Best Credit Cards Offering Free Travel Insurance in New Zealand: Compare Features, Fees, and Conditions

If you travel regularly, having a credit card with complimentary travel insurance can be a good way to get peace of mind and cover should anything go wrong on a trip. If you charge some or all of your travel costs to a credit card with free travel insurance you may find you get complimentary protections covering medical expenses, loss of baggage or documents, travel delays or disruptions, and more.

This guide walks through some popular credit cards offering free travel insurance to New Zealanders, including key cover offered and some important limits to know about. We'll also introduce to you Wise Travel Card that can help you save on international transactions with currency conversions at mid-market exchange rates.

How does credit card travel insurance work?

Travel insurance exists to help people who run into problems when traveling. While different policies may cover slightly different things, you’ll usually find you can submit a claim to cover your medical expenses if you fall ill or have an accident during a trip, or to cover the costs of replacing your personal effects if your case is lost or stolen for example. Travel insurance also commonly covers additional costs of delays or cancellations, the costs of vehicle hire excess if you have an accident, and accidental death.

Different levels of cover apply depending on the insurer, and you may find there are also sub limits. For example you might have a total claim limit for lost baggage, as well as sub limits on the amount you can claim for any individual item within your baggage. Be sure to read the policy wording carefully so you know what you’re getting.

Bear in mind that when you have a free travel insurance credit card, coverage is not automatic - you’ll need to meet specific requirements to access travel insurance under most circumstances. This includes charging some or all of your travel costs to your card, and meeting your card’s age and travel duration eligibility requirements. Some insurers also need you to confirm the details of your trip in advance for the insurance to be valid.

This guide is for information only. Insurance policy wording can be complex, and does change from time to time - make sure you check the specific policy wording before you travel.

How to choose the best credit card with travel insurance included

Some key factors to consider when choosing your card include:

• Eligibility: Credit card travel insurance usually has an age limit, which may mean you can’t use this benefit if you’re over about 75 years old. Prior conditions may also need to be declared. Check you’re eligible before you head on your trip.
• How to activate your policy: Your insurance may only be active if you charge a certain amount of your travel costs to the card. In some cases this is a fixed amount, but in others you may need to pay for all prepaid costs using your card, such as flights and hotels.
• Coverage levels: Credit card travel insurance may not be as comprehensive as standalone insurance bought from an insurer directly - make sure you know what is covered and where an excess applies. Limits and sublimits can be confusing and may include limits on the total amount you can claim for yourself and your family.
• Trip length requirements: Travel insurance arranged through your card is only likely to cover a fixed duration of trip - usually from around 30 days up to about 90 days. In some cases, coverage is only offered for a certain number of days cumulatively per year.
• Annual fee vs benefits: Finally, remember that free travel insurance isn’t really free - you’ll still have to pay your annual card fee. Weigh up the costs and benefits to check it’s worthwhile in your particular case.

Best credit cards with free travel insurance in New Zealand

We’ve picked out seven of the best credit cards with free travel insurance in New Zealand, to help you decide which suits your needs. Firstly, here’s a head-to-head comparison - and we’ve got a look at cover and limits on each right after the table.

*Details correct at time of writing - 27th October 2025

ANZ Airpoints Visa Platinum

ANZ platinum credit card travel insurance⁸ can cover you, your partner and dependent children travelling with you as long as you’re under 75 and pay for at least half of your travel with your card. Cover may also be available for older adults, subject to medical checks⁹.

Some cover is unlimited, allowing you to claim up to the full amount of additional cost incurred - but bear in mind that exclusions and sub limits do apply as with all insurance policies¹⁰. This card also lets you earn 1 Airpoints Dollar for every 110 NZD you spend and comes with other travel perks like No Koru joining fee and frequent flyer benefits.

Medical Expenses: Unlimited in most cases
Personal Baggage: Up to 30,000 NZD
Cancellation & Loss of Deposit: Unlimited
Money & Travel Documents: 5,000 NZD for documents, 500 NZD for money
Accidental Death: 100,000 NZD in most cases
Rental Vehicle Excess: 6,000 NZD
Maximum Stay: 90 days

AMEX Airpoints Platinum

You can use the AMEX Airpoints Platinum to earn rewards as you spend and unlock insurance subject to meeting eligibility requirements. Generally this means you must pay for your return trip with your card - supplementary cardholders may not get the full range of benefits.

This policy has excess costs for some claim types, including 250 NZD excess on medical costs. You may also need advance permission from the insurer for some medical treatments in order to get reimbursed later¹¹.

Medical Expenses: 2.5 million NZD
Personal Baggage: 30,000 NZD
Cancellation & Loss of Deposit: 30,000 NZD
Money & Travel Documents: 500 NZD
Accidental Death: Costs of repatriation covered
Rental Vehicle Excess: 3,000 NZD
Maximum Stay: 180 days, or 183 days cumulative in a year

BNZ Advantage Visa Platinum

You can get up to 90 days of BNZ credit card travel insurance if you pay for any part of your trip with your card, and are under 75 years of age. This card also has complimentary concierge services and emergency support should you lose your card or have any issues when you’re abroad.

For the insurance to apply you must activate it online before every trip - make sure you read through all the eligibility rules before you leave home¹².

Medical Expenses: Unlimited
Personal Baggage: 10,000 NZD per person (combined limit with documents)
Cancellation & Loss of Deposit: Unlimited
Money & Travel Documents: 10,000 NZD per person (combined limit with baggage)
Accidental Death: 100,000 NZD
Rental Vehicle Excess: 5,000 NZD
Maximum Stay: 90 days

Kiwibank Platinum Visa

You may qualify for Kiwibank credit card travel insurance¹³ if you choose the Kiwibank Platinum Visa. This is a low cost, low rate card and includes travel insurance for customers under 75 when you pay for 500 NZD or more of prepaid travel costs with your card.

As with most insurance policies, sub-limits apply, and there are conditions on some forms of reimbursement. Many risky activities, like skiing or snowboarding are not covered by this policy¹⁴.

Medical Expenses: 40 million NZD
Personal Baggage: 30,000 NZD
Cancellation & Loss of Deposit: 5,000 NZD
Money & Travel Documents: 2,000 NZD for documents, 50 NZD for money
Accidental Death: 100,000 NZD
Rental Vehicle Excess: 6,000 NZD
Maximum Stay: 40 days

Westpac Airpoints Platinum Mastercard

Westpac credit card travel insurance¹⁵ is available for customers who pay for a return trip with the Westpac Airpoints Platinum Mastercard card. Generally you must also be under 75 years old and declare any pre-existing medical conditions - which may not then be covered by the policy.

It’s helpful to note that this policy has a shorter maximum trip length than many of the other credit cards with free travel insurance we look at in this guide at just 35 days¹⁶.

Medical Expenses: Unlimited
Personal Baggage: 12,500 NZD (combined limit with documents)
Cancellation & Loss of Deposit: Unlimited
Money & Travel Documents: 12,500 NZD (combined limit with baggage)
Accidental Death: 100,000 NZD
Rental Vehicle Excess: 5,000 NZD
Maximum Stay: 35 days

ASB Visa Platinum

With the ASB Visa Platinum you can unlock free travel insurance¹⁷ if you meet the eligibility requirements for your trip. Different cover policies exist depending on your destination, so do check the policy wording which applies based on your specific situation¹⁸.

This card has pretty low fees and also offers different ways to get rewarded as you spend, including True Rewards dollars or Everyday Rewards points at different earn rates.

Medical Expenses: Unlimited
Personal Baggage: 20,000 NZD (combined limit with documents)
Cancellation & Loss of Deposit: Unlimited
Money & Travel Documents: 20,000 NZD for documents (combined limit with baggage), 750 NZD for money
Accidental Death: 50,000 NZD
Rental Vehicle Excess: 2,500 NZD
Maximum Stay: 90 days

TSB Platinum Mastercard

Use your TSB Platinum Mastercard to pay for at least 50% of your travel expenses, and get cover for up to 90 days depending on your eligibility. This policy expressly includes cover for pandemic situations as well as standard inclusions like medical care and loss of personal effects¹⁹.

Medical Expenses: Unlimited
Personal Baggage: 4,000 NZD
Cancellation & Loss of Deposit: 10,000 NZD
Money & Travel Documents: 500 NZD for documents, 250 NZD for money
Accidental Death: 100,000 NZD
Rental Vehicle Excess: Not covered in standard policy 
Maximum Stay: 90 days

Heading abroad? Safeguard yourself from high foreign transaction fees with the Wise card

While getting complimentary travel insurance with your credit card sounds enticing, spending internationally with credit cards often comes with hidden costs like high foreign transaction fees and poor exchange rates. @The Wise card is a simple way to save up to 8x when you're spending internationally. You can spend in 150+ countries at mid-market rate — basically the rate you see on Google. With no foreign transaction fees and low, transparent pricing, Wise usually gives you the best value for your money.

Simply create a Wise account for free, order a card and top-up NZD to get started. Having a physical Wise card allows you to make chip and pin payments, as well as make some free ATM withdrawals each month for when you're abroad. You can get digital cards and add to your Google or Apple Pay wallet for instant use. Spend directly with the Wise account in NZD and let auto-conversion do the trick or convert in advance to your desired currency. You can hold and exchange 40+ currencies in your Wise account and spend the currencies you hold for free.

Wherever your travel takes you, the Wise card makes spending money abroad cheaper and easier.

🚀 Get your Wise card

1. ANZ Airpoints Visa Platinum
2. AMEX Airpoints Platinum
3. BNZ Advantage Visa Platinum
4. Kiwibank Platinum Visa
5. Westpac Airpoints Platinum Mastercard
6. ASB Visa Platinum
7. TSB Platinum Mastercard
8. ANZ credit card travel insurance
9. ANZ - check eligibility for insurance
10. ANZ - policy wording
11. AMEX travel insurance policy wording
12. BNZ travel insurance policy wording
13. Kiwibank travel insurance
14. Kiwibank travel insurance policy wording
15. Westpac travel insurance
16. Airpoints travel insurance policy wording
17. ASB travel insurance
18. ASB travel insurance policy wording
19. TSB travel insurance