The Best Roadside Assistance You’ve Never Heard Of

Most of us have heard of AAA, USAA, AARP, and other big car clubs, memberships, and organizations. These groups help make drivers’ lives easier by offering roadside services, membership benefits, and discounts.

Outside of the big clubs and memberships, however, there are a whole host of organizations that offer excellent emergency assistance services and other benefits. While these might not be the biggest groups in the country, we think they’re worth looking at for their competitive rates and niche services.

Motor Club of America

Founded in 1926, Motor Club of America (MCA) has brought peace of mind to millions of drivers for nearly a century. MCA is a roadside assistance service available to drivers in the U.S. and Canada. It has two primary membership plans, which provide the following benefits and services.

© Motor Club of America MCA Security vs. Total Security plan

DID YOU KNOW? In the U.S. alone, 220 million drivers have to replace flat tires each year, and only 19 percent of U.S. drivers know how to do it.^1 2

The Good Sam Club

The Good Sam Club (short for “good samaritan”) offers roadside assistance subscriptions, membership benefits, and travel assistance for RVs and cars. The RV-focused club started in 1966. What began as a few charters in select states has turned into a national organization with more than 1.3 million members.

The Good Sam Club offers three subscription models: Good Sam membership, Travel Assist, and Roadside Assistance. Here’s a basic breakdown of what each offers.

© Good Sam Good Sam Club subscription models

Auto Insurance Roadside Services

One of the cheapest ways to get roadside assistance is to sign up for the optional roadside assistance program through your provider. Your major providers – State Farm, GEICO, Progressive, Liberty Mutual, etc.– all have their own roadside assistance programs that you can add to your policy. While some services may differ from provider to provider, you will get the standard towing, winching, field delivery, and tire change from every big provider.

And if, for whatever reason, you don’t want roadside assistance from your particular provider, Allstate offers a roadside motor club membership to non-existing customers. That means you can get all the roadside services you need without being an Allstate customer. Allstate’s starting roadside assistance rate is $8 per month.

PRO TIP: AARP’s roadside assistance program is serviced by Allstate. AARP members earn a 20 percent discount when they sign up for Allstate’s roadside assistance program.³

Credit Card Companies

Believe it or not, you may not need roadside assistance from a provider or third-party member if you can get it from your credit card company. Some credit card companies, like Visa, charge a flat rate per service, while others have a maximum charge, like Chase. Here’s a breakdown of the rates, services, and features of these roadside options.

© Visa, Mastercard, Chase Credit card companies' roadside assistance programs

Citations

1. BACK TO SEARCH TIRE BLOWOUT SEASON IS UPON US, AS 40 MILLION AMERICANS HIT THE ROAD FOR THE FOURTH OF JULY HOLIDAY TRAVEL PERIOD. AAA. (2018, Jul 3).
2. https://cluballiance.aaa.com/public-affairs/press-release?rdl=midatlantic.aaa.com&Id=9a57c237-2745-4df1-8ced-699bb2662086
3. Tires. United States Department of Transportation. (2019).
4. https://www.nhtsa.gov/equipment/tires
5. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, 24 HOURS A DAY. AARP. (2023).
6. https://www.aarproadside.com/aarp/