Master List of Credit Card Benefits Guides Master List of Credit Card Benefits Guides

Master List of Credit Card Benefits Guides

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Many conversations surrounding credit cards focus on the best ways to earn and burn points and miles. However, racking up and putting rewards to good use is just one part of the award travel hobby. Travel rewards cards provide a host of perks beyond points and miles. Credit card benefits range from concierge services to extensive insurance benefits, purchase protections, complimentary elite status, and high-value travel credits.

Unfortunately, banks tend to bury benefits deep in each card's terms and conditions, which are written in legalese only a Yale graduate can understand. As such, many perks remain a mystery to cardholders. But never fear; we're here to help with this master list of credit card benefits guides.

What Is a Credit Card Benefits Guide?

In the welcome pack when you get a new credit card in the mail is typically a printed pamphlet detailing your guide to benefits. These guides list the benefits, provide particulars as to what is and isn't covered, and offer information on how to make a claim.

Your guide to benefits pamphlet usually doesn't discuss big-ticket perks such as signup bonuses or airport lounge access. Instead, it includes details of the insurance coverage and purchase protections offered by your card.

Many rewards credit cards offer insurance when you use your card for purchases. Depending on the type of insurance you require (some cards provide multiple or even several types), consider checking out our roundup for the best cards for every category.

close-up of a man looking at a credit card while reading something on a smart phone
Credit: Anete Lusina/Pexels

Guide to Benefits Master List

While this is by no means a comprehensive list of every credit card and its benefits, we've included some of our favorite cards that we think offer competitive benefits. The table below offers one-click-away links to several benefit guides:

Credit CardProviderGuide to Benefits Links
All American Express-issued cardsAmerican ExpressGuide to Benefits
Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite Credit CardBank of AmericaGuide to Benefits
AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®BarclaysGuide to Benefits
Barclaycard Arrival Plus® World Elite Mastercard®BarclaysGuide to Benefits
Capital One Visa & MasterCard BenefitsCapital OneGuide to Benefits
Chase Sapphire Reserve®ChaseGuide to Benefits
Chase Sapphire Preferred® CardChaseGuide to Benefits
Ink Business Preferred® Credit CardChase Guide to Benefits
Ink Business Cash® Credit CardChaseGuide to Benefits
Chase Slate®ChaseGuide to Benefits
Chase Freedom Unlimited®ChaseGuide to Benefits
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card &
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
ChaseGuide to Benefits
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit CardChaseGuide to Benefits
The New United℠ Explorer Card & The New United Quest℠ CardChaseGuide to Benefits
The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit CardChaseGuide to Benefits
The World of Hyatt Credit CardChaseGuide to Benefits
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®CitiGuide to Benefits
Citi Prestige® CardCitiGuide to Benefits
Citi Strata Premier℠ CardCitiGuide to Benefits
Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® card (closed to new applicants)Wells FargoGuide to Benefits
Wells Fargo Visa Signature® Card (closed to new applicants)Wells FargoGuide to Benefits

Sometimes, cards that seem similar offer very different benefits. Just because two cards are branded as a Visa Signature or Visa Infinite product doesn’t mean they will provide the same benefits or coverage. Thus, it’s essential to review the guide to benefits for your specific credit card to check the conditions and coverage of each benefit.

Related: Best Rewards Credit Card Offers this Month

Final Thoughts

Understanding the guide to benefits for the credit card in your wallet can potentially save you thousands of dollars. These guides detail specifics on how to claim a benefit and what the benefit will cover. In addition, there are exclusions and exceptions, keeping you up to date with the coverage offered for your card. So, next time you get one, don't throw it in the trash. Read through it and see what it has to offer.

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Comments

  • You need to add B of A Premium Reward and the Elite version (especially) to this list and related comparison articles!

  • Jerry Birenz says:

    Can you find a PDF of the Guide to Benefits for the United Explorer Card Effective 12/1/19?

    • Shoot! It looks like Chase has pulled all of the links that us (and other blogs) link to.

      • I find it so odd that with everything being published on the web (including manuals for equipment and all sorts of other things), the banks and credit card companies do not themselves publish the Guides on the web. It’s as if they’re hiding them. You get a physical copy when you sign up, and a physical renewal copy in future years if it’s revised, but you cannot access them online.

        • Agreed that it’s very customer-unfriendly. I understand that the banks would prefer that these benefits not be used – so it’s cheaper for them to contract out to their benefits administrators. But the guide to benefits should at least be available in soft copy for cardholders.

  • Fantastic list!! So helpful to have all the info I was looking for in 1 place

  • Card Benefit Services runs all of these programs. So you will work with one company, and they are difficult to work with. They also send letters stating, “You need to call”. So claims can be time consuming.

  • The link titled “MileagePlus Explorer (Visa Signature) Guide to Benefits” (United) is to the 03/15/2018 version. That has been superseded by a version “Effective 06/01/18,” which I have on paper. I have been unable to find it online despite much effort. Perhaps you can succeed and update the link? Thanks!

  • Mels Antique Jewelry .com says:

    the article is about protection benefits, not points per dollar. I was inquiring about protection benefits that the CNB offers compared to all the other cards listed in the article.

  • Mels Antique Jewelry .com says:

    Do you know off the top of your head whether the City National Bank Crystal Infinite Visa beats any of the cards you have mentioned in any of the categories? I know most don’t have that card so the bloggers don’t talk about it, but I love the card so far.

    • the CNB Visa Infinite earn 3 Points per $1 spent on gasoline, grocery, airline, hotel, taxi (including Uber and Lyft), limousine, rental car, train, bus, restaurant, fast food, and takeout food dining purchases, and 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

      It won’t beat, but it’ll meet many. But each point is worth a penny and no more.

  • This is a great summary list for NOW. But your will need to redo this again by the end of July and provide new updated links.

    By that time a whole list of new changes will have taken effect and will have been published in new benefit guides such as: citi prestige going from 3 hr to 6 hr on bag delay, some chase cards limiting the return protection to 90 days from 120 days, citi rewind being limited in dollar amount, and multiple products limiting car rental maximum coverage amounts and no longer allowing for renal facility loss of use claims if car damaged So, several big changes coming soon.

  • Thank you for this list – I’m looking at getting another card and it’ll come in handy. Off the top of your head, are any on this list a no annual fee card?

  • Could you do a guide for Return Protection?

  • Based on the effusive praise listed here, I fell like I’m missing the main list somehow. Is there a list that shows me which cards have which perks, without going to each cards’ benefits page? Did I miss a link somehow? That would be really useful. 40 links to long lists of technical small print is not useful to me. Sorry if I missed it, but I’d love to see a comprehensive list of the cards that offer each benefit and the “gotchas” for each.

  • Many are responding to this very positively, and it certainly IS nice to have these LINKS… but am I the only one who was expecting a chart/matrix so each “type” of benefit can be evaluated side-by-side for each card? THAT would be truly helpful. Otherwise, I’m still having to go to each card to create that matrix on my own. That’s more work than I’m willing to do.

    If we had a true comparison, THAT would be something amazing. Good project for an intern at AwardWallet, no?

    Thanks for doing the list of links… it’s still a good start 🙂

  • Thank you, this is awesome! I’m always hunting around for these things.

  • So American Express doesn’t provide this coverage for delays for any card? Am I just missing it?

  • Thanks for compiling this. Super useful!

  • This is a handy reference. Especially on the go. Bookmarked.

  • This is a great one-stop list for credit card benefits. Great reference tool.

  • I got into an accident with a rental car using Chase Sapphire Reserve – the rental insurance coverage was amazing. They paid the full amt. of damages, and were very easy to work with (I’m sure easier than the rental coverage sold at the counter)

    • Does it mean you did not have your own auto insurance that would have covered your rental car?
      I think credit card usually only supplement coverage of primary auto insurance on rental car and does on replace it.

      • THe advantage to Chase primary CDW is that you don’t need to file a claim with your own auto insurance provider. In the event you are at fault, that can impact your rates. However, you do want to make sure you have personal liability covered since damage to other vehicles / injuries to others aren’t covered by the CDW.

  • angelo fonseca says:

    Fantastic. Congratulations on your work. This list helps a lot to decide for the best card. Thank you.

  • Great work!! How are awards for SouthWest these days??

  • awesome list!!!

  • Great info! It’s stuff I should really look at since I don’t pay much attention to these benefits.

  • Handy list once again

  • great list. looked at my card’s site, found new benefits. thx!

  • Thank you! I will book mark this page.

  • Great list! Thanks.

  • Great list. I have bookmarked this. Thanks!

  • Sweet, will be sure to reference back to this

  • Nice — I haven’t seen this information compiled before. Thanks!

  • Fantastic list… wow, I will have to keep this post to review in greater detail later.
    very fascinating reading, and tips!
    I will need to rethink the cards I have.

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    10% cashback on all purchases for Media Markt, Saturn, Thailia, Amazon.de, … with the LBB AirBerlin Visa card for Nov 01 – Dec 24
    10% is amazingly good!!!

  • Thank you so much for this. Instantly bookmarked.

  • thanks for this excellent information

  • fantastic info

  • great 1 stop shop for this info – thanks

  • Great list, had to be a lot of work to pull together.