No one plans to get stranded without gas or to lock their keys in the car. But it happens — often at the most inconvenient time. Not to mention the pesky way Canadian winters can interfere, draining your car’s battery or wedging your vehicle in the snow.
Roadside assistance can help cover the unexpected costs of emergency roadside services, whether you need winching out of mud or a snowbank, or fuel delivery.
What is roadside assistance?
A roadside assistance program connects drivers with towing and other emergency services free of charge or at a discounted rate under a plan, usually an annual membership. For instance, if your car breaks down at the side of the road or you have a flat tire, you can call your roadside assistance company for help, and they will send a tow truck at no additional cost.
However, there are some restrictions. Most companies have a kilometre radius for repairs, meaning they will take you to the closest service centre within a certain distance. There may be other exclusions, like the cost of labour and parts, or a tire change if a spare is not readily available. It is beneficial to read the terms and conditions of any program before you need to use it to avoid unwelcome surprises.
Many drivers will purchase roadside assistance through an auto manufacturer, an association, or a financial institution. However, there is one more option: your credit card. Roadside assistance is a rare feature offered by only a handful of cards — for free to cardholders.
Here are the best credit cards with complimentary roadside assistance.
| Our top picks | |||
|
Credit card |
Roadside assistance |
Annual fee |
First-year value** |
|
BMO Roadside Assistance Program (basic coverage) |
$120 (First year waived) |
$745 |
|
|
Deluxe TD Auto Club Membership |
$120 (First year rebated) |
$571 |
|
|
Roadside Assistance Gold Plan* |
$0 |
$458 |
|
**The RATESDOTCA Best of Finance methodology assumes the cardholder spends an average of $2,000 a month on their card to determine the first-year value. The calculation includes all welcome bonuses and promotional offers at the time of publishing.
1. BMO CashBack World Elite* Mastercard*
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Credit card summary
New BMO CashBack World Elite* Mastercard* members can earn up to 10% cash back for the first three months. Plus, pay no annual fee for the first year.
Regular features and benefits of this card include:
- Annual fee: $120
- Annual fee for additional cards: $50
- Earn 5% cash back on your first $500 in grocery purchases monthly.
- Earn 4% cash back on your first $300 in ground transportation purchases monthly.
- Earn 3% cash back on your first $300 in automobile and vehicle fuel purchases monthly, including electric vehicle charging.
- Earn 2% cash back on your first $500 in recurring monthly bill payments.
- Earn 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases.
Cardholders also get everyday benefits like roadside assistance, concierge services, and travel insurance.
Offer expiry date: December 6, 2022
Roadside assistance
The BMO CashBack World Elite* Mastercard* provides a free membership to the Dominion Automobile Association, including their BMO Roadside Assistance Program (basic coverage), a $69 annual value. You should find the full terms and conditions in your welcome package, along with any other perks and insurance coverage.
Cardholders can get battery boosts, emergency gas delivery (excludes the cost of gas), flat tire change, lockout services, winch services, and towing in Canada and the mainland United States. The coverage even extends to borrowed and rented passenger vehicles.
Some conditions include:
- Get up to four service calls annually per member.
- Members can get up to 10 litres of emergency gasoline, a sufficient amount to get the driver to the nearest gas station — excluding the cost of gas.
- In the event of a mechanical breakdown, you will be towed to the nearest qualified repair facility within 10 kilometres.
Refer to your coverage certificate or contact your credit card issuer for the full terms and conditions.
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2. TD Cash Back Visa Infinite* Card
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Credit card summary
The TD Cash Back Visa Infinite* Card offers 6% cash back on all purchases for the first three months up to a total spend of $2,000. That could add up to $120 cash back. Plus, TD will rebate the $120 annual fee for the first year.
This offer is not available for residents of Quebec. For Quebec residents, please click here.
Regular features and benefits of this card include:
- Annual fee: $120
- Annual fee for additional cards: $50
- Earn 3% in Cash Back Dollars for every $1 spent on eligible grocery and gas purchases and recurring bill payments.
- Earn 1% in Cash Back Dollars for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Cardholders get basic travel insurance coverage with this card, including travel medical insurance, delayed and lost baggage insurance, and auto rental collision/loss damage insurance. Not only that, but this card also features free Deluxe TD Auto Club Membership and Visa Infinite benefits for exclusive experiences and hotel perks.
Offer expiry date: December 5, 2021
Roadside assistance
The TD Cash Back Visa Infinite* Card may have the most comprehensive roadside assistance plan available through a credit card in Canada. Your Deluxe TD Auto Club Membership provides emergency roadside assistance like towing and lockouts, as well as emergency services for traffic collisions, stolen vehicles, hazardous weather, and more anywhere in Canada and the Continental United States.
The membership alone is valued at $79 per year; however, it can save you a lot more if you need to use the services. If you are unable to contact TD Auto Club for any reason, you can also submit a claim for reimbursement. For example, a driver could claim up to $250 for an emergency service call, like a dead battery.
Some conditions include:
- Get up to six service calls annually per membership.
- Stranded vehicles can get gas delivery, including the cost of up to 5 litres of emergency gasoline.
- In the event of a mechanical breakdown, you will be towed to the nearest service centre within 200 kilometres.
- Your spouse or dependent children (aged 16 to 22 living at home) can purchase an associate membership for a small annual fee.
Refer to your coverage certificate or contact your credit card issuer for the full terms and conditions.
3. Triangle World Elite Mastercard
Credit card summary
The Triangle World Elite Mastercard is the most rewarding card in the three-card series. Earn and redeem Canadian Tire Money at Canadian Tire stores and banner brands and get member-only perks like no-receipt returns and personalized offers.
Regular features and benefits of this card include:
- Annual fee: $0
- Annual fee for additional cards: $0
- Get five to seven cents per litre in CT Money at Gas+/Essence+ locations and participating Husky stations.
- Earn 4% in CT Money on qualifying purchases at Canadian Tire, Sport Chek, Mark’s/L’Équipeur, Atmosphere, Party City, Sports Rousseau, Hockey Experts, L’Entrepôt du Hockey.
- Earn 3% in CT Money on your first $12,000 in eligible grocery purchases annually, excluding Costco and Walmart.
- Earn 0.8% in CT Money on all other purchases.
This card also features shopping insurance, roadside assistance and 24/7 concierge services.
Roadside assistance
Triangle World Elite Mastercard members can choose between the vehicle plan — services apply to the car no matter the driver — or member plan — benefits apply to the member no matter the vehicle they are driving. Service starts once cardholders activate their Roadside Assistance Gold Plan online.
This plan typically costs members just under $100 annually; however, the Triangle World Elite Mastercard provides complimentary services to cardholders, including battery boosts, flat tire changes, lockout services, fuel delivery, extrication and winching, and trip accident assistance.
Some conditions include:
- Get up to five service calls annually per member.
- The fuel delivery service includes $5 of fuel; however, more can be purchased through the service provider.
- In the event of a mechanical breakdown, you will be towed to the destination of your choice within 250 kilometres.
Refer to your coverage certificate or contact your credit card issuer for the full terms and conditions.
Rates, product information and reward estimates are subject to change at any time and do not constitute financial advice. This post was not sponsored. RATESDOTCA may receive a referral fee from our partners or affiliate links featured on the site; however, our editorial choices are objective and free from bias. The opinions expressed in this article are purely those of RATESDOTCA; thus, the credit card issuers and partners are not responsible for any editorials or reviews that may appear. Please visit the associated brand’s website for complete and current terms and conditions on any product or service mentioned. The information in this article is accurate as of the date of this posting, October 13, 2021. Read our full disclaimer.
