Many premium rewards cards come with complimentary travel insurance, which can save you hundreds of dollars if you take an overseas holiday.
So if your credit card offers complimentary travel insurance, are you making the most of the cover offered? Canstar looks at the credit card travel insurance offered by leading credit card providers.
NB: below are approximate values, and age limits apply. For exact figures, please refer to each credit card's individual travel insurance policy.
TSB: Bank of the Year Credit Cards
For the fourth year in a row, Canstar's research shows that TSB leads the field across low-rate and rewards cards, plus the bank earned great feedback in our consumer satisfaction survey, encompassing over 3000 credit card users, across features including customer service, fees and online banking.
TSB's Platinum Mastercard delivers a competitive cashback of $1 for every $100 spent on eligible purchases, for an annual fee of $90. Plus it offers complimentary travel insurance:
TSB Platinum Mastercard
Use your card to pay for at least half your pre-paid travel expenses and you and your family will receive overseas and domestic travel insurance (children under 19).
Main points of policy cover:
- Cancellation of journey: $10,000 (including for domestic travel)
- Medical and repatriation expenses: unlimited
- Emergency dental: unlimited
- Accidental death or permanent total disablement: $100,000
- Personal baggage: $4000
- Rental Vehicle Excess: none
In addition, TSB cards come with three over types of insurance cover (T&Cs apply):
Purchase protection insurance
Offers 180 days' cover against theft or accidental damage over new personal items that you purchase with your eligible card:
- Limit per claim/per year: $675
- Excess per claim: Nil
Price protection insurance
Reimburses the price difference between the original price of an item you purchased with your card and the lower price for the exact same item as shown in a printed advertisement within 30 days of your original purchase.
- Limit per claim: $500
- Limit in any 12-month period: $1000
- Excess per claim: Nil
- Available on all purchases $70+
Mobile phone protection insurance
Provides you with cover against accidental damage or theft of your eligible mobile phone if you pay for your monthly bill or prepaid top-up using your card.
- Limit per claim: $800
- Limit in any 12-month period: $1350
- Excess per claim: $55
American Express
When you book and pay for your return trip with your eligible Amex card, you can take advantage of complimentary domestic and overseas travel insurance for you, your spouse and your dependent children under the age of 23. An excess of $250 can apply.
Gold Rewards Card
Main points of policy cover:
- Cancellation of journey: $30,000
- Medical and repatriation expenses: $2.5m
- Emergency dental: $1000
- Accidental death or permanent total disablement: none
- Personal baggage: $30,00
- Rental vehicle excess: none
Platinum Card
Main points of policy cover:
- Cancellation of journey: $30,000
- Medical and repatriation expenses: $5m
- Emergency dental: $1000
- Accidental death or permanent total disablement: none
- Personal baggage: $30,00
- Rental vehicle excess: none
Airpoints Platinum Card
- Cancellation of journey: $30,000
- Medical and repatriation expenses: $5m
- Emergency dental: $1500
- Death costs: $15,000
- Public transport accident cover: $800,000
- Personal baggage: $20,00
- Rental vehicle: $150,000 overseas/$10,000 domestic
ANZ
Airpoints Visa Platinum
Use your card to pay for at least half your pre-paid travel expenses and you and your family will receive overseas travel insurance (children under 19). An excess of $200 can apply.
Main points of policy cover:
- Cancellation of journey: unlimited
- Medical and repatriation expenses: unlimited
- Emergency dental: unlimited
- Accidental death or permanent total disablement: $100,000
- Death costs: $25,000
- Personal baggage: $30,000
- Rental vehicle excess: $6000
BNZ
BNZ Advantage Visa Platinum
If you are a BNZ Advantage Visa Platinum holder at the time you make payment towards pre-paid travel costs, you receive travel insurance for you and your family (children under 19) and domestic rental car excess cover.
Main points of policy cover:
- Cancellation of journey: unlimited
- Medical and repatriation expenses: unlimited
- Emergency dental: unlimited
- Accidental death or permanent total disablement: $100,000
- Death costs: $20,000
- Personal baggage: $20,000
- Rental vehicle excess: $5000
Kiwibank
Platinum Visa
Receive complimentary travel insurance if you use your card to pay for $500+ of your overseas travel arrangements, or $250 of domestic travel plans.
Main points of policy cover:
- Cancellation of Journey: Unlimited
- Medical and Repatriation Expenses: From $100,00 to unlimited, depending on region
- Emergency Dental: $1500
- Accidental Death: $50,000
- Personal Baggage: $10,000 to $40,000 depending on region
- Rental Vehicle Excess: $2000
Westpac
If you hold any of the cards listed below and use it to pay for at least $500 (or $250 if travelling only to Australia and/or a South Pacific Island) of your pre-paid travel costs, you are eligible for overseas travel insurance cover for you and your family (children under 19):
- Westpac Airpoints Platinum Mastercard: up to 35 days' overseas travel insurance
- Westpac Airpoints World Mastercard: up to 120 days' overseas travel insurance
- hotpoints Platinum Mastercard: overseas travel insurance for up to 35 days per round trip, with no limit to the number of trips you can take each year
- hotpoints World Mastercard: overseas travel insurance for up to 120 days per round trip, with no limit to the number of trips you can take each year
Main points of policy cover:
- Cancellation of Journey: Unlimited
- Medical and Repatriation Expenses: Unlimited
- Emergency Dental: Unlimited
- Accidental Death: Up to $100,000
- Personal Baggage: $20,000
- Rental Vehicle Excess: $5000
In addition, all the above Westpac cards come with purchase protection and extended warranty insurance (T&Cs apply):
Purchase protection insurance
Offers 90 days cover against theft or accidental damage over new personal items that you purchase with your eligible card:
- Limit per claim/per year: $3000/$125,000
- Excess per claim: Nil
Extended warranty insurance
Offers up to 12 months of extended warranty on personal items that you purchase with your eligible card.
- Limit per year: $10,000
Credit card travel insurance
If you are going to make use of your credit card's travel insurance, there are some important points that you should keep in mind. And if you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact your credit card/insurance provider:
- Always check your eligibility and that your insurance is in place before you travel – don't take it for granted that you're covered
- Check age limits: those over 75 are not automatically covered, and different providers have different rules about when children stop being covered by family insurance
- It's vital you check that any traveller's pre-existing medical conditions are covered, many serious ailments aren't covered by travel insurance
- Check the duration of the cover, most insurance is for trips between 40-90 days. For longer periods, you might be able to pay extra to extend your cover
- Most credit card travel insurance requires you to put your travel purchases on your card, but exceptions can be made, for example if using your card to book incurs a fee. For example, you can still be eligible for ANZ's card's insurance cover if you pay for your trip directly from an ANZ account, if using your card would have incurred an extra payment charge
- If you've won your trip, or been gifted it, you may still be eligible to claim your card's complimentary travel insurance cover
- Check any excesses you might have to pay in the event of a claim
