Does GEICO roadside assistance have a towing miles limit?

GEICO towing coverage is part of the GEICO Emergency Road Service package, which can be added to an auto insurance policy for as little as $14 per car per year.

GEICO's towing package includes:

• Towing in the event of a breakdown
• Labor to change flat tires
• Jumpstarts for dead car batteries… read full answer
• Lockout services for up to $100

The towing part of the package covers any towing that’s not related to a car accident, like a flat tire or anytime your car won’t start. You can contact GEICO for towing assistance from anywhere, via the GEICO mobile app (GEICO’s preferred method) or by calling 800-861-8380. Once help is requested, GEICO will tow your car to the closest repair shop at no cost to you.

If you want your car towed to a specific location that is farther away, you may have to pay the towing fee yourself at the time of service and request reimbursement from GEICO. It generally takes 3 to 5 business days to be reimbursed. The reimbursement may be total or partial, depending on how much farther the tow was to your requested destination than to the suggested “closest” location. For example, if the closest repair shop is a mile away, but you want your car to be towed to your preferred shop that’s 5 miles away, you may have to pay for the extra 4 miles yourself.

You can also ask that your car be towed to your home. The distance will determine if the service is fully covered upfront, fully reimbursable, or only partially covered. The best way to find out what you will be paying is to ask your tow truck driver in advance if the service cost will be fully covered by your GEICO insurance. Often, you can negotiate the cost, especially if the towing company wants your business.

There is no official limit to how often you can use GEICO’s non-collision towing service. However, if you use it more than 3-5 times within a year, you may receive a caution letter from GEICO or even have your coverage cancelled.

If you don’t already have GEICO’s Emergency Road Service, you can easily add it to your current GEICO policy. Log in to your online account using a browser or mobile app, or call GEICO’s customer service to have an employee add it for you. Note that you need to add coverage for each car if you have more than one vehicle on your policy and want each of them to be covered. If you only use one car for long trips or lengthy commutes, you might not need roadside coverage for all of your cars.

Visa roadside assistance covers standard towing, tire changes, jumpstarts, locksmiths, fuel delivery, and winching for any Visa credit card or debit card customer. Visa Roadside Dispatch, as the program is officially known, costs $69.95 per service call. That amount must be charged to your Visa card. But there is no fee or registration required for access. And there’s no limit to how many times you can use this service. You simply call … read full answer(800) 847-2869 anytime you need Visa Roadside assistance, 24/7.

Visa roadside service coordinates your service request with local contractors. So, additional services may be available at a higher cost. For example, additional fees apply to tows over 5 miles and winching exceeding 100 ft.

Here is what Visa roadside assistance covers:

1. Jumpstarting – Battery boost
2. Standard Towing – Up to 5 miles included
3. Tire Changing – You must have usable, inflated spare
4. Lockout Service – No key replacement
5. Fuel Delivery – Up to 5 gallons, plus the cost of fuel
6. Standard Winching – On up to 100 ft. of paved or county-maintained road.

Visa Roadside Dispatch is not free but it may cost less than other local options. If you do not have the time to compare cost, you can at least rely on Visa roadside assistance being available 24/7.

The best credit card with free roadside assistance is the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard. The coverage includes towing up to 10 miles, winching, jump starts, flat tire changes, lockout service and delivery of up to 2 gallons of gas. The cardholder has to pay for towing over 10 miles, but all other services are completely free. There’s no limit to the number of free services per year. The AAdvantage Executive card’s annual fee is $0 for the first year and $99 after. Some of the additional perks helping to cover that cost include 20,000 points for spending $5,000 in the first 3 months and a complimentary Admirals Club airport lounge membership.… read full answer

Another card with free service is Amex Platinum. But it only provides assistance up to 4 times per year at no cost. After that, you have to pay. The Platinum card does have a $550 annual fee. But it offers plenty more to make up for it, like an initial bonus of 75,000 points.