How do I activate the Discover it Cash Back travel insurance benefits?

There are no travel insurance benefits to activate on the Discover it Cash Back. Discover eliminated all travel protections on February 27, 2018, citing prolonged low usage. This includes trip cancellation, trip delay, emergency medical, baggage coverage, and rental car insurance. The card has carried zero travel coverage since that date. If you need travel insurance for a trip, you will need to purchase a standalone policy separately.

Who is covered under the Discover it Cash Back benefits?

The Discover it Cash Back provides no travel insurance coverage, so there are no covered persons in that context. The card's active non-insurance benefits, including $0 Fraud Liability, FICO Score, Dark Web Monitoring, and Cashback Match, apply to the primary account holder. Authorized users share the $0 Fraud Liability protection. For any travel or purchase insurance needs, coverage would need to come from a separate policy.

Does the Discover it Cash Back cover rental car damage?

No. The Discover it Cash Back provides no rental car coverage of any kind. Before February 27, 2018, the card offered secondary CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) up to $25,000. Discover removed that benefit entirely on that date. Declining the rental agency's CDW while charging the rental to this card provides no protection. If a rental car is damaged or stolen, the full cost is the cardholder's responsibility. Use a card with active CDW coverage for any rental booking.

How do I file a claim with the Discover it Cash Back?

No claims can be filed for travel or purchase incidents with the Discover it Cash Back. The card has no travel insurance, no rental car coverage, no purchase protection, and no extended warranty. Discover eliminated all of these benefits on February 27, 2018. For fraud disputes or billing errors, contact Discover directly at 1-800-347-2683. For any travel or purchase losses, you would need to file with a separate travel insurance policy or your personal property insurance.

What does the Discover it Cash Back NOT cover?

The Discover it Cash Back does not cover trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay, emergency medical expenses abroad, emergency evacuation, lost or damaged luggage, baggage delay, travel accident insurance, rental car damage, purchase protection, or extended warranty. Discover removed every one of these benefits on February 27, 2018. This makes Discover one of only two major US card issuers, alongside Synchrony, with zero travel or purchase insurance. If you travel or make high-value purchases, these gaps are entirely unprotected by this card.

Does the Discover it Cash Back have travel insurance?

No. The Discover it Cash Back has no travel insurance of any kind. Discover eliminated all travel protections, including trip cancellation, emergency medical, trip delay, and baggage coverage, on February 27, 2018. The stated reason was prolonged low cardholder usage of those benefits. No travel coverage has been reinstated since, including after Capital One's acquisition of Discover in May 2025. Discover and Synchrony remain the only two major US card issuers with zero travel insurance.

Did Discover it Cash Back ever have travel insurance?

Yes. Before February 27, 2018, the Discover it Cash Back included several travel and purchase protections: Flight Accident Insurance up to $500,000, Auto Rental Insurance (secondary CDW) up to $25,000, Extended Product Warranty, Return Guarantee, and Purchase Protection. Discover removed all of these on February 27, 2018, citing prolonged low usage by cardholders. It was among the first major US card issuers to eliminate travel coverage entirely. Many older comparison articles and reviews still list these benefits, but they no longer apply.

Is the Discover it Cash Back sufficient for international travel?

The Discover it Cash Back is not designed for international travel. It offers no trip cancellation, no emergency medical coverage, no rental car protection, and no baggage insurance. Its 0% foreign transaction fee is a genuine strength, and the card works on the Discover network internationally, though acceptance is narrower than Visa or Mastercard in many destinations. For any trip with non-refundable bookings or any international travel, a separate travel insurance policy is needed to cover the risks this card leaves entirely unprotected.

Is cell phone protection included with the Discover it Cash Back?

No. Cell phone protection has never been included with the Discover it Cash Back. In addition, Discover removed all purchase-related protections on February 27, 2018, eliminating any overlap that might have applied. Screen repair typically costs $300 to $500 for a flagship smartphone. Replacement can run $800 to $1,200. None of that is covered by this card. Cardholders who want cell phone protection should look for a card that explicitly includes it or purchase a standalone device protection plan.

Does the Discover it Cash Back card have any insurance or travel coverage?

Discover·$0/year·Discover

Pauline LauroreAuthor of HelloSafe's card insurance reviewsUpdated June 11, 20268 min read

0,0/5it Cash BackIndependent review · verified June 2026

Travel Insurance

0,0

Car Rental

0,0

Protection

0,0

Our Verdict · Travel Insurance

Our take on travel insurance for the Discover it Cash Back

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

No travel insurance. No trip cancellation. No emergency medical abroad. Discover eliminated every travel protection on February 27, 2018, citing prolonged low cardholder usage, and nothing has come back since. So, you're at the airport and your flight is canceled. The airline owes you nothing for a weather delay. You're hoping your card backs you up. With the Discover it Cash Back, it doesn't. There is no trip cancellation benefit, no trip delay reimbursement, no emergency medical coverage to call. Every dollar of unrecovered travel cost is the cardholder's responsibility. Most cardholders assume discover card travel insurance still exists because old comparison articles cite it. It doesn't. Discover's own cardholder agreement confirms zero travel coverage. The 2018 removal was permanent, not temporary. Standalone travel insurance for a domestic trip runs $30 to $80. International coverage with emergency medical starts at $100,000 per person for roughly $50 to $150 per trip. If you book any non-refundable travel on this card, those costs are entirely unprotected. The Discover it Cash Back is a strong cashback card for everyday spending. It is not a travel card. If you travel, even once a year with a non-refundable flight, use a different card for the booking.

What works on travel

No annual fee: $0 every year, no coverage-to-fee trade-off to calculate
Cashback Match year one: Discover doubles every dollar earned in the first 12 months, up to a natural ceiling on your spending
FICO Score free monthly: visible directly in the app, no hard pull
Dark Web Monitoring: email address tracked against known dark web databases
$0 Fraud Liability: no cardholder responsibility for unauthorized charges
0% foreign transaction fee: rare on a no-fee card

Where travel breaks down

No travel insurance since February 27, 2018: trip cancellation, trip delay, emergency medical, and evacuation are all gone
No rental car coverage: any collision or theft while renting is entirely out of pocket
No trip delay benefit: a 12-hour weather delay means meals, lodging, and transport come out of your own account
Discover network: accepted in fewer countries than Visa or Mastercard, limiting usefulness for international travel
Capital One acquisition has not restored any benefits as of May 2026

Notre méthodologie

Chez HelloSafe, notre expert examine chaque année les contrats, les avis clients et les tarifs du marché. Analyse indépendante, sans influence commerciale sur les notes attribuées.

Travel Insurance · 11 guarantees

What does my it Cash Back card's travel insurance cover?

Quality, not just caps

Guarantee

Status

Limit · Cap

Trip cancellation

Not covered

Discover and Synchrony are the only major US card issuers with zero trip cancellation. A $5,000 non-refundable trip is entirely at your expense if you need to cancel.

Medical fees abroad

Not covered

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

Medical repatriation

Not covered

Trip interruption

Not covered

Transport delay

Not covered

Missed connection

Not covered

Lost luggage / theft

Not covered

Baggage delay

Not covered

Baggage loss

Not covered

Personal liability

Not covered

Hotel theft protection

Not covered

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 Discover it Cash Back wins, and where it loses

An 8-dimension snapshot compared to the Autograph Journey and the average premium travel card.

Compare

it Cash BackThis card0.0/5?

$0/yr

With travel insuranceIdeal

Complete coverage · 5.0 / 5

Premium card avg.

$150 avg. annual fee

Autograph Journey

Wells Fargo · $95/yr

Click a layer to highlight its scores on the radar.

Side-by-side comparison

Alternatives to the Discover it Cash Back

HelloCard.sideBySide.subtitle

Card	This card it Cash Back Discover · $0/yr 0.0/5?	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 →	$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
Rental CDW Primary or secondary	Not covered Cover this gap →	Secondary / $75,000 Secondary CDW	Primary / $75,000 Primary coverage

StrongLimited / misleadingNot covered

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

NerdWallet reviewer

January 2024

Unbeatable first-year cashback, but no travel perks

The cashback match in year one is unbeatable. I earned $400 in cashback, and Discover doubled it to $800 at the end of the year. For a no-fee card, it's hard to beat as a starter card.

CreditCards.com reviewer

January 2024

Found out about the rental car gap the hard way

I used my Discover card to book a rental car, didn't buy the CDW from the agency, and then had a minor accident. Total out-of-pocket: $1,200. I had no idea Discover removed rental car coverage in 2018. Always read the current benefits, not old reviews.

WalletHub analyst

January 2025

Only major issuer with zero travel insurance

Discover and Synchrony are the only major issuers with zero travel insurance. That's fine if you never travel, but if you do, use literally any other card for booking.

US Assistance

1-800-347-2683

24/7

No International Assistance

N/A: no travel insurance

Benefit administrator: N/A: no travel or purchase insurance since February 27, 2018

Claims & pre-authorizations

No travel claims available on the Discover it Cash Back

No claims available

The Discover it Cash Back has no travel insurance benefits. No claims can be filed for travel expenses, rental car damage, trip cancellation, or purchase protection. Discover eliminated all such coverage on February 27, 2018. For account fraud or billing disputes, contact Discover at 1-800-347-2683.

There are no travel insurance benefits to activate on the Discover it Cash Back. Discover eliminated all travel protections on February 27, 2018, citing prolonged low usage. This includes trip cancellation, trip delay, emergency medical, baggage coverage, and rental car insurance. The card has carried zero travel coverage since that date. If you need travel insurance for a trip, you will need to purchase a standalone policy separately.
The Discover it Cash Back provides no travel insurance coverage, so there are no covered persons in that context. The card's active non-insurance benefits, including $0 Fraud Liability, FICO Score, Dark Web Monitoring, and Cashback Match, apply to the primary account holder. Authorized users share the $0 Fraud Liability protection. For any travel or purchase insurance needs, coverage would need to come from a separate policy.
No. The Discover it Cash Back provides no rental car coverage of any kind. Before February 27, 2018, the card offered secondary CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) up to $25,000. Discover removed that benefit entirely on that date. Declining the rental agency's CDW while charging the rental to this card provides no protection. If a rental car is damaged or stolen, the full cost is the cardholder's responsibility. Use a card with active CDW coverage for any rental booking.
No claims can be filed for travel or purchase incidents with the Discover it Cash Back. The card has no travel insurance, no rental car coverage, no purchase protection, and no extended warranty. Discover eliminated all of these benefits on February 27, 2018. For fraud disputes or billing errors, contact Discover directly at 1-800-347-2683. For any travel or purchase losses, you would need to file with a separate travel insurance policy or your personal property insurance.
The Discover it Cash Back does not cover trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay, emergency medical expenses abroad, emergency evacuation, lost or damaged luggage, baggage delay, travel accident insurance, rental car damage, purchase protection, or extended warranty. Discover removed every one of these benefits on February 27, 2018. This makes Discover one of only two major US card issuers, alongside Synchrony, with zero travel or purchase insurance. If you travel or make high-value purchases, these gaps are entirely unprotected by this card.
No. The Discover it Cash Back has no travel insurance of any kind. Discover eliminated all travel protections, including trip cancellation, emergency medical, trip delay, and baggage coverage, on February 27, 2018. The stated reason was prolonged low cardholder usage of those benefits. No travel coverage has been reinstated since, including after Capital One's acquisition of Discover in May 2025. Discover and Synchrony remain the only two major US card issuers with zero travel insurance.
Yes. Before February 27, 2018, the Discover it Cash Back included several travel and purchase protections: Flight Accident Insurance up to $500,000, Auto Rental Insurance (secondary CDW) up to $25,000, Extended Product Warranty, Return Guarantee, and Purchase Protection. Discover removed all of these on February 27, 2018, citing prolonged low usage by cardholders. It was among the first major US card issuers to eliminate travel coverage entirely. Many older comparison articles and reviews still list these benefits, but they no longer apply.
The Discover it Cash Back is not designed for international travel. It offers no trip cancellation, no emergency medical coverage, no rental car protection, and no baggage insurance. Its 0% foreign transaction fee is a genuine strength, and the card works on the Discover network internationally, though acceptance is narrower than Visa or Mastercard in many destinations. For any trip with non-refundable bookings or any international travel, a separate travel insurance policy is needed to cover the risks this card leaves entirely unprotected.
No. Cell phone protection has never been included with the Discover it Cash Back. In addition, Discover removed all purchase-related protections on February 27, 2018, eliminating any overlap that might have applied. Screen repair typically costs $300 to $500 for a flagship smartphone. Replacement can run $800 to $1,200. None of that is covered by this card. Cardholders who want cell phone protection should look for a card that explicitly includes it or purchase a standalone device protection plan.