How does Chase Sapphire travel insurance work?
Chase Sapphire travel insurance is offered to cardholders with eligible Chase credit cards on a complimentary basis.
However, some Chase cards offer more travel perks than others, and limits apply to each type of coverage available.
Note that having an eligible Chase credit card isn’t enough to qualify. You must pay for part of your trip with either your Chase credit card or with Chase Travel℠ points that you earned from the card to get Chase travel protection.
What does Chase Sapphire travel insurance cover?
The main Chase cards that offer travel insurance include the Chase Sapphire Preferred® and the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
A few other Chase credit cards also offer a handful of perks. For example, both the Chase Freedom Unlimited® and the Chase Freedom Flex offer up to $1,500 per person and up to $6,000 per trip in trip cancellation and interruption insurance, plus secondary auto rental coverage and travel and emergency assistance services.
Several Chase business credit cards, including the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card, the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, all offer primary rental car coverage when renting a car for business purchases, plus roadside dispatch. The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card also comes with up to $5,000 per person and up to $10,000 per trip in trip cancellation and interruption coverage.
This all being said, the best Chase Sapphire travel insurance protection comes from the Chase Sapphire Preferred® and the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
To learn more, check our our complete article on Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Reserve.
Comparison of coverage
| Type of coverage |
Chase Sapphire Reserve® |
Chase Sapphire Preferred® |
| Trip cancellation/interruption |
Up to $20,000 per eligible trip |
Up to $20,000 per eligible trip |
| Trip delay reimbursement |
Up to $500 after at least 6 hours |
Up to $500 after at least 12 hours |
| Baggage delay reimbursement |
Up to $100 per day |
Up to $100 per day |
| Auto rental coverage |
Applies to collision damage or theft, worth up to $75,000 |
Applies to collision damage or theft, worth up to the cash value of most cars |
| Emergency medical/dental |
Up to $2,500 in coverage, $50 deductible. |
N/A |
| Emergency evacuation |
Up to $100,000 |
N/A |
| Travel accident insurance |
Up to $1 million when traveling on a common carrier, up to $100,000 for 24-hour coverage |
Up to $500,000 when traveling on a common carrier, up to $100,000 for 24-hour coverage |
We’ll explain these benefits more as you keep reading.
Trip cancellation and interruption protection
Trip cancellation coverage comes into play when your trip must be canceled for reasons beyond your control, such as being called to jury duty or your hotel or resort becoming uninhabitable due to a natural disaster before you arrive. This coverage can help you get reimbursed for pre-paid travel expenses you booked ahead of time, such as airfare, your hotel stay and tours you already paid for.
Trip interruption coverage kicks in when your trip must be cut short due to a covered reason, such as a travel warning due to terrorism being issued in your destination or a terrorist incident happening within 25 miles of one of the destinations or airports on your itinerary.
Note that you’ll get reimbursed for pre-paid travel expenses you covered ahead of time whether you paid for your trip with your credit card or with Chase Travel℠ points. In fact, Chase says in its fine print that rewards points redeemed for travel “will be reimbursed in an amount equal to their monetary value.”
Both the Chase Sapphire Preferred® and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® come with trip cancellation and interruption benefits worth up to $10,000 per covered person and up to $20,000 per eligible trip.
Trip delay protections
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® also come with trip delay reimbursement worth up to $500 per ticket. This kind of coverage can be useful when your trip is delayed by a common carrier for a specific length of time, and you’re forced to pay for lodging or additional means.
That said, Sapphire Reserve coverage kicks in sooner than travel delay insurance from the Sapphire Preferred (as seen below).
-
Chase Sapphire Preferred: Receive up to $500 in coverage for trip delay reimbursement when trips are delayed for at least 12 hours.
-
Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Receive up to $500 in coverage for trip delay reimbursement when trips are delayed for at least 6 hours.
Baggage delay reimbursement
Baggage delay reimbursement can help pay for travel-related incidental expenses that occur when your bags don’t show up at your destination when you do.
For example, this coverage can pay for:
- Clothing you have to buy
- Electronics chargers you require
- Essential hygiene items
- Toiletries
Both Chase Sapphire cards offer up to $100 per day in baggage delay reimbursement for a maximum of five days. Baggage must also be delayed for at least six hours on a covered trip before coverage applies.
Auto rental collision damage waiver
Both Chase Sapphire cards also offer primary car insurance coverage that lets you skip paying for protection at the rental car counter and use this coverage instead. However, not all cars qualify, and not all destinations let you use this insurance. Chase says you’ll want to contact your program administrator to see if the type of car you plan to rent qualifies.
Also note that rental periods of up to 31 days can be covered, whereas car rental periods lasting longer than 31 days are not.
Coverage typically excludes the following:
- Antique cars (cars over 20 years old or that have not been manufactured for ten 10 years or more)
- Cargo vans
- Vehicles with open cargo beds
- Motorcycles, mopeds and motorbikes
- Limousines
- Recreational vehicles for off-road exploration
- Passenger vans with seating for more than nine people (including the driver)
Coverage from Chase credit cards varies in this category as well:
-
Chase Sapphire Preferred: Auto rental coverage applies to collision damage or theft and is worth up to the actual cash value of most cars.
-
Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Auto rental coverage applies to collision damage or theft and is worth up to $75,000.
Emergency medical and dental benefits
When it comes to emergency medical and dental benefits, only the Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers this coverage and it’s still very limited.
This medical insurance also applies to very specific situations, including the following:
- Coverage for the services of a legally qualified physician, surgeon, graduate nurse, dentist or osteopath
- Charges for hospital confinement and use of operating rooms
- Charges for anesthetics (including administration), x-ray examinations or treatments, and laboratory tests
- Ambulance services
- Drugs, medicines, and therapeutic services and supplies
Chase medical coverage is only worth up to $2,500 for emergency medical expenses, subject to a $50 deductible. However, Chase says you can be eligible for up to $75 per day (maximum of five days) in coverage for hotel charges if your physician determines you should recover in a hotel immediately after treatment.
Note that this benefit applies to cardholders who pay for all or part of their round-trip travel expenses with their card or Chase Travel℠ points. Immediate family members can also qualify for coverage if they are a spouse or domestic partner or a legally dependent child under the age of 19 (or under the age of 26 if they’re enrolled in a college or university).
Emergency evacuation and transportation
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is also the only Chase credit card that comes with emergency evacuation and transportation coverage.
This protection is worth up to $100,000, and it pays for eligible transportation expenses, medical services and medical supplies that are necessary during evacuation.
Note that emergency evacuation is only covered when it is recommended by an attending physician, required by standard regulations of the company transporting you and approved in advance by the benefit administrator. If you are hospitalized for more than eight days, this coverage can also pay to have a friend or relative transported to your bedside in some cases.
Travel accident insurance
Both Chase Sapphire cards also offer travel accident insurance that pays a beneficiary for loss of life. Coverage can also apply to accidental dismemberment or for loss of hearing, sight or speech.
As seen below, coverage varies between the two cards.
-
Chase Sapphire Preferred: Qualify for up to $500,000 in coverage when traveling on a common carrier and up to $100,000 for 24-hour coverage.
-
Chase Sapphire Reserve: Qualify for up to $1 million in coverage when traveling on a common carrier and up to $100,000 for 24-hour coverage.
Also note that certain accidental dismemberment and some losses of hearing, sight or speech qualify for lower amounts of coverage depending on the loss in question. For example, the loss of a thumb and index finger of the same hand only qualifies for 25% of the maximum benefit amount, whereas the loss of one hand, loss of one foot, loss of sight in one eye, loss of speech and loss of hearing only qualify for 50% of the maximum benefit amount.
What if the Chase Sapphire travel insurance benefits are insufficient for my trip?
While Chase travel insurance benefits work well in a broad range of scenarios, there are situations where a standalone policy can leave you better off.
For example, having just $2,500 in emergency medical and dental coverage from the Sapphire Reserve is going to be insufficient for anyone traveling to a country where their health insurance doesn’t apply. Additionally, trip cancellation and trip interruption benefits may not be enough for expensive trips that cost more than limits can reimburse for.
If you feel like credit card travel insurance could leave you vulnerable to losses, you can purchase affordable travel insurance from a broad range of issuers. Doing so can ensure you have the medical coverage you need when you need it, and that you’ll get protection for all your nonrefundable travel expenses after sign-up. If you have a pre-existing condition, you’ll also want to make sure your plan offers a pre-existing conditions waiver and that you meet the conditions to qualify. Additionally, contemplating travel insurance tailored to the specifics of your trip, such as cruise insurance, is a prudent consideration.
