The Canadian Automobile Association has a reputation for being the membership your parents relied on – maps in the glove box, guidebooks for road trips and a tow truck when you needed it.
I haven’t been a CAA member for almost 20 years, thanks to free roadside coverage from one of my credit cards. But after taking another look, I was stunned at how much has changed. CAA has reinvented itself with benefits beyond towing, offering real‑world value that most credit card issuers haven’t caught up to.
Rather than offering airport lounge access, which has been the most popular and overrated credit card benefit for years, CAA has become more practical. While roadside assistance remains a core perk, all members also have access to doctors and nurses through Maple, a virtual health care provider that’s available 24/7.
After creating an account, just open the Maple app, share your symptoms and within minutes, you’re talking to a health care professional. They can diagnose issues, write prescriptions, order tests and make referrals to specialists. Prescriptions can be sent to your pharmacy or delivered right to you.
With an estimated six million Canadians lacking a family doctor – and many others waiting days or weeks for appointments with their regular doctor – virtual care isn’t a nice‑to‑have, it can be a lifeline.
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Getting quick access to a doctor means people can get the medication they need fast without dragging themselves into work sick, spreading germs or adding to already packed clinics and emergency rooms meant for urgent cases.
CAA isn’t the only one recognizing the value of virtual care. The BMO Ascend World Elite Business Mastercard also includes five free Maple visits each year, with a $149 annual fee.
When you stack up the costs, the value is more obvious. Maple’s unlimited family plan, which covers your spouse and dependants under age 18, costs $85 a month and can be paused at any time.
CAA gives you access to the same virtual care at a fraction of the cost. A Premier Membership is $151 a year for unlimited Maple consults. That’s less than two months of Maple on its own. Plus Members ($121 a year) get five consults, while Basic ($77 a year) and Everyday ($30 a year) Members get one each.
Even if you don’t drive and have no need for roadside assistance, there’s a clear case to be made that a membership is worth getting for the health care access alone, but that’s not the only innovative benefit of interest.
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All CAA Members get access to free cybersecurity education powered by cyberconIQ. This perk might not grab everyone’s attention, but with Canadians losing more than $700-million to fraud last year, having this tool is more relevant than ever.
CyberconIQ starts out by personalizing your risk profile with a quick questionnaire. From there, it gives you tailored tips on avoiding scams, strengthening passwords and protecting your financial information based on the threats you’re most likely to fall for.
Despite all the new perks, CAA hasn’t lost sight of its roots. Roadside assistance is still the backbone of the membership, but even that’s been refreshed with Bike Assist. If your bicycle breaks down and can’t be fixed on the spot, CAA will pick you and your bike up and get you to where you need to go.
The best part? CAA puts every perk and how to use it on one clear, dedicated page. Meanwhile, figuring out your credit card benefits sometimes requires you to read through pages of fine print.
For years, travel cards have relied on the same predictable perks while consumer expectations have moved on. People want benefits that make their lives easier, not just their airport layovers. If credit card providers want to stay competitive, they need perks that deliver real, immediate value.
CAA is already showing what that looks like. It’s taken a legacy benefit and layered on perks that solve everyday problems Canadians face right now. If you stepped away from the program, it might be time to take another look.
Barry Choi is a personal finance and travel expert at moneywehave.com. He was previously affiliated with CAA and Bank of Montreal but currently has no relationship with either brand.