Best Credit Card With Trip Cancellation Insurance

If you’re planning to take a trip abroad, there’s a lot more than just your plane ticket and hotel room to plan for. It’s always good to be prepared when travelling. That includes taking measures to ensure you’re adequately covered in the event that you are no longer able to travel after you’ve already booked your trip or must cut your trip short due to some unexpected circumstances.

While you can obtain a policy through your employer or with an insurance company, you may be covered through your credit card without the need to spend any extra money buying a travel cancellation or interruption insurance policy.

Luckily, there are plenty of credit cards out there that come with this type of insurance built into the annual fee. 

Best Credit Cards With Trip Cancellation Insurance

The following make our top picks for the best credit cards that come with trip interruption and trip cancellation coverage:

Best TD Credit Card With Trip Cancellation Insurance

TD has many travel credit cards, but only a few with trip cancellation. Of those, the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege card offers the most perks.

TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card

The TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege card is an expensive card, but it comes with a host of travel perks. It offers a long list of travel insurance, plus free lounge visits and numerous exclusive deals and offers. However, qualifying for this card is not easy and is only eligible for those with an income of $150,000 or $200,000 as a household.

Trip Cancellation Coverage Details

• Amount Covered – Covers up to $2,500 per person eligible for coverage, up to a maximum of $5,000 for all persons eligible for coverage. 
• Who’s Covered – Main cardholder, cardholder’s spouse, cardholder’s dependent child, and any supplementary cardholders.
• Reasons Covered – Sudden and unexpected events such as accidents and emergencies. For exact reasons, you must contact the TD. 
• Reasons Not Covered – Claims may be denied if you have a pre‑existing medical condition or if you engaged in high-risk activities or behaviours. 

TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card – Other Features

Other TD Credit Cards That Offer Trip Cancellation Insurance

• TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite* Card – This card has an annual fee of $139 and offers the same trip cancellation benefits as the card above.
• TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card – This card has an annual fee of $139 and offers the same trip cancellation benefits as the card above.

Best Scotiabank Credit Card With Trip Cancellation Insurance

Scotiabank offers a few different travel credit cards, some of which have trip cancellation insurance. However, the one that may provide the best value is the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite card.

Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite* Card

If you want to be covered for unexpected events like hospitalization, natural disasters, or car accidents, then this may be the card for you. Scotiabank Passport is an affordable credit card that offers a wide range of travel benefits including travel insurance, free airport lounge visits and no FX transaction fees. 

Trip Cancellation Coverage Details

• Amount Covered – Covers up to $1,500 per person eligible for coverage, up to a maximum of $10,000 for all persons eligible for coverage. 
• Who’s Covered – Main cardholder, cardholder’s spouse, cardholder’s dependent child, and any supplementary cardholders.
• Reasons Covered – Covers both medical and certain non-medical emergencies. Natural disasters, traffic accidents and unforeseen weather conditions that cause the flight to be cancelled are also covered. 
• Reasons Not Covered – Claims may be denied if you have a pre‑existing medical condition or if you engaged in high-risk activities or behaviours. 

Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card – Other Features

Other Scotiabank Cards That Offer Trip Cancellation Insurance

• Scotiabank Gold American Express^® Card – This card has an annual fee of $120 and offers the same trip cancellation benefits as the card above. It also has a slightly higher earn rate and has exclusive Amex offers.
• Scotiabank Platinum American Express® Card – This card has a hefty annual fee of $399, but it offers the same trip cancellation benefits as the card above, plus extra perks like 10 complimentary lounge visits and new mobile device insurance.

Best BMO Credit Card With Trip Cancellation Insurance

The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard is the only BMO credit card that offers trip cancellation insurance. 

BMO Ascend World Elite®* Mastercard®*

The BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard has an annual fee of $150, but it’s waived during the first year. It comes with numerous travel benefits including an extensive list of travel insurance and a free Mastercard travel pass membership.  Moreover, you’ll be earning points with every purchase you make, which you can later redeem on travel, merchandise or as credit. 

Trip Cancellation Coverage Details

• Amount Covered – Covers up to $1,500 per person eligible for coverage, up to a maximum of $5,000 for all persons eligible for coverage. 
• Who’s Covered – Main cardholder, cardholder’s spouse, and cardholder’s dependent child.
• Reasons Covered – BMO covers a number of reasons for trip cancellation including travel advisories by the government, disasters that make your home uninhabitable, your flight gets cancelled, you have legal duties, job loss, pregnancy complications, and certain health or death-related issues.
• Reasons Not Covered – Claims may be denied if you have a pre‑existing medical condition or if you engaged in high-risk activities or behaviours. 

BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard – Other Features

Best National Bank Credit Card With Trip Cancellation Insurance

National Bank has three travel credit cards that offer trip cancellation insurance. Of the three, the one that offers the most value may be the National Bank Platinum Mastercard. 

National Bank Platinum Mastercard®

The National Bank Platinum Mastercard is one of the most affordable credit cards with trip cancellation insurance. It has an annual fee of $70 and offers an extensive list of travel insurance other than trip cancellation. This card also has no income requirements, you simply need to undergo a credit check. 

Trip Cancellation Coverage Details

• Amount Covered – Covers up to $1,000 per person eligible for coverage.
• Who’s Covered – Main cardholder, cardholder’s spouse, and cardholder’s dependent child.
• Reasons Covered – National Bank may have the most flexible of reasons you can claim a trip cancellation. Some reasons covered include:
  • A physician recommends you cancel a trip due to an illness or injury.
  • Hospitalization (you or an immediate family member) due to death, injury and illness.
  •  Theft of passport.
  • Missed flights due to mechanical failure of the transportation used. Includes public transport schedule changes, road closures, and road accidents. 
  • Travel advisories.
  • Job loss.
• Reasons Not Covered – Claims may be denied if you have a pre‑existing medical condition or if you engaged in high-risk activities or behaviours.

National Bank Platinum Mastercard – Other Features

Other National Bank Credit Cards That Offer Trip Cancellation Insurance

• National Bank World Mastercard® – While this card has a higher annual fee than the Platimun Mastercard, it’s still lower than most other credit cards. Moreover, it offers a higher trip cancellation coverage amount. While affordable, this card provides points based on your net purchases in a year.
• National Bank World Elite® Mastercard®– This card has a higher annual fee of $150. While it’s a more expensive card it offers a higher trip cancellation coverage amount. Similarly, it has a higher earn rate per dollar and also includes extra travel perks like access to the National Bank Lounge.

Best RBC Credit Card With Trip Cancellation Insurance

RBC offers a ton of travel-specific credit cards, but only three credit cards offer trip cancellation insurance. Of those, the RBC Avion Visa Infinite may credit card that offers the best value. 

RBC Avion Visa Infinite

The RBC Avion Visa Infinite is a great choice for those who want to earn Avion points and want zero restrictions. With RBC Avion you can use your points to book any seat or flight without restrictions. There are no blackout dates or seat restrictions. Moreover, you’ll have all the travel insurance and perks you need to travel with luxury and peace of mind.

Trip Cancellation Coverage Details

• Amount Covered – Covers up to $1,500 per person eligible for coverage, up to a maximum of $5,000 for all persons eligible for coverage. 
• Who’s Covered – Main cardholder, cardholder’s spouse, and cardholder’s dependent child.
• Reasons Covered – RBC covers a number of events for trip cancellation including:
  • Emergency medical condition or death. 
  • Missed flights due to mechanical failure of the transportation used. Includes road closures, road accidents or severe weather conditions. 
  • A government travel advisory.
• Reasons Not Covered – Claims may be denied if you have a pre‑existing medical condition or if you engaged in high-risk activities or behaviours. 

RBC Avion Visa Infinite – Other Features

Other RBC Credit Cards That Offer Trip Cancellation Insurance

• RBC Avion Visa Platinum – This card has an annual fee of $120 and is very similar to the RBC Avion Visa Infinite card. 
• RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege  – This card has a hefty annual fee of $399 and requires applicants to have an annual income of $200,000 to qualify.

What Is Trip Cancellation Insurance And Trip Interruption Insurance?

Trip cancellation and interruption insurance provide protection in the event that your trip is cancelled or impacted to some degree. These are two different policies that provide different types of protection:

Trip Cancellation Insurance 

Covers you when your trip must be cancelled before the departure date arrives. The policy takes effect the moment your trip is booked and remains in effect until the scheduled departure date. The policy will no longer be available after this date.

Trip Interruption Insurance

Covers you when your trip must be changed or cut short after your scheduled departure date. The policy takes effect after the scheduled departure date and remains in effect until the trip ends.

Are you a frequent traveller? Find out if you need multi-trip travel insurance.

What’s Covered Under Trip Cancellation And Trip Interruption?

Both types of insurance offer coverage under specific situations that are outlined in the policy. Certain situations qualify for coverage under these policies, while some aren’t. Trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance policies typically cover the following:

Coverage For Trip Cancellation Insurance

• Illness or injury of an insured person 
• Death of an insured person
• Illness or death of an immediate family member of an insured person
• Traffic accident or road closure that caused a missed flight
• Travel advisory recommending Canadians not to travel to a destination that an insured person is travelling to
• Request for active duty of an insured person 

Coverage For Trip Interruption Insurance

• Illness or injury of an insured person that forces a trip to be cut short or causes a delay in reaching a specific destination
• Death of an insured person during the trip
• Illness or death of an immediate family member of an insured person that requires an early trip home 
• Traffic accident or road closure that caused a missed connecting flight
• Travel advisory recommending Canadians not to travel to a destination that an insured person is travelling to as part of their itinerary

For more coverage options, check out our post on how to buy travel insurance. 

When Trip Cancellation And Trip Interruption Insurance May Be Void

While trip cancellation or trip interruption insurance covers many things, there are certain situations in which these policies would likely not provide coverage, including the following:

Trip Cancellation Insurance

• Pre-existing medical conditions
• Injuries that are self-inflicted 
• Reimbursement of travel points that would be lost if a trip was not booked within a certain period of time

Trip Interruption Insurance

• Criminal activity by an insured person while on the trip
• Alcohol or drug abuse by an insured person
• Intentionally inflicted injuries by an insured person
• Psychological issues of an insured person
• Injuries as a result of participating in a dangerous activity 
• Pregnancy-related reasons if they take place within 9 weeks of the due date
• Terrorist acts

How Do You Make A Trip Cancellation Claim?

If something happens while you are abroad, you should get in touch with your insurance provider immediately to file a claim. If your claim is accepted, you should receive reimbursement shortly after your approved claim. 

You should retain all invoices and receipts to show as proof to your insurance provider. You may also need to show some sort of proof of the circumstances, such as a screenshot of your delayed or cancelled flight.

When travelling, be sure to have the contact information of your insurance provider handy so you don’t have to scramble looking for it in the event that your trip is interrupted or cancelled.  

Have you had your insurance claim denied? Learn more about why this happens.

Additional Reading

Travel Insurance Coverage For Epidemics and Pandemics

Best Credit Card Combinations

Do Canadians Need Travel Insurance Within Canada?

Final Thoughts

There are so many things that can derail your travel plans. To protect yourself against the unexpected, it’s always best to have a travel insurance policy in place to avoid any unnecessary costs to you that are no fault of your own. With any one of these credit cards in your wallet, you can be protected without having to take out a separate policy.

Trip Cancellation Insurance FAQs