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American Express Complimentary Travel Insurance

Travel with peace of mind with an American Express credit card that offers complimentary travel insurance.

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Sally McMullen
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American Express provides a wide range of complimentary insurance options on its credit cards, including cover for international and domestic trips. This insurance is provided by Chubb and has the potential to save you hundreds of dollars on standalone policies.

To get the most out of a credit card complimentary insurance, it’s important to understand exactly how it works. This guide gives you all the details you need, including when you’re covered, what exclusions there may be and how to make a claim.

What's in this guide?

  1. Which cards offer complimentary travel insurance?
  2. What are the eligibility requirements?
  3. How do I know if I’m covered and what I’m covered for?
  4. How do I make a claim?
  5. What insurances am I covered under?

Which cards offer complimentary travel insurance?

American Express issues 13 cards that come with complimentary travel insurance. When considering these cards, it's important to note that some American Express options are charge cards, which have to be paid off in full every statement period, while others are credit cards that allow you to carry a balance and charge interest on what you owe.

As it stands, the range of Amex cards offering travel insurance can be divided into personal and business options as follow:

Personal American Express cardsBusiness American Express cards

Compare American Express credit cards here

What are the eligibility requirements?

There are a number of requirements you need to meet to use your American Express travel insurance. These conditions vary depending on the type of insurance and the card, but generally require the following:

  • Booking. You must book the full fare for a return trip on your American Express credit card or by using reward points earned through the card (e.g. American Express Membership Rewards Program or Qantas Frequent Flyer Program). On some cards, such as the American Express Platinum charge card, you can also claim insurance if you have booked a trip using other rewards points, as long as you pay for taxes and other additional fees using your American Express card.
  • Location. Your travel must start and end in Australia.
  • Age. You must be under 80 years of age.
  • Item claims. The policy will not cover claims for any items that have been left unattended or in a public place.
  • No pre-existing medical conditions. Any current and/or ongoing medical conditions you have will not be covered by the policy.

What if American Express is not accepted?

If you have an American Express Platinum Charge Card and the company that you make your travel booking with does not accept American Express cards, you will still be eligible for your complimentary travel insurance. You’ll just have to provide American Express and Chubb with proof of purchase and the name and address of the provider who would not accept your American Express card.

For all other American Express cards you are only eligible for the complimentary travel insurance when you use your card or rewards points to book your fare.

How do I know if I’m covered and what I’m covered for?

Providing you meet the requirements above, you should be covered for your travel both domestically and internationally. The type of coverage you get depends on your individual American Express card, but policies can be broken down into two categories:

  1. Travel insurance. A comprehensive travel insurance policy including emergency medical costs, travel inconveniences and travel cancellation.
  2. Transit accident insurance. Accidental death and injury coverage for cardholders who are travelling as passengers on a plane, tourist bus, train or ferry.

The coverage starts on the day your travel begins, as outlined on your travel booking. It ends either when you return or when your travel exceeds the maximum number of days outlined in the insurance policy, whichever happens first.

It’s also worth noting that most American Express personal cardholders only have access to cover for up to 183 days in a 12-month period.

Complimentary travel insurance for your family

The travel cover you get with an eligible American Express credit card also extends to your spouse and any dependent children, providing they meet the booking requirements and are travelling with you for the entire trip. American Express outlines the following definitions for spouses and dependents:

  • Spouse. A husband, wife, fiancé(e) or a de-facto and/or life partner with whom the American Express primary cardholder has continuously cohabited for a period of six (6) months or more.
  • Dependent child. A legally dependent child up to and including the age of twenty-two (22), including a stepchild or legally adopted child, who is fully dependent on the American Express primary cardholder for financial support.

According to American Express, these individuals fall under the definition of the “Primary Cardholder”. Additional cardholders, on the other hand, are not eligible for full travel insurance cover and can only get access to transit accident insurance coverage through their account.

How do I make a claim?

Chubb Insurance Australia Limited deals with all American Express complimentary travel insurance claims directly. You can follow the steps below to make your claim:

  1. Contact Chubb Insurance Australia Limited. Contact Chubb on 1800 139 149 in Australia or +61 2 8907 5666 from overseas and explain the situation. Otherwise, you can make a claim through the Chubb website.
  2. Submit a claim form. Chubb will provide you with a claim form that you will need to fill out within 30 days of the claim’s occurrence (or as soon as possible after your trip if you are overseas at the time).
  3. Provide your supporting documentation. Chubb requires a number of documents to verify your claim, including original invoices, receipts and reports relating to it.

If you have already gathered all the supporting documents, you can also submit your claim at any time via the Chubb Claim Centre website. Once your claim is processed and approved, Chubb will make payment within 30 days.

What insurances am I covered under?

The complimentary insurance options provided by American Express cover a wide range of scenarios. We’ve outlined these below based on the type of insurance. We've also included details of any excess amount you may have to pay for your claims.

Remember that the complimentary extras available to you will depend on your individual card and may change from time to time. American Express provides details for each card’s insurance policies on its website, which you can refer to for further information.

What does excess mean?

Note: An excess in insurance is basically the amount you must pay towards any claim that you make.

What travel insurance will I get on my card?

As travel insurance varies significantly between American Express cards, we’ve outlined the coverage you get with each card, including claim limits and excess costs.

Other types of insurance

  • Card account balance waiver cover. This coverage applies to the outstanding balance of an eligible American Express credit card account at the time of an accident that’s covered by the transit accident insurance policy.
  • Purchase protection cover. This provides you with cover against theft or damage to eligible items within 90 days of making the purchase with your American Express card. Note that there may be an excess of $50 or more for claims, depending on your card.
  • Refund protection cover. This reimburses you for the purchase price of an unused eligible item where a retailer will not accept your return within 90 days of making the purchase with your American Express card.
  • Buyer's Advantage cover. This policy offers you an extended warranty of up to 12 months on eligible purchases made with an American Express credit card. Note that there may be an excess of $50 or more for claims, depending on your card.
  • Loss damage waiver cover. This insures you against the loss or damage of a rental vehicle. This cover only applies to vehicles rented and used within Australia over a maximum of 31 days.

The American Express complimentary credit card insurance provided by Chubb Insurance Australia Limited gives you protection for a wide range of situations, both in Australia and overseas. Now that you know more about the different options available and the claims process, you can make sure you get the most out of this cover. However, if you have any more questions about the cover you get with your card, feel free to leave a comment below or contact Chubb Insurance Australia Limited directly on 1800 236 023.

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233 Responses

    Default Gravatar
    JohnMarch 11, 2020

    I am booked with Singapore airlines to fly to Amsterdam on 26/4 returning 2/6/20, paid for by Amex platinum reserve credit card, I also booked hotels thru Booking .com.
    Since the Corona virus started my wife and I decided to cancel the trip to Europe, I bancelled most hotel bookings and received a full refund, however some will not refund the monies.
    Am I covered with the Amex pkatinum travel Ins please.
    Regards John

    Reply
      Default Gravatar
      NikkiMarch 12, 2020

      Hi John,

      Thanks for your comment and I hope you are well. I’m sorry to hear you had to cancel your travel plans but I’m glad you’re taking precautionary measures for you and your wife’s health. It’s good to know that some of the suppliers refunded you for your trip. It’s helpful to know that no travel insurance will cover you for any Coronavirus related claim as it is a known event and is continuously evolving therefore how your insurance company responds this week might not be the same way it responds next month. If you have bought your policy before January 2020 and you want to know if your travel insurance covers Coronavirus, contact your insurer directly and ask how they handle this.

      I hope this helps and I hope they find a good resolution for you! Be safe!

      Best,
      Nikki

      Reply
    Default Gravatar
    AlexOctober 8, 2019

    Does the American Express Essential Credit Card include complimentary travel insurance given that all criteria listed above is met?

    Reply
      Avatarfinder Customer Care
      JhezOctober 9, 2019Staff

      Hi Alex,

      Thank you for your comment.

      According to our review, the American Express Essential Credit Card does not have a complimentary travel insurance. You should be able to find the list of American Express cards offering travel insurance from our American Express complimentary travel insurance review page.

      Before applying, please ensure that you meet all the eligibility criteria and read through the details of the needed requirements as well as the relevant Product Disclosure Statements/Terms and Conditions when comparing your options before making a decision on whether it is right for you.

      Regards,
      Jhezelyn

      Reply
    Default Gravatar
    MaritereAugust 15, 2019

    My family and I are travelling to Spain in September and renting a car with the Amex Business Green credit card. We want to know if the card insurance covers that rental.

    Reply
      Avatarfinder Customer Care
      JeniAugust 15, 2019Staff

      Hi Maritere,

      Thank you for getting in touch with Finder.

      If you have an American Express Business credit card, it does not cover car rental insurance and does not offer complimentary travel insurance.

      I hope this helps.

      Thank you and have a wonderful day!

      Cheers,
      Jeni

      Reply
    Default Gravatar
    AnthonyApril 2, 2019

    Ash Munoz G’day. Thanks for your speedy & peace of mind reply regarding travel insurance arrangements but do I need a reference number of sorts just in case——God forbid I may not need it. Kind regards Tony.

    Reply
    Default Gravatar
    AdamMarch 8, 2019

    My wife & I are travelling to the UK soon and flight were fully paid for on our Velocity Platinum Amex. We will be hiring a car whilst in the UK – does the Rental Vehicle Excess coverage apply?

    Reply
      Avatarfinder Customer Care
      JeniMarch 10, 2019Staff

      Hi Adam,

      Thank you for getting in touch with Finder.

      I’m afraid that the rental vehicle cover is for vehicles rented and used within Australia only.

      I hope this helps.

      Thank you and have a wonderful day!

      Cheers,
      Jeni

      Reply
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