Many Australians rely on complimentary travel insurance attached to a credit card. It can be a valuable benefit, but simply holding the card does not necessarily mean you are insured. Just as importantly, the cover attached to your card may have changed since you first obtained it.
Several Australian banks have recently changed, or announced changes to, the complimentary insurance attached to particular cards. Some benefits have been reduced, some maximum trip periods have become shorter, and some cards have lost complimentary travel insurance altogether.
What travellers need to know: Complimentary credit card travel insurance can still provide useful protection, but eligibility, benefits, activation requirements and maximum trip lengths vary considerably between cards. Before relying on it, check the current terms for your exact card and confirm that you have met any eligibility requirements.
For plenty of travellers, credit card insurance will still do the job. What has changed is how much now turns on the detail: which card you hold, what you paid for with it, how long you are travelling for and whether anything needs to be activated before departure.
Before you travel, it is worth confirming the current terms for your card and whether there is anything you need to do to access the cover.
Yes. The changes are not the same across every bank or every card, but there have been material changes to some Australian credit card insurance arrangements.
Complimentary international or domestic travel insurance has been removed from some card products.
Some cards that previously allowed longer overseas journeys now apply substantially shorter maximum travel periods.
Medical, cancellation, baggage, delay and rental vehicle benefits are not necessarily included in every card policy.
Spending requirements, return tickets, activation and other conditions may need to be satisfied before cover applies.
If you're helping a client understand the travel insurance attached to their credit card, our Credit Card Insurance Guide provides additional information to support those conversations.
Westpac has announced significant changes to its Credit Cards Complimentary Insurance Policy from 1 October 2026. Its new base international cover will be described as Complimentary International Medical Travel Insurance.
Westpac's customer information says Trip Cancellation, Luggage and Travel Delay benefits will no longer be included in the base complimentary international cover, and the international excess will rise from $300 to $500.
According to Westpac's published comparison, the base complimentary international cover will comprise:
The two medical benefits move from unlimited cover to $20 million for a cardholder and $40 million for a cardholder and spouse, with dependants included within those limits. Funeral Expenses cover reduces from unlimited to $60,000 and $120,000 respectively. Personal Liability increases from $2.5 million to $5 million.
Most of the familiar policy benefits move to optional paid upgrades rather than being automatically included. They include:
A further group of benefits will no longer be offered, with no upgrade available. These include Loss of Income, Hijack, Kidnap and Ransom, Pet Accommodation and the benefit for returning home following the death of a relative.
Purchase Protection, Extended Warranty and Overseas Transit Accident Insurance will also no longer be offered.
Westpac's published comparison provides the full benefit-by-benefit detail, and customers should refer to the current Westpac information before making decisions about their cover.
The maximum trip duration is reducing, and for some cards the difference is significant.
Why trip duration matters: A one-month maximum period will not suit a traveller planning a six-week or two-month overseas journey, even if every other eligibility requirement has been met.
From 1 October 2026, Westpac names seven cards as including complimentary insurance: the three Altitude Black cards, the three Altitude Platinum cards and Low Fee Platinum.
Several cards carrying cover under the current booklet do not appear on that list, including the Earth range, Altitude Platinum Plus, Altitude Qantas Platinum Plus, Singapore Airlines cards, 55 Day cards and Private Bank Gold.
If you hold one of these cards, check directly with Westpac rather than assuming your existing arrangement continues.
The complimentary cover applies to eligible cardholders and spouses under 81. From October, travellers aged 81 or over can instead obtain cover by purchasing the comprehensive upgrade, which Westpac says is available to travellers of all ages.
Customers will also need to activate the cover through the Westpac App or Westpac Online Banking before their journey begins. Activation is not required for domestic cover, and is not required where eligibility was met before 1 October 2026.
If a pre-existing medical condition assessment has not been completed before 1 October 2026, Westpac has said the assessment will need to be arranged by phone.
Importantly, the change is not retrospective. Westpac has said that where a cardholder meets the eligibility criteria before 1 October 2026, the existing policy booklet continues to apply to that journey, although cover will end on 30 September 2027 for any journey extending beyond that date.
Westpac's notice includes worked examples showing that a traveller who satisfies the eligibility criteria in September 2026 for a December trip remains under the existing booklet, while eligibility first met on 1 October 2026 for the same trip does not.
If you are booking now for travel later, the date on which you satisfy the relevant eligibility criteria may therefore be important.
Read Westpac's current travel insurance information
NAB has already introduced major card-specific changes, effective from 15 May 2026.
Complimentary international travel insurance, domestic travel insurance and Australian rental vehicle excess insurance were removed from six specified cards:
For three other products, the NAB Platinum Visa Debit Card, NAB Qantas Rewards Premium Card and NAB Qantas Plus Card, the maximum international travel insurance period reduced from three consecutive months to 30 consecutive days.
The changes do not apply in the same way to every NAB card. The exact card product, travel period and date of the claimable event can matter.
Not every NAB change was a reduction. From the same date, NAB added complimentary mobile phone insurance to the six cards that lost travel cover, subject to the monthly mobile bill being paid with the card. NAB also introduced a new Level 4 card classification.
From 1 July 2025, NAB reduced several benefit limits. Its Overseas Emergency Assistance and Overseas Emergency Medical limits each reduced from unlimited to $20 million.
The cancellation limit reduced from $50,000 to $25,000 per eligible cardholder or spouse, and the Additional Expenses limit reduced from unlimited to $200,000. Several excesses also increased from $400 to $600.
NAB's July 2025 update also clarified an exclusion worth understanding if you intend to ride a motorcycle, moped, motorised scooter or quad bike.
The relevant exclusions include conditions dealing with matters such as who is driving, engine capacity, licensing and helmet use. NAB's current wording does not cover riding as a passenger in the circumstances specified by the policy.
These types of restrictions are not unique to NAB or to credit card insurance. Retail travel insurance can also apply conditions to motorcycle, scooter and similar activities, and the requirements can differ between policies.
Practical tip: If you plan to hire a scooter, motorcycle or similar vehicle overseas, read the actual exclusion in the insurance you intend to rely on. Do not assume that holding a local licence or wearing a helmet is the only requirement.
NAB has said it is renaming several cards from 1 October 2026:
If you are comparing your card against information published before October 2026, check both the old and new product names.
Read NAB's current summary of complimentary insurance changes
The economics of Australian credit cards are changing.
From 1 October 2026, the Reserve Bank of Australia will reduce the cap on interchange fees for domestically issued consumer credit cards from 0.80% to 0.30%.
Interchange fees are one source of revenue supporting credit card products and associated benefits. Card issuers have been reviewing a range of fees, rewards and benefits ahead of the new rules.
This does not mean every credit card travel insurance policy will change, and it should not be assumed that every insurance change is caused by the interchange reforms. It does mean travellers should be cautious about assuming the benefits attached to a card will remain unchanged indefinitely.
A policy you checked a year ago may not necessarily be the policy that applies today.
Read the Reserve Bank of Australia's information on the 2026 card payment reforms
Holders of MyCard credit cards, the NAB-issued range that replaced Citi-branded cards, moved to a new complimentary insurance booklet on 15 May 2026 and the range changes again on 1 October 2026.
From 1 October, the MyCard booklet changes which cards receive particular forms of cover. MyCard Premier Qantas joins the group with international travel insurance, while MyCard Prestige is removed from it.
MyCard Platinum, Platinum Qantas and Plus are also removed from the group with purchase protection and extended warranty.
MyCard and NAB-branded cards operate under separate insurance booklets, so customers should make sure they are reading the wording that actually applies to their card.
Not necessarily. Depending on the card and policy, you may need to meet spending requirements, purchase particular travel costs using the card, hold a return ticket, activate the insurance before departure or satisfy other eligibility conditions.
One of the most common misunderstandings about complimentary credit card travel insurance is that simply holding the right card automatically means the insurance applies.
For example, NAB's published international travel insurance eligibility information requires at least $500 of prepaid travel costs to be charged to the eligible card account before departure.
The requirement can also be more specific than simply using the card somewhere during the booking process. Some policies may require particular fares or travel costs to be paid with the card, while others accept a specified minimum amount spent across eligible prepaid travel expenses.
Always check the actual eligibility wording for your card.
Credit card policies can take very different approaches to pre-existing medical conditions.
In the policies reviewed for this article, some provide no assessment process for certain pre-existing conditions, while others allow assessment on request, sometimes for a fee. Some automatically cover specified conditions where particular criteria are met.
Stand-alone travel policies assess pre-existing medical conditions too, but the process can differ. Depending on the insurer and assessment outcome, this may involve an additional premium, higher excess, specific exclusion or other terms. Compare the actual policy wording rather than assuming one type of insurance will automatically provide broader or cheaper cover.
Credit card travel insurance commonly applies age limits, but the way those limits operate differs between policies.
The policies reviewed for this article include published age ceilings of 80, 81 and 85, while another policy takes a different approach to particular medical benefits after age 80.
Stand-alone travel insurance policies can also have age limits or require older travellers to be considered individually. Age alone is therefore not a reliable way to decide which form of cover will suit you. If you are close to an age threshold, check before relying on the policy.
How two travel insurance policies interact is determined by their terms, not by the traveller choosing whichever outcome is most favourable.
Several credit card policies provide that where the same loss is claimable under another policy, the credit card insurance responds only above that other policy. Retail travel insurance policies may contain their own provisions dealing with other insurance.
Holding both forms of insurance is therefore not simply a way to double the benefits. If the same event could fall within two policies, how they interact will require consideration of both sets of terms.
None of these issues necessarily means a traveller should buy a stand-alone policy instead of relying on complimentary card insurance. Age restrictions, activity exclusions and medical-condition requirements can exist in both.
The important thing is to understand what you are relying on before you travel.
It can. Some credit card travel insurance policies require eligible travel expenses to be charged to the card before cover becomes available.
From 1 October 2026, merchants will no longer be permitted to surcharge debit, prepaid or credit card transactions processed through the designated eftpos, Mastercard and Visa networks under the new card-payment arrangements.
For most travellers, this should make paying by card simpler rather than harder. However, businesses may still review which payment methods they accept or promote.
Paying a travel agent by bank transfer does not automatically mean complimentary credit card travel insurance cannot apply. You may have paid another eligible expense, such as an airfare, accommodation, cruise or tour, directly with the card. The eligibility rules for your exact card are what matter.
If you are planning to rely on credit card travel insurance for an upcoming trip, work through these five questions before departure.
Check the complete product name, not simply the name of the bank. Benefits can vary significantly between cards issued by the same bank. Find the exact product name shown on your statement, in online banking or in your card documentation.
Confirm whether the insurance activates automatically once you satisfy the eligibility criteria or whether you need to register or activate it before leaving Australia.
Check:
Maximum trip periods can differ substantially. A card providing 30 days of international travel insurance will not provide the same trip-duration protection as one covering three or six months. Check that the policy period accommodates your complete journey.
Look specifically for:
Do not assume the words "travel insurance" mean every one of these benefits is included.
It may be. Complimentary credit card travel insurance can still provide useful protection and some cards continue to offer broad benefits.
Others now offer more limited cover, shorter maximum travel periods or stricter eligibility and activation requirements.
Whether a particular card provides appropriate protection depends on the cover itself and your individual trip, circumstances and needs.
The risk is not that complimentary credit card travel insurance is automatically inadequate. The risk is relying on an assumption formed years ago without checking what applies today.
Before you travel: Read the terms that apply to your exact card today, not simply the cover you remember having.
A few minutes spent reviewing the current eligibility criteria, benefits, limits and exclusions before departure may prevent an unpleasant surprise later.
No. Complimentary travel insurance generally applies only to eligible cards and may require you to satisfy conditions such as making qualifying travel payments, holding a return ticket or activating the insurance. Check the current terms for your exact card.
It depends on the card. Some cover becomes available when all eligibility criteria are satisfied, while other arrangements require registration or activation. Westpac, for example, is introducing an activation requirement for certain international cover from 1 October 2026. Always check the current policy and eligibility instructions.
Not necessarily. Eligibility requirements differ between cards. Some require a minimum amount of eligible prepaid travel costs to be charged to the card, while others may specify particular travel purchases. Read the eligibility requirements for your card rather than assuming that either the whole trip or a token purchase will be enough.
It depends on the policy and the medical condition. Some conditions may be automatically covered if specified criteria are satisfied, some may require assessment, and others may not be covered. Check the current medical-condition provisions before relying on the insurance.
A maximum travel period is an important policy limit. If your journey exceeds it, you should not assume the complete trip will be insured. Check how the period of cover operates and consider your options before departure.
You can hold more than one insurance policy, but this does not mean you can recover the same loss twice. Policies commonly include provisions dealing with other insurance. How two policies respond to the same event will depend on their terms.
Yes. Card benefits, policy terms and eligibility requirements can change. Check the current policy information for your exact card before each trip rather than relying on what applied to an earlier journey.
This article contains general information and general advice only. It has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on it you should consider whether it is appropriate having regard to those matters, and you should obtain and consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determination before deciding whether to acquire any insurance product.
Complimentary credit card insurance varies by provider, card product, travel date, claimable-event date and individual eligibility. Terms, conditions, limits, exclusions, sub-limits and excesses apply and may change.
Refer to the current policy information for your exact card and contact the relevant bank or insurer for confirmation before relying on the cover.
Information reviewed as at 3 August 2026.
This article was prepared by Go Unlimited Pty Ltd trading as Go Insurance, ABN 74 149 217 925, AFSL 404782. Go Insurance is a travel insurance underwriting agency and a Lloyd's coverholder, and therefore has a commercial interest in travel insurance. We are not associated with any card issuer or with the insurers of the card policies described above, and we do not receive any payment from them.