Credit cards with roadside assistance

Written by

Holly D. Johnson,

Edited by

Liz Bingler,

Reviewed by

Claire Dickey,

Expert verified

Published on June 02, 2022 | 4 min read

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Roadside assistance or dispatch is a common credit card perk that is typically offered in the form of a hotline consumers can call when they need roadside help. Services offered may include battery jump-starting, flat tire service, fuel delivery, lockout assistance, towing and more.

To take advantage of credit card roadside assistance or dispatch, consumers simply need to carry a card that offers this coverage. Any time they need to utilize the roadside assistance their card offers, they can call the dedicated hotline and ask for the type of help they need.

If you’re wondering how credit card roadside assistance works or which cards offer it, you’re in the right place. Plenty of credit cards offer roadside coverage, albeit with varying levels of assistance and their own set of rules.

Compare credit cards with roadside assistance

Before you look for credit cards with roadside assistance, you should know that the coverage offered with credit cards is not as robust as the coverage you might get with a paid roadside assistance program offered through AAA, Allstate Motor Club, Good Sam Roadside Assistance or another provider.

It should be noted that some credit cards only offer roadside dispatch, which is a lesser benefit. With roadside dispatch, you can access a hotline that will connect you with the services you need, when you need them, for a fee. Roadside dispatch is complimentary, but you will still have to pay for roadside services. Other credit cards offer roadside assistance that’s covered up to a certain dollar amount per service for a certain number of events.

That said, the following table highlights the top cards that offer roadside assistance or roadside dispatch, as well as the major details you should be aware of.

Cards that offer roadside assistance	Annual fee	Welcome bonus	Type of roadside assistance offered	Coverage limits	Contact information
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card	$95	60,000 points when you spend $4,000 within 3 months of account opening	Towing, tire changing, jump-starting, lockout service, fuel delivery and more	Coverage is complimentary but you pay a set rate for services	Call 1-800-847-2869 for roadside assistance
Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card	$95	50,000 points when you spend $3,000 within 90 days of account opening	Emergency roadside assistance, towing, locksmith services and more	Coverage is complimentary, but you pay a set rate for services	See cardholder agreement
Chase Freedom Unlimited®	$0	An additional 1.5% cash back on top of all purchases’ original cash back rate (on up to $20,000) for the first year (offer through Bankrate)	Towing, tire changing, jump-starting, lockout service, fuel delivery and more	Coverage is complimentary, but you pay a set rate for services	Call 1-800-847-2869 for roadside assistance
Chase Sapphire Reserve ®	$550	60,000 points when you spend $4,000 within 3 months of account opening	Towing, tire changing, jump-starting, lockout service, fuel delivery and more	Covered up to $50 per service event, up to 4 events per year	Call Cross Country Motor Club at 1-866-860-7978
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi	$0 with your Costco membership	None	Towing, battery charging, duel delivery and more	Coverage is complimentary, but you pay a set rate for services	See cardholder agreement

Best credit cards with roadside assistance

While many credit cards offer roadside assistance or roadside dispatch as a standard cardholder perk, a few stand out due to their features and benefits.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: Best for earning flexible travel rewards

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the best flexible rewards cards on the market today. Not only can you redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for gift cards, merchandise or statement credits, but you can use them to book travel through Chase or for 1:1 point transfers to Chase airline and hotel partners. When you use points from this card to book travel through the Chase portal, you’ll even get 25 percent more value for your rewards.

Also note that this card comes with additional benefits outside of roadside assistance. As an example, cardholders also get auto rental coverage, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance, trip delay coverage and more.

Bank of America Premium Rewards credit card: Best for Bank of America customers

The Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card is worth considering for existing Bank of America customers who belong to the Bank of America Preferred Rewards program. After all, members of this program who meet minimum balance requirements for eligible accounts can earn an extra 25 percent to 75 percent more rewards for each dollar they spend.

In addition to roadside dispatch, this card also comes with trip delay reimbursement, baggage delay coverage, trip cancellation and interruption insurance and plenty of other perks.

Chase Freedom Unlimited: Best for earning cash back

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is one of the most lucrative cash back credit cards on the market today since you can earn 5 percent back on travel booked through Chase, 3 percent back on dining and drugstore purchases and 1.5 percent back on all other purchases. New cardholders can also get 0 percent APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months (followed by a variable APR of 18.74 percent to 27.49 percent), which can help them save on interest as they pay down a large purchase over time or consolidate debt from other cards.

In addition to roadside assistance, this card also comes with other benefits like auto rental coverage and trip cancellation and interruption coverage.

The bottom line

Ultimately, credit cards with roadside assistance or roadside dispatch are worth exploring. Not only do they offer roadside benefits you can count on, but they let you earn rewards on your spending while accessing other travel perks, too.

With that in mind, be sure to compare the top travel credit cards not only in terms of their roadside assistance perks, but also see how they stack up based on their ongoing rewards programs, welcome bonuses and additional perks. The best credit card for you may offer roadside assistance benefits, but it should also offer a rewards structure you’re excited about.