"Free" Travel Insurance That Comes With Your Charge card: This is what It Covers (And doesn't Cover)
What do these popular cards – – UOB PRVI Miles Visa Card, Citi PremierMiles Visa Card, DBS Altitude Visa Signature Card – have in common? Free travel cover.
Though these credit cards (and others) offer free travel cover, is it really sufficient for the coverage you will need? We discover out what the typical free charge card insurance covers and excludes, and whether you should think about getting separate travel cover on top of it.
What Is Commonly Covered By Your Credit Card’s Insurance?
Free travel insurance typically includes basic coverage however the extent of coverage varies so much from card to card. Here is a closer look at the travel cover coverage of three popular air miles credit cards:
| UOB PRVI Miles AMEX | Citi PremierMiles Visa | DBS Altitude Visa Signature | |
| Personal Accident Coverage | Up to $500,000 | Up to $1,000,000 | Up to $1,000,000 |
| Emergency Medical Assistance | Up to $50,000 | Up to $100,000 | None. |
| Travel Inconveniences | None. | – Baggage delay
– Baggage loss – Flight delay – Trip cancellation – Trip Interruption |
None. |
| Insured Persons | Cardholder-only | – Principal and supplementary cardmember
– Accompanying legal spouse – Accompanying children |
– Cardholder
– Cardholder's Spouse – Cardholder's Dependants |
In some cases, the insurance coverage extends to dental treatments as a result of accidents, travel inconveniences as well as accompanying spouses or dependents of the cardholders. However, this isn't guaranteed.
Typically, most cards only range from the bare essentials – personal accident coverage or permanent disablement benefits.
Common Exclusions And Limitations You should know About
| UOB PRVI Miles AMEX | Citi PremierMiles Visa | DBS Altitude Visa Signature | |
| Age Limitations | Not specified. | 21 to 75 years old. | None. |
| Trip Cap (days) | Not specified. | Up to 93 days. | Up to Thirty days. |
| Round Trip
(To Qualify) |
Not specified. | Yes. | Not specified. |
| Offered On Redemption Tickets | Yes. | Yes. | None. |
Age Limitations
For most banks, you normally have to be above 21 years old to qualify for free credit card travel cover. In certain cases like Citi PremierMiles Visa cardholders, it comes with an upper age limit for cardholders.
Your credit card's free travel cover may also allow you to make claims on accompanying legal dependents. However, do observe that age limits may affect these dependents. In some instances, your child might not be qualified for free travel insurance because they have begun working or are above a certain age.
Excluded Pre-Existing Conditions
Most complimentary charge card travel insurance excludes people with pre-existing medical conditions from redeeming the disposable travel cover benefit. For example, UOB PRVI Miles AMEX cardholders do not qualify free of charge travel cover should they have pre-existing conditions in the Twelve months before the commencement of the trip.
Trip Limitations
The policy wording of the charge card free travel cover can include the utmost duration of the trip you can claim for. It may be as short as 30 days to so long as 93 days.
It's also important to note that some cards only permit you to redeem free travel cover if you are buying round-trip tickets. Free credit card travel insurance may thus be unsuitable for trips of an indefinite length.
Eligibility On Redemption Tickets
Sometimes, creditors need you to charge the entire quantity of the fare for your card. For many banks, they also do not let you to definitely redeem free travel insurance in case your fare was taken care of in miles (whether in part or full).
For instance, DBS Altitude Visa Signature Card includes this in the policy wording:
Some keywords to look for in your policy information include “full fare”, “100% from the fare”, and “entire fare”. In the event that you are unsure, you can call up the customer service hotline of the respective card issuer.
Should You'll still Get Standalone Travel Insurance?
Your free charge card travel insurance might be sufficient for you if you are just looking for basic coverage, or going to a country that you frequent or perhaps have relatives surviving in. Alternatively, you might choose to strengthen your coverage if you're travelling to high-risk areas or countries which are relatively volatile on the political and social front.
Additional travel cover coverage may be for you personally too if you prefer a conservative degree of risk management while overseas, or if you require and adventure cover or rental vehicle excess due to the nature of your trip.
Besides reading the fine print and policy wording, discover which insurance company is the underwriter so you can better comprehend the claims process, difficulty and duration. This will help you better plan your insurance coverage for the trip.
Ultimately, keep in mind that there is no obligation to utilize the complimentary travel insurance, especially if you believe it is an excessive amount of hassle for any really narrow benefit.
