Does the USAA Secured Visa Platinum include travel insurance?

Yes, but coverage is selective. You get trip cancellation up to $1,500 per person for covered reasons (illness, injury, death, military orders, severe weather, carrier insolvency), baggage delay reimbursement when checked bags are 6+ hours late, and $1.5 million travel accident insurance on common carriers. There is no trip delay, no trip interruption, no emergency medical abroad, and no evacuation coverage.

Is the rental car coverage on this card primary or secondary?

Secondary in all situations. Your personal auto insurance pays first, and the card's CDW benefit covers what remains, up to $50,000 vehicle value for rentals up to 31 days. You must decline the rental agency's collision damage waiver and charge the full rental to the card.

How does the cell phone protection work?

Pay your monthly cell phone bill with the USAA Secured Visa Platinum and your phone is covered for accidental damage, theft, or mechanical failure for 24 months from the purchase date of the phone. The maximum benefit is $1,000 per claim. This coverage is unusually strong for a secured card with a $35 annual fee.

What does purchase protection cover and for how long?

New eligible purchases are protected against theft or accidental damage for 90 days from the purchase date, up to $10,000 per claim. The full purchase price must have been charged to the card. Excluded items include cash, animals, plants, jewelry, and consumables.

Does the extended warranty benefit apply to all purchases?

It applies to eligible items with a U.S. manufacturer's warranty of 3 years or less, purchased in full with the card. The benefit adds one additional year of coverage, with a maximum reimbursement of $50,000 per claim. Items without a manufacturer's warranty or with warranties longer than 3 years do not qualify.

Is there emergency medical coverage when traveling abroad?

No. The USAA Secured Visa Platinum does not include emergency medical coverage, hospital fees abroad, or medical evacuation. If you travel internationally, purchasing a separate travel medical insurance policy is strongly recommended. The card's assistance line can provide referrals but does not pay direct medical costs.

How do I file a claim for a card benefit?

Call eClaimsLine at 1-844-288-2141 (U.S., toll-free) or 1-804-673-1164 (international, collect) within 20 days of the covered event. They will open your claim and specify the required documents. Submit all documentation within 90 days. You can also track claims at eclaimsline.com.

What travel accident coverage does this card provide?

$1,500,000 in accidental death and dismemberment coverage when you pay the full fare on a common carrier (airplane, train, ferry, or bus) with the card. Benefit amounts vary by type of loss (death, limb, sight). This coverage does not apply to illness or to private vehicle travel.

Can I use this card's rental car coverage outside the United States?

Yes. The CDW benefit applies worldwide. Coverage remains secondary (your personal insurance pays first). The $50,000 vehicle value limit and 31-day maximum rental period apply regardless of location.

What does the USAA Secured Visa Platinum card actually cover?

USAA·$35/year·Visa·Federal Insurance Company (Chubb) via eClaimsLine

Pauline LauroreAuthor of HelloSafe's card insurance reviewsUpdated July 7, 20268 min read

2,0/5Independent review · verified July 2026

Travel Insurance

1,5

Car Rental

2,5

Protection

3,5

Our Verdict · Travel Insurance

Our take on travel insurance for the USAA Secured Visa Platinum

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

The Secured Visa Platinum keeps travel coverage intentionally lean. Trip cancellation up to $1,500 per person covers the essentials, and the $1.5 million AD&D benefit on common carriers is genuinely strong for a secured card. That said, there is no trip delay, no interruption reimbursement, no medical coverage abroad, and no evacuation assistance. Baggage delay triggers at 6 hours, with actual costs reimbursed. This is a card built for building credit, not for replacing travel insurance.

What works on travel

$1.5 million travel accident coverage on common carriers
Trip cancellation up to $1,500 per person for covered reasons
Baggage delay coverage for essential items when bags are 6+ hours late

Where travel breaks down

No emergency medical coverage abroad
No medical evacuation or repatriation
No trip delay or interruption reimbursement
No lost baggage reimbursement

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 USAA Secured Visa Platinum Travel Insurance actually cover?

Non-refundable prepaid expenses reimbursed when cancellation results from illness, injury, death, military orders, severe weather, or carrier insolvency. File within 20 days, submit docs within 90 days.

What's not covered

Pre-existing conditions
Voluntary cancellations
Refundable trip costs

Emergency medical coverage abroad is not included. Hospital bills and treatment costs incurred outside the US are entirely your responsibility.

What's not covered

All emergency medical expenses abroad

Medical evacuation is not covered. Emergency transport home is fully at your expense.

What's not covered

All medical evacuation and repatriation costs

Trip interruption reimbursement is not available on this card.

What's not covered

Additional accommodation costs from an unplanned extended stay

Trip delay coverage is not available. Meals, hotels, and other expenses during a delayed departure are not covered.

What's not covered

All standalone transport delay expenses

Missed connection coverage is not available on this card.

What's not covered

All missed connection costs and rebooking fees

Early return coverage is not included with this card.

What's not covered

Early return costs not covered

Reimburses reasonable essential purchases (clothing, toiletries, medications) when checked bags are delayed 6 or more hours on a common carrier.

What's not covered

Carry-on bags
Delays under 6 hours
Items purchased after bags are recovered

Permanently lost or stolen luggage is not covered. The baggage delay benefit applies only when bags are delayed, not permanently lost.

What's not covered

All permanently lost, stolen, or destroyed luggage

Accidental death and dismemberment coverage up to $1.5 million when travel fare on a common carrier is paid in full with the card.

What's not covered

Private vehicles, rideshare services
Travel not on a licensed common carrier
Illness is not covered

Hotel theft protection is not included with this card.

What's not covered

All theft of personal property from hotel rooms

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 USAA Secured Visa Platinum wins, where it loses

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

Medical: not covered by this card

Evacuation: not covered by this card

Stay Interrupt: not covered by this card

Compare

Secured Visa PlatinumThis card2.0/5?

$35/yr

With travel insuranceIdeal

Complete coverage · 5.0 / 5

Premium card avg.

$167 avg. annual fee

Click a layer to highlight its scores on the radar.

Side-by-side comparison

How the USAA Secured Visa Platinum stacks up against the alternatives

Same 5 coverage dimensions, ranked head-to-head against the cards most Secured Visa Platinum shoppers also consider.

Card	This card Secured Visa Platinum USAA · $35/yr 2.0/5?	Aeroplan Chase · $95/yr 3.2/5?	Sapphire Reserve Chase · $795/yr 3.9/5?
Trip cancellation Per person, per trip cap	$1,500 / person	$1,500 per person All prepaid travel	$10,000 per person 13 covered reasons
Emergency medical Hospital bills abroad	Not covered Cover this gap →	$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	$100,000 \| pre-auth required Pre-authorization required
Trip delay trigger Hours before benefits kick in	Not covered Cover this gap →	12h / $500 Trigger: 12 hours	$500 after 6 hours Trigger: 6 hours
Trip interruption Covered amount	Not covered Cover this gap →	$1,500 per person All prepaid travel	$10,000 per person Shared limit with cancellation

StrongLimited / misleadingNot covered

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

Cardholder reviews

What cardholders say about the USAA Secured Visa Platinum

Real feedback on customer service, claims handling, and card benefits from USAA cardholders 312 reviews

Verified USAA Member

2025-01-01

Solid card for rebuilding credit

USAA's customer service is top notch and their fraud protection goes above and beyond. I've been a member for years and they always take care of me. The secured card helped me rebuild my credit while keeping real benefits like the rental car coverage.

Military Cardholder

2025-06-01

Cell phone protection alone is worth it

For a $35 annual fee secured card, the insurance benefits are solid. I pay my phone bill with this card every month and the $1,000 cell phone protection gives me peace of mind without paying for a separate plan. The no foreign transaction fee is a bonus for deployments.

USAA Member

2025-03-01

Claims process needs improvement

The card benefits look good on paper but the claims process is slow. I filed a purchase protection claim and it took over a month to get a decision. Documentation requirements are excessive and follow-up is inconsistent.

U.S. Claims Line

1-844-288-2141

Toll-free · 24/7

International Claims Line

1-804-673-1164

Call collect · 24/7

Benefit administrator: eClaimsLine (eclaimsline.com) — Federal Insurance Company (Chubb)

Claims & pre-authorizations

How to file a claim

Report within 20 days

Call eClaimsLine at 1-844-288-2141 (U.S.) or 1-804-673-1164 (international, collect) within 20 days of the covered event to open your claim.

Gather your documentation

Collect itemized receipts, proof of payment with the card, and supporting documents: medical reports, police reports, airline delay notices, or rental agreements as applicable.

Submit within 90 days

Complete and submit your claim form with all required documentation within 90 days of the event date.

Track your claim

Monitor your claim status online at eclaimsline.com or by calling the same number.

Yes, but coverage is selective. You get trip cancellation up to $1,500 per person for covered reasons (illness, injury, death, military orders, severe weather, carrier insolvency), baggage delay reimbursement when checked bags are 6+ hours late, and $1.5 million travel accident insurance on common carriers. There is no trip delay, no trip interruption, no emergency medical abroad, and no evacuation coverage.
Secondary in all situations. Your personal auto insurance pays first, and the card's CDW benefit covers what remains, up to $50,000 vehicle value for rentals up to 31 days. You must decline the rental agency's collision damage waiver and charge the full rental to the card.
Pay your monthly cell phone bill with the USAA Secured Visa Platinum and your phone is covered for accidental damage, theft, or mechanical failure for 24 months from the purchase date of the phone. The maximum benefit is $1,000 per claim. This coverage is unusually strong for a secured card with a $35 annual fee.
New eligible purchases are protected against theft or accidental damage for 90 days from the purchase date, up to $10,000 per claim. The full purchase price must have been charged to the card. Excluded items include cash, animals, plants, jewelry, and consumables.
It applies to eligible items with a U.S. manufacturer's warranty of 3 years or less, purchased in full with the card. The benefit adds one additional year of coverage, with a maximum reimbursement of $50,000 per claim. Items without a manufacturer's warranty or with warranties longer than 3 years do not qualify.
No. The USAA Secured Visa Platinum does not include emergency medical coverage, hospital fees abroad, or medical evacuation. If you travel internationally, purchasing a separate travel medical insurance policy is strongly recommended. The card's assistance line can provide referrals but does not pay direct medical costs.
Call eClaimsLine at 1-844-288-2141 (U.S., toll-free) or 1-804-673-1164 (international, collect) within 20 days of the covered event. They will open your claim and specify the required documents. Submit all documentation within 90 days. You can also track claims at eclaimsline.com.
$1,500,000 in accidental death and dismemberment coverage when you pay the full fare on a common carrier (airplane, train, ferry, or bus) with the card. Benefit amounts vary by type of loss (death, limb, sight). This coverage does not apply to illness or to private vehicle travel.
Yes. The CDW benefit applies worldwide. Coverage remains secondary (your personal insurance pays first). The $50,000 vehicle value limit and 31-day maximum rental period apply regardless of location.