Chase Sapphire Reserve Travel and Purchase Protections [2020]

As far as I’m concerned, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is the king of travel and purchase protections. The solid lineup of benefits is what makes it one of the best travel credit cards and why I choose to put the vast majority of my travel purchases on it.

In this article, I’ll break down everything you need to know about Chase Sapphire Reserve travel and purchase protections.

Chase Sapphire Reserve overview

The Chase Sapphire Reserve has a great sign-up bonus of 50,000 Ultimate Rewards after spending $4,000 within the first 3 months but it also has some other valuable perks.

Two of the strongest benefits include a $300 travel credit along with the ability to earn 3X on dining and travel. The card also comes with Priority Pass and the ability to redeem points at 1.5 cents per point through the Chase Travel Portal.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

What to know upfront

Each protection below will have certain types of restrictions and limitations. Many perks will have specific items excluded from coverage so be sure to read up on those.

Also, when it comes to filing a claim you will have to comply with certain requirements such as providing certain documents and most of all filing a timely complaint.

The deadline for filing your claims is not always the same. Sometimes it might be 20 days but for another benefit it might be 60 days.

The key is to always act quickly and to keep tabs on all of the related documents to your transaction. (I’ve provided details about filing deadlines in red below for easy reference.)

So if you intend on using these perks be sure to keep track of receipts, boarding passes, luggage stubs, etc. All of these things will make your claim process much smoother.

Travel protections

Trip Interruption & Cancellation

The most useful travel protection offered by the Sapphire Reserve might be trip interruption and cancellation.

This is a must have benefit when booking any type of travel if you ask me.

If your trip is canceled or cut short by covered situations, you can be reimbursed up to $10,000 per trip for your pre-paid, non-refundable travel expenses.

These expenses include things like airfare, hotel stays, and even tours.

The cheapest airfare and hotel rates usually are nonrefundable so this perk allows you to save money on rates like that while not having to worry about losing out on a refund if something goes wrong.

Trip Cancellation provides reimbursement if a covered loss prevents you from traveling on or before the departure date and results in cancellation of the travel arrangements

Trip Interruption provides reimbursement if a covered loss on the way to the point of departure or after departure causes interruption of your covered trip.

It can also provide reimbursement if a trip is postponed due to a covered loss and certain fees are incurred if a new departure date is set.

This protection covers both the cardholder and the immediate family members (even if the Cardholder is not traveling with them)

At this point, you are probably wondering what a “covered loss” is?

It can depend on the situation but Chase provides some clear examples which include things like:

• Accidental bodily injury, loss of life, or sickness
• Severe weather
• Terrorist action or hijacking
• Jury duty or a court subpoena
• Financial insolvency of the Cardholder’s travel agency, tour operator, or travel supplier

In some cases, covered losses like sickness occur when the situation affects family members or travel partners.

There are some things that do not count as covered loss is that you need to be aware of. These include things like:

• Travel arrangements canceled or changed by a common carrier, tour operator, or any travel agency (unless the cancellation is the result of severe weather or an organized strike affecting public transportation)
• Change in plans or financial circumstances
• A pre-existing condition
• Traveling against the advice of a physician
• A declared or undeclared war
• Trips that exceed 60 days in duration are not covered

Notification Deadline: You must notify the travel supplier within 48 hours of receiving advice from a physician that travel is not medically advisable (Trip Cancellation only). You must file a written claim within 20 days after the occurrence (or as soon as reasonably possible)

Trip Delay Reimbursement

If your travel is delayed more than six hours you can get reimbursed for essential expenses such as meals and lodging for up to $500 per ticket. Compare this to the Chase Sapphire Preferred which requires a travel delay of 12 hours or longer.

This benefit applies to common carriers such as airlines, trains, buses, and cruise ships. If the delay is more than six hours or requires an overnight stay you should get coverage.

The trip must not be in your city of residence (which makes sense because you would just be able to go home) and the trip must be less than 365 days in length.

The cardholder is covered along with the cardholder’s spouse or domestic partner and dependent children under age 22.

In case you don’t know, in many cases airlines are not required to provide you with compensation when a flight is substantially delayed. In some cases they will, especially if the delay is clearly their fault, but you are better off taking control of the situation and having a sure-fire back up plan.

With a card like the Sapphire Reserve, you could book a room in a nice hotel and ride out the delay versus having to potentially fight tooth and nail to get an airline to comp you for a stay at a hotel you probably don’t even want to be at.

Notification Deadline: You must notify the Benefit Administrator within 60 days following the date of the delay.

Baggage Delay Reimbursement

If your baggage is delayed by a common carrier for more than six hours, you can get covered for essential expenses for up to $100 for a maximum of five days.

The six hour threshold is one of the best for this benefit and many other cards limit you to coverage of $100 for only three days.

Essential expenses is open to interpretation but examples include clothing, toiletries, and one cell phone charging cable.

Examples of items that are not considered essential include: contact lenses, eyeglasses or hearing aids, tickets, documents, money, securities, checks, travelers checks and valuable papers.

This benefit coverage trips when the common carrier fare for the transportation has been purchased with an eligible Chase card or with rewards earned on an eligible Chase card.

Notification Deadline: You must file a written claim within 20 days after the occurrence (or as soon as reasonably possible).

Lost or damaged Luggage

If your checked or carry-on bags are damaged by a common carrier you can get coverage up to $3,000 for each person for each trip.

You can also get coverage up to $500 for each person for each trip for items such as: jewelry, watches, cameras, video recorders, and other electronic equipment.

The reimbursement covers the cost to repair or replace these items and it includes coverage for items that are lost or stolen during a trip on a common carrier.

This protection covers both the cardholder and the immediate family members (even if the Cardholder is not traveling with them)

Notification Deadline: You must report the loss or damage to the common carrier immediately after exiting the carrier. You must file a written claim within 20 days after the occurrence (or as soon as reasonably possible)

Primary rental car coverage

Chase is great about offering primary rental car coverage for its cards. Both the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Sapphire Reserve offer primary rental car insurance although the Reserve has a more expansive policy.

Primary rental car coverage is a huge benefit offered by the Sapphire Reserve because it can save you from having to file a claim with your insurance company and keep your premiums down.

You also can avoid paying for the collision damage waiver on the rental car which normally will cost around $10-$15 per day.

Anytime I ever rent a car, I use the Sapphire Reserve to book it.

The Sapphire Reserve primary rental car coverage will cover your rental up to $75,000.

You’ll be covered for things like physical damage and theft to the rental car. So if you happened to back into a pole or clip a curb, you may not be responsible for the damage.

You also can get reimbursed for the towing charges related to the covered loss in order to get the vehicle to the nearest repair facility. And finally, you can get reimbursed for “valid loss-of-use charges incurred by the rental car agency.”

You need to be careful when using this benefit because there are some types of rentals that will not allow you to get coverage.

The following types of vehicles do not get coverage:

• Antique automobiles
• Vans designed to carry more than 8 people
• Vehicles that have an open cargo bed
• Trucks
• Motorcycles
• Mopeds and motorbikes
• Limousines
• Recreational vehicles

Also note that the rental period cannot exceed 31 consecutive days.

Notification Deadline: You must notify the Benefit Administrator within 60 days of the damage or theft.

Roadside assistance 

You can get roadside assistance for free up to $50 and up to 4 times per year while traveling in the U.S. and Canada.

Complimentary services include: battery boost, flat tire service, fuel delivery, towing, and lockout assistance.

The cardholder is covered as long as he or she is driving their owned or leased vehicle or a vehicle furnished by the owner.

Coverage will not cover the following:

• Emergency road service is not available in areas not regularly traveled, in “off-road” areas not accessible by ordinary towing vehicles, or for over one-ton capacity trailers, campers, or vehicles-in-tow
• Commercial vehicles and trucks with a carrying capacity greater than 2,000 pounds

The service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by calling 1-866-860-7978. I keep the number saved in my phone just so I have it for quick and easy reference in case I ever need to give it a call.

Emergency Medical and Dental Benefit

The emergency medical and dental benefit will provide coverage for certain medical expenses relating to emergency treatment for sickness or accidental injury during a covered trip that are not covered by your medical insurance.

You can get coverage for up to $2,500 (subject to a $50 deductible) or $75 per day for hotel convalescence, up to five days.

Watch out for excluded expenses which include:

• Non-emergency services, supplies, or charges
• Care not rendered by hospitals and physicians or dentists
• Care that is experimental/investigative in nature
• Any countries which may be determined by the U.S. Government from time to time to be unsafe for travel (contact benefit administrator for current list)
• Care not medically necessary as determined by the Benefit Administrator

Also be mindful that the trip duration must be between 5 and 60 days and you must be 100 miles or more from home

The cardholder will be covered as well as the cardholder’s spouse or domestic partner or legally dependent children under 18 years old (25 if enrolled as a full-time student at an accredited institution).

You will get coverage whenever your trip has been purchased with an eligible Chase card or with rewards earned on an eligible Chase card and trip includes travel on a common carrier such as an airline, bus, cruise ship or train

This is a perk not offered by many credit cards and it definitely helps the Sapphire Reserve to stand out. Remember, the the coverage is supplemental to and in excess of the cardholder’s medical insurance.

Notification Deadline: Immediately call the Benefit Administrator. You, must notify the Benefit Administrator within 90 days from the date of occurrence

Travel and Emergency Assistance

If you end up in a problematic situation while traveling you can call the benefit administrator and get help finding legal and medical referrals or other travel and emergency assistance.

This line can be a lifesaver when it comes to finding a trusted doctor that speaks English or the location and hours of a local embassy you need to visit.

In other cases, you might need to arrange for emergency transport to a good hospital or just need assistance tracking down your lost luggage.

You will ultimately be responsible for the cost of the services but some of the services you might ask for include:

• Emergency Message Service for recording and relaying emergency messages
• Medical Referral Assistance
• Legal Referral Assistance
• Emergency Transportation Assistance
• Emergency Ticket Replacement
• Lost Luggage Locator Service
• Emergency Translation Service
• Prescription Assistance
• Pre-Trip Assistance can provide information about ATM locations, health precautions, local currency, exchange rates, and more

Emergency Evacuation & Transportation

With emergency evacuation & transportation, if you or a member of your immediate family are injured or become sick and need emergency evacuation, you can be covered for medical services and transportation up to $100,000.

The types of coverage you might get include:

• Transportation, medical services, and medical supplies that are necessary for your emergency evacuation
• Transportation includes, but is not limited to, air ambulances, land ambulances, and private motor vehicles

Notification Deadline: You must contact the Benefit Administrator immediately for pre-approval and to receive a claim form.

Travel accident insurance

Travel accident insurance comes in two different forms: Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance and 24-Hour Travel Accident Insurance, which provide coverage for accidental death or dismemberment, or a combined loss of speech, sight or hearing, experienced on a covered trip.

The Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance provides coverage when entering, exiting, or riding as a passenger on a common carrier, such as airline, bus, train or cruise ship.

24 Hour Travel Accident Insurance provides benefit for a covered loss beginning on the departure date printed on a scheduled airline ticket and ends on the return date printed on the ticket (if your trip is longer than 30 days in length, see additional terms in your Guide to Benefits).

Certain types of losses will not be covered which include:

• The covered person’s emotional trauma, mental or physical illness, disease, pregnancy, childbirth or miscarriage, bacterial or viral infection
• The covered person’s commission or attempted commission of any illegal act including but not limited to any felony
• The covered person participating in parachute jumping, engaging in vehicular race or speed contest, or any sporting activity for which salary or prize money is earned
• A declared or undeclared War
• Trips on scheduled aircrafts that are not registered or certified by the government or governmental authority (24 Hour Travel Accident Insurance)

Coverage Amounts

• Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance
  • Benefit amount for loss of life is $1,000,000
  • Benefit amount for dismemberment and/or a combined loss of speech, sight and hearing are expressed as a percentage of the loss of life benefit and are available in your Guide to Benefits maximum payout is $1,000,000
• 24 Hour Travel Accident Insurance
  • Benefit amount for loss of life is $100,000
  • Benefit amount for dismemberment and/or a combined loss of speech, sight and hearing are expressed as a percentage of the loss of life benefit and are available in your Guide to Benefits; maximum payout is $100,000

Notification Deadline: You must file a written claim within 20 days after the occurrence (or as soon as reasonably possible).

Purchase/shopping protections

Purchase protection

Purchase protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.

This is a significant upgrade from the previous $500 limit of the Sapphire Preferred.

This benefit covers the cardholder and recipients of gifts purchased by the Cardholder with an eligible Chase card.

Covered items include eligible “personal property that has been damaged, stolen, or involuntary and accidental parting with property within 120 days from the date of purchase.”

You won’t be able to get coverage for items that mysteriously disappear with no evidence of a wrongful acts. That’s why a police report is key.

Also, you won’t get coverage for the following items:

• Used or pre-owned items
• Antiques and collectible items
• Boats, automobiles, aircraft and any other motorized vehicles
• Computer Software
• Items purchased for resale, professional, or commercial use

Notification Deadline: You must must notify the Benefit Administrator within 90 days of the loss, damage, or theft. You must submit a completed claim form and supporting documentation within 120 days after the damage or theft. If the item has been stolen, you must file a police report within 48 hours of the occurrence.

Extended Warranty Protection

The extended warranty will extend the original manufacturer’s written US warranty by one additional year on warranties of three years or less and up to a maximum of $10,000 per claim.

The cardholder is covered and recipients of gifts purchased by the cardholder are also covered.

Items purchased outside the United States are covered as long as they are purchased with your account and the eligible item has either a valid original manufacturer- written U.S. repair warranty of 3 years or less, a store-purchased dealer warranty, or an assembler warranty.

Items that don’t get extended warranty coverage include:

• Boats, automobiles, aircraft and any other motorized vehicles
• Items purchased for resale, professional, or commercial use
• Used or pre-owned items
• Computer software

Notification Deadline: You must notify the benefit administrator within 90 days of the products failure and you must complete the claim form within 120 days of the product failure.

Return Protection

Return protection will reimburse you for eligible items that the store won’t take back within 90 days of purchase, up to $500 per item, $1,000 per year.

Eligible items include personal items in new or good working condition that have been purchased within 90 days that you have attempted to return without success.

Items that are excluded include:

• Animals and living plants
• Automobiles, boats, aircrafts, trailers and any other motorized vehicles and their motors, equipment, or accessories
• Computer software or medical equipment
• Jewelry, art objects, collectible items, formal attire and accessories
• Damaged and non-working items
• Items purchased for resale, professional or commercial use, or outside the United States
• Tickets, travelers checks, gift cards and any other negotiable instruments
• Seasonal items and objects which are intended to become part of real estate such as garage doors and ceiling fans

Whenever you return the product to the benefit administrator, it must be in new or good working condition. Also, if your claim is filed within 30 days of purchase you may need to submit proof of the stores return policy.

Notification Deadline: You must notify the Benefit Administrator within 90 days of the date of purchase. You must also submit a completed claim form within 30 days from the date you notified the Benefit Administrator.

Chase Sapphire Reserve Travel and Purchase Protections FAQ

Final word

These travel and purchase protections above are some of the best that you will find with any travel rewards credit card. These could easily end up saving you hundreds or thousands of dollars depending on your travel style.