Free Travel Insurance Perks From Your Credit Card
Charge travel to your card to get free trip cancellation, delay and rental-car cover with clear limits.
Yes, many credit cards include travel insurance perks at no extra charge when you pay for travel with the card. Trip cancellation and interruption insurance, which reimburses prepaid, non-refundable fares, tours and hotels if you cancel for a covered reason, is one common example. Chase Sapphire cards include several of these protections, and even no-annual-fee Chase Freedom cards include basic cover.
Capital One says eligible cards may also include travel protections, with terms that vary by card.
Verification note: Program terms and availability can change. This page was checked against linked sources on November 04, 2026.
What does trip cancellation cover?
Chase Sapphire Preferred and Reserve reimburse up to $10,000 per covered traveler and $20,000 per trip for prepaid, non-refundable fares, tours and hotels if a trip is canceled or cut short by sickness, severe weather or another covered reason, according to Chase in the Sapphire Preferred card page. Basic cardholders are affected too, not only premium travelers. Even no-annual-fee Chase Freedom cards include trip cancellation and interruption insurance up to $1,500 per covered traveler and $6,000 per trip, according to Chase in what Chase Freedom travel insurance covers.
You must charge the trip to the covered card. Only listed covered reasons qualify, and your card's Guide to Benefits controls the full terms.
What if your flight is delayed?
The same Sapphire cards pay trip-delay reimbursement up to $500 per ticket for unreimbursed meals and lodging when common-carrier travel is delayed over 12 hours, or 6 hours for Reserve, or requires an overnight stay, according to Chase in the Guide to Chase Sapphire Travel Insurance. That means a long delay can trigger help with food and a hotel room. An overnight stay can also qualify even if the clock time is shorter.
Keep receipts for meals, lodging and other unreimbursed costs. You can only claim costs the airline or other provider did not already pay.
Does the card cover rental cars?
Chase auto-rental coverage is primary on eligible rentals when you decline the rental company's collision insurance and charge the entire rental to the card. For most Reserve rentals it reimburses up to $75,000 for theft and collision damage, according to Chase in the Sapphire Reserve claims page. Primary means you file with the card benefit first, before your personal auto policy.
You must secure the full rental with the covered card. Check your own Guide to Benefits before you rent. Vehicle types, rental length and countries can have separate exclusions.
How do you use these benefits?
Capital One confirms eligible cards may include trip cancellation and interruption, trip delay, baggage delay, lost luggage, rental-car collision waiver and travel-accident insurance, according to Capital One in the travel protection benefits help page. Terms vary by card, and claims go through the network benefit administrator, not Capital One. Visa notes the same split for Chase cards: coverage applies only when the fare or rental is secured with the covered card, only for listed covered reasons, and claim deadlines control, according to Visa in the Visa Signature benefits page.
Its emergency-assistance line provides referrals only, and you pay for services you receive.
- Pay the full fare or rental with the covered card
- Read the Guide to Benefits for covered reasons, limits and deadlines
- Save receipts, carrier delay notices and police or rental reports
- File with the benefit administrator named in the guide, not the bank