A small handful of premium Chase credit cards offer complimentary roadside assistance, which covers $50 in services up to four times a year while traveling in the U.S. and Canada.
Here’s what you need to know about Chase credit card roadside assistance.
Chase roadside assistance at a glance
| What is covered | Up to $50, 4 times a year for the following services: Towing, tire changes, jump starts, lockout service, fuel delivery, and standard winching. | |
| Who is covered | Primary cardmember only | |
| Where you are covered | Within the United States and Canada | |
| How to get help | Call Cross Country Motor Club 1-866-860-7978 |
Which cards offer Chase roadside assistance?
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® card is the only card currently available to new cardmembers that offers Chase’s roadside assistance benefit. Here are the cards that offer this benefit:
- Chase Sapphire Reserve
- The Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit Card
What is covered by Chase roadside assistance?
Chase roadside assistance will cover up to $50 for each roadside service event, up to 4 times a year within the United States and Canada. Service is provided on vehicles you own or lease, plus vehicles that are lent to you by their owners. The services provided by roadside assistance include:
- Towing: Transportation of your vehicle to the nearest repair facility of or a location of your choice.
- Tire changing: Coverage includes changing a tire to your own good, inflated spare tire.
- Jump start
- Lockout service: Only includes unlocking your car—does not include key replacement.
- Fuel delivery: Delivery of gas to your location. The cost of up to 2 gallons of fuel is covered.
- Standard winching
Chase defines a “service event” as all service calls arising from the same cause within 7 days. For example, if you run out of gas twice within seven days, you’ll only be eligible to receive one fuel delivery. But if you run out of gas and a few days later require a tire change, both events would be covered.
Excess charges will be billed to your Chase card
Chase roadside assistance covers only up to $50 for services. In some cases, when a service provider charges more than $50, excess charges may be billed to your Chase card.
Vehicle exclusions
Chase’s terms and conditions specify very limited vehicle exclusions. Roadside assistance cover 4-wheeled vehicles that are licensed and used for private on-road transportation. Here are the exceptions:
- Trucks are limited to 2,000 pounds.
- “4 wheeled” vehicles means that roadside assistance is not available for motorcycles, mopeds, and the like.
- Commercial vehicles are excluded.
Who is covered by Chase roadside assistance?
Only the cardholder may use Chase roadside assistance.
How to get help from Chase roadside assistance
If you need assistance from Chase roadside assistance service, call Cross Country Motor Club at 1-866-860-7978. Cross Country Motor Club is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States and Canada.
When you call, you’ll need to provide your name, location, details of the issue and vehicle identification number. The operator will arrange service from a tow operator or locksmith while you are on the phone.
If you are driving a rental vehicle, Chase advises that you call your rental car agency first, since many rental car agencies have special rules and procedures that apply to roadside assistance. In practice, you can often find a rental company’s roadside assistance procedures in the glove box of your rental car or with your rental agreement.
What to do before you need roadside assistance
Know your benefits. Because very few cards actually offer a roadside assistance benefit that covers the cost of services, be sure to read your card’s guide to benefits to understand what your particular card offers. As mentioned above, most cards only offer a dispatch/referral service to roadside assistance service providers. Some cards will provide roadside assistance for a flat fee. Very few cards cover the cost of roadside assistance.
Keep the dispatch number handy. If your car breaks down and you need to use your roadside dispatch or roadside assistance benefit, you probably won’t want to be hunting around for your card’s guide to benefits to find the phone number to call. It can be a good idea to keep the roadside dispatch number in your glove box or store it in your phone.
Difference between roadside assistance and roadside dispatch
The roadside dispatch service offered on most credit cards will provide referral service and pre-negotiated pricing for services like towing, tire change, and fuel delivery. A roadside assistance benefit goes a step beyond simply referral service because it will pay for services.
The Chase roadside assistance benefit will pay up to $50 for covered services, whereas the roadside dispatch service offered on many cards will require you to pay the full cost of the service.
Do I need to purchase an additional roadside assistance benefit?
If you have a Chase card that provides roadside assistance, you may wonder if you need to purchase some sort of roadside assistance insurance. While most drivers are unlikely to need roadside assistance more than 4 times, towing and lockout service calls are likely to cost more than the $50 that Chase roadside assistance covers.
Insurance companies make money by paying out less in claims than they take in in premiums, so you’re likely better off in the long-term paying for roadside service calls, but here are a few options to purchase an additional roadside assistance benefit.
- AAA membership includes roadside assistance. AAA offers several membership options that include roadside assistance coverage. Membership options vary by region.
- Your auto insurance company can probably add roadside assistance to your car insurance policy. In my experience, this coverage only amounts to a few dollars a month.
Additionally, many new card warranties come with a roadside assistance benefit. Check the terms of your car’s warranty if you drive a newer car—you may already have this coverage.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Chase roadside assistance benefit cover rental cars?
Chase roadside assistance covers you “when you drive a vehicle that is furnished to you by the owner” and the Chase Sapphire Preferred Guide to Benefits includes references to rental cars. A rental car should be covered under the Chase roadside assistance benefit.
Does roadside assistance pay for service?
A roadside assistance benefit, like the one included on the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card will pay for a limited amount of services.
