How do I activate the American Express Gold Rewards Card travel insurance benefits?

There is no separate enrolment. Emergency medical, flight and baggage delay, hotel burglary, lost baggage, and travel accident coverage apply when you charge your travel to the Card or redeem Membership Rewards points. For trip cancellation and interruption, the prepaid arrangements must be charged to the Card or paid with the Card's Membership Rewards points. For rental cars, decline the agency collision waiver and charge the full rental to the Card. In a medical emergency, call Global Excel first at 1-800-243-0198, or you pay 20% of covered expenses.

Who is covered under my American Express Gold Rewards Card benefits?

Emergency medical covers the cardmember, spouse, and dependent children only if they are age 64 or under on the departure date and hold a valid provincial health plan; travellers 65 or older are not insured persons for medical. Trip cancellation, interruption, baggage, and travel accident cover the cardmember, spouse, and dependent children whether travelling together or not. Purchase protection and extended warranty cover the cardmember's purchases.

How does the American Express Gold Rewards Card rental car coverage actually work?

Charge the entire rental to the Card or pay with Membership Rewards points, and decline the rental agency collision damage waiver at the counter. Coverage is primary, so Belair pays for theft, loss, or damage up to the vehicle's actual cash value with no deductible, before your personal auto insurer is involved. It applies to vehicles with an MSRP of $85,000 or less for rentals up to 48 consecutive days. Report any loss to Global Excel within 48 hours.

How do I file a claim with the American Express Gold Rewards Card?

Call Global Excel Management at 1-800-243-0198 (Canada and U.S.) or +905-475-4822 collect from abroad, on the day the event happens. Submit your claim within the filing deadline, generally 90 days, with itemized receipts, your Card statement showing the charge, your provincial health statement for medical claims, and any police or airline reports. Travel accident claims are handled with Chubb Life. Approved claims are paid in Canadian funds.

What does the American Express Gold Rewards Card not cover?

Emergency medical does not cover travellers 65 or older at all, and pre-existing conditions must be stable for 90 days before departure. There is no mobile device or cell phone insurance, no price protection, no return protection, and no identity theft coverage. Flight delay, missed connection, and baggage delay share a single $500 aggregate per occurrence, hotel burglary is $500, and lost baggage is capped at $500 (with a $300 jewellery sub-limit and broad electronics exclusions).

Does the American Express Gold Rewards Card pay my medical bills directly or do I pay first?

Emergency medical is excess coverage that pays in excess of your provincial plan and any other insurance. Where possible, Global Excel arranges to pay the hospital or clinic directly when you call first, which is a real advantage on a large bill. In practice, for smaller bills or where a provider will not bill an insurer, you pay up front and claim it back. Calling 1-800-243-0198 before treatment protects both your reimbursement and any chance of direct billing.

Is the American Express Gold Rewards Card rental car coverage primary or secondary?

It is primary. Belair pays a covered rental theft or collision claim up to the vehicle's actual cash value, with no deductible, before your personal auto insurer is involved, which keeps your own policy and record clean. Decline the agency collision damage waiver and charge the full rental to the Card or pay with Membership Rewards points. The vehicle MSRP must be $85,000 or less and the rental no longer than 48 consecutive days.

Does the American Express Gold Rewards Card cover travellers over 65?

Not for emergency medical. The certificate defines an insured person for medical as someone age 64 or under on the departure date, so a traveller 65 or older has no emergency medical coverage on this card, regardless of the $5,000,000 limit. The non-medical benefits, such as trip cancellation, interruption, baggage, and travel accident, still apply. Travellers 65 or older should buy a separate medical policy before departure.

How does the American Express Gold Rewards Card compare with the Aeroplan Reserve?

The two cards share the same insurer (Belair), the same $5,000,000 emergency medical (age 64 and under, 15 days), the same primary rental CDW, and the same travel accident and purchase coverage. The Gold Rewards Card costs $250 versus $599 for the Reserve. The trade-off is lower delay and baggage caps: the Gold Rewards shares a single $500 aggregate across flight and baggage delay and caps lost baggage and hotel burglary at $500, where the Reserve roughly doubles those limits.

American Express Gold Rewards Card benefits: which travel insurance protections actually pay out?

American Express·CA$250/year·American Express·Belair Insurance Company Inc. (Intact); Travel Accident underwritten by Chubb Life Insurance Company of Canada; assistance and claims by Global Excel Management Inc.

Pauline LauroreAuthor of HelloSafe's card insurance reviewsUpdated June 24, 20268 min read

4,0/5Independent review · verified June 2026

Travel Insurance

4,1

Car Rental

4,5

Protection

1,9

Our Verdict · Travel Insurance

Our opinion on American Express Gold Rewards Travel Insurance

Expert review · Pauline LauroreAuthor of HelloSafe's card insurance reviews

$5M emergency medical, a full support suite, and a $250 fee. The Gold Rewards Card carries the same travel insurance as Amex's premium Aeroplan Reserve, at less than half the price. The emergency medical limit is $5,000,000 per insured person, and Global Excel will arrange direct billing where possible. The hard catch is the same as the Reserve: the certificate only insures travellers age 64 or under on the departure date. A 65-year-old cardholder has no emergency medical here at all. Under 65, the suite is genuinely broad. Trip cancellation pays $1,500 per person ($3,000 combined), interruption $1,500 ($6,000 combined), and travel accident on a common carrier reaches $500,000 through Chubb Life. Coverage extends to your spouse and dependent children. The delay and baggage caps are where the Gold Rewards trails its pricier sibling. Flight delay, missed connection, and baggage delay share a single $500 aggregate per occurrence, hotel burglary is $500, and lost baggage tops out at $500 with a $300 jewellery sub-limit. Pre-existing conditions must be stable 90 days before departure. For a $250 card, this is strong, broad travel protection if you are under 65 and charge your trips to the Card. At 65 or older, treat the medical as absent and buy a separate policy before you go.

What works on travel

$5,000,000 emergency medical for travellers 64 and under, with Global Excel arranging direct payment where possible
Broad suite at a $250 fee: trip cancellation, interruption, flight and baggage delay, lost baggage, hotel burglary, travel accident
$500,000 common carrier travel accident through Chubb Life
Coverage extends to spouse and dependent children, whether travelling together or not
Same core travel coverage as the $599 Aeroplan Reserve

Where travel breaks down

Emergency medical insures only travellers age 64 or under: no medical coverage at all at 65 or older
Flight delay, missed connection, and baggage delay share a single $500 aggregate per occurrence
Lost baggage capped at $500 with a $300 jewellery and $250 golf sub-limit
Hotel burglary capped at $500 per occurrence
Emergency medical is excess coverage and pre-existing conditions need 90-day stability

Our methodology

Every score is derived from official bank documents: terms and conditions, benefit guides, and claim procedures. No commercial relationship influences our ratings.

Travel Insurance · 11 guarantees

What does American Express Gold Rewards Travel Insurance actually cover?

Quality, not just caps

Capped at $1,500 per person and $3,000 combined. Only travel charged to the Card or paid with Membership Rewards points qualifies, so a costly booking can leave a balance on you.

Deductible : No deductible

Trip Cancellation reimburses non-refundable prepaid travel cancelled before departure for a covered reason, up to $1,500 per insured person and $3,000 for all insured persons combined. Only arrangements charged to the Card or paid with the Card's Membership Rewards points qualify. Underwritten by Belair Insurance and administered by Global Excel.

What's covered

Emergency medical condition or death of you, a family member, or a travelling companion
A Government of Canada advisory to avoid travel issued after you booked
Involuntary job loss or an employer relocation
Jury duty or being summoned to service
Hospitalization or death of your host at destination

What's not covered

Cancellation for a reason outside the covered reasons
Pre-existing conditions not stable for 90 days before the effective date
Travel advisories issued before you booked
Arrangements not charged to the Card or paid with Membership Rewards points

Emergency medical insures only travellers age 64 or under. At 65 or older there is no medical coverage at all, regardless of the $5M limit, so a U.S. hospital stay then sits entirely on you.

Deductible : No deductible

Out of Province/Country Emergency Medical pays up to $5,000,000 per insured person for the first 15 consecutive days of a trip, in excess of your provincial plan. The certificate insures only travellers age 64 or under on the departure date: there is no medical coverage at 65 or older. Global Excel arranges direct payment where possible. Call before treatment, or pay 20% of covered expenses (to a maximum of $25,000) with a non-approved provider.

What's covered

Hospital accommodation and physician fees
Emergency dental from an accidental blow
Private registered nurse up to $10,000 when pre-approved
Ground and air ambulance, prescriptions, and diagnostics
Return to your departure point and return of a deceased person
Transportation to your bedside, up to $1,500 ($150 per day), if hospitalized alone more than 3 days

What's not covered

Travellers 65 or older (not insured persons for medical)
Days beyond the first 15 consecutive days of a trip
Pre-existing conditions not stable for 90 days before departure
Travel against a Government of Canada advisory
Non-emergency, elective, or experimental treatment

Call Global Excel before any evacuation or medical transport. Like the medical benefit, it does not apply to travellers 65 or older.

Deductible : No deductible

Emergency air ambulance, medical transport, and return to your departure point are covered within the $5,000,000 Emergency Medical benefit. Global Excel arranges and pays for medically necessary transport, then your return home. Return of a deceased person and transportation to your bedside are included. Applies only to insured persons age 64 or under. Call Global Excel before any transport.

What's covered

Air ambulance or stretcher transport when medically necessary
One-way economy airfare home when medically necessary
Return of a deceased person (preparation and transport)
Transportation to your bedside, up to $1,500
Return of dependent children travelling with you

What's not covered

Transport not approved in advance by Global Excel
Travellers 65 or older
Non-emergency or elective transport

Deductible : No deductible

Trip Interruption reimburses the non-refundable unused portion of prepaid travel plus extra economy transportation when a covered reason interrupts your trip after departure, up to $1,500 per insured person and $6,000 combined. An out-of-pocket benefit pays $100 per day up to $1,000 for accommodation, meals, phone, and taxi or rideshare when your trip is interrupted or your return is delayed.

What's covered

Unused non-refundable prepaid travel after a covered interruption
One-way economy fare to rejoin the trip or return home
Out-of-pocket $100 per day up to $1,000 (accommodation, meals, phone, taxi, rideshare)
The same covered reasons as cancellation

What's not covered

Interruption for a reason outside the covered reasons
Pre-existing conditions not stable for 90 days before departure
Amounts beyond $1,500 per person or $6,000 combined
Arrangements not charged to the Card or Card reward points

Missed connection, flight delay, and baggage delay share one $500 aggregate per occurrence, not $500 each.

Deductible : No deductible

Flight Delay covers reasonable expenses when a delayed departure or denied boarding holds you up 4 hours or more with no alternative. The benefit shares a single $500 aggregate per occurrence with the missed connection and baggage delay coverages (Coverages A, B, and C). The airfare must be charged to the Card or paid with Membership Rewards points.

What's covered

Meals and accommodation during the delay
Reasonable local transportation
Triggered by a delay of 4 hours or more, or denied boarding

What's not covered

Delays under 4 hours
Expenses above the $500 aggregate per occurrence
Expenses not incurred during the delay

Deductible : No deductible

Missed Connection (Coverage A) reimburses meals, accommodation, and local transportation when a missed connection leaves you delayed 4 hours or more with no alternative offered. It shares the same $500 aggregate per occurrence with the delayed departure, denied boarding, and baggage delay coverages.

What's covered

Meals and accommodation while you wait
Reasonable local transportation
Triggered by a 4-hour or longer delay with no alternative

What's not covered

Delays under 4 hours
Amounts above the shared $500 aggregate
Voluntary missed connections

Deductible : No deductible

Early return home is provided through the Trip Interruption benefit and the medical return-home provision. When a covered reason cuts your trip short, the card covers a one-way economy fare to your departure point, within the $1,500 per person and $6,000 combined interruption limit. A medically necessary return is arranged by Global Excel for insured persons 64 and under.

What's covered

One-way economy fare home after a covered interruption
Medically necessary return arranged by Global Excel (age 64 and under)
Counts within the $1,500 per person interruption limit

What's not covered

A reason outside the covered reasons
Amounts beyond the interruption limit
Medical return for travellers 65 or older

Deductible : No deductible

Emergency Baggage Delay (Coverage C) reimburses essential purchases when your checked baggage is not delivered within 6 hours of arrival. Expenses must be incurred within 4 days. The benefit shares a single $500 aggregate per occurrence with the flight delay and missed connection coverages, and it does not apply on flights returning to your residence.

What's covered

Essential clothing and toiletries
Expenses incurred within 4 days of the delay
Triggered by a delay over 6 hours

What's not covered

Delays of 6 hours or less
Flights returning to your residence
Amounts above the shared $500 aggregate

Capped at just $500 per occurrence with tight sub-limits, and electronics and eyewear are excluded outright.

Deductible : No deductible

Lost or Stolen Baggage covers loss or damage to your baggage and personal effects, up to $500 per occurrence for all insured persons combined. A $300 sub-limit applies to jewellery and a $250 sub-limit to golf clubs and bags. Cash, tickets, documents, electronics, eyewear, and fragile items are excluded.

What's covered

Loss or damage to baggage and personal effects
Up to $500 per occurrence for all insured combined
Jewellery up to $300; golf clubs and bags up to $250

What's not covered

Cash, currency, gift cards, and traveller's cheques
Tickets and important documents
Electronics, eyewear, contact lenses, and cameras
Fragile items and amounts above the $500 occurrence limit

Deductible : No deductible

Travel Accident Insurance pays a lump sum for accidental death or dismemberment while riding as a passenger on a common carrier: $500,000 for loss of life or dual dismemberment and $250,000 for a single loss, per the schedule. Underwritten by Chubb Life Insurance Company of Canada. The fare must be charged to the Card and the loss must occur within 100 days of the accident.

What's covered

Accidental death or dual dismemberment, up to $500,000
Single loss, up to $250,000
Coverage as a passenger on a licensed common carrier
Covers cardmember, spouse, and dependent children under 23

What's not covered

Private or non-licensed transport (rental vehicles are not common carriers)
Self-inflicted injury or suicide
War or terrorism
Losses beyond 100 days of the accident

Deductible : No deductible

Hotel Burglary (Coverage D) pays up to $500 per burglary occurrence for loss or damage to your personal items from forced entry of your accommodation while you are registered as a guest. The room must be charged to the Card or paid with Membership Rewards points.

What's covered

Loss or damage to personal items from a burglary
Applies while registered as a guest
Up to $500 per burglary occurrence

What's not covered

Theft without a forced-entry burglary of the accommodation
Burglary of a place other than your accommodation
Cash and documents
Amounts above the $500 occurrence cap

Policy document 1

Policy document 2

We source benefits from official card guides, but PDFs are sometimes hard to obtain or update. Spotted something off?

Report an error Send updated PDF

Coverage Radar

Where the American Express Gold Rewards wins, where it loses

Coverage snapshot for this tab — click any layer to highlight its scores.

Compare

Gold RewardsThis card4.0/5?

$250/yr

With travel insuranceIdeal

Complete coverage · 5.0 / 5

Premium card avg.

$150 avg. annual fee

Click a layer to highlight its scores on the radar.

Side-by-side comparison

How the American Express Gold Rewards stacks up against the alternatives

Same 5 coverage dimensions, ranked head-to-head against the cards most Gold Rewards shoppers also consider.

Card	This card Gold Rewards American Express · $250/yr 4.0/5?	Aeroplan Reserve American Express · $599/yr 4.1/5?	Rewards World Elite Mastercard BMO · $150/yr 4.3/5?	WestJet World Elite Mastercard RBC · $139/yr 4.1/5?
Trip cancellation Per person, per trip cap	$1,500 / person Covered reasons apply	$1,500 / person Covered reasons apply	$2,500 / person ($5,000 / account) $0 deductible	$1,500 per person Charged to card or WestJet dollars
Emergency medical Hospital bills abroad	$5,000,000 Age 64 or under only	$5,000,000 Age 64 or under only	$2,000,000 (under 65, first 21 days) First 21 days only	Unlimited No dollar ceiling
Emergency evacuation Air ambulance + repatriation	Within $5M medical Within emergency medical	Within $5M medical Within emergency medical	Actual cost (pre-authorization required) Pre-authorization required	Within medical Air ambulance pre-authorized
Trip delay trigger Hours before benefits kick in	4h / $500 agg 4-hour trigger	4h / $1,000 agg 4-hour trigger	$500 / account / trip (6h+ delay) Trigger: 6 hours	4h / $500 $250 per day
Rental CDW Primary or secondary	Primary / $85,000 Primary CDW	Primary / $85,000 Primary CDW	Up to $65,000 MSRP, primary Primary coverage	Primary / actual cash value Primary coverage

StrongLimited / misleadingNot covered

Data verified against each card's Guide to Benefits, May 2026.

r/PersonalFinanceCanada

May 2025

Great insurance value for a $250 card

The Gold Rewards carries essentially the same travel coverage as the $599 Reserve: $5M medical, cancellation, interruption, primary rental CDW. For someone under 65 who travels a couple of times a year, the embedded insurance alone justifies the $250 fee. Global Excel arranged direct billing on a U.S. clinic visit.

creditcardGenius review

September 2024

Solid earn rate, reliable coverage

2x points on gas, groceries, and drugstores plus broad travel insurance makes this a genuinely useful everyday-and-travel card. Coverage is excess and you sometimes front the bill, but claims paid out for us without much friction.

Milesopedia comment

February 2025

Medical excludes anyone 65 or older

Same catch as the rest of the Amex travel cards: the emergency medical only insures people age 64 or under. My father is 67 and is simply not covered for medical. The non-medical benefits still apply, but older travellers need a separate policy.

r/amex

November 2024

Delay and baggage caps are low

Good all-round card, but the flight delay, missed connection, and baggage delay all share a single $500 cap, and lost baggage is also just $500. The Reserve doubles those. Fine for the price, just do not expect generous payouts on baggage.

Canada and U.S. Assistance

1-800-243-0198

24/7

International Assistance

+905-475-4822 (collect)

Collect calls accepted · 24/7

Benefit administrator: Belair Insurance Company Inc. (Intact) underwrites the travel and purchase coverages; Chubb Life Insurance Company of Canada underwrites Travel Accident | Global Excel Management Inc. is the assistance and claims service provider

Claims & pre-authorizations

How to file an American Express Gold Rewards Card claim

Step 1: Call Global Excel before treatment

For a medical emergency, call Global Excel before you seek treatment at 1-800-243-0198 (Canada and U.S.) or +905-475-4822 collect from abroad. They are available 24/7 and can arrange to pay the provider directly where possible. If you do not call and use a non-approved provider, you pay 20% of covered expenses (to a maximum of $25,000).

Step 2: Report on the day it happens

For trip cancellation, interruption, or a flight or baggage delay, contact Global Excel the day the cause occurs or the next business day. For a rental car loss, report it within 48 hours. Keep boarding passes, your Card statement showing the charge, and any police or airline reports.

Step 3: Gather your documents

Collect itemized receipts and invoices, your Amex Card statement showing the trip or purchase was charged, your provincial health plan statement for medical claims, and original proof of loss. Keep all originals.

Step 4: Submit within the deadline

Send your completed claim form and original documents to Global Excel Management Inc. within the filing deadline (generally 90 days from the date of loss). Approved claims are paid in Canadian funds.

There is no separate enrolment. Emergency medical, flight and baggage delay, hotel burglary, lost baggage, and travel accident coverage apply when you charge your travel to the Card or redeem Membership Rewards points. For trip cancellation and interruption, the prepaid arrangements must be charged to the Card or paid with the Card's Membership Rewards points. For rental cars, decline the agency collision waiver and charge the full rental to the Card. In a medical emergency, call Global Excel first at 1-800-243-0198, or you pay 20% of covered expenses.
Emergency medical covers the cardmember, spouse, and dependent children only if they are age 64 or under on the departure date and hold a valid provincial health plan; travellers 65 or older are not insured persons for medical. Trip cancellation, interruption, baggage, and travel accident cover the cardmember, spouse, and dependent children whether travelling together or not. Purchase protection and extended warranty cover the cardmember's purchases.
Charge the entire rental to the Card or pay with Membership Rewards points, and decline the rental agency collision damage waiver at the counter. Coverage is primary, so Belair pays for theft, loss, or damage up to the vehicle's actual cash value with no deductible, before your personal auto insurer is involved. It applies to vehicles with an MSRP of $85,000 or less for rentals up to 48 consecutive days. Report any loss to Global Excel within 48 hours.
Call Global Excel Management at 1-800-243-0198 (Canada and U.S.) or +905-475-4822 collect from abroad, on the day the event happens. Submit your claim within the filing deadline, generally 90 days, with itemized receipts, your Card statement showing the charge, your provincial health statement for medical claims, and any police or airline reports. Travel accident claims are handled with Chubb Life. Approved claims are paid in Canadian funds.
Emergency medical does not cover travellers 65 or older at all, and pre-existing conditions must be stable for 90 days before departure. There is no mobile device or cell phone insurance, no price protection, no return protection, and no identity theft coverage. Flight delay, missed connection, and baggage delay share a single $500 aggregate per occurrence, hotel burglary is $500, and lost baggage is capped at $500 (with a $300 jewellery sub-limit and broad electronics exclusions).
Emergency medical is excess coverage that pays in excess of your provincial plan and any other insurance. Where possible, Global Excel arranges to pay the hospital or clinic directly when you call first, which is a real advantage on a large bill. In practice, for smaller bills or where a provider will not bill an insurer, you pay up front and claim it back. Calling 1-800-243-0198 before treatment protects both your reimbursement and any chance of direct billing.
It is primary. Belair pays a covered rental theft or collision claim up to the vehicle's actual cash value, with no deductible, before your personal auto insurer is involved, which keeps your own policy and record clean. Decline the agency collision damage waiver and charge the full rental to the Card or pay with Membership Rewards points. The vehicle MSRP must be $85,000 or less and the rental no longer than 48 consecutive days.
Not for emergency medical. The certificate defines an insured person for medical as someone age 64 or under on the departure date, so a traveller 65 or older has no emergency medical coverage on this card, regardless of the $5,000,000 limit. The non-medical benefits, such as trip cancellation, interruption, baggage, and travel accident, still apply. Travellers 65 or older should buy a separate medical policy before departure.
The two cards share the same insurer (Belair), the same $5,000,000 emergency medical (age 64 and under, 15 days), the same primary rental CDW, and the same travel accident and purchase coverage. The Gold Rewards Card costs $250 versus $599 for the Reserve. The trade-off is lower delay and baggage caps: the Gold Rewards shares a single $500 aggregate across flight and baggage delay and caps lost baggage and hotel burglary at $500, where the Reserve roughly doubles those limits.