Visa Infinite: What Is It, and What Are the Benefits?

"Visa Infinite" is a package of superpremium benefits available on certain cards that carry the Visa label. It's the top tier within Visa's three levels of benefits, tailored to high-net-worth cardholders.

First introduced overseas, Visa Infinite came to the U.S. around 2016 and remains relatively uncommon. Cards on the Visa Infinite platform include the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, the The New United Club℠ Card and the City National Crystal® Visa Infinite® Credit Card.

Here's a quick summary of Visa Infinite benefits and a guide to using them.

Summary of Visa Infinite benefits

Visa offers three levels of benefits: Traditional, Signature and Infinite. Each level includes all the benefits from the levels below it.

Benefits offered at the Infinite level

• Auto rental collision damage waiver.

• Purchase protection (coverage for theft or damage).

• Return protection.

• Extended warranty protection.

• Trip cancellation and interruption coverage.

• Trip delay reimbursement.

• Travel accident insurance.

• Lost luggage reimbursement.

Lower-tier benefits included in infinite

For details about using benefits from the Signature (S) and Traditional (T) tiers, see our article on Visa Signature.

• Travel and emergency assistance (S).

• Year-end spending summary (S).

• Concierge service (S).

• Roadside assistance (T).

• Zero fraud liability (T).

• Lost/stolen card reporting, emergency replacement and emergency cash (T).

• Cardholder inquiry service (T).

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, City National or your local bank). Rewards rates, bonuses, interest rates and fees are all determined by the issuer.

• Visa makes Infinite benefits available on cards that carry the Visa Infinite 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 even more generous than Visa Infinite benefits.

Auto rental collision damage waiver

HOW IT WORKS

If you rent a car with your Visa Infinite card, you can get additional coverage against physical damage or theft of the rental, for up to the cash value of the vehicle (maximum $75,000). This auto rental collision damage waiver, or CDW, applies to expenses that aren’t covered by your own insurance policy. To use the benefit:

1. Rent the car using your card. Coverage applies to rentals of up to 15 days in your home country or up to 31 days internationally.

2. Decline the CDW offered by the rental car agency.

3. Report damage or theft. If the car is damaged or stolen, you have 45 days to report it to Visa Card Benefit Services.

4. File a claim. You have 90 days to file a claim with supporting documentation. (If you don't have all the necessary documents by then, you have 365 days to provide them.) Required documents are listed on the claim form and include a copy of the rental agreement; a copy of your credit card billing statement showing the rental; information about your personal auto insurance; information about the necessary repairs; and a police or incident report about the accident or theft. Start your claim at eclaimsline.com.

THINGS TO CONSIDER

This coverage usually comes on top of your personal insurance. If your rental is damaged or stolen, you'll first file a claim with your personal auto insurer. Visa's protection extends to charges not covered by that, including your deductible. This is known as "secondary coverage."

The CDW covers only the rented vehicle. There's no liability protection for damage to other vehicles or for medical costs from an accident. It also doesn't cover your luggage or other belongings inside the rented vehicle. If you back into a pole, the Visa CDW is a nice perk; if you cause an accident that leaves other cars smashed up and people injured, you'll probably be going through your own insurance anyway.

It doesn't cover all vehicles. Passenger cars (economy through luxury class) are covered. SUVs are covered only when driven on the road. Not covered: vans that seat more than nine people, trucks, cargo vans and vehicles classified as "expensive."

It doesn't apply in certain countries. This coverage doesn't apply in Ireland, Israel or Jamaica. Also, some countries (including Australia, Costa Rica, Italy and New Zealand) require that people renting cars purchase a certain amount of insurance; Visa's coverage comes on top of that.

» MORE: Rental car insurance: How your credit card covers you

Purchase protection

HOW IT WORKS

Also called "purchase security," this benefit reimburses you when something you buy with your Visa Infinite card is stolen or damaged within 90 days of the purchase. You can be reimbursed for up to $10,000 per occurrence (see below) and $50,000 per cardholder.

• If the item is stolen, you must file a police report within 48 hours. Items that are simply lost are not eligible for reimbursement.

• You have 60 days from the date of the theft or damage to report it to Visa. Call the benefits administrator at 888-221-3289.

• You have 90 days from the date of the theft or damage to file a claim for reimbursement. You can do it all online, including uploading your supporting documents. Go to cardbenefitservices.com.

THINGS TO CONSIDER

Many items are excluded. This includes (among other things) preowned or used items; plants and animals; motor vehicles; antiques and collectibles; items damaged by a delivery service; traveler's checks, tickets and other negotiable items; and real estate or items installed in real estate, like hardwired appliances. See the full list of exclusions here.

Gifts you buy for others are covered. Also, purchases outside the U.S. are eligible for reimbursement.

Coverage is per "occurrence," not per item. Say your house is broken into (or hit by a tornado) and you lose a bunch of stuff you bought with your card. The $10,000 limit applies to all losses caused by the break-in or the tornado. So if you had three items worth $4,000 apiece and all were destroyed, your coverage would max out at $10,000.

Return protection

HOW IT WORKS

When you buy something with your Visa Infinite card and want to return it within 90 days, Visa will take it even if the store refuses to. You can be reimbursed for up to $300 per item and up to $1,000 per year.

• You have to try to return it to the merchant first. If you get a full refund, then you don't need the benefit. If the merchant won't take it back, then file claim with Visa. If you get only a partial refund from the merchant, Visa may cover the difference.

• You have 90 days from the date of purchase to notify Visa. Call 888-221-3289 to say you want to return something.

• You have 30 days to file a claim. This clock starts ticking once you notify Visa that you want to use the return protection benefit. Go to cardbenefitservices.com to start a claim and upload supporting documents (including the receipt and your credit card statement showing the purchase; you may be asked to provide more information, such as a copy of the store's return policy).

THINGS TO CONSIDER

The store won't take the item back — but you don't get to keep it. You'll have to ship the item to Visa. For your claim to be approved, the item must be in like-new condition and in working order.

There are a lot of exclusions. A lot of the same items excluded from purchase protection are also ineligible for return protection. In addition, return protection excludes a few things that people are tempted to buy, use once and take back. So forget about, say, buying a tuxedo or formal gown for one big night out and then getting Visa to eat the cost. See the full list of exclusions here.

Extended warranty protection

HOW IT WORKS

Visa's extended warranty protection can add more time to the manufacturer's warranty on certain items purchased with your Visa Infinite card. In general, this benefit adds a year to warranty periods of three years or less. For warranties of more than three years, there is no extended warranty benefit.

The maximum coverage is $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per cardholder. Vehicles, real estate, computer software and certain other items are excluded from this coverage. You’ll have to register your purchase with Visa or save the receipt and the original manufacturer’s warranty if you want to take advantage of this protection. File a claim by calling your benefits administrator at 800-397-9010 in the U.S., or 303-967-1093 outside the U.S.

THINGS TO CONSIDER

Visa will only extend the manufacturer’s warranty, not improve it. If the manufacturer offers less-than-impressive terms — for instance, if it just covers defects rather than normal wear and tear — don’t expect Visa’s coverage to offer anything more. You’ll also have to show proof that you tried to get the item repaired through the manufacturer first, and getting the manufacturer to cover repairs can be a tedious process.

In some cases, getting a replacement item may be less of a hassle than waiting for a repair. Another alternative is buying an extended warranty or protection plan from the store where you bought the item, which might offer more coverage than the manufacturer's warranty. But, hey — the Visa Signature coverage is free for cardholders, so if all your manufacturer’s repairs are fully covered and shipping is reimbursed right away, it’s worth a try.

Trip cancellation and interruption coverage

HOW IT WORKS

If you're forced to cancel or cut short a trip because of illness, injury or other covered reason, you can get reimbursed for up to $2,000 in nonrefundable transportation costs — not just airfare, but also train, bus or cruise tickets. You must have bought your tickets with your Visa Infinite card.

THINGS TO CONSIDER

Only transportation costs will be reimbursed. Prepaid hotel stays, event tickets, reservation fees and other costs aren't covered.

Coverage depends on why your trip was canceled or interrupted. If you're injured in a car accident the day before your trip, or if you suffer food poisoning on your vacation, or if a hurricane makes it impossible to reach your destination, you're likely to be covered. But many things are excluded. These include acute illness triggered by pre-existing conditions; injuries suffered in certain activities (including sports); the effects of cosmetic surgery; and illness or injury resulting from intoxication.

Trip delay reimbursement

HOW IT WORKS

This benefit provides up to $500 in coverage for expenses you incur when your flight is delayed at least six hours or requires an overnight stay, regardless of the reason — weather, air traffic congestion, mechanical and so on. It's much more flexible than airline policies, which often give you nothing for weather delays and very little for everything else.

What's covered: "Reasonable additional expenses" that you wouldn't have had to pay if not for the delay. That includes things like:

• Lodging for an overnight delay.

• Meals while you wait.

• Transportation/parking costs to leave the airport and come back.

Filing a claim: Save all your receipts and make note of all your flight information — airline, flight number, scheduled and actual departure times. Start a claim at eclaimsline.com or call 800-546-9806

THINGS TO CONSIDER

Additional expenses are covered, but losses are not. Say you were traveling to see a Broadway show, and you'd paid $300 for those theater tickets. Your flight is delayed, and you miss the show. That cost is not covered by the trip-delay benefit.

The delay must be unforeseeable. If your trip is delayed because of something you knew (or could have known) beforehand, you might not be covered. For example, if an airline's mechanics have been on strike, and the strike has been resulting in delays day after day, then a delay in your flight would have been foreseeable and may not be covered.

Travel accident insurance

HOW IT WORKS

When you buy airline, train, bus, ferry or other transportation tickets with your Visa Infinite card, you get $500,000 of accidental death and dismemberment insurance. You're covered while traveling, as well as while you're getting on or off the plane (or train, bus, etc.) and when you're waiting to board. This coverage comes on top of any other insurance you have.

Lost luggage reimbursement

HOW IT WORKS

If an airline (or other carrier) loses your luggage, you can be reimbursed up to $3,000 per trip. (For New York residents, the limit is $2,000 per bag). However, this coverage comes into play only after you get reimbursed by the airline and your homeowners or renters insurance policy.

The coverage applies to things like clothing but excludes many valuable items. Keep items like these with you rather than in your bags, as they are not covered:

• Eyeglasses, contact lenses, hearing aids, dentures and prosthetics.

• Cash, coins, traveler's checks, securities, tickets and valuable documents.

• Cameras, sporting equipment and furniture.

• See the full list of exclusions here.

Guidance for filing a claim:

1. Report missing luggage to the carrier immediately. If your luggage is missing, you must file a report with the airline before you leave the airport; get a copy of the report.

2. Ensure your luggage is truly "lost." In most cases, lost luggage isn't really lost at all — just delayed or misdirected — and arrives at its intended destination on another flight within a day or so. Airlines typically consider a bag lost when it doesn't turn up within five to 14 days, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

3. Notify Visa within 20 days of the loss. Start the process at eclaimsline.com or call 800-546-9806. Although Visa will not be the first place you go for reimbursement, you still have to put in this notification to be eligible to file a claim with Visa later on.

4. File a claim with the airline. Under federal law, airlines are liable for up to $3,500 per passenger for lost baggage, although individual airlines can offer more coverage if they want.

5. File a claim through your personal insurance. Assuming that the money you get from the airline isn't enough to cover your loss, your next step is any insurance policy you have — such as homeowners insurance or renters insurance — that covers lost possessions. Visa's coverage kicks in only after your other insurance does.

6. File a claim with Visa within 90 days of the loss. This benefit covers anything left over after the airline and your personal insurance (if you have it) pay.

THINGS TO CONSIDER