What you should know about credit card travel insurance
If you’ve got a premium credit card in your wallet, you probably have complimentary or included travel insurance on your account. So, what should you know about credit card travel insurance? We’ll go through the basics here. Read on!
How does credit card travel insurance work?
Many credit cards offer extra features on their credit cards to attract new customers. A common extra is overseas travel insurance, which covers you for your trip if something goes wrong.
You will usually need to activate the travel insurance on your credit card. Make sure you double-check your terms and conditions, so you know how to activate it. For example, you may need to:
- Pay for your return flights using your credit card
- Pay a set amount for your overseas trip using your credit card
Is it really free?
Extra features such as travel insurance are often available on premium credit cards with gold, platinum, or higher status. While you may not have to pay a specific fee to activate and use your credit card travel insurance, the cost is often built into the higher annual fee of the credit card.
What’s included?
Credit card travel insurance usually covers:
- Medical expenses from illness or injury
- Lost luggage
- Theft
- Cancelled flights
However, it usually doesn’t cover:
- Injury from extreme sports
- Illness caused by a pre-existing medical condition
- Pregnancy-related costs
- Loss from acts of terrorism, war and some natural disasters
- Loss of unattended luggage
- Claims for travel to areas where an official travel warning has been issued
- Loss due to the financial failure of an airline, hotel, travel operator, or travel agent
It’s a good idea to read through the insurance policy so you know exactly what is covered, who is covered, the cover limits, and the exclusions. If your policy doesn’t cover everything you need it to, you may need to consider taking out a separate travel insurance policy.
How do I make a claim?
First, check your policy documents to see how to make a claim. You will usually need to contact the insurer directly or through your Internet banking portal to lodge a claim with the required documents, such as proof of travel, doctor’s reports, police reports, proof of purchase etc. Don’t forget to keep a copy of your claim and all the documents!
