How do I activate the Bankwest Zero Mastercard complimentary travel insurance?

You cannot, because there is no complimentary travel insurance to activate. The Bankwest Zero Mastercard is a no-annual-fee everyday card, and Bankwest lists overseas travel insurance as not applicable for this tier. Only the Bankwest Platinum Mastercard and World Mastercard carry complimentary overseas travel cover under the shared insurance policy. Charging your flights or a prepaid trip to this card does not switch any cover on, unlike some other Australian cards. If you want travel insurance for an upcoming trip, you will need to buy a standalone policy before you leave, or use a card whose Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) includes travel cover.

Who is covered under the Bankwest Zero Mastercard complimentary insurance?

No one, because the card includes no complimentary insurance. There is no covered-persons definition for the cardholder, a spouse, or dependent children, since there is no travel, rental, or purchase policy attached to the card at all. This is different from Bankwest's Platinum and World Mastercards, which do extend cover to eligible family members travelling with the cardholder. If you need your family covered for a trip, a standalone family travel insurance policy is the way to do it. Always read the PDS of any policy you buy to confirm exactly who it covers.

Does the Bankwest Zero Mastercard cover rental vehicle excess?

No. The Bankwest Zero Mastercard does not reimburse rental vehicle excess, either overseas or for hires within Australia. If you damage a hire car, the full excess stays with you, and that commonly runs $2,000 to $5,500 in Australia and up to $8,000 overseas. You can still use the card to pay for a rental, but paying with it gives you no excess protection. To cover this risk, take the hire company's excess-reduction cover at the counter, or buy a standalone rental excess policy, which can start from just a few dollars a day and often works out cheaper than the counter option.

How do I make a claim on my Bankwest Zero Mastercard insurance?

There is no insurance on this card to claim against, so there is no travel, rental, or purchase claims process. If you have a loss, check whether a separate travel policy or another card of yours provides cover, and lodge the claim with that insurer following the deadline and documents set out in their PDS. For a fraudulent transaction or a billing dispute, which is a banking matter rather than an insurance claim, contact Bankwest directly on 13 17 19 or raise it in the Bankwest app. Keep dated records of any purchase or transaction you are disputing.

What does the Bankwest Zero Mastercard complimentary insurance NOT cover?

It covers nothing, because the card carries no complimentary insurance of any kind. There is no overseas emergency medical cover, no trip cancellation, no lost luggage or travel delay benefit, and no assistance line to call from overseas. There is also no rental vehicle excess cover, no purchase protection, no extended warranty, and no mobile phone insurance. Bankwest lists every insurance category as not applicable for this tier. In practice, treat the Bankwest Zero Mastercard as a payment method only, and arrange a standalone travel or gadget policy separately whenever you need protection.

Do I still need separate travel insurance if I have a Bankwest Zero Mastercard?

Yes. Because this card provides no travel cover at all, you need a standalone travel insurance policy for any overseas trip. Medicare does not cover you outside Australia, and a serious hospital admission overseas can run $50,000 to $200,000, which would fall entirely on you with this card. A standard two-week overseas policy typically costs around $60 to $150, a small fraction of a single uncovered medical bill. Buy the policy before you travel, and check that it covers your destination, trip length, any planned activities, and any pre-existing medical conditions you need assessed.

Does the Bankwest Zero Mastercard include mobile phone insurance?

No. The Bankwest Zero Mastercard does not include mobile phone or screen insurance. If your phone is stolen or the screen cracks, the repair or replacement cost is entirely yours, and replacing a flagship smartphone out of pocket runs $1,200 to $2,300. Paying your monthly phone bill with the card does not create any cover, unlike a small number of cards that offer bill-linked phone protection. If phone cover matters to you, consider a dedicated device insurance policy, or check whether your home contents policy includes portable-item cover for the handset.

Does the Bankwest Zero Mastercard cover skiing or snowboarding?

No. Snow sports cannot be covered because the card has no travel insurance in the first place. If you are injured skiing or snowboarding overseas, there is no medical cover, no evacuation cover, and no assistance line, so an air ambulance off the mountain and any hospital treatment would be paid out of pocket. Snow-sports medical bills and evacuations are among the most expensive travel claims there are. For a ski trip, buy a standalone travel policy that specifically includes winter sports, and read the PDS closely, since many policies still exclude off-piste skiing and racing.

Does the Bankwest Zero Mastercard charge foreign transaction fees?

Yes. The Bankwest Zero Mastercard, the Classic tier, charges a foreign transaction fee of 2.95% on purchases made in a foreign currency or processed overseas. That is different from the Bankwest Zero Platinum Mastercard, which carries no foreign transaction fee. On a $2,000 overseas spend, 2.95% adds about $59 in fees. If you travel or shop internationally often, the fee adds up quickly, so a card with no foreign transaction fee would save you money on overseas purchases. This fee is separate from currency conversion and applies regardless of which currency you select at the terminal.

Bankwest Zero Mastercard: does it include any travel insurance?

Bankwest·A$0/year·Mastercard

Pauline LauroreAuthor of HelloSafe's card insurance reviewsUpdated August 5, 20268 min read

0,0/5Independent review · verified August 2026

Travel Insurance

0,0

Car Rental

0,0

Protection

0,0

Our Verdict · Travel Insurance

Our take on travel insurance for the Bankwest Zero Mastercard

Expert review · Pauline LauroreAuthor of HelloSafe's card insurance reviews

No travel insurance. None at all. The Bankwest Zero Mastercard travel insurance that some people expect simply does not exist on this card. Most cardholders assume a Mastercard automatically comes with overseas cover, but this one holds no medical, cancellation, or baggage benefit, and there is no assistance line to call. Charge a $500 flight to it and you are still completely uninsured if you land in a hospital in Bali. A standalone travel insurance policy for a two-week overseas trip starts at around $60 to $150, far less than a single uncovered medical bill. If you travel even once a year, treat this card as a payment method only and buy a separate policy before you fly.

What works on travel

No annual fee: nothing is charged for travel cover you do not receive
Straightforward everyday Mastercard with up to 55 interest-free days
0% p.a. purchase rate for the first 6 months

Where travel breaks down

No overseas emergency medical cover: a hospital admission abroad can run $50,000 to $200,000, all on you
No trip cancellation: prepaid flights and hotels are not refundable through the card
No assistance line: no one to call from overseas in an emergency
2.95% foreign transaction fee on purchases made in a foreign currency

Our methodology

Every score is derived from official bank documents: terms and conditions, benefit guides, and claim procedures. No commercial relationship influences our ratings.

Travel Insurance · 20 guarantees

What does Bankwest Zero Mastercard Travel Insurance actually cover?

No trip cancellation cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Prepaid flights, hotels, and tours are not reimbursable if you cancel, so a standalone travel insurance policy is required.

No overseas emergency medical cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Medicare does not cover you outside Australia, and a serious hospital admission overseas can run $50,000 to $200,000.

No emergency evacuation cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Emergency evacuation costs are the cardholder's responsibility, and an air ambulance from Southeast Asia to Australia runs $60,000 to $100,000.

No overseas emergency dental cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Emergency dental treatment overseas is out of pocket.

No hospital cash allowance. This benefit is not included with this card. A daily cash payment during an overseas hospital stay is not provided.

No additional expenses cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Extra travel and accommodation costs from a disruption overseas are out of pocket.

No travel delay cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Meals, accommodation, and transport during a delay are the cardholder's responsibility.

No missed connection cover. This benefit is not included with this card. The cost of alternative transport after a missed connection is out of pocket.

No return home cover. This benefit is not included with this card. The cost to fly home and resume a trip after a family emergency is out of pocket.

No baggage delay cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Purchases of essential items during a bag delay are out of pocket.

No lost luggage cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Replacement costs for lost or stolen bags are the cardholder's responsibility.

No travel documents cover. This benefit is not included with this card. The cost to replace a stolen passport or reverse fraudulent transactions is out of pocket.

No personal liability cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Legal liability for injury to others or property damage overseas is uninsured, and claims commonly reach hundreds of thousands of dollars.

No accidental death cover. This benefit is not included with this card. No lump sum is payable for accidental death or serious injury while travelling.

No loss of income cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Lost earnings after a travel injury are not replaced.

No domestic cancellation cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Prepaid interstate flights and accommodation are not reimbursable if you cancel.

No domestic flight delay cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Meals and accommodation during an interstate flight delay are the cardholder's responsibility.

No domestic additional expenses cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Extra costs from a disrupted interstate trip are out of pocket.

No domestic luggage cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Replacing luggage lost on an interstate trip is out of pocket.

No domestic luggage delay cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Essential purchases during an interstate baggage delay are out of pocket.

We source benefits from official card guides, but PDFs are sometimes hard to obtain or update. Spotted something off?

Report an error Send updated PDF

Coverage Radar

Where the Bankwest Zero Mastercard wins, where it loses

Coverage snapshot for this tab — click any layer to highlight its scores.

Trip cancellation: not covered by this card

Medical fees abroad: not covered by this card

Medical repatriation: not covered by this card

Compare

Zero MastercardThis card0.0/5?

A$0/yr

With travel insuranceIdeal

Complete coverage · 5.0 / 5

Premium card avg.

A$240 avg. annual fee

Click a layer to highlight its scores on the radar.

Side-by-side comparison

How the Bankwest Zero Mastercard stacks up against the alternatives

Same 5 coverage dimensions, ranked head-to-head against the cards most Zero Mastercard shoppers also consider.

Card	This card Zero Mastercard Bankwest · A$0/yr 0.0/5?	Rewards Travel Adventures ANZ · A$120/yr 4.1/5?	Amplify Signature Bank of Melbourne · A$295/yr 4.3/5?
Trip cancellation Per person, per trip cap	Not covered Cover this gap →	$20,000 per person All prepaid travel	Unlimited Unlimited
Emergency medical Hospital bills abroad	Not covered Cover this gap →	$20,000,000 Capped $20m	Unlimited Unlimited
Emergency evacuation Air ambulance + repatriation	Not covered Cover this gap →	$20,000,000 Capped $20m	Unlimited Unlimited evacuation
Trip delay trigger Hours before benefits kick in	Not covered Cover this gap →	6h / $2,000 Trigger: 6 hours	6h / $1,100 Trigger: 6 hours
Trip interruption Covered amount	Not covered Cover this gap →	$100,000 Extra travel & accommodation	Unlimited Extra travel & accommodation

StrongLimited / misleadingNot covered

Data verified against each card's Guide to Benefits, May 2026.

Cardholder reviews

What cardholders say about the Bankwest Zero Mastercard

Real experiences on fees, disputes, and everyday use 38 reviews

Dave (ProductReview)

March 2019

No-fuss no-fee card

I've had this credit card as part of my mortgage package and have been using it for a couple of years now for both everyday purchases and online shopping. No ongoing fees and I haven't had any issues so far.

Vivi (ProductReview)

August 2018

Dispute dragged on for weeks

The transaction dispute with Bankwest took ages and I got a cold letter saying it was basically my problem, not theirs. The customer service was no help at all.

Jules_Verne (ProductReview)

June 2022

Unexpected fees, no answers

I started noticing a cash advance fee being charged at some stage, which was bizarre for normal purchases. I tried customer service on chat and messaging but got nowhere.

Bankwest card servicing (Australia)

13 17 19

Business hours

Benefit administrator: None. The Bankwest Zero Mastercard carries no complimentary insurance.

Claims & pre-authorizations

Is there a claims process for the Bankwest Zero Mastercard?

Step 1: Check whether you hold cover elsewhere

This card has no complimentary travel, rental, or purchase insurance, so there is nothing to claim under it. Check whether a separate travel policy or another card covers your loss.

Step 2: Lodge the claim with your standalone insurer

If you bought a standalone travel or gadget policy, lodge the claim with that insurer and follow the deadline and document list in their Product Disclosure Statement (PDS).

Step 3: For a card dispute, contact Bankwest

For a fraudulent transaction or a billing dispute, which is not an insurance claim, call Bankwest on 13 17 19 or raise it in the Bankwest app.

You cannot, because there is no complimentary travel insurance to activate. The Bankwest Zero Mastercard is a no-annual-fee everyday card, and Bankwest lists overseas travel insurance as not applicable for this tier. Only the Bankwest Platinum Mastercard and World Mastercard carry complimentary overseas travel cover under the shared insurance policy. Charging your flights or a prepaid trip to this card does not switch any cover on, unlike some other Australian cards. If you want travel insurance for an upcoming trip, you will need to buy a standalone policy before you leave, or use a card whose Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) includes travel cover.
No one, because the card includes no complimentary insurance. There is no covered-persons definition for the cardholder, a spouse, or dependent children, since there is no travel, rental, or purchase policy attached to the card at all. This is different from Bankwest's Platinum and World Mastercards, which do extend cover to eligible family members travelling with the cardholder. If you need your family covered for a trip, a standalone family travel insurance policy is the way to do it. Always read the PDS of any policy you buy to confirm exactly who it covers.
No. The Bankwest Zero Mastercard does not reimburse rental vehicle excess, either overseas or for hires within Australia. If you damage a hire car, the full excess stays with you, and that commonly runs $2,000 to $5,500 in Australia and up to $8,000 overseas. You can still use the card to pay for a rental, but paying with it gives you no excess protection. To cover this risk, take the hire company's excess-reduction cover at the counter, or buy a standalone rental excess policy, which can start from just a few dollars a day and often works out cheaper than the counter option.
There is no insurance on this card to claim against, so there is no travel, rental, or purchase claims process. If you have a loss, check whether a separate travel policy or another card of yours provides cover, and lodge the claim with that insurer following the deadline and documents set out in their PDS. For a fraudulent transaction or a billing dispute, which is a banking matter rather than an insurance claim, contact Bankwest directly on 13 17 19 or raise it in the Bankwest app. Keep dated records of any purchase or transaction you are disputing.
It covers nothing, because the card carries no complimentary insurance of any kind. There is no overseas emergency medical cover, no trip cancellation, no lost luggage or travel delay benefit, and no assistance line to call from overseas. There is also no rental vehicle excess cover, no purchase protection, no extended warranty, and no mobile phone insurance. Bankwest lists every insurance category as not applicable for this tier. In practice, treat the Bankwest Zero Mastercard as a payment method only, and arrange a standalone travel or gadget policy separately whenever you need protection.
Yes. Because this card provides no travel cover at all, you need a standalone travel insurance policy for any overseas trip. Medicare does not cover you outside Australia, and a serious hospital admission overseas can run $50,000 to $200,000, which would fall entirely on you with this card. A standard two-week overseas policy typically costs around $60 to $150, a small fraction of a single uncovered medical bill. Buy the policy before you travel, and check that it covers your destination, trip length, any planned activities, and any pre-existing medical conditions you need assessed.
No. The Bankwest Zero Mastercard does not include mobile phone or screen insurance. If your phone is stolen or the screen cracks, the repair or replacement cost is entirely yours, and replacing a flagship smartphone out of pocket runs $1,200 to $2,300. Paying your monthly phone bill with the card does not create any cover, unlike a small number of cards that offer bill-linked phone protection. If phone cover matters to you, consider a dedicated device insurance policy, or check whether your home contents policy includes portable-item cover for the handset.
No. Snow sports cannot be covered because the card has no travel insurance in the first place. If you are injured skiing or snowboarding overseas, there is no medical cover, no evacuation cover, and no assistance line, so an air ambulance off the mountain and any hospital treatment would be paid out of pocket. Snow-sports medical bills and evacuations are among the most expensive travel claims there are. For a ski trip, buy a standalone travel policy that specifically includes winter sports, and read the PDS closely, since many policies still exclude off-piste skiing and racing.
Yes. The Bankwest Zero Mastercard, the Classic tier, charges a foreign transaction fee of 2.95% on purchases made in a foreign currency or processed overseas. That is different from the Bankwest Zero Platinum Mastercard, which carries no foreign transaction fee. On a $2,000 overseas spend, 2.95% adds about $59 in fees. If you travel or shop internationally often, the fee adds up quickly, so a card with no foreign transaction fee would save you money on overseas purchases. This fee is separate from currency conversion and applies regardless of which currency you select at the terminal.