Travel Insurance for Credit Cards
What is travel insurance for your credit cards and why do you need it? Travel insurance is insurance for your credit cards when you are traveling outside your home state. This insurance can cover things such as lost or stolen luggage, travel plans that have to be canceled or rescheduled, or other things that happen unexpectantly on your trip. You can get travel on your own or you can get it as a perk to a credit card.
You can get credit cards that have travel insurance, but you will have to make sure that the card has it. You can go to https://kredittkortinfo.no/reiseforsikring-kredittkort/ to see what they have to offer. You might find just the perfect card that offers travel insurance as a perk.
This article will share a little information about credit cards that also offer travel insurance. You will need to do more research to find specific cards. This article will tell you what travel insurance might cover.
Travel Insurance
How it Works
The travel insurance that comes with your credit card is not as comprehensive as travel insurance that you can buy on its own, but it still covers many mishaps of traveling. This type of travel insurance will usually cover lost or stolen luggage, trip cancellation or interruption, trip delays, rental cars, and travel accidents. This should cover you for almost anything that you might run into during your trip.
1. Confirm Your Coverage
You should know what you are covered for before you file a claim, not doing so can lead to disappointment or embarrassment. When you get your card initially, you should also receive a booklet to explain your travel insurance coverage. Make sure that you go through it thoroughly when you first get it and then again before you leave on a trip. Read here for typical travel insurance coverage cards. When you do have to file a claim, you will understand completely what is covered and what is not covered.
2. Save Your Receipts
You will need these receipts when you file your claim to prove your purchases. You will also want to save any other documentation that shows how the loss happened. If you have talked to your travel providers and they won’t reimburse you, you need to keep that documentation, as well. If you have become ill during your trip and can’t continue, you will also want to keep your doctor’s notes and any other documentation that goes along with that.
3. File Your Claim
Once you have incurred a loss, you will need to file a claim with your credit card provider. Tell them about the type of loss that has happened, where it happened, how much it cost, and any other information that you have. You will usually need to go to the provider’s website to download a claim to file. You will fill that claim out completely and provide any proof that you have that the loss occurred.
4. Wait for the Decision
It usually takes about a week or so for the credit card provider to come up with a decision on whether or not they will reimburse you. If you have enough proof, it shouldn’t be a problem and you will get your money as soon as the credit card provider knows where to distribute it. You might be asked to provide other proof if they initially turn you down.
Common Types of Travel Insurance
1. Changes to Your Trip
There might be changes to your trip that you can’t control, such as a death in the family, a sickness that hospitalizes you, natural disasters, or terrorism. If your trip must be canceled or has been interrupted, your travel insurance would be able to reimburse you for the cost of your trip which can include transportation, hotels, and any prepaid activities.
2. Trip Delay Reimbursement
If your trip is going to be unexpectantly delayed to a circumstance beyond your control, especially if it is delayed more than 12 hours, you might be able to be reimbursed for those costs that pop up along with your delay. This could include a hotel room for the night or food while you wait out the delay. This usually includes $150 – $200 per day for these unexpected costs.
3. Emergency Medical Benefits
This benefit comes in handy if you become ill or get injured while you are on your trip. This is especially important if you are on a cruise or if you are out of the country and health insurance doesn’t work. If you need medical treatment at a hospital or similar facility this emergency medical benefit can be very useful.
4. Medical Evacuation
This is important coverage to have in case you are injured and need to be transported back to your home hospital. This would happen when the hospital that you went to can’t or doesn’t want to help your particular situation. This might be important if you have been under a doctor’s care and you need to go back to see your own doctor for treatment.
Lost or Damaged Baggage Protection
This is one of the most common issues that come up while traveling – lost or damaged baggage. This coverage will take care of your belongings up to a certain value, so you might want to take out extra insurance for this, especially if you are carrying high-priced items in your bags.
Baggage Delay Protection
If your baggage is still on the way, but there will be a long delay of over 12 hours, you may be able to get reimbursed for a change of clothes or any other necessities that you might have. There is usually a daily amount that you can be reimbursed, but it should help if you need a change of clothes. This is especially needed if you have delayed baggage and you have an important meeting at your destination.
Conclusion
These are just some of the things that will be covered if you take out travel insurance on your credit cards. There are many credit cards that have this added bonus, you just have to do some research and find some cards that have it. If you qualify for the card with your credit history and credit score, you should also qualify for travel insurance.
