Could you be covered by HSBC’s complimentary travel insurance for credit card customers? Compare the terms and conditions and find out here.
Since August 2015, HSBC credit card insurance has been offered in conjunction with Allianz Group Australia (AGA). Before this change, it was underwritten by Zurich.
To save you from wading through the updated terms and conditions, we have outlined the most important points about HSBC credit card complimentary international travel insurance here. Find out the eligibility requirements, what is and isn’t covered and how you can make a claim below.
What does this insurance policy guide cover?
Which cards offer complimentary travel insurance?
You’re eligible to receive complimentary international travel insurance when you meet the eligibility requirements on the following HSBC credit cards:
Compare HSBC credit cards here
What are the eligibility requirements?
- Eligibility. To be eligible for the cover, you must pay for at least 90% of your overseas return travel ticket with your HSBC card.
- Activation. The cover is automatically provided when you meet the eligibility requirements and there’s no need to tell Allianz or HSBC about your travel plans to activate it.
- Pre-existing medical conditions. There is no cover for pre-existing medical conditions. You can apply to have your pre-existing medical conditions insured by calling Allianz directly on 1800 648 093.
How do I know if I’m covered and what I’m covered for?
HSBC Platinum credit cards provide complimentary international travel insurance for up to four months from the date of your departure from Australia. Your spouse and dependant children are also covered when you purchase 90% of their international travel ticket using your HSBC account.
Only the primary cardholder can claim the benefits listed specifically for the “cardholder”, while a spouse or dependant must claim benefits listed under the cardholder’s “spouse or dependants” benefits section of this insurance policy. Your spouse and dependant children must also travel with you for the length of your journey to be eligible for HSBC credit card insurance benefits.
How do I make a claim?
Documents to take with you
You will need to provide these documents if you want to make a claim:
- Proof that you’re eligible for cover, such as a card statement or a receipt of payment for your overseas travel ticket.
- If you’re making a claim for a stolen, lost or damaged personal item, you must provide a copy of police report or any other official reports relating to the incident.
Steps to make a claim
Follow these steps to make a claim on your HSBC credit card insurance policy:
- Overseas. To make an emergency overseas claim, call Allianz Global Assistance on +61 7 3305 7499 (reverse charges from overseas). You will need to provide your policy number as well as proof that you paid for your travel tickets with your eligible HSBC credit card. The Allianz Global Assistance phone service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Allianz can also put you in touch with their global team of medical professionals who can help with:
- Emergency transport to the nearest hospital
- Emergency evacuation to Australia
- Providing payment guarantees to overseas medical institutions
- Provide an emergency service and emergency medical travel planning
- In Australia. Make sure you contact Allianz on 1800 648 093 within 30 days of your return home if you want to make a claim against your HSBC credit card insurance. You may be required to provide a written loss report within 30 days. Allianz reserves the right to reject your claim if you fail to submit this document on time.
What insurances am I covered under?
The following benefits and limits apply to HSBC credit card complimentary international travel insurance. HSBC Premier World Mastercard cardholders receive a higher benefit limit.
Note: An excess in insurance is basically the amount you must pay towards any claim that you make.
| Benefit | Cover | Excess |
|---|---|---|
| Medical and hospital expenses | Unlimited | $200 |
| Luggage and travel documents | $20,000 for the cardholder up to $32,000 for a family travelling togetherWorld Mastercard $25,000 per person $40,000 per family | No excess |
| Resumption of journey following the death of a family in Australia | $6,500World Mastercard $7,500 per person $14,000 per family | $200 |
| Special event | Up to $3,000 | $200 |
| Unexpected cancellation of travel or accommodation | Unlimited | $200 |
| Rental vehicle excess cover | $3,000 | $200 |
| Travel delay expenses | Up to $900 for a family | $200 |
| Accident death | Up to $25,000 | No excess |
| Funeral expenses | $13,000World Mastercard $15,000 per cardholder $30,000 per family | No excess |
| Legal liability | $2,500,000 | No excess |
| Domestic pets | Up to a maximum of $500 if you’re return to Australia is delayed due to your petsWorld Mastercard $550 | No excess |
| Assault requiring hospitalisation | Up to $500World Mastercard $600 | No excess |
| Hijack or detention | Up to $250 per person per 24 hours (maximum $10,000) you are held by forceWorld Mastercard $12,000 | No excess |
Complimentary insurance sub-limits
Sub-limits also apply for some of the benefits listed here. For example, within the Luggage and Travel Documents benefit, you receive up to $5,500 per personal item for baggage, clothing and personal valuables and get up to $600 for emergency replacement of lost clothes and toiletries.
- Overseas medical expenses. Allianz provide overseas medical cover for the following events:
- Repatriation
- Bed care
- Emergency dental expenses
- Escort Services
- Medical Expenses
- Loss of a limb or a sense (e.g. sight)
- Death
What medical issues won’t Allianz cover you for?
- Pre-existing medical conditions (unless you have prior approval from AGA first)
- Dental treatment caused by preventative dental treatment or the use of precious metals
- Travel you book against medical advice
- Travel booked for the purpose of seeking medical treatment
- Medical conditions resulting from STDs, STIs or drug use
- Travel you take after you’ve been told you’re terminally ill
- Any funds you can claim from a private health insurer or government scheme
- Luggage and travel documents. Allianz will provide cover for the loss or theft of the following personal items:
| Item | Cover |
|---|---|
| Luggage, valuables and personal valuables | $5,500 |
| Portable electrical equipment and binoculars | $5,500 |
| Cameras and equipment/accessories | $5,500 |
| Laptop computers and equipment/accessories | $5,500 |
| Travel documents, traveller’s cheques, credit cards and cash | $600 up to $1,100 for a family |
- Domestic travel exceptions. A trip from mainland Australia to Lord Howe Island, Christmas Island or Cocos Island is considered an overseas journey; however, hospital and medical expenses do not apply if you’re visiting these destinations.
- Cancellation of travel arrangements and unexpected expenses. Allianz will cover you for cancelled travel arrangements and unexpected costs for the following situations:
- An unexpected natural disaster in your destination or at your normal place of residence
- Your residence in Australia has been destroyed
- Unexpected quarantine
- Court subpoena
- Your travel companion or relative in Australia becomes sick or dies
- You miss a connecting flight due to a flight delay
- Your travel documents are stolen
Other insurances
You’re eligible to receive the following insurances when you use your HSBC platinum or premier credit card overseas and in Australia:
- Purchase protection insurance. Get 90 days of worldwide cover for items purchased with your eligible HSBC credit card. You can claim up to $125,000 per year for each account.
- Guaranteed pricing scheme. This benefit refunds you the difference in price when you buy an item and you see it on sale for less elsewhere.
- Transit accident insurance. This cover provides a financial benefit if you’re injured or killed when riding in a public passenger vehicle such as a ferry or bus.
- Extended warranty insurance. Extended warranty insurance will match the Australian warranty equivalent up to one year for eligible items purchased with your HSBC credit card. The table below highlights how it works:
| Australian warranty | Extended warranty |
|---|---|
| 7 days | 7 days |
| 14 days | 14 days |
| 1 month | 1 month |
| 6 months | 6 months |
| 1 - 5 years | 1 year |
| 5 years + | N/A |
HSBC platinum and premier credit cards can cover you and your family for emergency medical and dental costs, lost personal items and travel delays for up to four months. All you need to do is charge at least 90% or more of your overseas travel ticket to your eligible HSBC credit card.
If you want to use this insurance, remember to take a copy of your policy document and product disclosure statement with you when you leave Australia. You’ll need these documents, as well as proof of purchase of flights with your HSBC credit card, to make a claim through Allianz.
We can help you with general questions about your credit cards and complimentary insurance cover, so feel free to write a comment below. If you have any specific questions about your insurance policy, you will need to contact Allianz on 1800 648 093 for information specific to your circumstances.
HSBC Premier Card and Debit Card Insurance
Back to topFrequently asked questions
How do I get a copy of the product disclosure statement?
Head to the HSBC platinum credit cards page and look in the fine print for a link to the product disclosure statement. This information is also available from the Allianz website. Alternatively, you can get a copy of the product disclosure statement by calling HSBC on 1300 301 168.
How do I contact Allianz?
You can get general advice from Allianz by contacting Allianz Global Assistance on 1800 648 093 (8AM - 5PM AEST).
How do I get cover for a pre-existing medical condition?
You will need to contact Allianz to get covered for a pre-existing medical condition. Call Allianz Global Assistance on 1800 648 093 for more information.
I’m traveling to Russia (via Finland). For the visa I need an insurance statement for health insurance overseas. Is it cover by my HSBC credit card?
Hi Dimitri,
Thank you for your question.
I’m afraid that health insurance is not covered in the complimentary travel insurance attached to your HSBC credit card. The insurance you are covered is outlined above under “What insurances am I covered under?” section.
If you are considering of getting a separate insurance, you may like to get a quote from insurers on this page.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
May
Hi there, I am travelling to Malaysia,India, Paris,Cuba, Mexico and Peru. I have purchased and will be purchasing all flight tickets using HSBC Platinum credit card. My question is whether if the travel insurance will be void when I purchase each ticket separately to each destination? E.g. Australia–>Malaysia, Malaysia—> India, India—>Paris and so forth.The PDS’ wordings were referring to return tickets from Australia, thus I feel a little uneasy interpreting its meaning. I have a feeling that HSBC complimentary card is now underwritten by Allianz GLobal. Please kindly check.Thank you.
Hi Eng, thanks for your inquiry!
The travel insurance will cover all of your destinations, provided that your trip is for 4 months or less. Your cover will end at midnight four consecutive months after the date of departure shown on your overseas return travel tickets. The underwriter for this policy has changed from Zurich to Allianz Global Assistance.
Cheers,
Jonathan
Hi we have purchased tickets for overseas travel to and from Australia using our HSBC card, but we want to know if we will still be covered for flights (not purchased with HSBC) on a side trip to Russia which occur before our return to Australia.
Hi Chris,
Thank you for your inquiry.
The journey covered for your trip is from the travel point of your departure place in Australia and ends once you arrive to Australia. Unfortunately, any flights that are not charged via cardholder’s HSBC Platinum credit card is not covered for the travel insurance.
To understand more about complimentary travel insurances offered by credit cards, kindly refer to this page.
I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Debbie
Regarding the 4 months limit. Is this per trip per year? Or is it once the 4 months has been used up then there is no more insurance available forever?
Hi David,
Thanks for your question.
The consecutive 4 months refers to the length of the trip that will be covered. So your cover will end at midnight four consecutive months after the date of departure shown on your overseas return travel tickets.
So long as you meet the eligibility requirements, you should be able to take advantage of the insurance policy. However, there are some limitations on what you can claim per statement period/trip, so you should read over the policy document to confirm some of these details.
Cheers,
Sally
Regarding overseas rental vehicle coverage – does the $3000 cover basic rental, or do you have to take up the additional excess reduction given on rental vehicles for the coverage to take effect?
Hi Shane,
Thanks for your inquiry.
The rental vehicle excess coverage policy covers any excess or deductible of which you’re legally obligated to pay if there is a loss or damage to the rental vehicle. This policy covers you for the duration of the rental.
Please refer to the rental vehicle excess coverage section of this page.
Hope this helps.
Sharon
My Husband and myself are travelling to singapore,thailand, then to Dublin via Dubai.
Our return flight is from Paris to singapore via Doha,then singapore to gold coast (QLD)
Question
the Bangkok to dublin (via dubai) flight with Emirates was made using FFpoints(Qantas), we did still need to pay $650.00 .do we still qualify for cover?
Hi Glenda,
Thanks for your question.
As per the terms and conditions “Cardholders will receive four months of Overseas Travel Insurance free of cost”. As long as you meet the eligibility requirements and pay for your return airfare (that is, the airline ticket to and from Australia and at least 90% of the total cost trip) on your card before leaving Australia, then you will be covered for a period of four months during your travels, which will include if you change your travel plans during your trip.
I hope that helps.
Kind Regards,
Isaiah
Is rental vehicle excess coverage available for domestic rental car hire ie. in Australia rather than overseas? Thanks
Hi Tim, thanks for your inquiry!
Unfortunately this card only includes international travel insurance and does not cover domestic rental car hire.
Cheers,
Jonathan
Hello,
My husband and I are travelling to America, Mexico, Cuba, Mexico, America and home to Aus over a five week period. We paid for our trip with our card, I phoned Zurich the other day and said what we were doing and how I need proof of Travel insurance for entry into Cuba.
This was immediately emailed to me ( thanks for the great service!!)
My question is, friends we are travelling with paid for there trip with American express and when they asked for proof of insurance they were told they were not covered because of diplomatic issues with Cuba Relationships( or some such thing). Anyway I just wanted to double check that HSBC does not have this problem. I did tell the helpful young lady at Zurich I was join to Cuba.
Hi Sue, thanks for your inquiry!
At present using a HSBC card is supported in America and Mexico. However using credit cards in Cuba are still a shifting affair. To explain your friends mishap with their American Express being denied, currently “no card issued by a bank that has any connection with the United States will be accepted in Cuba, although MasterCard now say said it will lift a block on U.S. bank-card transactions in Cuba after March 1st 2015.” Since HSBC is a British Multinational you should be able to withdraw cash from the counter of a Cadeca or Bank. The only cities in Cuba with ATMs are Havana, Camaguey, Trinidad, and Santiago de Cuba. It would be recommended to speak to a local branch or customer service centre before you depart on your trip.
Cheers,
Jonathan
I will be travelling with my wife through SE Asia for 3 month from March. I understand that we are covered for 4 consecutive months through Zurich insurance, but is this coverage a one off event or is the coverage renewed yearly?
We didn’t want to purchase a return ticket to give us some flexibility. Is this insurance cover only applicable to the purchase of return tickets?
Where can I acquire have a copy of the terms & conditions booklet?
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for your inquiry!
As per the terms and conditions “Cardholders will receive four months of Overseas Travel Insurance free of cost. This will happen before departing Australia and when at least 90% of the cost of the cardholder’s international return airline ticket (that is, the airline ticket to and from Australia) has been charged to the cardholder’s HSBC credit card account.”
This coverage begins once the journey starts. On an eligible separate journey the four months travel insurance will reactivate. Please refer to the PDF I have sent to your email for the full terms and conditions which is also available on the HSBC website.
I hope this helps!
Cheers,
Jonathan
I am considering a 3 night cruise with P&O that departs from Brisbane and returns there. The P&O website indicates International travel insurance is also required on Australian coastal cruises, as your cruise is outside the scope of Australian Medicare and the New Zealand Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC). Is this still covered even though we are not purchasing flights?
Hi Jo,
Thanks for your inquiry!
HSBC Platinum Credit Card insurance covers international travel/ journeys. As per the terms and conditions journey is defined as ““journey” means:
After the purchase of your overseas return
travel tickets, the journey starts:
• on the departure date shown on the
overseas return travel ticket, or
• once you leave your home, if you travel directly from your home in Australia to the Australia air or sea terminal that is the departure point for your trip.”
For more information please refer to the PDF I have sent to your email.
I hope this helps!
Cheers,
Jonathan