We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with
confidence. While we don't cover every company or financial product on
the market, we work hard to share a wide range of offers and objective
editorial perspectives.
So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us for advertisements that
appear on our site. This compensation helps us provide tools and services -
like free credit score access and monitoring. With the exception of
mortgage, home equity and other home-lending products or services, partner
compensation is one of several factors that may affect which products we
highlight and where they appear on our site. Other factors include your
credit profile, product availability and proprietary website methodologies.
However, these factors do not influence our editors' opinions or ratings, which are based on independent research and analysis. Our partners cannot
pay us to guarantee favorable reviews. Here is a list of our partners.
Visa Signature: What Is It, and What Are the Benefits?
Benefits include extended warranty coverage, travel and emergency assistance, concierge service and more.
Claire Tsosie is a managing editor for the Travel Rewards team at NerdWallet. She started her career on the credit cards team as a writer, then worked as an editor on New Markets. Her work has been featured by Forbes, USA Today and The Associated Press.
Paul Soucy has led the Credit Cards content team at NerdWallet since 2015 and the Travel Rewards team since 2023 and has served as content director since 2024. He was an editor with USA Today, The Des Moines Register and the Meredith/Better Homes and Gardens family of magazines for more than 20 years. He also built a successful freelance writing and editing practice with a focus on business and personal finance. He was editor of the USA Today Weekly International Edition for six years and received the highest award from ACES: The Society for Editing. He has a bachelor's degree in journalism and a Master of Business Administration. He lives in Des Moines, Iowa, with his wife, Sarah; his two sons; and a dog named Sam.
"Visa Signature" refers to a package of benefits and perks offered on certain cards that carry the Visa name. Visa offers three levels of benefits, which vary by card. Signature is the middle level: It offers more than the basic benefits of the Traditional tier but not as much as you get with high-end Visa Infinite cards.
Below is a quick summary of Visa Signature benefits and a guide to using the more valuable ones.
Summary of Visa Signature benefits
Visa Signature benefits include the following:
Year-end spending summary.
Visa Signature concierge.
Roadside assistance (T).
Zero fraud liability (T).
Lost/stolen card reporting, emergency replacement and emergency cash (T).
Cardholder inquiry service (T).
Benefits marked with (T)are part of Visa's Traditional tier. The Signature package includes all Traditional benefits plus Signature-level perks.
VISA BENEFITS VS. ISSUER BENEFITS
Before we go into detail on these benefits, it's important to understand a few basic points:
Most of the features on a typical Visa credit card aren't dictated by Visa at all, but rather by the bank that issued the card (such as Chase, Capital One, Wells Fargo or your local community bank). Rewards rates, bonuses, interest rates and fees are all determined by the issuer.
Visa makes these benefits available on cards that carry the Visa Signature label, but it is up to the issuing bank to decide whether a particular card actually includes a particular benefit.
Many issuers offer their own benefits on top of (or in place of) those offered by Visa. These may be substantially more generous than Visa Signature benefits.
Nerdy Perspective
Visa or Mastercard: Do you have a preference?
Claire Tsosie
editor, travel rewards
"A card's network isn't part of my decision-making process when I'm thinking about which credit card to get. I pay more attention to the rewards, promotional interest rate offers and perks like primary rental car coverage. Stores generally accept both Visa and Mastercard. One major exception is Costco, which is Visa-only."
"A card's network isn't part of my decision-making process when I'm thinking about which credit card to get. I pay more attention to the rewards, promotional interest rate offers and perks like primary rental car coverage. Stores generally accept both Visa and Mastercard. One major exception is Costco, which is Visa-only."
Claire Tsosie
editor, travel rewards
Sara Rathner
writer/ spokesperson, credit
"Honestly, I don't even notice a card's payment network unless it has a lower acceptance rate (e.g., American Express outside of the U.S.)."
"Honestly, I don't even notice a card's payment network unless it has a lower acceptance rate (e.g., American Express outside of the U.S.)."
Sara Rathner
writer/ spokesperson, credit
Craig Joseph
writer, travel rewards
"The only time I pay attention to the payment network is when I travel abroad. In general, I like having both a Visa and a Mastercard on me in case I find a specific case where an international merchant only accepts one or the other. Otherwise, there is generally no difference."
"The only time I pay attention to the payment network is when I travel abroad. In general, I like having both a Visa and a Mastercard on me in case I find a specific case where an international merchant only accepts one or the other. Otherwise, there is generally no difference."
Craig Joseph
writer, travel rewards
Paul Soucy
content director, credit cards and travel rewards
"To me, network benefits are 'nice-to-haves' at best, meaning if I can get some value out of them once I have the card, great, but I'm not going to choose a card based on what features are tacked onto it by Visa or Mastercard."
"To me, network benefits are 'nice-to-haves' at best, meaning if I can get some value out of them once I have the card, great, but I'm not going to choose a card based on what features are tacked onto it by Visa or Mastercard."
Paul Soucy
content director, credit cards and travel rewards
Claire Tsosie
editor, travel rewards
"A card's network isn't part of my decision-making process when I'm thinking about which credit card to get. I pay more attention to the rewards, promotional interest rate offers and perks like primary rental car coverage. Stores generally accept both Visa and Mastercard. One major exception is Costco, which is Visa-only."
"A card's network isn't part of my decision-making process when I'm thinking about which credit card to get. I pay more attention to the rewards, promotional interest rate offers and perks like primary rental car coverage. Stores generally accept both Visa and Mastercard. One major exception is Costco, which is Visa-only."
Claire Tsosie
editor, travel rewards
Sara Rathner
writer/ spokesperson, credit
"Honestly, I don't even notice a card's payment network unless it has a lower acceptance rate (e.g., American Express outside of the U.S.)."
"Honestly, I don't even notice a card's payment network unless it has a lower acceptance rate (e.g., American Express outside of the U.S.)."
Sara Rathner
writer/ spokesperson, credit
Craig Joseph
writer, travel rewards
"The only time I pay attention to the payment network is when I travel abroad. In general, I like having both a Visa and a Mastercard on me in case I find a specific case where an international merchant only accepts one or the other. Otherwise, there is generally no difference."
"The only time I pay attention to the payment network is when I travel abroad. In general, I like having both a Visa and a Mastercard on me in case I find a specific case where an international merchant only accepts one or the other. Otherwise, there is generally no difference."
Craig Joseph
writer, travel rewards
Paul Soucy
content director, credit cards and travel rewards
"To me, network benefits are 'nice-to-haves' at best, meaning if I can get some value out of them once I have the card, great, but I'm not going to choose a card based on what features are tacked onto it by Visa or Mastercard."
"To me, network benefits are 'nice-to-haves' at best, meaning if I can get some value out of them once I have the card, great, but I'm not going to choose a card based on what features are tacked onto it by Visa or Mastercard."
Paul Soucy
content director, credit cards and travel rewards
Claire Tsosie
editor, travel rewards
"A card's network isn't part of my decision-making process when I'm thinking about which credit card to get. I pay more attention to the rewards, promotional interest rate offers and perks like primary rental car coverage. Stores generally accept both Visa and Mastercard. One major exception is Costco, which is Visa-only."
"A card's network isn't part of my decision-making process when I'm thinking about which credit card to get. I pay more attention to the rewards, promotional interest rate offers and perks like primary rental car coverage. Stores generally accept both Visa and Mastercard. One major exception is Costco, which is Visa-only."
Claire Tsosie
editor, travel rewards
Sara Rathner
writer/ spokesperson, credit
"Honestly, I don't even notice a card's payment network unless it has a lower acceptance rate (e.g., American Express outside of the U.S.)."
"Honestly, I don't even notice a card's payment network unless it has a lower acceptance rate (e.g., American Express outside of the U.S.)."
Sara Rathner
writer/ spokesperson, credit
Craig Joseph
writer, travel rewards
"The only time I pay attention to the payment network is when I travel abroad. In general, I like having both a Visa and a Mastercard on me in case I find a specific case where an international merchant only accepts one or the other. Otherwise, there is generally no difference."
"The only time I pay attention to the payment network is when I travel abroad. In general, I like having both a Visa and a Mastercard on me in case I find a specific case where an international merchant only accepts one or the other. Otherwise, there is generally no difference."
Craig Joseph
writer, travel rewards
Paul Soucy
content director, credit cards and travel rewards
"To me, network benefits are 'nice-to-haves' at best, meaning if I can get some value out of them once I have the card, great, but I'm not going to choose a card based on what features are tacked onto it by Visa or Mastercard."
"To me, network benefits are 'nice-to-haves' at best, meaning if I can get some value out of them once I have the card, great, but I'm not going to choose a card based on what features are tacked onto it by Visa or Mastercard."
Paul Soucy
content director, credit cards and travel rewards
2024’s top credit cards
Shop our rigorously researched Best-Of Awards for the year’s smartest credit cards.
Travelers needing information or assistance can call a dedicated multilingual hotline 24/7, and benefits specialists will connect them with services. In the U.S., the number is 800-992-6029; see this list for toll-free numbers in other countries. Available services include:
Pre-travel information about such things as immunizations and other health precautions, weather reports, currency exchange rates and visas.
Medical services, including referrals to health-care providers, emergency medical transportation and prescription assistance.
Legal and logistical help, including referrals to lawyers or bail services, document delivery, translation services, emergency replacements for lost tickets and assistance in finding lost luggage.
THINGS TO CONSIDER
You'll have to pay for services you request. The phone call is free; whatever help they line up for you will be your responsibility. For example, if you need translation help, the hotline might put you in touch with a local interpreter, help you find a lawyer, or arrange for an ambulance ride, but you’ll have to pay the interpreter, lawyer or ambulance company.
Roadside dispatch
HOW IT WORKS
If you have car trouble while on the road, you can call 800-847-2869 at any time, day or night, and Visa will hook you up with a tow truck, locksmith or other service provider. There's no limit to how often you can use the service. You'll pay a flat fee of $69.95 for the service call. Covered services include:
Jump start.
Changing a tire.
Lockout service. This covers the cost of getting you into your car when you're locked out. New keys cost extra.
Towing up to 5 miles. Beyond that, you can be charged extra.
Winching if your car is at least 100 feet from the road. Farther than that, it can be extra.
Fuel delivery of up to 5 gallons. You'll have to pay for the gas on top of the service fee.
THINGS TO CONSIDER
On-the-spot repairs or diagnostic services may cost extra. Any additional services once your car is towed somewhere may also cost extra. If you’re a subscriber to a service like AAA already, or if your insurance has a roadside assistance program built in, those could be more affordable options.
Additional Visa Signature benefits
Other services and benefits available to Visa Signature cardholders:
Year-end spending summary. This detailed annual report breaks down where you used your card, which can help you with budgeting and tax prep.
Concierge service: If you need help choosing a gift for someone or arranging travel plans, you can call 24/7, and a concierge will help you make arrangements. If you buy anything, though, you’ll have to foot the bill.
Zero fraud liability.
Cardholder inquiry service. This allows you to call Visa and get details about your card, including both issuer- and network-provided features.
Lost/stolen card reporting, emergency replacement and emergency cash. If your card is lost or stolen, Visa, will work with your issuer to get you a replacement quickly. It can also arrange an emergency cash advance.
Benefits you 'may' have
As mentioned, some credit card issuers offer perks beyond those provided by Visa. The Visa website highlights several of these extra benefits that "your Visa Signature card may come with," but keep in mind that they are not part of the Visa Signature package. They're dictated by the issuer. They include:
Auto rental collision damage waiver
Lost luggage or baggage delay reimbursement.
Reimbursement for Global Entry application fee.
Reimbursement for travel delays, cancellations or interruptions.
Travel accident insurance.
Priority Pass airport lounge access.
Purchase protection, return protection and extended warranty.
Emergency medical service and medical evacuation.
Some of these benefits are included in the Visa Infinite package.
Whether you want to pay less interest or earn more rewards, the right card's out there. Just answer a few questions and we'll narrow the search for you.
