Credit card travel insurance: the trip-length trap
How many days does your card cover?
| Card (examples) | Coverage length |
|---|---|
| National Bank Mastercard World Elite | 60 days at 54 or under · 31 days from 55 to 64 · 15 days from 65 to 75 |
| Desjardins Odyssey World Elite | Up to 60 days depending on age |
| RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege | 31 days (under 65) |
| Scotiabank Platinum Amex | 31 days |
| Rogers Red World Elite | 10 days |
Examples from issuers' summaries and published comparisons. Terms change often: always check your card's insurance certificate.
The trap: the whole trip may not be covered
This is the most expensive mistake. Take a 58-year-old whose card covers 31 days and who spends 45 days in Florida. With many insurers, they're not "uncovered for 14 days": they're uncovered for all 45 days. A hospital stay in the first week wouldn't be reimbursed.
In the US, a hospital stay can cost tens of thousands of dollars. OHIP pays at most $200 a day for a hospital stay abroad ($400 in intensive care), and Quebec's RAMQ at most $100.
3 solutions
- Extend with the card's insurer: several issuers, including Desjardins, let you buy extra days before you leave.
- Top-up insurance: it starts the day your card coverage ends. It's often inexpensive for people under 60.
- A separate annual or snowbird policy that covers the whole stay.
Common tip: some people pick 31-day coverage and come back to Canada between stays. Check that your policy really resets with each new departure.
Other conditions to check
- Paying for the trip with the card: some policies (National Bank's, for example) require the trip to be booked with the card.
- Provincial coverage: if you lose OHIP or RAMQ by going over your day limit, private insurance is usually void too.
- Stable medical conditions: a condition that changed in the months before leaving (new medication, new symptom) may be excluded.
- Medical questionnaire: often required from age 60. An inaccurate answer can void your coverage.
Before you leave
- Read your card's insurance certificate: number of days for your age.
- Count the total length of the trip, from departure day to return day.
- If it's over the limit: extend or buy a top-up before leaving.
- Keep the insurer's emergency number in your phone and on paper.
Key takeaways
- Cards often cover 10 to 60 days, fewer as you age.
- Trip too long = often no days covered at all.
- Fix: extend or buy a top-up before you leave.
- No provincial coverage = no private insurance.
Leave without forgetting anything
The complete checklist: more than 65 items to tick off, from 2 months before you leave until you're back, including the whole health and insurance section. 6-page PDF, 2026 rules.
See the checklist ($9)Sources
- National Bank — World Elite travel insurance summary (PDF)
- Desjardins — Odyssey World Elite
- MoneySense — Cards with travel insurance
- Ontario — OHIP coverage while outside Canada
- RAMQ — Services received outside Quebec
General information only, not insurance advice. Terms vary by card, age and health: read your certificate and talk to your insurer before you leave.