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Insurance: How does credit card trip cancellation/interruption insurance work?

  • Credit Card Insurance
Insurance: How does credit card trip cancellation/interruption insurance work?
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Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance

Trip Cancellation Insurance and Trip Interruption Insurance are two types of coverage that credit cards sometimes offer.

With these coverages, you could be reimbursed for all expenses that are normally non-refundable, should your trip be:

  • cancelled before departure (cancellation insurance)
  • interrupted after it started (interruption insurance)
Insurance: How does credit card flight delay insurance work? - IMG 8862

Definition of Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance

Trip cancellation insurance can be triggered under certain conditions:

  • between the moment you book your trip
  • and BEFORE it begins

Trip Interruption Insurance may be triggered under certain conditions:

  • during your trip
  • and before the scheduled return date
Insurance: How does credit card trip cancellation/interruption insurance work? - DSC04392

Insured people

The trip cancellation/interruption insurance offered by credit cards protects:

  • credit card holder
  • Close family travelling with the credit card holder (will vary depending on each credit card)

As a general rule, insurance may apply to the principal holder, their spouse and their dependent child or children.

To be covered by your credit card ‘s Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance, you must have paid in full for the trip with your credit card ((except for certain cards such as the National Bank’s World Elite Mastercard®, which requires partial payment, or the Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card, which requires 75% of the cost of the trip to be charged to the card).

Insurance: How does credit card trip cancellation/interruption insurance work? - IMG 2174

Covered by Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance

The trip cancellation/interruption insurance offered by credit cards WILL COVER:

  • The Insured Person’s Medical Emergency
  • The insured person’s death
  • The insured person’s relative’s (family, work partner) medical emergency
  • The insured person’s relative’s death
  • The insured person’s host’s death (at destination)
  • A government warning, after your travel purchase, advising travellers not to travel to the intended destination
  • Loss of employment or transfer
  • An event rendering the insured person’s principal residence uninhabitable or the insured person’s business place unusable.
  • The delay of a private car or a carrier due to external conditions (traffic accident, bad weather, roadblock, etc.) preventing an insured person from starting their trip (trip interruption insurance only).
Travel safety: your person and your belongings - IMG 0740

Not covered by Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance

Situations not covered

Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance offered by credit cards WILL NOT COVER:

  • A pre-existing health problem
  • Participating in sports activities as a professional
  • Participating in dangerous activities, such as sky diving
  • Voluntary self-harm
  • Criminal Acts
  • Abuse of medication, drugs or alcohol
  • Mental or psychological problems

Countries not covered

Finally, some credit cards do not cover specific countries or even certain regions of a country.

In order to know if the country in which the rented vehicle will travel is covered, it is up to you to:

  • consult the booklet detaling the coverage provided with your card
  • or call the card issuer in case of doubt
United Arab Emirates: Abu Dhabi and its highlights - IMG 0720

Refunds

The coverage provided by your credit card will depend on the date of cancellation/interruption of your trip and the expenses incurred as a result of this trip.

For trip cancellation insurance, you could:

  • be reimbursed for the non-refundable portion of your travel expenses (up to a certain limit).

For trip interruption insurance, you may:

  • be reimbursed for the non-refundable AND unused portion of your travel expenses (up to a certain limit);
  • be reimbursed for the costs incurred by your hasty return.

Compensation will vary depending on credit cards

  • between $500 and $2,500 per insured person
  • with a maximum amount for the whole family
Insurance: How does credit card trip cancellation/interruption insurance work? - IMG 1786

Make a claim

Need to cancel your trip? Or do you have to interrupt your trip en route?

You will need to contact your credit card insurance company as soon as possible to make a claim. Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance covers you for all non-refundable parts of your trip up to a certain limit.

If you cancel your trip well in advance, there is a good chance that many parts can be reimbursed directly without using the insurance (e.g. hotel or car rental that can be cancelled without charge). And you’d have a better chance of getting your airfare refunded without going over the maximum limit.

Make sure you have all supporting documents on hand:

  • Flight tickets
  • Hotel reservations
  • Car rental booking
  • Medical records
The best Aeroplan Card for the business traveller - DSC05211

Credit cards milesopedia recommends

Not all credit cards are equal when it comes to trip cancellation/interruption insurance.

As a general rule, credit cards offering trip cancellation/interruption insurance will differ in 3 aspects:

  • Coverages offered (cancellation AND/OR interruption)
  • The amount covered (per person, per trip)
  • Booking conditions (total or partial amount on the card)

Here are 5 credit cards that we recommend for trip cancellation/interruption insurance, based on different income levels:

The National Bank's World Elite Mastercard®

National Bank’s World Elite Mastercard® offers a number of attractive travel and purchase insurances, which we have detailed here.

Its special feature is to be valid, even if only part of the trip has been taken to account. What’s more, its reimbursements are particularly generous: up to $5,000 per insured person.

SpecificitiesDetails
Flight Cancellationup to $2,500 per insured
Trip Interruption Insuranceup to $5,000 per insured
Booking conditionsThe coverage will reimburse the following costs if at least part of the cost has been charged to the account:
Exclusive
Annual fee
$0 $150
No annual fee the first year
Our valuation
$150
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueAnnual fee rebated$150Total$150Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
First Year Annual Fee Rebate
$150 annual fee rebated
Ends Nov 4, 2026
Apply Now

on National Bank's website

With Milesopedia, take advantage of an exclusive offer: your first-year annual fees are refunded with the National Bank World Elite Mastercard. This offer is exclusively available on the Milesopedia network, from June 30 to November 4, 2026.

  • Refund of the first-year annual fee (a $150 value) for the primary cardholder. This fee is charged to your new card account, then refunded as a credit on your statement within five months of opening your account, provided it remains open and in good standing.

The National Bank World Elite Mastercard is the best Mastercard credit card offered by NBC.

With this card, you earn up to 5 points per dollar on your purchases:

  • 5 points per dollar for groceries and restaurants
  • 2 points per dollar on gas and electric recharge purchases
  • 2 points per dollar on recurring bills
  • 2 points per dollar on À la carte Travel
  • 1 point per dollar for all other purchases

And since it’s an NBC mycredit Mastercard, you can use it at Costco.

With this card, you have access to a $150 annual travel credit that you can use in any of these categories:

  • Airport parking
  • Baggage fees
  • Seat selection
  • Access to airport lounges
  • Airline ticket upgrades

What’s more, you can enjoy access to DragonPass airport lounges and unlimited access to the National Bank Lounge at Montreal-Trudeau.

Finally, Milesopedia has named the National Bank World Elite Mastercard as the Best Travel Credit Card in 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026.

Annual fee

Primary card$150
Additional card$50

Annual income required

Individual$80,000
Household$150,000

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

  • 5xRestaurants
  • 5xGroceries
  • 2xTravel
  • 2xBills & recurring payments
  • 2xGas & EV
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$778
2nd Year Value$923

Card benefits

Airport lounge access$400
Travel creditsIncluded

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $5,000,000 / 60 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $5,000,000 / 31 days
Travel medical (65+)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days
Trip CancellationUp to $2,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $5,000
Delayed BaggageUp to $500
Lost BaggageUp to $1,000
Flight DelayUp to $500
Travel AccidentIncluded

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+2 years
Mobile DeviceUp to $1,000 / 2 years
Auto Rental CollisionUp to $65,000 / 48 days

BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard

The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard is one of those rare credit cards that allows partial payment to be covered. It’s practical for those who pay for a trip partly in cash and partly in points!

In addition, it offers excellent coverage for trip cancellation/interruption insurance:

SpecificitiesDetails
Flight Cancellationup to $1,500 per insured or $5,000 per trip
Trip Interruption Insuranceup to $2,000 per insured or $10,000 per trip
Booking conditionsCoverage applies only when all or part of the cost of travel plans has been charged to the credit card.
Annual fee
$0 $150
No annual fee the first year
Our valuation
$820
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$670Annual fee rebated$150Total$820Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
Up to 100,000 points
+ First Year Annual Fee Rebate
Apply Now

on BMO's website

The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard is one of the best World Elite Mastercard travel rewards credit cards in Canada. With our welcome offer, you can get up to 100,000 BMO Rewards points, for a total value of up to $1,600.

Plus, there’s no annual fee in the first year for the primary cardholder and additional cardholders, and you benefit from a 0% introductory interest rate on balance transfers for 12 months (with a 2% balance transfer fee).

With the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard, you get:

  • 5 points per dollar on eligible travel*
  • 3 points per dollar on eligible dining, entertainment, and recurring bill payments*
  • 1 point per dollar on all other purchases*

The card also offers:

  • 4 complimentary airport lounge accesses per year via Mastercard Travel Pass provided by DragonPass*
  • comprehensive travel insurance, including emergency medical coverage up to $5 million for 21 days*
  • A NEXUS statement credit in the first year*
  • Six months of Instacart+ membership plus a monthly $10 Instacart credit with an eligible card*

Annual fee

Primary card$150
Additional card$50

Annual income required

Individual$80,000
Household$150,000

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

  • 5xTravel
  • 3xRestaurants
  • 3xStreaming
  • 3xBills & recurring payments
  • 3xEntertainment
  • 3xTelecom
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,148
2nd Year Value$289

Card benefits

Airport lounge access$160

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $2,000,000 / 21 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $5,000,000 / 21 days
Trip CancellationUp to $1,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $2,000
Delayed BaggageUp to $500
Lost BaggageUp to $500
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $1,000
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Auto Rental CollisionUp to $65,000 / 48 days

The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +*

The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card charges no conversion fees for foreign currency transactions. So you can charge your travel purchases such as car rental, airfare abroad without paying the 2.5% fees charged by most credit cards!

Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card requires an individual income of $60,000 or a family income of $100,000.

SpecificitiesDetails
Flight Cancellationup to $1,500 per insured
Trip Interruption Insuranceup to $2,500 per insured
Booking conditionsCoverage applies only if you pay at least 75% of each person’s travel expenses with your Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card.
Annual fee
$150
Our valuation
$350
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$350Total$350Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
Up to 35,000 points
Ends Nov 1, 2026
Apply Now

on Scotiabank's website

With this welcome offer for the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card +* CardMC, you’ll earn 25,000 welcome bonus Scene+ points after charging $2,000 in purchases to your account within the first three months.

Plus, every year, earn an annual bonus of at least 10,000 Scene+ points when you charge at least $40,000 in purchases to your account. In total, the offer represents up to 35,000 Scene+ points and a value of up to $1,250 in the first year, including rewards, savings on foreign transaction fees and airport lounge access.

With the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card, you earn 3 points per $1 spent at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland and participating Co-ops, and 2 points per $1 spent at other grocery stores, restaurants, eligible entertainment and eligible daily transit. You earn 1 point per $1 on all your other everyday purchases.

These points can be redeemed against any travel purchase at a rate of 1,000 points = $10 (flights, hotels, all-inclusives and even Airbnb), or as cash back with Scene+ at the same rate.

The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card also offers:

  • No fees for foreign currency transactions
  • 6 complimentary airport VIP lounge passes
  • Excellent insurance for your travels and purchases
  • Visa Infinite* Concierge Services

We have named this credit card the Best Credit Card with No Foreign Transaction Fees in 2024, 2025, and 2026.

Annual fee

Primary card$150
Additional card$50

Annual income required

Individual$60,000
Household$100,000

Conversion fees

0%

Earning rate

  • 2xGroceries
  • 2xRestaurants
  • 2xTransit
  • 2xEntertainment
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$650
2nd Year Value$397

Card benefits

Concierge service24/7
Airport lounge access$240

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $1,000,000 / 25 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $1,000,000 / 25 days
Travel medical (65+)Up to $1,000,000 / 3 days
Trip CancellationUp to $1,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $2,500
Delayed BaggageUp to $1,000
Lost BaggageUp to $1,000
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $1,000
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Auto Rental CollisionUp to $65,000 / 48 days

BMO® AIR MILES® World Elite®* Mastercard®*

The BMO Ascend World Elite®* AIR MILES Mastercard is one of the only credit cards to offer partial payment coverage.

In addition, it offers excellent coverage for trip cancellation/interruption insurance:

SpecificitiesDetails
Flight Cancellationup to $1,500 per insured or a maximum of $5,000 per trip
Trip Interruption Insuranceup to $2,000 per insured u maximum $10,000 per trip
Booking conditionsCoverage applies only if the full or partial cost of the trip has been paid by the cardholder.

Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card

The Scotiabank American Express Gold card also does not charge conversion fees for foreign currency transactions. So you can charge your travel purchases such as car rentals and airline tickets abroad without paying the 2.5% fee charged by most credit cards!

The Scotiabank American Express Gold card only requires an annual income of $12,000.

SpecificitiesDetails
Flight Cancellationup to $1,500 per insured
Trip Interruption Insuranceup to $1,500 per insured
Booking conditionsCoverage applies only if you pay at least 75% of each person’s travel expenses with your Scotiabank American Express Card .
Sponsored
Annual fee
$120
Our valuation
$500
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$500Total$500Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
Up to 50,000 points
Ends Nov 1, 2026
Apply Now

on Scotiabank's website

The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card offers an excellent welcome bonus.

Until November 1, 2026, you can earn up to 50,000 bonus Scene+ points, broken down as follows:

  • 30,000 Scene+ points by charging $2,000 in purchases to the card within the first 3 months
  • 20,000 Scene+ points by making $7,500 in purchases on the card in the first year

This represents a value of up to $500 for travel (including Airbnb).

With the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card, you earn 6 points per dollar spent at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland, FreshCo, Voilà by Sobeys, Voilà par IGA, Voilà by Safeway, Chalo! grocery stores. FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, IGA West, Les Marchés Tradition, Rachelle Béry and Co-Op.

Also, you earn 5 points per dollar for:

  • Grocery stores
  • Restaurants
  • Entertainment centers

And 3 points per dollar on gas, transit and streaming services purchases.

You can redeem your points on travel purchases (flights, hotels, all-inclusive and even Airbnb). You can also use your points as cash back rewards with Scene+.

The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card also offers no foreign transaction fees, excellent insurance for your travel or purchases, concierge service, exclusive American Express benefits like the Front of the Line program.

Annual fee

Primary card$120
Additional card$29

Annual income required

Individual$12,000
Household$12,000

Conversion fees

0%

Earning rate

  • 6xWith the partner brand
  • 5xGroceries
  • 5xEntertainment
  • 5xRestaurants
  • 3xStreaming
  • 3xTransit
  • 3xGas & EV
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,460
2nd Year Value$461

Card benefits

Concierge service24/7

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $1,000,000 / 25 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $1,000,000 / 25 days
Travel medical (65+)Up to $1,000,000 / 3 days
Trip CancellationUp to $1,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $1,500
Delayed BaggageUp to $1,000
Lost BaggageUp to $1,000
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $1,000
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Mobile DeviceUp to $1,000 / 1 years
Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $65,000 / 48 days

Bottom Line

Remember, it’s your responsibility to read your credit card’s certificate of insurance carefully. Some details may change over time.

By simply choosing the right credit card to book, you could avoid losing money on your travel budget in the event of cancellation or interruption.

If the above credit cards don’t suit you, there is another option. soNomad offers affordable cancellation and interruption insurance.

Our featured card

Featured
Annual fee
$120
Our valuation
$990
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$990Total$990Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
Up to 110,000 points
Ends Sep 22, 2026
Apply Now

on American Express's website

Apply with confidence — no impact on your credit scoreApply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).

The Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card is the best credit card in Canada for free hotel nights.

New Cardmembers can earn up to 110,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points with the current offer:

  • Earn 80,000 points after you spend $6,000 on your Card in your first 6 months of Cardmembership.
  • Plus, earn 30,000 points by making a purchase during your 15th month of Cardmembership.

This offer ends on September 22, 2026. The annual fee is $120, and there is no annual fee on Additional Cards, so you can add a partner or a family member at no extra cost.

Every year after your first Card anniversary, you receive an Annual Free Night Award good for a redemption of up to 35,000 points at eligible hotels and resorts worldwide. At a valuation of 0.9 cents per Marriott Bonvoy point, that certificate is worth roughly $315, which on its own more than covers the $120 annual fee. That is the main reason to keep this Card year after year instead of cancelling it.

To get the most out of the certificate, aim it at a night that would otherwise price close to the 35,000 point ceiling.

The Card also gives you 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year and automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status. Those credits count toward the next Elite tier, so you begin every year 15 nights ahead of where you would otherwise start.

You move up to Gold Elite status automatically when you reach $30,000 in purchases on the Card in a year, or when you combine 10 qualifying paid nights within one calendar year with the 15 Elite Night Credits from your Card.

Marriott Bonvoy points are generally valued at 0.9 cents each. On that basis, the 110,000 point welcome offer is worth about $990, and an Annual Free Night Award used at its full 35,000 point ceiling is worth about $315.

Marriott Bonvoy points pull their weight on free nights rather than on gift cards or merchandise, which is why this Card should be judged on the hotel stays it produces.

You earn 5 points per dollar on eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels and 2 points per dollar on all other purchases. Points can be redeemed for free nights with no blackout dates at more than 7,000 hotels around the world.

The Card carries a solid package of coverages: $500,000 travel accident insurance, flight delay, baggage delay, lost or stolen baggage and hotel or motel burglary at $500 each, car rental theft and damage up to $85,000 for rentals of up to 48 days, Purchase Protection for 90 days and a one year Extended Warranty.

Two things to plan around: the 2.5% foreign transaction fee on purchases made in a foreign currency, and the 21.99% purchase interest rate, which makes this a Card to pay in full every month. Like all American Express Canada Cards, no minimum income is published for this Card, and you can see whether you would be approved before you apply, with no impact on your credit score.

Annual fee

Primary card$120
Additional card$0

Annual income required

Individual$0
Household$0

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

  • 5xMarriott Bonvoy hotels
  • 2xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,437
2nd Year Value$312

Travel insurance

Delayed BaggageUp to $500
Lost BaggageUp to $500
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $500
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $85,000 / 48 days

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