Does Discover Offer Travel Insurance?
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Written by
Karen Doyle
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Edited by
Emily Gadd
Unlike most credit card issuers that offer a travel rewards card, Discover Card doesn’t offer travel insurance. Discover cards have other benefits, however, including cash back and 0% Fraud Liability to cover you for unauthorized charges.
Discover Card discontinued its travel insurance and rental car coverage in 2018 because they determined that these benefits were getting little use.
What Travel Perks Does Discover Offer?
The Discover it® Miles card offers 1.5 miles for every dollar you purchase on your credit card. At the end of the first year, Discover will match all the miles you’ve earned in that first year.
Miles can be redeemed as a credit for any travel purchase made on your card in the past 180 days. They can also be redeemed for cash (in the form of an electronic deposit to your bank account) or as a credit to your account. One hundred miles equals one dollar in rewards.
The Best Travel Insurance From a Credit Card
There are plenty of other credit cards, like the following cards from our partners, that offer travel insurance. Here are some of them and what they cover.
1. The Platinum Card® from American Express*
- Trip cancellation
- Trip interruption
- Trip delay
- Lost luggage
- Travel accident
- Rental car coverage
2. Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Trip cancellation
- Trip interruption
- Trip delay
- Delayed luggage
- Lost luggage
- Travel accident
- Rental car coverage
3. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Trip cancellation
- Trip interruption
- Delayed luggage
- Lost luggage
- Travel accident
- Travel assistance
- Rental car insurance
4. Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card*
- Lost carry-on luggage
- Lost checked luggage
- Rental car insurance
5. The New United℠ Explorer Card
- Trip cancellation
- Trip interruption
- Trip delay reimbursement
- Baggage delay
- Lost luggage
- Accident insurance
- Rental car insurance
These credit cards have various limits, exclusions and requirements for their travel insurance policies. Be sure to read your credit card agreement and benefits guide carefully so you understand what is covered and what is not.
Using a Credit Card’s Travel Insurance vs. Other Options
For travelers who don’t have travel insurance as a benefit on their credit card, or for those who feel the credit card’s coverage is inadequate for their needs, there are other options. A standalone travel insurance policy can be a smart choice for frequent travelers.
You can purchase standalone travel insurance for a specific trip, or you can purchase an annual plan that will cover you for all trips in a 12-month period. It’s a good idea to purchase your insurance as soon as you book your trip, as most plans include cancellation insurance, and you may have to cancel at any time.
Standalone travel insurance may include:
- Trip cancellation coverage (with cancellation for any reason available at an additional cost)
- Trip interruption coverage
- Travel delay benefits
- Travel assistance concierge service
- Pre-existing medical condition benefit
- Emergency medical care benefit
- Medical Transportation benefit
- Lost, delayed or damaged baggage benefits
- Rental car coverage
Many of these benefits are also included in credit card coverage, but there are three important ones that typically aren’t. Most credit card policies do not include emergency medical care or medical transportation, and may have a pre-existing medical condition exclusion. For travelers with a chronic medical condition, or who are elderly, these are important benefits.
Getting medical care while traveling, particularly if you are traveling internationally, can be expensive and challenging. And having to be transported from another country for medical reasons is extraordinarily expensive if you don’t have insurance to cover it.
The information related to The New United℠ Explorer Cardand Chase Sapphire Reserve® was collected by CardCritics™ and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardCritics™ does not receive a commission for this product.
*Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
For the Baggage Insurance Plan on American Express cards, Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Discover Card travel insurance free?
Discover Card no longer offers travel insurance as a benefit on its credit cards.
How do I know if my trip is covered?
Travel insurance is not a benefit of Discover Cards. In order for your trip to be covered, you would need to use a different credit card that offers travel insurance or purchase a standalone travel insurance policy.
What happens if I lose my baggage during my trip?
If your luggage is lost on a trip you paid for with your Discover Card, you will need to follow the airline’s procedure for a lost baggage claim.
How does Discover Card travel insurance work if my flight is delayed?
Discover Card no longer offers travel insurance, so you will need to follow the airline’s policy for compensation for a delayed flight.
