Why Your Credit Card Insurance is Never Enough When Travelling Abroad

While travelling abroad it is vital that you are sufficiently covered for those unexpected holiday accident claims that sometimes raise their ugly heads due to no fault of your own.

For most families and individuals, their annual holiday can be the highlight of their year, be it in the sun or snow or one of the world’s beautiful cities. In most cases, these will go off splendidly. But accidents do happen and you should be prepared.

Therefore, it’s worth knowing that cover offered by your credit card alone is often not sufficient to cover many eventualities. Credit card insurance can be very inflexible and contain a whole host of frustrating and often expensive issues.

Many holidaymakers are completely unaware of these pitfalls until they come to making a claim, so it’s highly recommended that you not only carefully read the small print of your credit card agreement and contract, but also pre purchase sufficient travel insurance for unlimited cover in case of accidents.

Below we have listed some common examples of stipulations imposed by credit card companies to cover you while on holiday.

• You’ll often not be covered for any type of compensation claim if you feel that an accident has happened through no fault of your own. Always read the small print to check exactly what you are covered for before you travel.
• Business travel will not normally be covered so make sure that you check with your normal insurance providers before travelling and get yourself sufficiently covered.
• Most credit card companies will ask you to pay for the holiday using the same card which will cover you while away. Again, be aware of this and always read the small print. They may not make this obvious through the normal lines of communication.
• You will find that most pre-existing medical conditions will not be covered. Those that are covered will only be so if you have applied for special cover, which will likely involve filling out lengthy application forms and probably paying a costly surcharge for the service.
• The timeframe by which you are covered will often be limited. Most have a 3-month window limit for travel and there is normally little or no flexibility in this.
• If you are planning to partake in any sports while on holiday such as skiing, diving or any other adventurous pursuits, it is unlikely that you will be covered for this.

If you do happen to find yourself in a position where you need to make a claim for compensation due to an accident in a foreign country, you’ll find that you need all the help you can get. Claims are often subject to the laws of the country in question and can be an absolute minefield of bureaucracy and red tape. Not to mention the added complication of a language barrier.

All this said, the majority of people you will be dealing with on your holiday do, in fact, have a duty of care to ensure you have a safe and enjoyable time. This covers everything from cleanliness and hygiene in restaurants and bars through to any risks involved in organised sports, trips or excursions through your tour operator or hotel. So be safe and have happy holidays.