When Your Credit Card’s Travel Insurance Coverage Isn’t Enough

Many credit cards offer travel insurance as a perk, but the limited coverage may not be adequate if you are taking an expensive trip.

Question: I see the need for travel insurance, and some credit cards offer protection that I think is pretty comparable to what one could purchase in the marketplace. Do I still need travel insurance if I have coverage through a credit card?

Answer: If you’re taking a short, inexpensive domestic trip – say, a $200 flight followed by a stay at your aunt’s house – the cancellation and delay protections folded into a travel credit card will probably suffice. But if you’re plunking down a large deposit on a blowout vacation or if you are heading abroad, an independent travel insurance plan is the safest option.

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Miriam Cross
Associate Editor, Kiplinger's Personal Finance
Miriam lived in Toronto, Canada, before joining Kiplinger's Personal Finance in November 2012. Prior to that, she freelanced as a fact-checker for several Canadian publications, including Reader's Digest Canada, Style at Home and Air Canada's enRoute. She received a BA from the University of Toronto with a major in English literature and completed a certificate in Magazine and Web Publishing at Ryerson University.