/A | Up to $100,000 for emergency evacuation expenses |
Chase Sapphire Travel Insurance Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Which Chase cards provide trip cancellation/interruption insurance?
Both the
What if I become ill with the coronavirus?
As always, cardmembers and their travel companions whose illness prevents them from traveling are covered under the trip cancellation or trip interruption protections with their credit card. They will receive the same coverage if they're quarantined.
Is the Chase Sapphire travel insurance worth it?
If you travel with even modest frequency, you need a credit card with travel insurance. And if you're the type of traveler that normally pays for travel insurance, Chase Sapphire cards can save you many hundreds of dollars over the course of a single year — which can easily justify the annual fee you'll pay.
How do you activate Chase Sapphire travel insurance?
To use the travel insurance that comes with the