How do I activate the Wells Fargo Active Cash travel insurance benefits?

The Wells Fargo Active Cash does not include travel insurance such as trip cancellation, trip delay, or emergency medical coverage. The card's Visa Signature benefits are limited to Travel and Emergency Assistance (a referral service, not insurance), Auto Rental CDW, Cell Phone Protection, and Roadside Dispatch. To activate CDW: charge the entire rental to the card and decline the rental company's collision waiver at the counter. To activate cell phone protection: charge your entire monthly wireless bill to the card each month.

Who is covered under the Wells Fargo Active Cash benefits?

For Auto Rental CDW: the primary cardholder and any additional drivers permitted under the rental agreement are covered. For Cell Phone Protection: phones listed on the wireless bill that is paid in full with the card each month are covered. For Travel and Emergency Assistance: the cardholder, spouse or domestic partner, and dependent children under 22 can use the referral service. Note that Travel and Emergency Assistance provides referrals only, and all actual costs remain the cardholder's responsibility.

How does the Wells Fargo Active Cash rental car coverage actually work?

The Active Cash card offers secondary CDW (collision damage waiver) for personal rentals, meaning your personal auto insurance pays first if there is a collision or theft, and the card covers remaining costs including your deductible and valid loss-of-use charges up to $50,000. For commercial or business rentals, or if you have no personal auto insurance, coverage becomes primary. To use the benefit: charge the entire rental to your card and decline the CDW at the rental counter. Coverage applies to rentals up to 15 consecutive days in the US and 31 days internationally. Exotic cars, motorcycles, and full-size vans are excluded.

How do I file a claim with the Wells Fargo Active Cash?

For Auto Rental CDW, call 1-800-348-8472 as soon as possible, no later than 45 days after the incident. For Cell Phone Protection, call 1-800-316-8051 or visit mycardbenefits.assurant.com within 60 days of the damage or theft. Both benefits are administered by Assurant. For CDW, submit your documentation within 90 days of the incident. For cell phone, submit within 120 days. Your CDW claim is typically finalized within 15 business days of receiving complete documentation. File the day the incident happens, not the day you get home.

What does the Wells Fargo Active Cash not cover?

The Active Cash does not cover trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay, emergency medical expenses abroad, emergency evacuation, baggage delay, or lost baggage. It also does not include purchase protection, extended warranty, or travel accident insurance. The Travel and Emergency Assistance benefit provides referrals for medical, legal, and transportation emergencies, but all associated costs are the cardholder's responsibility. For international travel with significant non-refundable costs, a standalone travel insurance policy is necessary.

Is cell phone protection included with the Wells Fargo Active Cash?

Yes, the Wells Fargo Active Cash includes Cell Phone Protection up to $600 per claim, with a $1,200 maximum per 12-month period and a $25 deductible. The benefit covers damage that makes the phone inoperable and theft. One condition applies: your entire monthly wireless bill must have been paid with the Active Cash card the month before the loss. A single month where part of the bill was paid on a different card disqualifies the claim. Lost phones without evidence of theft are not covered.

Do I need separate medical insurance if I have the Wells Fargo Active Cash?

Yes. The Wells Fargo Active Cash provides no emergency medical coverage abroad. Travel and Emergency Assistance can help locate local medical providers and arrange transportation, but every dollar of medical treatment is out of pocket. A single ER visit in Japan or Western Europe typically costs $10,000 to $80,000. For any international trip, a standalone travel insurance policy with at least $100,000 in emergency medical coverage is the practical standard.

Is the Wells Fargo Active Cash rental car coverage primary or secondary?

Secondary for personal rentals. This means your personal auto insurance pays first if there is a collision or theft, then the card covers remaining costs including your deductible. If you have no personal auto insurance, or if the rental is for commercial or business purposes, the card acts as primary, meaning you file directly with Assurant without involving your personal insurer. Secondary coverage still makes you whole financially, but it triggers a claim on your personal policy, which can affect your renewal rates.

What are the Wells Fargo Active Cash benefits worth knowing about?

The two benefits with real day-to-day value are cell phone protection ($600 per claim, $25 deductible) and Auto Rental CDW ($50,000, secondary for personal use). Both require the transaction to be charged to the card. The cell phone benefit also requires the full wireless bill on the card every month without exception. Travel and Emergency Assistance is a referral service only. No trip cancellation, medical, or baggage benefits exist. For a $0 annual fee card, the cell phone protection alone has measurable value if your phone is worth $400 or more.

Wells Fargo Active Cash benefits: which card protections actually pay out?

Wells Fargo·$0/year·Visa Signature·Virginia Surety Company (Assurant)

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

0,8/5Independent review · verified July 2026

Travel Insurance

0,0

Car Rental

2,9

Protection

0,9

Our Verdict · Travel Insurance

Our take on travel insurance for the Wells Fargo Active Cash

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

No travel insurance. Zero. The Wells Fargo Active Cash is a cashback card first, and Travel and Emergency Assistance is referral-only: they find you a local doctor or attorney, but every dollar you spend comes out of your own pocket. Most cardholders booking international trips with this card assume the Visa Signature label means real coverage. It does not. A single ER visit in Europe or Japan typically runs $10,000 to $80,000. A medical evacuation from a remote destination can exceed $200,000. This card covers $0 of either cost. If you travel internationally without separate health coverage, the wells fargo active cash benefits package offers nothing for the risks that actually hurt.

What works on travel

$0 annual fee: full Visa Signature benefit package at no cost
Travel and Emergency Assistance: 24/7 referral service for medical, legal, and transport emergencies

Where travel breaks down

No trip cancellation: every non-refundable booking is at your full financial risk
No emergency medical abroad: hospital bills are entirely out of pocket
No emergency evacuation: air transport from a remote destination can exceed $200,000
No trip delay or baggage delay: meals, hotels, and delayed bag essentials are not covered

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 Wells Fargo Active Cash Travel Insurance actually cover?

No trip cancellation insurance on the Active Cash. A non-refundable $4,000 trip is entirely at your expense if you need to cancel, regardless of the reason.

No trip cancellation coverage. This benefit is not included with this card. Prepaid flights, hotels, and tours are not reimbursable if you cancel. A standalone travel insurance policy is required for this coverage.

What's not covered

Benefit not offered on this card

No emergency medical insurance. Every dollar of any hospital bill abroad is yours. A serious ER visit in Italy or Japan runs $20,000 to $80,000.

No emergency medical coverage abroad. Travel and Emergency Assistance provides medical referrals only. All medical costs abroad are the cardholder's responsibility. A single ER visit in Japan or Europe typically runs $10,000 to $80,000.

What's not covered

Benefit not offered on this card

No evacuation coverage. Air transport from a remote destination can run $200,000 or more. The Travel and Emergency Assistance service arranges logistics only.

No emergency evacuation or repatriation benefit. Travel and Emergency Assistance can help arrange transportation, but all costs are the cardholder's responsibility. Emergency transportation costs are entirely out of pocket. A transoceanic air ambulance from Southeast Asia runs $200,000 to $300,000.

What's not covered

Benefit not offered on this card

No trip interruption coverage. This benefit is not included with this card. Costs from a trip cut short, including return flights and unused hotels, are out of pocket.

What's not covered

Benefit not offered on this card

No trip delay reimbursement. This benefit is not included with this card. Meals, lodging, and transportation during a delay are the cardholder's responsibility.

What's not covered

Benefit not offered on this card

No missed connection coverage. If a delayed inbound flight causes you to miss a connection, rebooking costs and expenses are not covered. Last-minute rebooking on a missed international connection can cost $300 to $800.

What's not covered

Benefit not offered on this card

No early return benefit. Additional transportation costs from cutting a trip short are not reimbursed. A last-minute one-way flight home can cost $800 to $2,000.

What's not covered

Benefit not offered on this card

No baggage delay reimbursement. Essential purchases during a baggage delay are at your expense. A 48-hour delay can require $300 to $500 in clothing and toiletries with no recourse.

What's not covered

Benefit not offered on this card

No lost or stolen baggage coverage. If the airline permanently loses your bag, the card provides no additional reimbursement beyond the airline's own liability limit. A checked bag with $2,000 in belongings would be unrecovered above the airline's cap.

What's not covered

Benefit not offered on this card

No travel accident insurance. Accidental death or dismemberment while traveling is not covered by this card. Common carrier accident benefits on Visa Signature cards typically range from $250,000 to $500,000. This card provides none.

What's not covered

Benefit not offered on this card

No hotel theft protection. Personal belongings stolen from your hotel room are not covered by this card. Electronics and valuables left in a hotel room can total $1,000 to $3,000 with no recourse if stolen.

What's not covered

Benefit not offered on this card

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 Wells Fargo Active Cash wins, where it loses

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

Trip Cancel: not covered by this card

Medical: not covered by this card

Evacuation: not covered by this card

Compare

Active CashThis card0.8/5?

$0/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 Wells Fargo Active Cash stacks up against the alternatives

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

Card	This card Active Cash Wells Fargo · $0/yr 0.8/5?	Autograph Journey Wells Fargo · $95/yr 2.7/5?	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 →	$15,000 per traveler 7 covered reasons	$1,500 per person All prepaid travel	$10,000 per person 13 covered reasons
Emergency medical Hospital bills abroad	Not covered Cover this gap →	N/A	$2,500 Reimbursement only	$2,500 \| $50 deductible $50 deductible
Emergency evacuation Air ambulance + repatriation	Not covered Cover this gap →	N/A	$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 →	N/A	12h / $500 Trigger: 12 hours	$500 after 6 hours Trigger: 6 hours
Trip interruption Covered amount	Not covered Cover this gap →	$15,000 per traveler Same 7 reasons as cancel	$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 Wells Fargo Active Cash

Real experiences on cell phone protection and rental car claims 47 reviews

WalletHub

January 2025

Phone claim approved in under a week

Filed for my Pixel 7 after water damage. Repair estimate was $350. Submitted through the Assurant portal online. Approved and paid to my account within a week, minus the $25 deductible. I was expecting more hassle. It was surprisingly fast.

r/creditcards

August 2024

Secondary CDW created a personal insurance issue

Had a minor fender bender in a rental car and had to file with my personal auto insurer first since this card is secondary coverage. The card reimbursed my deductible and the remaining costs, so I got made whole, but my personal insurance rates went up at my next renewal. If you rent cars regularly, a card with primary CDW avoids this entirely.

WalletHub community

November 2024

Wireless bill condition caught me off guard

I thought I was covered because I usually pay my wireless bill with this card. One month I paid with a different card by mistake. When I filed a cell phone claim the next month, it was denied. The entire prior month's bill has to be on this card. Not just part of it. Read the fine print before you rely on this.

US Assistance

1-800-992-6029

24/7

International Assistance

collect: 1-804-673-1675

Collect calls accepted · 24/7

Benefit administrator: Assurant for Cell Phone Protection (1-800-316-8051) | Assurant/Virginia Surety for Auto Rental CDW (1-800-348-8472)

Claims & pre-authorizations

How to file a Wells Fargo Active Cash claim

Step 1: Report the incident immediately

For rental car damage or theft, call the Benefit Administrator at 1-800-348-8472 as soon as possible, no later than 45 days from the incident. For cell phone damage or theft, call 1-800-316-8051 or visit mycardbenefits.assurant.com within 60 days of the loss. Report before you have all the documents: getting a claim number is the priority.

Step 2: Gather your documentation

For CDW: collect the accident report form, initial and final rental agreements (front and back), copy of the repair estimate and itemized repair bill, two photos of the damaged vehicle, police report if obtainable, and your monthly billing statement showing the rental charge on this card. For cell phone: gather your wireless bill showing the full payment was charged to the card the prior month, repair estimate from an authorized service center, and a police report if theft is involved.

Step 3: Submit everything together and meet the deadlines

CDW claim form and supporting documents must be postmarked within 90 days of the theft or damage date. Cell phone documentation must be submitted within 120 days of the incident. Submit everything in a single package to avoid back-and-forth delays. Your CDW claim will typically be finalized within 15 business days of receiving complete documentation.

The Wells Fargo Active Cash does not include travel insurance such as trip cancellation, trip delay, or emergency medical coverage. The card's Visa Signature benefits are limited to Travel and Emergency Assistance (a referral service, not insurance), Auto Rental CDW, Cell Phone Protection, and Roadside Dispatch. To activate CDW: charge the entire rental to the card and decline the rental company's collision waiver at the counter. To activate cell phone protection: charge your entire monthly wireless bill to the card each month.
For Auto Rental CDW: the primary cardholder and any additional drivers permitted under the rental agreement are covered. For Cell Phone Protection: phones listed on the wireless bill that is paid in full with the card each month are covered. For Travel and Emergency Assistance: the cardholder, spouse or domestic partner, and dependent children under 22 can use the referral service. Note that Travel and Emergency Assistance provides referrals only, and all actual costs remain the cardholder's responsibility.
The Active Cash card offers secondary CDW (collision damage waiver) for personal rentals, meaning your personal auto insurance pays first if there is a collision or theft, and the card covers remaining costs including your deductible and valid loss-of-use charges up to $50,000. For commercial or business rentals, or if you have no personal auto insurance, coverage becomes primary. To use the benefit: charge the entire rental to your card and decline the CDW at the rental counter. Coverage applies to rentals up to 15 consecutive days in the US and 31 days internationally. Exotic cars, motorcycles, and full-size vans are excluded.
For Auto Rental CDW, call 1-800-348-8472 as soon as possible, no later than 45 days after the incident. For Cell Phone Protection, call 1-800-316-8051 or visit mycardbenefits.assurant.com within 60 days of the damage or theft. Both benefits are administered by Assurant. For CDW, submit your documentation within 90 days of the incident. For cell phone, submit within 120 days. Your CDW claim is typically finalized within 15 business days of receiving complete documentation. File the day the incident happens, not the day you get home.
The Active Cash does not cover trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay, emergency medical expenses abroad, emergency evacuation, baggage delay, or lost baggage. It also does not include purchase protection, extended warranty, or travel accident insurance. The Travel and Emergency Assistance benefit provides referrals for medical, legal, and transportation emergencies, but all associated costs are the cardholder's responsibility. For international travel with significant non-refundable costs, a standalone travel insurance policy is necessary.
Yes, the Wells Fargo Active Cash includes Cell Phone Protection up to $600 per claim, with a $1,200 maximum per 12-month period and a $25 deductible. The benefit covers damage that makes the phone inoperable and theft. One condition applies: your entire monthly wireless bill must have been paid with the Active Cash card the month before the loss. A single month where part of the bill was paid on a different card disqualifies the claim. Lost phones without evidence of theft are not covered.
Yes. The Wells Fargo Active Cash provides no emergency medical coverage abroad. Travel and Emergency Assistance can help locate local medical providers and arrange transportation, but every dollar of medical treatment is out of pocket. A single ER visit in Japan or Western Europe typically costs $10,000 to $80,000. For any international trip, a standalone travel insurance policy with at least $100,000 in emergency medical coverage is the practical standard.
Secondary for personal rentals. This means your personal auto insurance pays first if there is a collision or theft, then the card covers remaining costs including your deductible. If you have no personal auto insurance, or if the rental is for commercial or business purposes, the card acts as primary, meaning you file directly with Assurant without involving your personal insurer. Secondary coverage still makes you whole financially, but it triggers a claim on your personal policy, which can affect your renewal rates.
The two benefits with real day-to-day value are cell phone protection ($600 per claim, $25 deductible) and Auto Rental CDW ($50,000, secondary for personal use). Both require the transaction to be charged to the card. The cell phone benefit also requires the full wireless bill on the card every month without exception. Travel and Emergency Assistance is a referral service only. No trip cancellation, medical, or baggage benefits exist. For a $0 annual fee card, the cell phone protection alone has measurable value if your phone is worth $400 or more.