How do I activate the Costco Anywhere Visa travel insurance benefits?

Most Costco Anywhere Visa travel benefits activate automatically when you pay with your card. For Travel Accident Insurance, the full common carrier fare (your flight, train ticket, ferry, or cruise booking) must be charged entirely to your Citi Card. For rental car CDW, decline the rental agency's collision loss/damage insurance at the counter and pay the entire rental with your card. For Purchase Protection, simply pay for the item at least in part with your Citi Card or a Costco credit card reward certificate. No pre-registration or enrollment is required. Benefits apply from the moment your card is active.

Who is covered under my Costco Anywhere Visa benefits?

Coverage varies by benefit. For Worldwide Travel Accident Insurance, covered travelers include you, your spouse or domestic partner, and your dependents, defined as children claimable on your federal tax return. For Worldwide Car Rental Insurance, coverage extends to you and any authorized driver listed on the rental agreement with a valid driver's license. For Damage & Theft Purchase Protection, coverage applies to purchases made by the primary cardholder using the Citi Card or Costco credit card reward certificate. Travel and Emergency Assistance also covers your family members and traveling companions you have paid to travel on your trip.

How does the Costco Anywhere Visa rental car coverage actually work?

The Costco Anywhere Visa provides CDW (collision damage waiver) coverage up to $50,000 for rental car damage or theft. Inside the United States, coverage is secondary: your personal auto insurance pays first, then this card covers the remainder, including deductibles your personal insurer charges. Outside the United States, coverage is primary: you file directly with the benefit administrator, no personal auto insurance involved. To activate this benefit, decline the rental company's collision loss/damage insurance at the counter and charge the entire rental to your card. Coverage applies for up to 31 consecutive days. Car sharing services like Turo are not eligible.

How do I file a claim with the Costco Anywhere Visa?

Call 1-866-918-4670 (Monday–Sunday, 8 a.m.–12 a.m. ET) or visit mybenefits.cardbenefitclaims.com as soon as possible after the incident. For Travel Accident Insurance, report within 60 days of the accident. For CDW and Purchase Protection, report promptly and return all documentation within 180 days. For rental car claims, the administrator will ask for the rental agreement, damage report, and itemized repair bill from the agency. For purchase theft claims, include a police report. Keep any damaged item; the administrator may request it. You can also download a claim form at citi.com/Costco.

What does the Costco Anywhere Visa not cover?

The Costco Anywhere Visa does not cover trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay, baggage delay, lost luggage, or emergency medical expenses abroad. For rental cars, there is no coverage for personal injury, third-party liability, damage to other vehicles or property, or rentals from car sharing companies. Purchase Protection excludes boats, cars, aircraft, consumables, gift cards, tickets of any kind, items purchased for resale, normal wear and tear, product defects, and damage from floods, lightning, or earthquakes. There is no extended warranty benefit and no cell phone protection on this card.

Do I need separate medical insurance if I have the Costco Anywhere Visa?

Yes. The Costco Anywhere Visa provides zero emergency medical coverage abroad. Travel and Emergency Assistance can refer you to local doctors or hospitals, but every bill is your responsibility. A typical emergency room visit abroad runs $10,000 to $80,000. The card's $250,000 Travel Accident Insurance covers only death or dismemberment on a scheduled airline, train, ferry, or cruise ship, not medical treatment. If you travel internationally, a standalone travel insurance policy with emergency medical coverage is strongly recommended. Medicare covers zero dollars for emergency care outside the United States.

Is cell phone protection included with the Costco Anywhere Visa?

No. The Costco Anywhere Visa does not include cell phone protection. Screen repairs, accidental damage, and theft of your phone are not covered by any benefit on this card. A typical screen repair runs $200 to $450 depending on the device. Damage & Theft Purchase Protection covers items bought with the card, but cell phones excluded under the normal care conditions would not qualify, and mysterious disappearance does not qualify as theft. If cell phone coverage matters, you would need a separate device protection plan or a card that includes this benefit.

Is the Costco Anywhere Visa rental car coverage primary or secondary?

It depends on where you rent. Inside the United States, Costco Anywhere Visa CDW is secondary coverage: your personal auto insurance pays first, then this card covers what your insurer does not, including any deductible your personal policy charges. Outside the United States, coverage is primary: you file directly with the benefit administrator with no personal auto insurer involvement. To use either, decline the rental company's collision loss/damage insurance at the counter and charge the entire rental to your card. Coverage applies up to $50,000 for rentals up to 31 consecutive days.

Is the Costco Anywhere Visa sufficient for international travel?

For most international travel, no. The card provides $50,000 CDW on rental cars booked outside the U.S. (primary) and $250,000 Travel Accident Insurance on common carriers. It does not cover trip cancellation, trip delay, baggage loss, or emergency medical expenses: the four protections that matter most when something goes wrong abroad. For a domestic trip where you rent a car, the coverage is more practical. For international trips involving health risk, natural disasters, or complex itineraries, a dedicated travel insurance policy covers the gaps this card does not address.

What travel purchases are eligible for Costco Anywhere Visa benefits?

For Travel Accident Insurance, the full common carrier fare (a scheduled flight, train ticket, ferry, or cruise booking) must be paid entirely with the Citi Card. Taxis, rideshares, and rental cars do not qualify as common carriers. For CDW on rental cars, the full rental must be charged to the card and the rental company's collision waiver declined. For Damage & Theft Purchase Protection, any item purchased with the card or a Costco credit card reward certificate within 120 days qualifies. There is no trip cancellation, delay, or baggage benefit on this card regardless of how travel is purchased.

Costco Citi card benefits: which insurance protections actually hold up?

Citi·$0/year·Visa Signature

Pauline LauroreAuthor of HelloSafe's card insurance reviewsUpdated June 11, 20268 min read

0,9/5Travel Insurance gap.Independent review · verified June 2026

Travel Insurance

0,1

Car Rental

3,0

Protection

1,1

Our Verdict · Travel Insurance

Our take on travel insurance for the Citi Costco Anywhere Visa

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

No trip cover. One AD&D benefit. Here's what that actually means. The Costco Citi card benefits for travel come down to a single protection worth knowing: $250,000 Worldwide Travel Accident Insurance when you ride as a passenger on a scheduled airline, train, ferry, or cruise ship. Trip canceled? Your money is at the airline's discretion. Medical emergency abroad? All costs are yours. Most cardholders assume a Costco Visa card means real travel insurance. The benefit terms are more direct: $250,000 for death, zero for a canceled flight or an ER visit in Rome. Standalone travel insurance starts at $90 for a domestic trip and covers cancellation, delay, and emergency medical from $100,000 per person. If you travel internationally without a separate policy, this card covers exactly one catastrophic scenario.

What works on travel

$250,000 Travel Accident Insurance: covers death or dismemberment on a common carrier, extends to spouse, domestic partner, and dependents
Travel and Emergency Assistance: 24/7 referral service for medical, legal, and travel emergencies at no charge for the referral itself

Where travel breaks down

No trip cancellation or interruption: every prepaid non-refundable cost depends entirely on airline and hotel refund policies
No emergency medical coverage: all hospital and treatment costs abroad are the cardholder's responsibility
No trip delay or baggage coverage: meals, lodging, and replacement purchases during disruptions are fully out of pocket
AD&D covers common carriers only: taxis, rideshares, and car accidents are not covered under the $250,000 benefit

Notre méthodologie

Chez HelloSafe, notre expert examine chaque année les contrats, les avis clients et les tarifs du marché. Analyse indépendante, sans influence commerciale sur les notes attribuées.

Travel Insurance · 11 guarantees

What does my Costco Anywhere Visa card's travel insurance cover?

Quality, not just caps

Guarantee

Status

Limit · Cap

Trip cancellation

Not covered

No trip cancellation insurance on this card. A non-refundable trip is entirely at your expense if you must cancel for any covered reason.

Medical fees abroad

Not covered

No emergency medical insurance on this card. A single ER visit abroad runs $10,000 to $80,000 with no coverage available.

Medical repatriation

Not covered

No evacuation coverage. Air ambulance from a remote destination runs $100,000 to $300,000 with no reimbursement available.

Trip interruption

Not covered

Transport delay

Not covered

Missed connection

Not covered

Lost luggage / theft

Not covered

Baggage delay

Not covered

Baggage loss

Not covered

Personal liability

Common carrier only · Covers spouse, DP, dependents

$250,000

Misleading

$250,000

Hotel theft protection

Not covered

View all guarantees and assistance (PDF)

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 Citi Costco Anywhere Visa wins, and where it loses

An 8-dimension snapshot compared to the Autograph Journey and the average premium travel card.

Compare

Costco Anywhere VisaThis card0.9/5?

$0/yr

With travel insuranceIdeal

Complete coverage · 5.0 / 5

Premium card avg.

$150 avg. annual fee

Autograph Journey

Wells Fargo · $95/yr

Click a layer to highlight its scores on the radar.

Side-by-side comparison

Alternatives to the Citi Costco Anywhere Visa

HelloCard.sideBySide.subtitle

Card	This card Costco Anywhere Visa Citi · $0/yr 0.9/5?	Prestige Citi · $495/yr 3.5/5?	Aeroplan Chase · $95/yr 3.2/5?	Sapphire Reserve Chase · $795/yr 3.9/5?
Trip cancellation Per person, per trip cap	Not covered Cover this gap →	$5,000 per trip Hotels + flights covered	$1,500 per person All prepaid travel	$10,000 per person 13 covered reasons
Emergency medical Hospital bills abroad	Not covered Cover this gap →	Not covered	$2,500 Reimbursement only	$2,500 \| $50 deductible $50 deductible
Emergency evacuation Air ambulance + repatriation	Not covered Cover this gap →	$100,000 \| pre-auth required Pre-authorization required	$100,000 Pre-auth required	$100,000 \| pre-auth required Pre-authorization required
Trip delay trigger Hours before benefits kick in	Not covered Cover this gap →	$500 after 3 hours Trigger: 3 hours	12h / $500 Trigger: 12 hours	$500 after 6 hours Trigger: 6 hours
Rental CDW Primary or secondary	Secondary US / Primary intl Secondary US / Primary outside US	Primary / $75,000 Primary coverage	Secondary / $75,000 Secondary CDW	Primary / $75,000 Primary coverage

StrongLimited / misleadingNot covered

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

Bankrate community

2023

CDW worked on international rental

Used the CDW for a rental car in Mexico - it worked as secondary and helped cover a minor scratch. Process with Sedgwick was decent.

NerdWallet community

2024

Assumed trip cancellation — there is none

I naively assumed having a Citi Visa card meant trip cancellation. There's literally nothing - I had to buy a separate travel insurance policy. Very misleading when you search 'Costco Visa travel insurance.'

The Points Guy

2024

Cashback locked to Costco check only

The cashback comes as a Costco check usable only at Costco. If you stop your membership, you lose the value. Very inflexible compared to any other rewards card.

US Assistance

1-866-918-4670

24/7

International Assistance

collect: +1-312-356-7839

Collect calls accepted · 24/7

Benefit administrator: Virginia Surety Company, Inc. (VSC) for CDW, Travel Accident Insurance, and Purchase Protection | mybenefits.cardbenefitclaims.com

Claims & pre-authorizations

How to file a claim

Step 1: Report the incident immediately

Call 1-866-918-4670 (Monday–Sunday, 8 a.m.–12 a.m. ET) or visit mybenefits.cardbenefitclaims.com as soon as possible after the incident. For Travel Accident Insurance, notify within 60 days of the accident. For CDW and Purchase Protection, report as soon as possible. For stolen items under Purchase Protection, file a police report before submitting your claim. Take photos of any damage if possible.

Step 2: Gather all supporting documents

Collect required documentation based on the benefit. For CDW: rental agreement, damage report, and itemized repair bill from the rental agency. For Purchase Protection: proof of purchase, photos of the damaged item, and a police report for theft claims. Keep the damaged item; the administrator may ask you to provide it. For Travel Accident Insurance: common carrier ticket and accident documentation.

Step 3: Submit within 180 days

Return the completed claim form and all requested documents within 180 days of the incident. Download the claim form at citi.com/Costco or submit online at mybenefits.cardbenefitclaims.com. Keep copies of everything submitted. The administrator will notify you of their decision once the claim is processed.

Most Costco Anywhere Visa travel benefits activate automatically when you pay with your card. For Travel Accident Insurance, the full common carrier fare (your flight, train ticket, ferry, or cruise booking) must be charged entirely to your Citi Card. For rental car CDW, decline the rental agency's collision loss/damage insurance at the counter and pay the entire rental with your card. For Purchase Protection, simply pay for the item at least in part with your Citi Card or a Costco credit card reward certificate. No pre-registration or enrollment is required. Benefits apply from the moment your card is active.
Coverage varies by benefit. For Worldwide Travel Accident Insurance, covered travelers include you, your spouse or domestic partner, and your dependents, defined as children claimable on your federal tax return. For Worldwide Car Rental Insurance, coverage extends to you and any authorized driver listed on the rental agreement with a valid driver's license. For Damage & Theft Purchase Protection, coverage applies to purchases made by the primary cardholder using the Citi Card or Costco credit card reward certificate. Travel and Emergency Assistance also covers your family members and traveling companions you have paid to travel on your trip.
The Costco Anywhere Visa provides CDW (collision damage waiver) coverage up to $50,000 for rental car damage or theft. Inside the United States, coverage is secondary: your personal auto insurance pays first, then this card covers the remainder, including deductibles your personal insurer charges. Outside the United States, coverage is primary: you file directly with the benefit administrator, no personal auto insurance involved. To activate this benefit, decline the rental company's collision loss/damage insurance at the counter and charge the entire rental to your card. Coverage applies for up to 31 consecutive days. Car sharing services like Turo are not eligible.
Call 1-866-918-4670 (Monday–Sunday, 8 a.m.–12 a.m. ET) or visit mybenefits.cardbenefitclaims.com as soon as possible after the incident. For Travel Accident Insurance, report within 60 days of the accident. For CDW and Purchase Protection, report promptly and return all documentation within 180 days. For rental car claims, the administrator will ask for the rental agreement, damage report, and itemized repair bill from the agency. For purchase theft claims, include a police report. Keep any damaged item; the administrator may request it. You can also download a claim form at citi.com/Costco.
The Costco Anywhere Visa does not cover trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay, baggage delay, lost luggage, or emergency medical expenses abroad. For rental cars, there is no coverage for personal injury, third-party liability, damage to other vehicles or property, or rentals from car sharing companies. Purchase Protection excludes boats, cars, aircraft, consumables, gift cards, tickets of any kind, items purchased for resale, normal wear and tear, product defects, and damage from floods, lightning, or earthquakes. There is no extended warranty benefit and no cell phone protection on this card.
Yes. The Costco Anywhere Visa provides zero emergency medical coverage abroad. Travel and Emergency Assistance can refer you to local doctors or hospitals, but every bill is your responsibility. A typical emergency room visit abroad runs $10,000 to $80,000. The card's $250,000 Travel Accident Insurance covers only death or dismemberment on a scheduled airline, train, ferry, or cruise ship, not medical treatment. If you travel internationally, a standalone travel insurance policy with emergency medical coverage is strongly recommended. Medicare covers zero dollars for emergency care outside the United States.
No. The Costco Anywhere Visa does not include cell phone protection. Screen repairs, accidental damage, and theft of your phone are not covered by any benefit on this card. A typical screen repair runs $200 to $450 depending on the device. Damage & Theft Purchase Protection covers items bought with the card, but cell phones excluded under the normal care conditions would not qualify, and mysterious disappearance does not qualify as theft. If cell phone coverage matters, you would need a separate device protection plan or a card that includes this benefit.
It depends on where you rent. Inside the United States, Costco Anywhere Visa CDW is secondary coverage: your personal auto insurance pays first, then this card covers what your insurer does not, including any deductible your personal policy charges. Outside the United States, coverage is primary: you file directly with the benefit administrator with no personal auto insurer involvement. To use either, decline the rental company's collision loss/damage insurance at the counter and charge the entire rental to your card. Coverage applies up to $50,000 for rentals up to 31 consecutive days.
For most international travel, no. The card provides $50,000 CDW on rental cars booked outside the U.S. (primary) and $250,000 Travel Accident Insurance on common carriers. It does not cover trip cancellation, trip delay, baggage loss, or emergency medical expenses: the four protections that matter most when something goes wrong abroad. For a domestic trip where you rent a car, the coverage is more practical. For international trips involving health risk, natural disasters, or complex itineraries, a dedicated travel insurance policy covers the gaps this card does not address.
For Travel Accident Insurance, the full common carrier fare (a scheduled flight, train ticket, ferry, or cruise booking) must be paid entirely with the Citi Card. Taxis, rideshares, and rental cars do not qualify as common carriers. For CDW on rental cars, the full rental must be charged to the card and the rental company's collision waiver declined. For Damage & Theft Purchase Protection, any item purchased with the card or a Costco credit card reward certificate within 120 days qualifies. There is no trip cancellation, delay, or baggage benefit on this card regardless of how travel is purchased.