Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). However, the credit card information that we publish has been written and evaluated by experts who know these products inside out. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers that are on the market. See our advertising policy here where we list advertisers that we work with, and how we make money. You can also review our credit card rating methodology.
Christine ran her own business developing and managing insurance and financial services. This stoked a passion for points and miles and she now has over 2 dozen credit cards and creates in-depth, deta...
A long-time points and miles student, Jessica is the former Personal Finance Managing Editor at U.S. News and World Report and is passionate about helping consumers fund their travels for as little ca...
Juan has been involved in credit cards, loyalty, travel, and personal finance for more than 10 years. He has worked for several outlets including The Points Guy and Forbes and was previously Editor-in...
We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a solid choice for your first travel rewards credit card. The card’s strengths include its ability to earn valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards Points on every purchase, the variety of redemption options it offers, and even its shopping benefits.
In addition to the key benefits of strong earning power and travel redemption flexibility, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card has your back with travel insurance coverage that offers peace of mind and potential savings during your journey.
If you travel frequently, chances are you’ve used a travel insurance coverage or benefit and realize the value of having this protection. It’s reasonable to expect that a travel rewards card you use to pay for your travel will have associated trip benefits. Unfortunately, credit card issuers have recently cut back on both travel and shopping benefits.
While some other cards are cutting back, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers prominent travel insurance coverage and benefits. Whether you currently have the card or are considering it, you’re sure to find this information useful when comparing travel rewards cards.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Overview
To put the Chase Sapphire Preferred card‘s coverage into context, it’s important to have a little background. Below, you’ll find important card information like any welcome bonus and annual fee.
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
A fantastic travel card with a huge welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.
A fantastic travel card with a huge welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
60,000 points
$1,200
$95
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
Good to Excellent (670-850)
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® card is one of the best travel rewards cardson the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.
Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance. With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.
Pros
5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal
5x points on select Peloton purchases over $250 (through March 31, 2025)
5x points on Lyft purchases (through March 31, 2025)
3x points on dining purchases, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services
2x points on all other travel worldwide
$50 annual credit on hotel stays booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal
6 months of complimentary Instacart+ (activate by July 31, 2024), plus up to $15 in statement credits each quarter through July 2024
Excellent travel and car rental insurance
10% annual bonus points
No foreign transaction fees
1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs like United MileagePlus and World of Hyatt
Complimentary Spot Club Platinum status with The Parking Spot for 2 years, 20% off of your first reservation, and points for 1 free day of parking (enroll by October 26, 2023)
Cons
$95 annual fee
No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining, and 2x on all other travel purchases, and $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, plus more.
Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred card shines at providing car rental insurance coverage when compared to other travel rewards cards.
Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver
Having collision damage waiver insurance on your card saves you money on car rentals. Image Credit: Thrifty
Unlike most travel rewards cards, the coverage you receive with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is primary car insurance coverage compared to secondary, which means you do not have to file an insurance claim with your own auto insurance company first for coverage to be valid.
To activate the coverage on your card, simply reserve and pay for your rental car with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, then decline the rental car agency’s collision damage waiver coverage.
The cardholder and any additional drivers you list on the rental agreement are covered.
Coverage You Can Expect:
Damage to or theft of the rental car
Loss of use charges imposed by the rental car company while the vehicle is being repaired
Reasonable and customary towing charges
Conditions:
Coverage is valid in most countries
The rental period must not exceed or intend to exceed 31 consecutive days
Coverage is primary
Exclusions:
Exceptionally expensive, exotic, and antique vehicles are not covered
Also excluded are open cargo bed vehicles, trucks, and recreational vehicles
Motorcycles, mopeds, and motorbikes
All limousines and vans that transport more than 9 people
Losses due to off-road use of the rental vehicle
Liability insurance coverage is not included
Bottom Line: According to the Insurance Information Institute, a car rental agency’s collision damage waiver coverage can cost $9 to $19 per day, even more depending on where you’re renting the vehicle. Having primary rental car insurance with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card could save you hundreds of dollars on a multi-week car rental.
Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance
Storms can disrupt your travel. Trip interruption, cancellation, and delayed coverage can ease unexpected costs. Image Credit: Nikolas Behrendt via Unsplash
In addition to car rental insurance, one of the most valuable benefits to have on your travel rewards credit card is coverage when there’s a disruption during your travels.
Pay for your trip in full or in part with your Chase Sapphire Preferred card or Chase Ultimate Rewards points and receive up to $10,000 if a covered loss prevents you (or other covered persons) from traveling. The maximum benefit for each occurrence is $20,000 and $40,000 maximum per 12-month period.
Expenses covered include any non-refundable, prepaid transportation arrangements that were missed plus change fees.
The definition of who is covered for trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage is broad. The cardholder, spouse or domestic partner, and immediate family are eligible for coverage. Immediate family includes adopted or step-children, legal guardians/wards, siblings or siblings-in-law, parents or parents-in-law, grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, and nieces or nephews.
The trip cannot exceed 60 days in duration and the destination must be more than 1 mile from home for coverage to be valid.
Covered events include:
Accidental injury, loss of life, or illness experienced by the cardholder, immediate family, or traveling companion
Severe weather
Change of military orders
Terrorist events or hijackings
Jury duty or subpoena that cannot be postponed or waived
Finding that your residence has become uninhabitable
You have been quarantined
Hot Tip: If you pay for your immediate family’s trip with your Chase Sapphire Preferred card or Ultimate Rewards points, they are eligible for trip interruption and trip cancellation insurance coverage, even if you are not traveling with them. For more card options that come with trip cancellation insurance, check out our full guide to the best credit cards for trip cancellation and interruption insurance.
Trip Delay Reimbursement
If your trip is significantly delayed, you may be stranded overnight and need to purchase necessities or incur other unexpected expenses such as lodging and additional meals.
Trip delay reimbursement pays up to $500 per ticket for covered expenses that are not paid for by the common carrier. The delay must be overnight or greater than 12 hours in duration.
Baggage Insurance
Lost and delayed luggage benefits pay when your transportation carrier is responsible for losing or delaying your bags. Image Credit: Michał Parzuchowski via Unsplash
When traveling on a common carrier, if your baggage is delayed more than 6 hours, you could receive up to $100 reimbursement per day, for up to 5 days, for incidentals purchased.
You can expect to be reimbursed for essential items such as:
Cell phone charging cable (1)
Clothing
Toiletries
Lost Luggage
If your luggage is lost or damaged, lost luggage coverage will pay to repair or replace the luggage plus the cost of personal items lost, up to $3,000 per person, per trip.
You must report the loss to the common carrier first as the Lost Luggage benefit is in excess of any payments you receive from that carrier.
Roadside Dispatch
If you’re stranded on the side of the road, lock your keys out of your car, or your car fails to start, you’ll find Roadside Dispatch a welcomed benefit. The coverage provides 24/7 roadside assistance that is just one call away.
Services You Can Expect:
Changing your flat tire when you have an inflated spare
Delivery of up to 5 gallons of fuel
Jump starting
Lockout service
Standard towing up to 5 miles
Standard winching
Service extras such as towing beyond 5 miles, the cost of a replacement key, or the cost of the actual fuel being delivered, are additional charges and the responsibility of the cardholder. However, you won’t pay more than the pre-determined flat rate fee of $69.95 for the initial service call, as it is set in advance.
Travel Accident Insurance
It’s painful to think about something serious happening during your travels, but there are benefits available in case you’re faced with such a tragic event.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is one of a few cards to offer travel accident insurance. The cardholder and immediate family members are covered even if the cardholder is not traveling with the immediate family. The ticket must be paid for in full or partially with your Chase Sapphire Preferred card or Ultimate Rewards points.
Chase’s travel accident insurance is divided into 2 coverages:
Common Carrier Travel Accident Benefit — Covers you while you are a passenger on any common carrier or at the airport, terminal, or station immediately before or after your trip.
24-Hour Travel Accident Benefit — Provides coverage as soon as you embark on your trip, during your qualifying trip, and until you return for accidental death, dismemberment, and loss of speech, sight, and hearing.
Coverage on the Common Carrier benefit is limited to up to $500,000 and $100,000 maximum on the 24-hour travel accident benefit. Only 1 benefit can apply per trip.
Travel and Emergency Assistance
Receive help finding an English-speaking doctor with complimentary travel and emergency assistance. Image Credit: Impulsq via Unsplash
You’re just one call away from assistance or referral help anytime you need it 24/7. Calling the toll-free number when in the U.S. or the collect-call phone number on the back of your card when traveling out of the country is the fastest way to receive assistance.
In addition to you (the cardholder), your spouse or domestic partner and dependent children under 22 can also use the service.
Referral assistance is complimentary, but the cardholder is responsible for the actual goods or services provided.
Services You Can Expect:
Emergency Message Service — Record and relay emergency messages to travelers
Medical Referrals — Referral to an English-speaking medical practitioner to monitor your progress and serve as a patient liaison
Legal Referrals — Referral to an English-speaking attorney, U.S. Consulate or embassy, and assistance with bail bond arrangements
Emergency Transportation — Help with making arrangements for emergency transport to the nearest medical facility
Emergency Ticket Replacement — Assistance replacing a lost ticket with your carrier
Lost Luggage — Provides assistance filing a lost luggage claim or help with replacement items
Translation Services — Assistance with local language translation services
Prescription and Valuable Documents Replacement — Assistance getting prescriptions filled at a local pharmacy or locating and transporting valuable documents
Pre-trip Assistance — Includes help finding an ATM, assistance with visas, health precautions, and other pre-trip information
No Foreign Transaction Fees
You don’t want to be hit with 3% fees when using your card during international travels. The Chase Sapphire Preferred card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, which is thankfully true of many cards nowadays.
If you spent $4,000 abroad on a family vacation, the savings would equal $120.
Filing a Claim
It’s prudent to think about the claim process even before you embark on your journey. Should you need to make a trip interruption, trip delay, or trip cancellation claim, the process will be much easier if you have gathered the information and documentation you need during the event versus after the fact.
Contact the plan administrator as soon as possible during or after the disruption for guidance and to file a claim. You may be expected to provide any of the following when submitting a claim for a trip interruption, trip cancellation, or trip delay:
A completed and signed claim form
Credit card statement with the last 4 digits of the card or receipts showing you paid for the trip with an eligible card or points
A copy of your transportation ticket and itinerary
Medical documents or a death certificate for health-related claims
A statement from the carrier stating why the trip was interrupted, canceled, or delayed
Receipts for purchases and food expense receipts over $50
Copy of the carrier, tour company, or travel supplier’s cancellation or refund policy
Any additional documentation requested by the benefit administrator
The documentation needed is not requested by Chase, but by the third-party claim administrator, therefore Chase statements validating your trip purchase are necessary. Knowing this upfront allows you to store your trip receipts in advance for easy access should you need them.
Hot Tip: Prior to your trip, contact the benefits administrator for clarification of trip coverage and to inquire about any special destination information you should know. You can also be proactive by reviewing the claim process before your trip to learn about any required documentation that would be needed in case of an event.
How Coverage Compares
Image Credit: American Express
Other Credit Cards
Travel protection and insurance vary greatly by the credit card issuer and can change periodically. In general, here’s what you can expect in the way of travel protections by major issuers:
Chase
Chase issues credit cards including the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offer the comprehensive collection of trip protections reviewed in this article. The Chase Sapphire Reserve card additionally offers emergency medical evacuation, $2,500 in emergency medical and dental coverage, and a shorter delay for trip delay coverage.
American Express
American Express offers secondary car rental insurance versus primary coverage, accident insurance, premium roadside assistance, a Global Assist Hotline, and baggage insurance. There is also emergency medical evacuation coverage that comes with The Platinum Card® from American Express. The issuer does not offer trip interruption, cancellation, or delay coverage.
Capital One
You’ll find secondary car rental insurance, roadside dispatch, accident insurance, lost and delayed baggage, and emergency travel assistance on some Capital One cards including the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
Travel protections, benefits, and insurance that come complimentary on credit cards are not designed to take the place of a comprehensive travel insurance policy.
A comprehensive travel insurance policy allows you to select the type of coverage you need and the coverage limits that match your level of risk, whether you’re protecting a significant financial outlay or the potential physical risks associated with the trip. You can also purchase a travel insurance policy that can cover one specific trip or many trips over a specific time period.
With that said, by taking a few minutes to read through the trip protections offered on the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you may find enough coverage to satisfy your trip protection requirements for your next trip. As always, you should review the card benefit coverages carefully before you travel and purchase any needed travel insurance to fill in any gaps.
Bottom Line: The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers a high level of travel protection and insurance compared to other travel rewards credit cards. This level of coverage may be more than sufficient for your trip.
Final Thoughts
Having travel insurance brings with it the peace of mind to enjoy your journey without worry of any significant financial expense should something go wrong.
To avoid a false sense of security, however, you’ll want to call the benefits administrator (using the number on the back of your card) to ensure you have the coverage you need.
For example, you may assume you have coverage for emergency evacuation on that mountain trek, but the Chase Sapphire Preferred card does not carry this coverage. If the protection is important to you, you’ll want to be aware (and purchase separate coverage) before you embark on your journey.
Additionally, you may want to confirm that the country in which you’re renting is one that is covered under Chase’s car rental collision damage waiver, although most are.
While the Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers some of the best travel protection and insurance benefits of any travel rewards card, these benefits are not a substitute for comprehensive travel insurance.
If you’re spending thousands on a vacation for an entire family, booking an expensive cruise, or planning a trip with several forms of transportation involved, you may want to make sure that card-provided benefits provide protection at a level with which you’re comfortable.
If not, you should purchase a comprehensive travel insurance policy.
All information and content provided by Upgraded Points is intended as general information and for educational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as medical advice or legal advice. For more information, see our Medical & Legal Disclaimers.
The information regarding the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
Featured Image Credit: Upgraded Points
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred card worth it?
Yes. The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers the best travel insurance protection of any major credit card, but that is just one of the strong benefits of having the card.
First, the annual fee is lower than other travel rewards cards that offer similar benefits. Additionally, you’ll earn valuable Ultimate Rewards points which can be redeemed for 25% more value when used for travel.
You can also transfer points to airline and hotel partners, receive a statement credit, or purchase gift cards.
Finally, you’ll find shopping benefits such as purchase protection and extended warranty for eligible purchased items.
Does the Chase Sapphire Preferred card have travel insurance?
The Chase Sapphire Preferred card has a long list of travel protections and insurance. You’ll find the all-important primary car rental insurance, trip interruption, trip cancellation, and trip delay insurance, which can be difficult to find on other travel rewards cards.
In addition, the card offers travel accident insurance, lost and delayed baggage coverage, roadside assistance, and travel and emergency assistance.
Does the Chase Sapphire Preferred card have lounge access?
The Chase Sapphire Preferred card does not come with a complimentary lounge access benefit.
However, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card offers complimentary Priority Pass Select membership which affords the cardholder access to over 1,300 worldwide lounge properties.
If the Chase Sapphire Preferred card better than the Chase Sapphire Reserve card?
Both cards offer a comprehensive collection of travel protections and benefits.
However, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card is a premium travel rewards card that comes with premium travel rewards benefits including complimentary worldwide lounge access, travel statement credits, elevated earnings on travel and dining, and 50% more value when redeeming Ultimate Rewards points for travel.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve card also comes with a much higher annual fee than the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.
A good strategy, if you’re just starting out, is to start with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card with its lower annual fee.
If you then want more travel benefits, are comfortable paying a higher annual fee, and can utilize the travel benefits that come with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, it can be your subsequent move.
Does the Chase Sapphire Preferred card cover the Global Entry fee?
No. The Chase Sapphire Preferred card does not offer reimbursement for the Global Entry application or renewal fee.
Do the Chase travel benefits cover my trip if I use Ultimate Rewards points to pay?
Yes. You can purchase your trip in part or in full with your Chase Sapphire Preferred card, Ultimate Rewards points, or a combination of the two, and trip protections and benefits will still apply.
Christine ran her own business developing and managing insurance and financial services. This stoked a passion for points and miles and she now has over 2 dozen credit cards and creates in-depth, detailed content for UP.
This bonus value is an estimated valuation calculated by UP after analyzing redemption options, transfer partners, award availability and how much UP would pay to buy these points.
![Full List of Travel Insurance Benefits for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card [2023]](https://upgradedpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Chase-Sapphire-Preferred-Upgraded-Points-LLC-07-Large.jpg?auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=1420&height=650&fit=crop)
