Best Cancel For Any Reason Travel Insurance
Travel insurance reimburses you for travel-related expenses such as canceled flights, travel delays and lost luggage. It often also covers overseas medical care and evacuation expenses. Various stipulations govern what you can use travel insurance for and under what circumstances you can claim it.
However, basic travel insurance policies will only cover trip cancellation for specific reasons and circumstances — unless you have a “cancel for any reason” rider.
As its name suggests, cancel-for-any-reason travel insurance allows you to cancel a trip for any reason at all and receive partial reimbursement on all non-refundable travel expenses.
Cancel-for-any-reason insurance isn't a stand-alone insurance policy. Rather, it's a rider or optional feature that some insurance providers offer for certain policies.
To help you choose the best international travel insurance with a cancel-for-any-reason rider, we've put together the following list of the seven best insurance providers for this type of coverage.
And, for more information on the top travel insurance companies, see our complete guide to the best travel insurance companies in America.
Our Top Picks for the Best “Cancel for Any Reason” Travel Insurance
- Seven Corners - Best for Comprehensive Coverage
- HTH Travel Insurance - Best Maximum Insurance Amount
- Travelex - Best Coverage for Emergencies
- Trawick International - Best for Reimbursement
- Roam Right - Best Cancelation Time Frame
- John Hancock Insurance Agency - Best for Travel Delay Coverage
Best “Cancel for Any Reason” Travel Insurance Policies Reviews
- High coverage limits for a range of activities
- Longer than average purchase availability
- Covers a comprehensive range of liabilities
- 24/7 customer support available
- Doesn't cover adventure sports activities
- Will not pay out in the event a travel supplier stops operations
Why we chose it: Seven Corners offers extremely generous coverage at a competitive price.
In addition to its excellent coverage limits, Seven Corners offers a well-rounded policy that's fairly comprehensive in the range of activities for which it will indemnify you. With this plan, you’ll get coverage for medical and non-medical evacuation, medical fees, trip expenses, baggage loss and travel delays.
Its weather and hurricane coverage covers up to $20,000 in evacuation fees which is higher than what many competitors provide. It also offers 24/7 phone support. Seven Corners gives you 20 days from your initial trip deposit to purchase the cancel-for-any-reason add-on. By contrast, many insurers only give you 14 days.
On consumer review websites, it holds generally favorable reviews. Many recent negative reviews mention an unreasonably long processing time for COVID-19-related claims. Meanwhile, positive reviews mentioned superior customer service and knowledgeable staff members.
However, please note that Seven Corners will not pay out if a travel supplier ceases operations. If your tour company goes bust, you'll be on the hook for your prepaid tour plan.
- High medical coverage
- $2,000 trip delay coverage per person after six hours
- The cancellation window extends up to 48 hours prior to departure time
- Pays up to 75% of your trip cost
- Insurance must be purchased within 10 days of the initial deposit
- Baggage delay coverage only kicks in after 12 hours
Why we chose it: HTH Travel Insurance earned our top spot for maximum insurance amount due to its trip interruption coverage that will reimburse you for up to 200% of the trip cost.
HTH stands out for its medical and evacuation coverage. Its $2,000 trip delay coverage is generous by the standards of most major insurers and kicks in after just six hours. For example, John Hancock’s Silver Plan provides a $750 maximum for trip delay coverage.
Additionally, while some insurers give you up to 72 hours before the start of the trip. By contrast, HTH lets you cancel within 48 hours of the trip deadline.
We looked at online customer reviews to see what they had to say about the service. Most of the positive reviews centered on a fast and easy claims process. However, several negative reviews complained about poor communication and customer service.
One of the major downsides to using HTH insurance is that you must buy it within 10 days of your initial trip deposit. This is below the industry standard of 14 days. Another inconvenience is its baggage delay coverage, which only becomes available after 12 hours of waiting.
- 24/7 customer support
- 96% claim rate payout
- Refunds available up to 48 hours before the trip start date
- Adults receive free coverage for their children
- Must be bought within 14 days of the initial trip coverage
- Only offers up to 50% reimbursement for your total non-refundable costs
Why we chose it: Travelex lets you cancel anytime up to 48 hours before the start of the trip, making it a fantastic choice for travelers who need emergency coverage.
Customers in need of assistance can call anytime. Travelex provides 24/7 customer support, and the provider boasts a 96% claim payout rate.
The service provider also received mostly positive reviews on major review websites. Many commented on fair prices and travel benefits. Most of the negative reviews centered on lengthy reimbursement wait times.
Unfortunately, the amount you receive back might not be much. Unlike some of the other insurers on our list, which offer up to 75% of your trip's nonrefundable costs, Travelex will only pay for up to half of your trip's total cost.
Still, Travelex might be a good option if you have children as every adult with cancel-for-any-reason coverage gets automatic coverage for an accompanying minor.
- Pays up to 75% of your non-refundable trip costs
- $35,000 rental car coverage
- May cover your pet's medical costs
- 21-day purchase window from your initial deposit
- Customer complaints on the BBB website regarding claims processing time
Why we chose it: Trawick International made our list as the best for reimbursement because it offers up to 75% for non-refundable travel expenses and competitive cap-out amounts.
Trawick offers reasonably priced cancel-for-any-reason coverage for up to 75% of your trip's total non-refundable cost. The coverage is comprehensive and covers multiple expense types, including medical care and non-refundable car rental costs. Depending on your destination, you may even receive reimbursement for non-refundable pet medical costs.
You have up to 21 days from your first deposit to purchase the cancel-for-any-reason coverage. This is quite a bit better than the 14-day industry standard. However, coverage limits for some items are quite low. For example, Trawick will only cover up to $200 for luggage delay with a 24-hour waiting period under its Safe Travel Explorer plan. However, their more expensive plan options offer greater coverage limits.
Customer reviews on major review websites trend positive. Positive reviewers note helpful customer service agents and a seamless claims process. Negative reviews focused on the claims process, which some customers felt took too long.
- Can cancel any time before 48 hours from departure
- 21 days in which to purchase from initial deposit
- Will reimburse up to 75% of your travel costs
- 24/7 emergency assistance hotline
- Some insurance plans offer uncompetitive rates to rewards ratio
- Average customer reviews on major review websites
Why we chose it: With Roam Right, you can get a longer time frame during which you can choose to cancel your trip.
Roam Right gives you 21 days from your initial deposit to purchase the policy, and you can use it right up until 48 hours before your trip, making it our top choice for the best cancellation time frame.
Roam Right offers competitive cancellation assistance, covering up to 75% of your total nonrefundable travel costs. While it's a smaller player in the insurance field, it's backed by Arch Insurance Company which is more established.
Online review websites give Roam Right an average rating. Common customer complaints state that the company makes the claim process unnecessarily difficult. Positive reviews mentioned solid customer service and solid rental car coverage.
- Benefits become available after a three-hour delay
- Reimbursement limit of 75% of your nonrefundable fees
- Can cancel up to 48 hours prior to your trip
- Cancel-for-any-reason policy may be purchased at three plan levels
- On the pricier end of the spectrum
Why we chose it: John Hancock took our top spot for travel delay coverage insurance due to its industry-leading delay deadline.
Unlike some of the other plans on this list, John Hancock offers a cancel-for-any-reason rider for multiple plan levels. You can add it to the bronze, silver and gold plans making this a solid choice for budget and luxury travelers alike.
While John Hancock does charge premium prices, customer feedback from trusted review websites tends to be overwhelmingly positive. This insurance provider offers higher-than-average coverage limits. For example, John Hancock provides up to $2,500 per person for lost baggage. Many companies cap this amount at well under $1,000. It also lets you cancel your trip up to 48 hours from departure time.
John Hancock will reimburse you for up to 75% of your non-refundable travel-related purchases. This ranks toward the top end of what you can expect from a cancel-for-any-reason policy.
Other cancel for any reason travel insurance providers we considered
The following travel insurance providers offer quality insurance plans with cancel-for-any-reason riders. However, other insurance providers better met our standards.
C&F Travel Insured
C&F Travel Insured offers many of the same features as some of the other competitors on our list. However, its low emergency medical benefits and poor customer review ratings disqualified it from inclusion on our main list.
- Provides up to 75% reimbursement on non-refundable travel expenses
- Purchase available for 21 days from initial travel deposit
- Poor customer ratings
- Online reviews complain about lengthy claims processing times
- Low emergency medical benefits coverage
TravelSafe
Established in 1971, TravelSafe has a long history as an insurance broker. While its offerings are in line with the competition, its lack of cancel-for-any-reason coverage for its basic plan kept it out of our main list.
- Cancel for any reason available for purchase up to 21 days from the initial deposit
- Covers up to 75% of non-refundable trip costs
- Can cancel up to 48 hours before the trip begins
- Lack of online reviews
- Cancel for any reason not offered on the basic plan
Tin Leg
Tin Leg offers reasonably priced insurance products with solid benefits. However, its relatively low maximum insurable trip cost prevented it from making our main list.
- Reasonably priced
- Sports equipment covered
- $500,000 medical and evacuation coverage limits
- Only covers trips up to $30,000
- Baggage loss coverage only extends to $500 per person
- Rental car coverage not included
- Baggage delay coverage not available until 24 hours have passed
Best Cancel for Any Reason Travel Insurance Guide
We've put together the following guide to help you navigate the best travel insurance with a cancel-for-any-reason add-on. This guide will cover important questions related to cancel-for-any-reason travel insurance.
What is cancel for any reason travel insurance?
Cancel-for-any-reason travel insurance is a rider or optional add-on for your travel insurance policy. As you probably inferred from the name, cancel-for-any-reason travel insurance reimburses you for your trip if you cancel it for any reason. This includes cancellations due to inclement weather, fear of travel, a change in plans or just a change of mind.
Despite the lenient cancellation policy, cancel for any reason travel insurance does come with several restrictions. Most policies only offer partial reimbursement, usually between 50% and 75% of the trip's total value. For example, if you booked a plane ticket for $1,000, an Airbnb for $500 and a non-refundable river cruise for $500, for a total cost of $2,000, then most policies would only refund you up to $1,500 or 75% of your trip's total purchase price.
With cancel-for-any-reason insurance, you must insure the entire trip. You cannot insure only a select portion, such as your plane ticket, accommodations or a guided tour.
Not all travel insurance plans provide cancel-for-any-reason riders. Always check with your insurer before you purchase your primary travel insurance policy to see if they're available. Most insurance companies have a deadline to purchase the coverage option. Often, you'll have two weeks from the initial trip payment to modify your travel insurance plans with a cancel-for-any-reason add-on.
How does cancel for any reason travel insurance work?
Cancel-for-any-reason travel insurance provides partial reimbursement for otherwise non-refundable travel expenses. Unlike other forms of travel insurance, cancel-for-any-reason travel insurance does not come with a list of pre-approved reasons under which trip cancellation is acceptable. Instead, you can cancel your trip for any reason at all.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people discovered that their travel insurance did not cover catastrophic events like pandemics. Cancel-for-any-reason travel insurance can help mitigate the risks posed by non-covered cancellation causes. Other common reasons for purchasing a cancel-for-any-reason rider include uncertainty that you'll get time off work or school, persistent health issues and competing travel plans.
Before buying cancel-for-any-reason travel insurance, it's important to assess your needs and your existing cancellation options. Travel insurance already covers many common reasons for canceling a trip. Your credit card may also provide a limited form of travel insurance.
Cancel-for-any-reason coverage typically costs about 50% of the underlying travel insurance policy. If your travel insurance policy costs $300, you can expect to pay an additional $150 in cancel-for-any-reason coverage or $450 total.
How to pick a cancel for any reason travel insurance
Before you make your purchase, it's important to research several different travel insurance companies. During your research, you should pay attention to the following factors.
Fine print
Every cancel-for-any-reason policy will have different limits and restrictions. For example, some policies will only cover up to 50% of your pre-paid, non-refundable expenses, while others will cover up to 75%. Most policies will have limits on individual coverage areas. One policy may offer up to $3,000 in luggage reimbursement, while another may only offer $2,000. Some policies are more expansive in their coverage range, while others are more restrictive. This can pop up in areas like rental car coverage.
When can you cancel
Just because you can cancel for any reason doesn't mean you can cancel anytime. Most policies restrict the time frame you can cancel your trip for a full refund. Generally speaking, most cancel-for-any-reason policies will let you cancel up to 48 to 72 hours before departure.
How much will be reimbursed
Unfortunately, you will not get a full refund with cancel-for-any-reason coverage. Insurance companies will only reimburse you for 50% to 75% of your trip's total non-refundable expenses, depending on the policy. This provides a penalty for travelers who take advantage of the option, which keeps the policy cost down to a manageable level. In addition to the total limit, individual limits apply to specific categories. For example, you may have a health insurance payout limit of $500,000 and a luggage reimbursement limit of $3,000.
Flexibility
The best cancel-for-any-reason travel insurance policies will offer a great deal of flexibility when it comes to coverage limitations. Some policies will only cover a single trip, while others will cover any travel during a predetermined period. For avid travelers, a flexible policy is a must to ensure that last-minute plan changes don't invalidate their policy.
How We Chose the Best Cancel for Any Reason Travel Insurance
When selecting the insurance providers for our list, we used several criteria.
Average cost-to-coverage limits ratio. The best providers aren't necessarily the cheapest. However, they give their clients a solid bang for their buck.
Broad coverage range. We favored providers that offered comprehensive coverage.
Customer reviews. We analyzed customer reviews in different review platforms and the BBB. Rankings by top industry bodies like AM Best, an insurance credit rating organization, also played into our selection process.
Summary of Money's Best Cancel for Any Reason Travel Insurance of 2023
- Seven Corners - Best for Comprehensive Coverage
- HTH Travel Insurance - Best Maximum Insurance Amount
- Travelex - Best Coverage for Emergencies
- Trawick International - Best for Reimbursement
- Roam Right - Best Cancelation Time Frame
- John Hancock Insurance Agency - Best for Travel Delay Coverage