Roadside assistance is a benefit available on some credit cards that can help you out if you have a breakdown or need assistance on the road. Most roadside assistance services can provide towing, help you change a tire, jump start your car or deliver fuel if your tank runs dry. Some roadside assistance services can also dispatch a locksmith to help you unlock your car if your keys are locked inside.
Some 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.
Which credit cards have a roadside assistance benefit?
- Chase Sapphire Reserve
- The Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit Card
- United℠ Business Card
About Chase roadside assistance
Here’s a summary of the Chase roadside assistance program offered on select premium credit cards.
Services provided
- Towing – Vehicle transportation to the nearest repaid facility or location of the motorist’s choice
- Tire changing – You must have a good, inflated spare tire
- Jump start
- Lockout service – Does not include key replacement
- Fuel delivery – Delivery of emergency fuel if you run out of gas. The cost of up to two gallons of fuel is covered
- Standard winching
Who is covered
Chase roadside assistance covers the cardmember when you are driving any vehicle you own or lease or when you drive another person’s vehicle (or rental car) while traveling away from home.
Coverage only applies to four-wheel vehicles for private on-road transportation. Trucks are limited to a carrying capacity of 2,000 points. Commercial vehicles are not eligible for coverage.
Coverage limits
You are covered up to a maximum of $50 for each service event, up to four events each year.
What to do if you need roadside assistance
Call Cross Country Motor Club at 1-866-860-7978. If your Chase card offers roadside assistance, that benefit is provided by Cross Country Motor Club in the United States and Canada. They can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-866-860-7978. You will need to provide your name, location and details of the assistance you need. You may also be asked to provide your vehicle identification number (VIN.)
If renting, call your rental car company first. While the Chase roadside assistance benefit does cover you when you drive a rental car, many rental car companies require you to call them first as many have special procedures regarding rental car breakdowns.
In many cases, you won’t need to pay for services at the point of use; you can simply sign that services have been provided. Any charges in excess of the covered $50 will be automatically billed to your card.
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.
Where else can I get roadside assistance coverage?
Most people will be best served by getting roadside assistance insurance coverage through some place other than their credit card. Here are a few places to look for this coverage.
Your car’s warranty. In my case, my car came with a roadside assistance benefit for the first five years that I own my car. I’ve used this benefit once to get a jump start and it didn’t cost me anything extra. If you purchased a new car, check to see if your car’s warranty includes a roadside assistance benefit. You might already have this benefit and need to pay nothing for it.
Your car insurance company. Your car insurance company likely offers one of the cheapest ways to get roadside assistance service. Most car insurance companies can add roadside assistance to your policy. In my case, I added roadside assistance to my policy for $5 per six months. This roadside assistance package covers any car I drive, including rental cars.
AAA. When most people think of roadside assistance, they think of AAA. AAA Basic membership starts at $69/year and offers a full suite of roadside assistance benefits, including towing, lockout service, flat tier service and emergency fuel delivery.