Kiwibank complimentary credit card travel insurance. How does it work?

If you’re a Kiwi who’s keen to travel and explore new destinations, sorting out travel insurance is a must.

Whether purchased as a standalone policy or secured as a benefit of a credit card, ticking this off your to-do list pre-travel is strongly recommended.

Unsure, just how necessary it is? Consider this, data published by one insurer in 2019 showed over 1,691 travel claims were made by Kiwis just during visits to Australia, totalling more than 1.7 million dollars. ¹

In this guide, we’ll take a look at the credit card travel insurance offered through Kiwibank. Delving into who underwrites their policy, the main benefits, types of coverage, eligibility and more so you can travel with confidence.

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What is complimentary travel insurance with Kiwibank credit cards

The complimentary travel insurance offered by Kiwibank is a benefit linked to one of their credit card products.

It provides international travel insurance for up to 40 days to cardholders, their spouse or dependents so long as they meet the activation and eligibility criteria.²

Kiwibank credit cards with complimentary travel insurance

Kiwibank offers three credit card products currently³:

• Zero Visa
• Airpoints Low-fee Visa
• Airpoints Platinum Visa

The complimentary travel insurance, however, is only available to holders of the Airpoints Platinum Visa card.

Who Administers credit card travel insurance on behalf of Kiwibank

The insurance benefit offered through Kiwibank’s Airpoints Platinum Visa card is underwritten by insurer Tower Limited and managed by AWP Services New Zealand Limited trading as Allianz Partners.³

What are the main benefits of complimentary credit card insurance with Kiwibank

Typically, this complimentary travel insurance is intended to cover expenses relating to emergencies when you’re travelling abroad.

The following are a few of the coverage benefits offered with Kiwibank’s complimentary international travel insurance²:

• Emergency medical expenses and related expenses
• Overseas emergency assistance
• Personal baggage loss
• Cancellation and loss of deposits
• Money and travel documents
• Personal accident
• Personal liability
• Kidnap and ransom
• Rental vehicle excess

The maximum amount payable for each of these benefits varies depending on where you are travelling to.² You can see more details of this below.

Types of coverage offered by Kiwibank credit card insurance

As noted above, how much you claim for each event differs depending on where you are travelling to and whether it is an individual or family claim.

Below are just a few of the available benefits and their coverage limits for comparison. Please note, that a NZD$200 excess applies to every claim or loss that arises from the same event.²

Coverage	Limit	USA, Canada, Europe and Japan	Australia, South Pacific* and Bali only	Rest of the world (except USA, Canada, Europe, Japan, Australia, South Pacific* and Bali)
Overseas Medical	Per person Per family	Unlimited Unlimited	NZD$100,000 NZD$200,000	NZD$200,000 NZD$400,000
Personal Baggage	Per person Per family	NZD$20,000 NZD$40,000	NZD$10,000 NZD$20,000	NZD$20,000 NZD$40,000
Cancellation	Per person Per family	Unlimited Unlimited	Unlimited Unlimited	Unlimited Unlimited
Money & Travel Documents	Per person Per family	NZD$1000 NZD$2500	NZD$1000 NZD$2500	NZD$1000 NZD$2500
Rental Vehicle Excess	Per person Per family	NZD$2000 NZD$2000	NZD$2000 NZD$2000	NZD$2000 NZD$2000

As seen on 27 March 2024

• As per the policy wording, South Pacific means: Norfolk Island, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Nauru, Kiribati, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji, Tonga, the Samoa’s, Cook Islands, Niue, Tahiti and other island territories bounded by these countries.²

What’s not covered under this complimentary travel insurance

As with most insurance policies, exclusions apply to the type of coverage provided. This may affect coverage for certain activities, medical situations and circumstances.

Some of the policy exclusions that apply with Kiwibank’s complimentary credit card insurance include claims arising from²:

• Travelling against medical advice or while terminally ill
• Scuba diving without holding relevant training and qualifications
• Parachuting, hang or tow gliding, microlite flying, skydiving, paragliding and/or parasailing
• Competing in events
• Acts of terrorism
• Riding a quad bike or motorbike unless you’re driving one with a capacity of 200cc or less and you hold a valid Australian motorcycle licence or a licence valid for the country you’re in if your Australian licence isn’t recognised
• Claims arising from your involvement in criminal activity
• Claims arising due to your intoxication or the effect of your use of alcohol

There are significantly more exclusions related to this policy than outlined above. As such, we recommend reading the policy wording carefully to determine if coverage is appropriate for your needs.

Eligibility for Kiwibank credit card insurance

To be eligible for cover under this policy, you must be²:

• A citizen or permanent resident of New Zealand
• Aged under 80 years of age and
• Intending to return to New Zealand upon the completion of the trip

For your spouse or dependent children to be eligible, they must be travelling with you and you meet the activation criteria.

Additionally, your Airpoints Platinum Visa card must not have expired or been cancelled before or during your trip and must be used following the applicable terms and conditions.²

How to access this insurance – is it automatic for Kiwibank credit card holders

To access this insurance, you must meet the eligibility criteria outlined above and perform at least one of the activation criteria detailed below before departing New Zealand²:

• Purchased your overseas travel tickets or paid for your overseas travel itinerary items with your eligible Kiwibank credit card.
• For gifted or won travel or that booked using a loyalty points scheme, you can activate coverage by paying your remaining travel itinerary expenses using your Kiwibank credit card.
• Where you have no prepaid overseas travel itinerary items expenses because the trip was purchased for you, cover may be activated by calling Kiwibank and as per the acceptance terms applicable at the time of activation.

If eligibility and activation criteria have been met, coverage is automatic. However, it is wise to check directly with Kiwibank for confirmation if you are unsure.

As per Kiwibank, if needed in the event of a claim, your policy number is your 16-digit credit card number that is embossed on the front of the applicable card.²

Making a claim with Kiwibank complimentary travel insurance

It is important to note that you must advise Kiwibank immediately of any circumstances which may give rise to a claim.

Kiwibank requests that you contact their underwriter, Tower, as soon as you can after something goes wrong.⁴

• For pre-departure in New Zealand, you can call 0800 876 541 between 8:30 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday.
• When abroad you should call the Worldwide Emergency Assistance Service immediately on 64 (9) 985 5000.²

You will be directed as to the next steps by the phone operator. Where a claim form is requested to be completed, you can access this via Tower’s website.

They offer claims submission both online or via email, evidence may be requested to support your claim.⁵

A word on Kiwibank credit card insurance and COVID-19

This policy does not cover any loss resulting from claims associated with COVID-19.

It features a blanket pandemic exclusion clause meaning that any claims linked to a virus or disease that is declared to be an outbreak or epidemic by the relevant authorities will not be covered.²

Additional things to keep in mind

The complimentary insurance offered by Kiwibank with their Airpoints Platinum Visa may not necessarily be suitable for your needs. We suggest keeping in mind:

• Coverage is limited to 40 days per trip
• A spouse or dependent is only covered when travelling with the primary cardholder
• The cover is unavailable to those aged 80 and over
• Strict criteria must be met to activate the policy before departing
• Little to no coverage is offered for pre-existing conditions, approval must be sought in advance of travel²

Contacting Kiwibank

To speak with Kiwibank regarding their credit card travel insurance you can contact them at:

• 0800 876 541 within New Zealand, Monday to Friday between 8.30 am - 5 pm, or via
• +64 (9) 985 5000 from overseas, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

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Sources:

1. Allianz - Travel Claims Data pg. 1
2. Kiwibank - Travel Insurance Policy pgs, 4, 5, 7, 8, 19, 20, 22, 46,
3. Kiwibank - Compare Credit Cards
4. Kiwibank - Making A Claim
5. Tower - Claims Submission

Sources checked on: 27 March 2024