Can I still get the HSBC World Elite Mastercard?

No. HSBC Bank Canada was acquired by RBC and the transaction closed on March 28, 2024. HSBC credit cards are no longer issued in Canada and the World Elite Mastercard can no longer be applied for. Existing World Elite holders were migrated to the RBC Avion Visa Infinite (some to the Avion Visa Infinite Privilege). The coverage described here is historical and is kept for reference. For current options, compare cards or use a travel-insurance quote tool.

Who underwrote and administered the insurance?

The benefits were underwritten by American Bankers Insurance Company of Florida and American Bankers Life Assurance Company of Florida (collectively "Assurant") under Master Policies HSBC0617 and HSBCL0617, issued to HSBC Bank Canada. Claims were administered by Assurant at 1-800-668-8680 (Canada/US) or 416-977-6066 collect from elsewhere, and online at cardbenefits.assurant.com.

How much emergency medical coverage did it provide?

Emergency Travel Medical was limited to $2,000,000 per insured person. Critically, it covered only the first 31 consecutive days of a trip for cardholders under 65, and only the first 21 consecutive days for cardholders aged 65 or older — a tighter senior limit than many competitors. All insured persons had to be Canadian residents covered by a provincial/territorial government health plan (GHIP), and pre-existing condition stability rules applied.

What was the trip cancellation and interruption coverage?

Trip Cancellation paid up to $2,000 per insured person and $5,000 per trip for covered causes before departure (the Administrator had to be notified within 48 hours). Trip Interruption/Delay paid up to the same limits ($2,000 per person / $5,000 per trip) after departure. Flight Delay reimbursed up to $250 per day when a flight was delayed 6 hours or more.

Did it cover rental cars?

Yes. Car Rental Collision/Loss Damage was provided on a primary basis for most passenger vehicles with an MSRP up to $65,000, rented for 31 consecutive days or fewer, provided you charged the rental to the card and declined the rental agency's collision damage waiver. It also included Personal Effects coverage (up to $1,000 per person, $2,000 per account) and Car Rental Accidental Death & Dismemberment up to $300,000 per account. Third-party liability and roadside assistance were not included.

Yes. Baggage Delay reimbursed essential items up to $200 per trip when checked baggage was delayed more than 6 hours. Baggage Loss covered actual cash value up to $1,000 per insured person, with a $500-per-item limit; cellular phones, computers, money, documents and business property were excluded.

What purchase and mobile protections came with the card?

Purchase Assurance protected most new purchases against loss, theft or damage for 90 days, and Extended Warranty doubled the manufacturer's warranty (on warranties of 5 years or less) — both sharing a $60,000 lifetime maximum per account. Mobile Device Insurance reimbursed up to $1,000 (depreciated value, less a $25–$100 deductible based on the device cost) for a phone or tablet charged to the card, beginning 30 days after purchase.

What should I do if I still hold this card or have an open claim?

If you were migrated to an RBC product, your current coverage is governed by RBC's certificate, not this one. For historical claims tied to an event that occurred while the HSBC coverage was in force, contact Assurant at 1-800-668-8680 or cardbenefits.assurant.com. Always rely on the wording of the certificate in force at the time of your trip or purchase.

What does the insurance on the HSBC World Elite Mastercard actually cover?

HSBC·CA$149/year·World Elite Mastercard·American Bankers Insurance Company of Florida & American Bankers Life Assurance Company of Florida (Assurant)

Pauline LauroreAuthor of HelloSafe's card insurance reviewsUpdated June 29, 20268 min read

4,0/5Independent review · verified June 2026

Travel Insurance

4,0

Car Rental

4,3

Protection

3,0

Our Verdict · Travel Insurance

Our take on travel insurance for the HSBC World Elite Mastercard

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

The HSBC World Elite Mastercard carried one of the more complete travel-insurance packages on a Canadian Mastercard before it was discontinued: $2,000,000 emergency medical, trip cancellation and interruption, flight delay, baggage delay and loss, hotel burglary and a high $750,000 common-carrier travel-accident benefit. Its main weaknesses were the tight 21-day medical window for travellers 65 and over and relatively modest cancellation ($2,000) and baggage-delay ($200) caps. With HSBC's exit from Canada, the card and this coverage are no longer available.

What works on travel

Emergency medical up to $2,000,000 per person
Trip cancellation and interruption plus flight-delay and baggage coverage
High $750,000 common-carrier travel-accident benefit
Hotel/motel burglary and baggage-loss protection included

Where travel breaks down

Discontinued — no longer obtainable
Medical limited to the first 21 days of a trip at age 65+
Modest cancellation ($2,000/person) and baggage-delay ($200) limits
No standalone missed-connection benefit

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 HSBC World Elite Mastercard Travel Insurance actually cover?

Notify the Administrator within 48 hours of the event that triggers cancellation.

Reimburses prepaid, non-refundable travel costs if you must cancel your trip before departure for a covered reason.

What's covered

Up to $2,000 per insured person
Up to $5,000 per trip (all insured persons combined)
Covers prepaid common-carrier, accommodation and eligible package-tour costs

What's not covered

Pre-existing conditions that are not stable
Trips taken against a physician's advice
Non-covered cancellation reasons

Covered only for the FIRST 31 days of a trip under age 65, and only the FIRST 21 days at age 65 or older. Provincial GHIP required; call Assurant before treatment.

Pays reasonable and customary charges for emergency treatment of a sudden illness or injury that occurs during a trip outside your home province.

What's covered

Up to $2,000,000 per insured person
Hospital, physician, ambulance and prescription costs
Emergency air transportation/evacuation, return of deceased (up to $3,000), bedside visit
Automatic 3-day extension during an ongoing medical emergency

What's not covered

Unstable pre-existing conditions
Treatment that could reasonably be delayed or done in Canada
Pregnancy/childbirth and high-risk activities (see certificate)

Arrange all transport through Assurant in advance or it may not be reimbursed.

Emergency evacuation and repatriation benefits are built into the Emergency Travel Medical coverage.

What's covered

Air ambulance to the nearest facility or to a Canadian hospital
Medically supervised return to Canada with an attendant
Return of deceased up to $3,000; return of vehicle up to $1,000

What's not covered

Must be approved and arranged in advance by the Administrator
Subject to the same age/day limits as emergency medical

Keep all receipts and original tickets to support the claim.

Reimburses additional transport and unused prepaid costs if your trip is interrupted or delayed after departure for a covered reason.

What's covered

Up to $2,000 per insured person, $5,000 per trip
Covers extra transport to resume or return from the trip
Medical and non-medical covered causes

What's not covered

Unstable pre-existing conditions
Non-covered causes
Costs recoverable from the carrier

Charge eligible trip costs to the card to qualify.

Flight Delay insurance reimburses reasonable expenses to the primary cardholder when a booked flight is delayed.

What's covered

Up to $250 per day
Applies when the flight is delayed 6 hours or more with no alternate transport within 4 hours
Meals, accommodation and other necessary expenses

What's not covered

Delays known before departure
Strikes or events announced in advance

This card does not include a standalone missed-connection benefit; only flight-delay and trip interruption/delay coverage applied.

Reimbursed within the trip-interruption limit, not in addition to it.

Early return home for a covered reason is handled under Trip Interruption/Delay insurance.

What's covered

Additional one-way transport to return home early for a covered cause
Shares the $2,000 per person / $5,000 per trip interruption limit

What's not covered

Non-covered causes
Unstable pre-existing conditions

Keep receipts for the essential items you buy.

Baggage Delay insurance reimburses essential items when your checked baggage is delayed on the way to your destination.

What's covered

Up to $200 per trip for essential clothing and toiletries
Applies when checked baggage is delayed more than 6 hours
Baggage in the custody of an airline or common carrier

What's not covered

Delay on the return leg to your home province
Items not deemed essential

Coverage is in excess of other insurance and largely excludes electronics.

Baggage Loss insurance covers the actual cash value of checked or carried baggage and personal property lost or damaged during a trip.

What's covered

Up to $1,000 per insured person
$500 per-item limit (camera equipment and jewellery each treated as one item)
Loss by theft, burglary, fire or transport hazards

What's not covered

Cellular phones, computers, money, securities, tickets and documents
Business property; normal wear and tear
Jewellery/cameras in unsupervised checked baggage

This is travel-accident insurance, not third-party civil liability cover.

Common Carrier Accidental Death & Dismemberment pays a lump sum for accidental death or serious injury while riding as a fare-paying passenger on a common carrier.

What's covered

Up to $750,000 per account for loss from any one accident
Applies on licensed land, air or water common carriers
The full fare must be charged to the card

What's not covered

Self-inflicted injury, war, aviation other than as a passenger
Natural causes or illness

Charge at least 75% of the room rate to the card to qualify.

Hotel/Motel Burglary insurance reimburses personal property stolen from your hotel or motel room when there is evidence of forced entry.

What's covered

Up to $1,000 per occurrence (all insured persons)
Requires evidence of forceful entry
Runs from check-in to check-out

What's not covered

Money, documents, tickets and similar items
Loss without signs of forced entry

Policy document

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 HSBC World Elite Mastercard wins, where it loses

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

Compare

World Elite MastercardThis card4.0/5?

$149/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 HSBC World Elite Mastercard stacks up against the alternatives

Same 5 coverage dimensions, ranked head-to-head against the cards most World Elite Mastercard shoppers also consider.

Card	This card World Elite Mastercard HSBC · $149/yr 4.0/5?	Rewards World Elite Mastercard BMO · $150/yr 4.3/5?	World Elite Mastercard ATB Financial · $120/yr 4.1/5?
Trip cancellation Per person, per trip cap	$2,000 / person · $5,000 / trip	$2,500 / person ($5,000 / account) $0 deductible	$1,000 / person (max $5,000 / trip)
Emergency medical Hospital bills abroad	$2,000,000 / person	$2,000,000 (under 65, first 21 days) First 21 days only	$2,000,000 / person · ≤22 days · under 65
Emergency evacuation Air ambulance + repatriation	Included	Actual cost (pre-authorization required) Pre-authorization required	Included (within medical)
Trip delay trigger Hours before benefits kick in	$250 / day	$500 / account / trip (6h+ delay) Trigger: 6 hours	$500 / trip ($250/day, up to 2 days)
Trip interruption Covered amount	$2,000 / person · $5,000 / trip	$2,000 / person Up to $2,000 / person	$1,000 / person (max $5,000 / trip)

StrongLimited / misleadingNot covered

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

Collect from elsewhere in the world

416-977-6066

Collect call · 24/7

Claims line (Canada & US)

1-800-668-8680

Toll-free · 24/7

Benefit administrator: Assurant — American Bankers Insurance Company of Florida & American Bankers Life Assurance Company of Florida

Claims & pre-authorizations

How to make a claim

Contact Assurant before acting

For a medical emergency, call Assurant at 1-800-668-8680 (or 416-977-6066 collect) BEFORE seeking treatment — benefits could be limited or denied otherwise. For other claims, notify Assurant or open a claim at cardbenefits.assurant.com.

Notify within the deadline

Report trip-cancellation and most claims promptly — Trip Cancellation required notice within 48 hours of the covered event. Mobile Device claims had to be reported within 30 days of the loss.

Gather your documents

Assemble the card account statement showing the charge, original receipts/invoices, police or carrier reports where applicable, repair estimates, and proof of the scheduled trip dates for medical claims.

Submit and follow the Administrator's instructions

File online at cardbenefits.assurant.com or by phone, then follow the Administrator's directions before repairing or replacing any item. Reimbursement is issued once the required proof is received.

No. HSBC Bank Canada was acquired by RBC and the transaction closed on March 28, 2024. HSBC credit cards are no longer issued in Canada and the World Elite Mastercard can no longer be applied for. Existing World Elite holders were migrated to the RBC Avion Visa Infinite (some to the Avion Visa Infinite Privilege). The coverage described here is historical and is kept for reference. For current options, compare cards or use a travel-insurance quote tool.
The benefits were underwritten by American Bankers Insurance Company of Florida and American Bankers Life Assurance Company of Florida (collectively "Assurant") under Master Policies HSBC0617 and HSBCL0617, issued to HSBC Bank Canada. Claims were administered by Assurant at 1-800-668-8680 (Canada/US) or 416-977-6066 collect from elsewhere, and online at cardbenefits.assurant.com.
Emergency Travel Medical was limited to $2,000,000 per insured person. Critically, it covered only the first 31 consecutive days of a trip for cardholders under 65, and only the first 21 consecutive days for cardholders aged 65 or older — a tighter senior limit than many competitors. All insured persons had to be Canadian residents covered by a provincial/territorial government health plan (GHIP), and pre-existing condition stability rules applied.
Trip Cancellation paid up to $2,000 per insured person and $5,000 per trip for covered causes before departure (the Administrator had to be notified within 48 hours). Trip Interruption/Delay paid up to the same limits ($2,000 per person / $5,000 per trip) after departure. Flight Delay reimbursed up to $250 per day when a flight was delayed 6 hours or more.
Yes. Car Rental Collision/Loss Damage was provided on a primary basis for most passenger vehicles with an MSRP up to $65,000, rented for 31 consecutive days or fewer, provided you charged the rental to the card and declined the rental agency's collision damage waiver. It also included Personal Effects coverage (up to $1,000 per person, $2,000 per account) and Car Rental Accidental Death & Dismemberment up to $300,000 per account. Third-party liability and roadside assistance were not included.
Yes. Baggage Delay reimbursed essential items up to $200 per trip when checked baggage was delayed more than 6 hours. Baggage Loss covered actual cash value up to $1,000 per insured person, with a $500-per-item limit; cellular phones, computers, money, documents and business property were excluded.
Purchase Assurance protected most new purchases against loss, theft or damage for 90 days, and Extended Warranty doubled the manufacturer's warranty (on warranties of 5 years or less) — both sharing a $60,000 lifetime maximum per account. Mobile Device Insurance reimbursed up to $1,000 (depreciated value, less a $25–$100 deductible based on the device cost) for a phone or tablet charged to the card, beginning 30 days after purchase.
If you were migrated to an RBC product, your current coverage is governed by RBC's certificate, not this one. For historical claims tied to an event that occurred while the HSBC coverage was in force, contact Assurant at 1-800-668-8680 or cardbenefits.assurant.com. Always rely on the wording of the certificate in force at the time of your trip or purchase.