Travel and Emergency Assistance Services

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The travel and emergency assistance service is a benefit which is available on Visa Signature and Visa Travel Money cards. They may be available with other cards but it is wise to check with your card issuer to find out whether this benefit is applicable to you. The service provided is one of referral and assistance only. It will not pay for medical costs, legal bills, any cash advances, or costs of transportation should they be required. The responsibility for any of these charges rests with the cardholder.

Benefits of this Service

The benefit of this service is that it provides you with help when you need it. Cardholders are never more than one telephone call away from receiving assistance. You will be given the appropriate assistance with whatever your individual requirement might be should it be medical or legal assistance or help with arranging transport.

The emergency service covers immediate family members traveling with the cardholder (including spouse and children under 22 years of age) and Visa has a network of toll free telephone numbers available for travelers outside of the United States and the service is available at any time of the day or night. Indeed the service is available all year round (24 hours a day, days a week, 365 days of the year).

There is no additional charge to cardholders for this service. Visa makes every effort to respond to every emergency but cannot be held responsible should assistance not be available due to distance, remote location, etc.

Services that are Covered

There are a number of services which are covered in the Visa Travel and Emergency Service Package. First of all, there is an emergency message service available that can record messages and relay them for traveling people, business associates, and/or immediate family members should an emergency arise. Again, while every effort is made to transmit such messages, Visa cannot be held liable for any message that fails to be successfully transmitted.

The second service offered is a medical referral assistance service which will provide not only referrals to medical help but also any follow-up or monitoring assistance. You will have access to a network of English speaking medical staff including doctors, nurses, dentists, and hospitals through the benefit administrator. They can assign a medic to consult with local medical staff by telephone to ensure contact with family members is maintained as well as being able to monitor and liaise on your condition. They can assist with arrangement of payment of any associated medical costs directly from your Visa account or through your personal bank. Again it should be noted that it is an assistance service and that all costs incurred remain the responsibility of the cardholder.

A third benefit is a legal referral assistance which provides similar assistance as the medical one in that the service can make arrangements to put you in touch with English speaking lawyers and contact local embassies or consulates depending on your individual circumstances. Additionally, help is available should any payments (e.g., bail) be required to be made by arranging for monies to be charged to your Visa card or personal bank account and that all bail conditions have been correctly adhered to. Again, the responsibility for any costs incurred rests with the cardholder.

Other benefits included in the service include assistance with transport in emergency situations as well as travel ticket replacement for lost or stolen tickets. The service can provide assistance with any claims procedure in respect of lost luggage and will even arrange for shipment of replacement items in the event of misplacement by your carrier.

Conclusion

Visa travel and emergency assistance services provide cardholders with an excellent range of help to the traveler and immediate family so that should you encounter any difficulties on your travels away from home, you will have the assistance that you need on the other end of a telephone line.

Travel and Emergency Assistance Services (Visa Benefits)