Edited by Peggy BennettCredit Card Protections and Insurance for 2026
Quick Answer
Credit card travel protections remain popular, and could be a reason to pay with a credit card even if there’s a surcharge. Purchase protections can also be important, especially if you’re worried about porch piracy.
Credit cards may provide important travel and purchase benefits that can help you stretch your dollar and protect you from unexpected circumstances. Here's a look at how the most popular credit card travel and purchase protections work.
Credit Card Travel Protection Trends in 2026
Travel protections can help cover travel-related costs. However, you typically need to book your trip, lodging or other service with the card that offers these protections to be eligible. Alternatively, you can use points from the card's rewards program to pay for the trip.
For example, credit cards travel purchase and insurance benefits may include:
- Trip accident insurance: This offers coverage for when a traveler is killed or seriously injured during a trip. Serious injuries may include loss of speech, sight, hearing or a limb.
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance: It may reimburse you if your trip is canceled or cut short due to a covered event, such as covered illnesses or severe weather.
- Trip delay insurance: This can cover expenses, including meals, transportation and lodging, if your planned trip is delayed or canceled.
- Baggage delay insurance: This can reimburse you for necessary purchases, such as clothing and toiletries, while you wait for your bags to arrive.
- Roadside dispatch or assistance: This coverage could either help connect you with nearby roadside help while you're on the road or help cover the cost of certain services.
- Auto rental collision damage waiver: This is primary or secondary coverage for when a rental car is damaged or stolen.
The benefits and coverage details can depend on the type of credit card you have, which is one reason that you want to compare the top travel credit cards before applying.
Best travel cards of 2026
Compare cards from our partners that earn valuable points or miles and unlock travel perks on flights and hotel stays.
Offers from our partners
Citi Double Cash® Card
Intro APR:0% for 18 months on Balance Transfers
Ongoing APR:17.49% - 27.49% (Variable)
Rewards:2% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0
Discover it® Chrome
Intro bonus:INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards.
Intro APR:0% intro APR for 6 Months on Purchases and 0% intro APR for 18 Months on Balance Transfers
Ongoing APR:17.49% - 26.49% Variable APR
Rewards:1% - 2% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0
American Express Platinum Card®
Intro bonus:You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
Ongoing APR:See Pay Over Time APR
Rewards:1x - 5x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$895
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
Intro bonus:Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months
Intro APR:0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers
Ongoing APR:18.49%, 24.49%, or 28.49% Variable APR
Rewards:2% (Cash Rewards)
Annual Fee:$0
American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Card
Intro APR:0% for 15 months on Balance Transfers
Ongoing APR:19.49% - 29.49% (Variable)
Rewards:2x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0
Citi Strata Premier® Card
Intro bonus:Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
Ongoing APR:19.49% - 27.49% (Variable)
Rewards:1x - 10x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$95
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
Ongoing APR:18.74% - 26.74% (Variable)
Rewards:1% - 5% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0
American Express® Gold Card
Intro bonus:You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
Ongoing APR:See Pay Over Time APR
Rewards:1x - 4x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$325
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
Ongoing APR:19.49% - 29.49% (Variable)
Rewards:2x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$99, waived for first 12 months
Credit One Bank® Wander® American Express® with Dining, Gas & Travel Rewards
Ongoing APR:29.74% Variable
Rewards:1% - 10% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$95
Hilton Honors American Express Card
Intro bonus:Earn 70,000 Bonus Points plus a Free Night Reward after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 4/15/2026.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:3x - 7x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Intro bonus:Earn 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:2x - 6x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$650
Discover it® Miles
Intro bonus:UNLIMITED BONUS: Unlimited Mile-for-Mile match for all new cardmembers. Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match. You could turn 35,000 Miles into 70,000 Miles.
Intro APR:0% intro APR for 15 months on Purchases and Balance Transfers
Ongoing APR:17.49% - 26.49% Variable APR
Rewards:1.5x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
Intro bonus:Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 in purchases with your new Card, and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card, both within your first 6 months. Ends 04/01/2026.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:1x - 3x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$650
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Intro bonus:Earn 70,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases with your new Card, and an additional 20,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $2,000 in purchases on the Card, both within your first 6 months. Ends 04/01/2026.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:1x - 2x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150.
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
Intro bonus:Earn 80,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases with your new Card, and an additional 20,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $2,000 in purchases on the Card, both within your first 6 months. Ends 04/01/2026.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:1x - 3x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$350
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
Intro bonus:Earn 130,000 Bonus Points plus a Free Night Reward after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 4/15/2026.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:3x - 12x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$150
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card
Intro bonus:Earn 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:1x - 2x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0
Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card
Intro bonus:Earn 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:2x - 6x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$250
One Key™ Card
Intro bonus:Earn $250 in OneKeyCash™ after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. OneKeyCash is not redeemable for cash and can only be used on Expedia®, Hotels.com® and Vrbo®. To learn more, please refer to the One Key Terms and Conditions at www.expedia.com/one-key-terms.
Ongoing APR:18.49%, 23.49%, or 28.49% Variable APR
Rewards:1.5x - 3x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0
One Key+™ Card
Intro bonus:Earn $350 in OneKeyCash™ after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. OneKeyCash is not redeemable for cash and can only be used on Expedia®, Hotels.com® and Vrbo®. To learn more, please refer to the One Key Terms and Conditions at www.expedia.com/one-key-terms.
Ongoing APR:18.49%, 23.49%, or 28.49% Variable APR
Rewards:2x - 3x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$99
See all our best travel credit cards for 2026.
Here's a close look at some of the current trends for travel-related benefits.
Delay, Cancellation and Interruption Remain Popular Benefits
Of all the travel benefits, trip delay, cancellation and interruption insurance benefits have been especially popular since the pandemic.
In recent years, claims increased as airlines dealt with systemwide computer issues, travelers got held up by long airport security lines and severe weather events led to delays and cancellations.
Nearly 1 in 4 flights (22.5%) were delayed in the first half of 2025, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation. Canceled flights are slightly higher than in 2024, though that number is likely to rise even more in the second half of 2025 given the government shutdown that canceled many flights.
Card Issuers Highlight Travel Benefits
Credit card issuers are increasingly focused on travel as a selling point. Some issuers have their own travel portals and incentivize booking travel through their website or app. Card rewards programs even have branded airport lounges for cardholders.
Although card issuers have to pay for benefits and insurance coverage, these perks are also a selling point that gets people to sign up for and use a credit card. With this in mind, you might see more marketing material and reminders about your card's benefits in the coming year.
Credit Card Purchase Protection Trends in 2026
Most credit cards include zero liability protection for unauthorized purchases, and many offer additional protections on products and services you pay for with your credit card:
- Return protection: Allows you to return a product and get a refund when the original retailer doesn't accept the return.
- Purchase protection (or purchase security): Get reimbursed for products that are damaged, lost or stolen.
- Extended warranties: Extends the manufacturer's warranty on a product.
- Price protection: Can cover the difference between your purchase price and a lower advertised price after you make a purchase.
- Cellphone protection: Reimburses you if your phone is stolen or damaged.
As helpful as these card benefits can be, it's important to remember they all have requirements and limits.
For example, return and purchase protections usually only last a few months from the purchase date, and there may be per-claim and annual limits. Or, the extended warranty benefit may only apply to purchases when the original manufacturer's warranty was for one or two years.
But many of the benefits, even cellphone protection, are available on cards that don't have an annual fee.
Learn more: How Do I Check My Credit Card Benefits?
New Credit Card Benefits in 2026
There really aren't any noteworthy new credit card benefits announced for 2026. Rather, some card issuers have recently revamped their premium credit card offerings. New changes to select cards include increased hotel and dining credits, enhanced status with travel loyalty programs and deeper partnerships with lifestyle brands. Additionally, some credit cards have devalued their rewards points, providing less benefit to users in the coming year.
Start Looking for Your Next Credit Card
Looking for a credit card that has all the benefits you want? Some of the best ones are only available with premium cards, which tend to require good credit. But Experian can match you to credit cards based on your credit profile. Review the results and compare the cards' fees, features and benefits to see which one might be the best fit.
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About the author
Louis DeNicola
Louis DeNicola is freelance personal finance and credit writer who works with Fortune 500 financial services firms, FinTech startups, and non-profits to teach people about money and credit. His clients include BlueVine, Discover, LendingTree, Money Management International, U.S News and Wirecutter.
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