Car trouble? Chase Sapphire Reserve roadside assistance to the rescue

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Here’s a handy perk lots of folks will love – and one you hopefully won’t have to use. If you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve, you’ll have access to some of the best travel credit card insurance coverages. You can even call roadside assistance up to four times per year for help and Chase will cover up to $50 per incident for the most common roadside mishaps in the U.S. or Canada, like flat tires, dead batteries, and key lockouts.

I’ll explain how it works, and what’s covered.

Chase Sapphire Reserve roadside assistance

We’ve written about the Sapphire Reserve’s benefits, like rental car insurance and emergency evacuation coverage. One of the lesser known perks is the Chase Sapphire Reserve’s roadside assistance perk, which is a great benefit if you drive regularly or have a long-distance road trip coming up. That’s because you can call for help four times per calendar year if you have trouble on the road and Chase will cover up to $50 toward your required service. You can review the terms for all of the Sapphire Reserve’s perks here.

What’s covered?

You can call for these common roadside services:

• Battery boost – If your vehicle won’t start due to a dead or weak battery.
• Flat tire service – If you have a flat tire, you can get help to install your inflated spare.
• Fuel delivery – If you run out of gas, an emergency supply will be delivered to you. The cost of fuel is covered for up to two gallons.
• 24-Hour towing – In the event of a vehicle breakdown that requires a tow.
• 24-Hour lockout – Should you accidentally lock yourself out of your vehicle.

In all of these situations, it’s great to know you can call for assistance, but keep in mind, you can’t call for service if the vehicle is at your primary address. So if, for example, your car is sitting in your driveway with a dead battery, you can not use this service.

Chase also says:

Assistance will be provided for one service event for the same cause during any consecutive 7-day period.

So if your car keeps having the same issue, Chase will only cover it again if it’s been over seven days. Most cars and trucks designed to drive on normal roads are covered. But commercial vehicles, like 18-wheelers or larger vehicles, are not covered and you can not ask for roadside service if you’ve ventured into an off-road area, or in places where ordinary tow trucks can’t access.

Who is covered?

Chase says only the cardholder is covered while driving a vehicle you own or lease or when driving a vehicle “furnished to you by the owner.” So your friends or family can’t call for help unless they have their own card or if you add them as an authorized user.

Considering it only costs $75 to add an authorized user to your account, it might be worth it.

Are rental cars included?

Chase does not clearly say whether or not rental cars are included. The terms say you need to own or lease the car or drive a vehicle given to you “by its owner.” If you call for help, Chase says you’ll need the “VIN (vehicle identification number) or make, model, and year of vehicle.” Getting that information is very easy.

However, if Chase sees you’ve just paid for a rental car with your card to take advantage of the primary rental car insurance, they may decline your request. Or ask you to pay for it after the fact. As always, honesty is the best policy and many rental car companies have roadside assistance set up for their own vehicles. So it’s best to check with them first, to see if you can get help.

I need help, what do I do?

If you find you need roadside assistance, call 866-860-7978 for help. Cross Country Motor Club, on behalf of Chase, will arrange help for you 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

They’ll ask for:

• Your name and address
• Location of your car
• Vehicle information or make, model and year of vehicle
• Phone number where you can be reached

Remember, you’re covered for any eligible service up to $50. Beyond that, any additional fees will be charged to your card.

Bottom line

The Sapphire Reserve Chase credit card is packed with benefits, including roadside assistance. Up to four times per year, you can get help for things like emergency fuel, a tow, or key lockout and Chase will cover your service for up to $50 as long as the vehicle is not at your primary address.

This is a fantastic perk for peace of mind, especially if you drive often or have a big trip coming up. Have you had experience with Chase Sapphire Reserve roadside assistance? Please share your story in the comments.

Featured photo by sirtravelalot/Shutterstock.