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Insurance: The Best Credit Cards for Travel Insurance When Using Rewards Points

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Insurance: The Best Credit Cards for Travel Insurance When Using Rewards Points
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Credit cards with travel insurance are a major advantage. If the coverage fits the traveller’s needs, it can even save you from buying separate insurance. On top of the rewards or points they earn, these cards offer complete protection: travel insurance, trip cancellation insurance, purchase protection, car rental coverage, and more.

Credit card travel insurance

When you received your credit card, you probably also got your insurance coverage booklet. If not, it’s easy to find on your financial institution’s website.

Ideally, you should refer to your insurance booklet before deciding to use this card to book your trip. Every credit card has different coverage tied to:

  • The cardholder’s age
  • The people covered and the destinations visited
  • The length of coverage and time spent outside your province
  • The type and cost of the rental car
  • The number of hours of flight and baggage delay

One of the most important sections covers the eligibility of the trip, if you decide to pay for your trip with points.

That’s where you’ll find the conditions that apply to most of your card’s insurance coverages.

Different conditions for applying travel insurance coverage

Some cards will require that:

  • 75% or 100% of the trip be paid with the credit card

If the entire trip must be charged to the credit card, you won’t be able to use reward points to be covered.

The minimum amount required can also be 75%, as with the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card. To be covered by its public transportation accident insurance, you must have paid at least 75% of your ticket price with:

  • Your credit card;
  • Or your Scene+ points;
  • Or a combination of both.

So if your ticket costs $100, you must have paid at least $75 with your card or your points for the insurance to apply.

Insurance: The best credit cards for travel insurance with rewards points - Scotiabank Passport travel insurance
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

A credit card’s travel insurance may allow points from the card’s linked rewards program to be used to pay for the trip. That’s the case, for example, with the American Express Gold Rewards Card: the insurance is valid if:

  • Membership Rewards points were used to pay for the trip;
  • The trip was paid in cash with the credit card;
  • The trip was paid with a combination of cash + Membership Rewards points.

But you won’t have insurance if you used a program other than Membership Rewards, such as Aeroplan, Scene+ or AIR MILES. American Express clearly encourages cardholders to use its own program.

Insurance: The best credit cards for travel insurance with rewards points - Amex Gold travel insurance
Annual fee
$250
Our valuation
$1,020

Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$1,020Total$1,020Rewards 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 60,000 points
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”).

Earn up to 60,000 Membership Rewards points with this welcome offer for the American Express Gold Rewards Card. That’s a value of $600 toward travel or any purchase charged to the Card:

  • 5,000 Membership Rewards points per month when you charge $1,000 in net purchases to your Card, for 12 months (a total of 60,000 points in the first year).

You can also transfer your points to airline partners such as Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways, Qatar Airways, Finnair), Flying Blue, and hotel partners (Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors).

For example, with this welcome offer, if you decide to transfer your Membership Rewards points to a partner loyalty program, you would have the choice of earning up to :

  • 60,000 Aeroplan points
  • 60,000 Avios
  • 60,000 Flying Blue Miles
  • 72,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

With this Card, you get many benefits like:

  • $100 annual travel credit
  • Priority Pass membership and 4 complimentary Plaza Premium visits per year
  • $50 NEXUS credit

You earn 2 points per dollar for travel purchases, and at:

  • gas stations
  • grocery stores
  • drugstores

And 1 point per dollar everywhere else.

Like all American Express Canada Cards, there is no minimum income requirement.

Annual fee

Primary card$250
Additional card$50

Annual income required

Individual$0
Household$0

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

  • 2xPharmacy
  • 2xGas & EV
  • 2xTravel
  • 2xGroceries
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,555
2nd Year Value$589

Transfer partners

  • AeroplanAirline
  • British Airways ClubAirline
  • Cathay Asia MilesAirline
  • Etihad GuestAirline
  • Flying BlueAirline
  • Hilton HonorsHotel
  • Marriott BonvoyHotel

Card benefits

Airport lounge access$160

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days
Trip CancellationUp to $1,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $1,500
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

Other cards will only require that part of the trip be paid with the credit card. The « partial » cost of a ticket can be paid with another type of points or miles.

For example, here is the insurance certificate for the National Bank World Elite Mastercard, for trip cancellation and interruption insurance:

Insurance: The best credit cards for travel insurance with rewards points - National Bank travel insurance

It is very important to read and understand your credit card’s insurance certificate. If you’re unsure, contact your card’s customer service.

A single card can have different eligibility criteria for different coverages. These are nuances that can have major consequences if something goes wrong.

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

General rule: using a card linked to a program

As a general rule, we recommend paying for your trip with:

  • An AIR MILES credit card to cover a trip for which you used AIR MILES miles
  • An AEROPLAN credit card to cover a trip for which you used AEROPLAN points
  • A Membership Rewards credit card to cover a trip for which you used American Express Membership Rewards points
  • and so on for each program

So if you use the BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard, you’ll be covered if a problem arises on a trip paid for with AIR MILES miles. Here is this card’s insurance certificate for buying plane tickets with points from the linked program (here, AIR MILES):

Insurance: The best credit cards for travel insurance with rewards points - AIR MILES travel insurance
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

Special rule: the cards that cover every situation

Only two credit cards let you be covered even when you pay only part of the trip with them!

That means you can use Aeroplan miles, pay the taxes and surcharges with this type of credit card, and still be covered by your credit card’s insurance!

Two credit cards stand out in Canada:

Both credit cards provide coverage in most circumstances, whether you paid part or all of your trip cost with the card. However, baggage delay insurance requires that the full cost of the plane ticket was purchased with the card. The same applies to car rental insurance.

One major advantage for people aged 65 to 75: emergency medical care insurance outside your province of residence is included, for up to 15 days.

Note that the credit card whose insurance most closely matches the National Bank World Elite Mastercard is the Desjardins Odyssey® World Elite Mastercard. The difference, though, is that the Desjardins card requires the full payment to be charged to the card.

Our credit card selection
Credit cardAnnual feeWelcome offer
Annual fee$150 $0Welcome offer
No welcome offerEnds Nov 4, 2026
Apply Now
Annual fee$115Welcome offer
No welcome offer
Apply Now

National Bank credit card travel insurance

For most included coverages, the National Bank World Elite Mastercard and the National Bank World Mastercard are among the few credit cards in Canada that cover you even if you charge only part of the trip cost to them.

For travel, only baggage delay and car rental insurance require the full cost to have been charged to the card.

InsuranceAmounts
Emergency medical insurance
outside your province of residence
Up to $5,000,000
per person (see details below on age and duration)
Trip cancellation
(before departure)
Up to $2,500
per insured person
Trip interruption
(after departure)
Up to $5,000
per insured person
Flight delay
(more than 4 h)
$500 per insured person
Baggage delay
(more than 6 h)
Up to $500 per insured person
Lost or stolen baggageUp to $1,000 per insured person
Car rentalVehicle worth up to $65,000
Against theft or damage
(180 days)
Up to $60,000
Extended warrantyUp to 2 additional years
Medical, general, and legal assistanceIncluded
Insurance booklet

National Bank World Elite Mastercard

National Bank World Mastercard

The National Bank World Elite Mastercard and the National Bank World Mastercard offer emergency medical travel coverage that varies based on:

  • The person’s age
  • The length of their trip
AgeMaximum trip length
54 or under60 days
55-6431 days
65-7515 days
76 or olderno coverage
Our credit card selection
Credit cardAnnual feeWelcome offer
Annual fee$150 $0Welcome offer
No welcome offerEnds Nov 4, 2026
Apply Now
Annual fee$115Welcome offer
No welcome offer
Apply Now

Conclusion

As always, we recommend carefully reading each credit card insurance booklet before making a decision. It is your responsibility to contact your credit card issuer for clarification if you have any doubts.

To go further, check out our guide on what your credit card’s travel insurance really covers. You can also compare all the options in our ranking of the best credit cards and in our selection of the best credit cards for insurance.

Here are the various articles you can read about credit card travel insurance:

Our credit card selection
Credit cardAnnual feeWelcome offer
Annual fee$150 $0Welcome offer
No welcome offerEnds Nov 4, 2026
Apply Now
Annual fee$115Welcome offer
No welcome offer
Apply Now

Going further with American Express Membership Rewards points

To maximize your Membership Rewards balance, check out our complete guide to the American Express Membership Rewards program and our ranking of the best American Express Membership Rewards credit cards, updated every month by the Milesopedia team.

Finally, to never miss our analyses, sign up for our newsletter.

Credit card travel insurance – Frequently asked questions

Can you be covered by travel insurance when paying with points?

Yes, but it depends on the card. Some require 100% of the trip to be charged to the card, others accept 75%, and a few cover you even if you pay only part with the card. Always check the insurance certificate before booking with your points.

Which credit card covers trips paid for with Aeroplan points?

The National Bank World Elite Mastercard and the National Bank World Mastercard are among the few cards in Canada that cover you even if you charged only part of the trip cost to the card. So you can use Aeroplan points, pay the taxes with the card, and stay covered.

Does emergency medical insurance cover people aged 65 and over?

Often yes, but the duration decreases with age. For example, the National Bank World Elite and World cards cover up to 15 days for those aged 65 to 75, versus 60 days for those 54 and under. At 76 and over, these cards offer no coverage.

What happens if I close my card after booking?

If you close the card you used to book the trip, you lose access to its insurance. No more card, no more insurance. So keep the card at least until the end of your trip.

Do you need travel insurance in addition to your credit card’s?

It depends on your profile. If you travel for a long time, have a pre-existing condition, or are over 76, separate insurance is often necessary. In those cases, compare quotes from SoNomad, which specializes in these situations.

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

Our editorial integrity

Our reviews and rankings are based on an objective assessment. Advertisers do not influence our content. We may receive compensation through some links; our analysis and opinions remain independent.