Trip insurance through your credit card

[gullcruiser]

Hi, I just booked a cruise and have 24 hours to decide if I want to get I travel insurance through the cruise line or elsewhere. I have found out that my charge card company will cover my trip as long as I use that card to pay for the trip. Has anyone ever gone through their card company if they had a problem while on a trip?

Thanks for any help that you can give and happy cruising!

[GeezerCouple]

30 minutes ago, gullcruiser said:

Hi, I just booked a cruise and have 24 hours to decide if I want to get I travel insurance through the cruise line or elsewhere. I have found out that my charge card company will cover my trip as long as I use that card to pay for the trip. Has anyone ever gone through their card company if they had a problem while on a trip?

Thanks for any help that you can give and happy cruising!

 

Read the Terms & Conditions *carefully* to make sure you understand what is covered and what is excluded.

 

Separate independent travel insurance is usually better for most people, but that depends upon what coverages you want and are included (or "not excluded"... such as pre-existing condtions).

 

We are among those who get private travel insurance; "charge card" coverage would not work for us.

 

GC

[-Lew-]

The Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card provides $10,000 per person coverage for up to two people.  When computing how much travel insurance to purchase, I take $20,000 off the top and insure the balance,

 

Over the years I have had to make some claims.  I can tell you the claim process through Chase was much easier and quicker than that through travel insurance companies.

[Jersey42]

8 hours ago, gullcruiser said:

Hi, I just booked a cruise and have 24 hours to decide if I want to get I travel insurance through the cruise line or elsewhere. I have found out that my charge card company will cover my trip as long as I use that card to pay for the trip. Has anyone ever gone through their card company if they had a problem while on a trip?

Thanks for any help that you can give and happy cruising!

 

8 hours ago, GeezerCouple said:

Read the Terms & Conditions *carefully* to make sure you understand what is covered and what is excluded.

It all depends what YOU need.  I second the reply from @GeezerCouple.

 

Here are a couple things to watch out for in typical credit card benefits:

• Do you have good medical insurance that will cover you when you are out of the country? Credit cards offer no or very limited medical coverage.  Same for medical evacuation.
• Many credit cards benefit do not apply to any loss caused by or resulting from pre-existing conditions for you OR non-traveling family members. Unlike a typical insurance policy, there is no pre-existing waiver. Make sure you understand the pre-existing conditions clause and lookback period for your credit card. 
• Credit cards often have somewhat more limited covered reasons for cancelation and interruption. Many people are OK with this.  If you are concerned about specific reasons you might have to cancel or interrupt, make sure to understand that section.

 

Make sure you read everything. If none of the above are a concern for you, credit card coverage is probably a good choice.

 

For us, we need medical/evac coverage. Pre-existing conditions such as a medication change can be a concern and we can deal with the covered reason risk.  So our approach is to get an annual GeoBlue Trekker plan for medical and evacuation and combine it with a Chase card.  We occasionally purchase trip specific insurance for more expensive trips when we will not meet the pre-existing conditions lookback.

[Jersey42]

1 hour ago, -Lew- said:

The Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card provides $10,000 per person coverage for up to two people.  When computing how much travel insurance to purchase, I take $20,000 off the top and insure the balance,

 

Over the years I have had to make some claims.  I can tell you the claim process through Chase was much easier and quicker than that through travel insurance companies.

Have you ever run into the situation where you had to make a claim to both the Chase card and the extra insurance you purchased?  If so, did you run into any difficulties with coordination of benefits?  AFAIK Chase has always specified that they are secondary. Does your extra insurance specifically state they are first payor for all claims?  I have never taken your approach, but I have always wondered what would happen.

 

I no longer have the Reserve card, but Chase is changing the benefits administrator for the Preferred card as of Oct 2024. I assume the they are doing the same for Reserve.  If they, do and you need to make a future claim would you mind posting your experience with the new administrator.  

[-Lew-]

42 minutes ago, Jersey42 said:

Have you ever run into the situation where you had to make a claim to both the Chase card and the extra insurance you purchased?  If so, did you run into any difficulties with coordination of benefits? 

 

The one claim submitted to Chase was also submitted to a travel insurance company.  Documentation required by each was virtually identical.  Each company was referenced to the other.  

 

Between the two claims I was fully reimbursed.  I imagine any coordination took place directly between the two insurers as I was never contacted once each company had what they needed to process the claim.

[iamtrustworthy]

18 hours ago, gullcruiser said:

Hi, I just booked a cruise and have 24 hours to decide if I want to get I travel insurance through the cruise line or elsewhere. I have found out that my charge card company will cover my trip as long as I use that card to pay for the trip. Has anyone ever gone through their card company if they had a problem while on a trip?

Thanks for any help that you can give and happy cruising!

Hi gullcruiser,

 

The major drawback when using the credit card coverage is they don't cover pre-existing medical condition coverage for you, or a traveling companion or a non-traveling family member that could worsen and, in turn, cause you to cancel or interrupt your trip. Or that could cause you to seek treatment on your trip.

 

Steve Dasseos

Edited August 23 by iamtrustworthy
typo

[sheerfun]

Does CHASE sapphire offer cancellation coverage by common carrier? Meaning if i booked an airline ticket and cruise and if the flight was canceled and I can’t make the cruise then they’ll cover that.

 

I have another VISA signature and it clearly states otherwise (unless it’s a public strike). Also they don’t cover hotel expenses. And the online documents i can find on sapphire doesn’t seem to clearly state that either.