The 5 best travel insurance credit cards: Benefits matched with protection

With the Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card, you begin earning right away with 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of having the card. If you redeem your points through Chase Ultimate Rewards, it is the equivalent of $900 toward travel. After you spend your first $300 each year, you earn 5x the total points on flights, 10x the total points on hotels and car rentals, and 3x the points on your other travel. If you like eating out, this card is great, too, because you earn 3x the points on dining at restaurants, whether you are dining out, ordering in, or opting for takeout. All other purchases earn one point per dollar. 

Chase also offers a few extra perks, like Pay Yourself BackSM, where you can redeem your points for 50% more when you trade them in for statement credits and use them for rotating categories. At the end of each year, Chase gives you an annual travel credit of up to $300. There are no foreign transaction fees, but many other fees with a $550 annual fee that is typical of American Express but not so much with other credit cards.

Pros:

• Competitive rewards rate
• Generous introductory offer
• Luxury travel benefits

Cons:

• High fees
• Excellent credit recommended 

The Chase Freedom Unlimited Credit Card gives you a $200 bonus and 5% cash back on gas station purchases when you spend $500 in purchases, up to $6,000, within your first three months of having the card. There is also 5% back on travel when you purchase through Chase Ultimate Rewards. There are other ways to earn, too. You can receive 3% on dining, including takeout and delivery, as well as drug store purchases. Your other purchases receive 1.5% back. 

There is also an introductory offer with a 0% intro APR for your first 15 months on both purchases and balance transfers. Afterwards, it goes to a competitive APR, especially when compared to the others on our list. You can skip the annual fee, too, so you can spend your money where it counts. 

Pros:

• No annual fee
• Low starting APR
• Introductory APR

Cons:

• Restricted rewards system
• Balance transfer fee

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card is stacked with rewards, giving you some of the best and most competitive rewards for travel credit cards. When you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months, you receive 60,000 bonus points. If you redeem them through Chase Ultimate Rewards, it is the equivalent of $750 toward travel. Chase will also reward you with up to $50 in statement credits each year when you book your hotels through Chase Ultimate Rewards. 

You can also earn 5x the travel points when you book through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Dining rewards earn you 3x the dining points, including takeout and delivery purchases. You also earn 3x the points on your online grocery purchases, but this excludes certain popular retailers, such as Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs like Costco. 

There are 3x the points on certain streaming services, 2x points on your other travel purchases, and one point per dollar on all of your other purchases. At the end of the year, Chase gives you a special reward in the form of 10% back on your total annual purchases in bonus points.

Pros:

• Higher rewards for dining and travel
• Introductory offer 
• Access to travel partners

Cons:

• Annual fee
• Must book through Chase for the best travel rewards

The Ink Business Preferred Credit Card is our pick for travel insurance's best business credit card. The rewards are handsome, too, with 100,000 bonus points when you spend $15,000 in purchases within the first three months of having the card. If you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards, you receive 25% more in bonus points. 

Chase also rewards you for purchases in certain categories, like shipping, advertising, travel, internet and phone, with 3x the points on your purchases each year. From there, you earn unlimited 1x per dollar spent. There is no expiration date, either, so you can take your time redeeming them as long as you have the card.

Pros: 

• Introductory bonus 
• Travel and business rewards
• No foreign transaction fee

Cons:

• No introductory APR offer
• Annual fee applies

The Platinum Card® from American Express might have a steep annual fee, but the rewards are still impressive. After you spend your first $6,000 in purchases, you receive 150,000 Membership Rewards® Points. There are other travel benefits, too, like a $200 Hotel Credit when you book through American Express Travel and pay in advance. You can also receive a $200 hotel credit when you book prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or a minimum two-night The Hotel Collection booking through American Express Travel. Amex rewards you while you are traveling, too, with access to over 1,400 airport lounges in 650 cities and 140 countries. 

There is a $200 airline fee credit, plus $189 back on your CLEAR® membership annually. Beyond your travel benefits, American Express gives you a $300 statement credit for Equinox fitness and $100 when you shop at Saks Fifth Avenue. Other rewards include a $155 Walmart+ credit, a $200 Uber Cash credit with a $20 annual bonus, and a $240 Digital Entertainment Credit toward entertainment services like Audible, Disney+, and Hulu. 

Pros:

• Impressive selection of benefits
• Travel perks
• Built-in elite status

Cons:

• Very high annual fee
• Excellent credit recommended