How do I activate travel insurance on the Macquarie RateSaver?

You cannot, because the Macquarie RateSaver has no complimentary travel insurance to switch on. On cards that do include cover, you activate it by charging a set amount of prepaid travel to the card and holding a return ticket. This low-rate Visa was never on that list, so there is no spend threshold, no registration step and no policy sitting behind the card. If you want travel cover for a trip, you need to buy a standalone travel insurance policy separately, before you leave Australia. Charging your flights to the RateSaver does not create any cover.

Who is covered by insurance on the Macquarie RateSaver?

No one is covered, because the card carries no complimentary insurance for any person. On premium cards, cover often extends to the cardholder, a spouse or partner and dependent children travelling together. The Macquarie RateSaver has no such policy, so there are no insured persons, no dependent-child definition and nothing to check in a product disclosure statement. Additional cardholders gain spending access, not insurance. If you need family travel cover, a standalone policy is the only way to insure yourself and anyone travelling with you.

Does the Macquarie RateSaver cover rental vehicle excess?

No. The Macquarie RateSaver does not reimburse rental vehicle excess, either overseas or for hires within Australia. Rental excess cover, when a card offers it, pays back the excess (the amount the hire company makes you wear after damage or theft) once you have paid it. This card has no such benefit, so if a hire car is damaged or stolen, the full excess is yours, commonly $3,000 to $5,500 in Australia. At the counter you can either accept the hire company's excess-reduction cover or buy a standalone rental excess policy, which covers Australian and overseas hires from a few dollars a day.

How do I make an insurance claim on the Macquarie RateSaver?

There is no insurance claim to make, because the card has no complimentary travel, rental or purchase cover. If your issue is a fraudulent or disputed transaction, that is a different process: call Macquarie's 24/7 line on +61 2 8550 5666, or lock the card in the Macquarie app, and the bank handles it as a chargeback rather than an insurance claim. For anything travel related, such as a cancelled trip or a medical bill overseas, you would claim on a separate travel insurance policy if you hold one. Keep receipts and documentation, since the card itself reimburses nothing.

What does the Macquarie RateSaver not cover?

Almost nothing is covered, because the RateSaver carries no complimentary insurance at all. There is no overseas or domestic travel cover, no trip cancellation, no rental vehicle excess, no purchase protection, no extended warranty and no mobile phone insurance. Medicare does not follow you overseas, so a hospital admission abroad, commonly $50,000 to $200,000, would be entirely out of pocket. The only card-level protections are Visa zero-liability fraud cover and 24/7 account monitoring, which guard against unauthorised transactions, not travel or purchase risks. For real protection, pair the card with a standalone travel insurance policy.

Do I still need separate travel insurance if I have the Macquarie RateSaver?

Yes, without exception, because the card provides no travel insurance of any kind. A standalone policy is the only thing that will cover overseas medical bills, trip cancellation, delays, lost luggage and rental excess when you travel. This matters most for the medical side: Medicare does not cover you outside Australia, and a serious hospital admission overseas can run $50,000 to $200,000. The RateSaver's genuine travel perk is its 0% foreign transaction fee, which saves you money on overseas spending, but it does nothing if something goes wrong. Buy a separate travel insurance policy before you leave.

Does the Macquarie RateSaver include mobile phone insurance?

No. The Macquarie RateSaver does not include mobile phone or screen insurance, so a cracked screen or a stolen handset is your cost. Some cards cover a phone when you pay the monthly bill on the card, but this low-rate Visa has no such benefit. A flagship screen repair typically runs $200 to $600, and a full replacement can reach $1,200 to $2,300. If phone cover matters to you, look at a standalone gadget policy or your home contents insurance, which sometimes includes portable items. This card offers fraud protection on transactions, not device protection.

Does the Macquarie RateSaver charge foreign transaction fees?

No. The Macquarie RateSaver charges a 0% foreign transaction fee, so Macquarie adds no surcharge when you buy in a foreign currency, overseas or online. This is the card's standout travel-related feature, and it puts the RateSaver ahead of the many cards that add around 3% on overseas spending. Two caveats worth knowing: overseas merchants or ATM operators may still apply their own fees, and a fee-free card is not the same as travel insurance, which this card does not include. If you travel and pay in local currency often, the 0% fee is a real saving. Just arrange separate travel cover alongside it.

Does the Macquarie RateSaver cover skiing or snowboarding?

No. The Macquarie RateSaver has no travel insurance, so skiing, snowboarding and any other snow activity are not covered, on-piste or off-piste. There is no policy to include or exclude winter sports, which means an injury on the slopes, a medical evacuation or a lift-pass refund would all be out of pocket. Snow travel is one of the more expensive things to claim for, and a helicopter off a mountain plus surgery can run into tens of thousands of dollars. For a ski trip, buy a travel insurance policy with snow-sports cover added, and check whether it covers off-piste if you plan to leave the marked runs.

Does the Macquarie RateSaver come with travel insurance or any complimentary cover?

Macquarie·$69/year·Visa

Pauline LauroreAuthor of HelloSafe's card insurance reviewsUpdated 7 October 20268 min read

0,0/5Independent review · verified October 2026

Travel Insurance

0,0

Car Rental

0,0

Protection

0,0

Our Verdict · Travel Insurance

Our take on travel insurance for the Macquarie RateSaver

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

No complimentary travel insurance. None at all. Look up Macquarie RateSaver travel insurance and there is nothing to activate, because this low-rate Visa carries no policy. So you are booking two weeks in Bali, assuming the card covers you the way a premium card might, and it simply doesn't: charge the flights here and you are still uninsured for medical bills, cancellation, delays and lost luggage. Medicare covers nothing overseas, and a serious hospital admission can run $50,000 to $200,000. A standalone travel policy starts at a few dollars a day and is the only thing that closes this gap. If you want cover built into the card, this is the wrong card; if you already hold a separate policy, the RateSaver's real draw is its 0% foreign transaction fee, not insurance.

What works on travel

0% foreign transaction fee: overseas and foreign-currency online purchases carry no Macquarie surcharge
Visa zero-liability fraud protection on unauthorised transactions
Up to 55 days interest-free on purchases when the balance is paid in full

Where travel breaks down

No overseas emergency medical cover: a serious hospital admission abroad can cost $50,000 to $200,000 out of pocket
No trip cancellation, delay or baggage cover: prepaid travel is not reimbursed if plans fall through
No domestic interstate flight cover: cancelled or delayed flights within Australia are on you
Travel insurance was never part of this card, so there is nothing to activate

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 Macquarie RateSaver 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, and a standalone travel insurance policy is required for this cover.

No overseas emergency medical cover. There is no assistance line and no policy behind this card. All medical costs overseas are yours, and since Medicare does not cover you outside Australia, a serious hospital admission can run $50,000 to $200,000.

No emergency evacuation cover. There is no assistance line arranged through this card. Emergency evacuation costs are entirely yours, and an air ambulance from Southeast Asia to Australia runs $60,000 to $100,000.

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

No hospital cash allowance. This benefit is not included with this card. Incidental costs during an overseas hospital stay are yours to pay.

No additional expenses cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Costs from a trip cut short, such as extra return flights and unused accommodation, are out of pocket.

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

No missed connection cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Alternative transport to catch up with your itinerary is paid 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. Essential purchases while your bag is delayed are out of pocket.

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

No travel documents cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Replacing a stolen passport or covering fraudulent use of a lost card 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 such claims commonly reach hundreds of thousands of dollars.

No accidental death benefit. This benefit is not included with this card. No lump sum is payable to you or your family for an accident while travelling.

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

No domestic cancellation cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Prepaid interstate flights and accommodation are not reimbursed 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 your responsibility.

No domestic additional expenses cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Extra travel and accommodation costs on an interstate trip are out of pocket.

No domestic luggage cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Lost or damaged bags on an interstate trip are your responsibility.

No domestic luggage delay cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Essential purchases during a domestic bag 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 Macquarie RateSaver 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

RateSaverThis card0.0/5?

$69/yr

With travel insuranceIdeal

Complete coverage · 5.0 / 5

Premium card avg.

$235 avg. annual fee

Click a layer to highlight its scores on the radar.

Side-by-side comparison

How the Macquarie RateSaver stacks up against the alternatives

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

Card	This card RateSaver Macquarie · $69/yr 0.0/5?	Vertigo Platinum St.George · $99/yr 4.3/5?	Amplify Signature Bank of Melbourne · $295/yr 4.3/5?
Trip cancellation Per person, per trip cap	Not covered Cover this gap →	Unlimited Unlimited (all prepaid)	Unlimited Unlimited
Emergency medical Hospital bills abroad	Not covered Cover this gap →	Unlimited Unlimited	Unlimited Unlimited
Emergency evacuation Air ambulance + repatriation	Not covered Cover this gap →	Unlimited Unlimited evacuation	Unlimited Unlimited evacuation
Trip delay trigger Hours before benefits kick in	Not covered Cover this gap →	6h / $1,100 Trigger: 6 hours	6h / $1,100 Trigger: 6 hours
Trip interruption Covered amount	Not covered Cover this gap →	Unlimited 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 Macquarie RateSaver

Real experiences on fees, features and service, not on insurance the card does not offer 861 reviews

Scarlett Wheatley (CreditCard.com.au)

January 2013

Low rate, and the balance transfer works if you are quick

This card has a reasonably low interest rate and the BT is good if you can pay off your transfers fast. The annual fee is okay, but I wouldn't pay much more for what you're getting.

Mel G. (ProductReview)

2025

Charged for expenses we cannot explain

We pay our credit card diligently and have done so for over 12 months. All of a sudden, our credit card showed that we owed $3000+ which is not true. I have tried following up with customer service almost daily for weeks with promises of escalations and calls to me, however have not heard from the bank. They cannot explain where these extra expenses have come from.

Guna (ProductReview)

2024

Three days just to activate the card

Been trying to activate my credit card for the past three days. All I need is my Macquarie ID. After countless hours on the phone, I've sent my ID through their portal, email and yet they require a stupid written request with my ID (how is that even secure). The worst online team I've dealt by far!!

Macquarie Card Support (Australia)

1300 150 300

Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm AEST

Lost, Stolen or Fraud (24/7)

+61 2 8550 5666

Call from overseas; reverse charge accepted · 24/7

Benefit administrator: None. The RateSaver carries no complimentary insurance, so there is no insurer or claims administrator.

Claims & pre-authorizations

Is there an insurance claim to make on the Macquarie RateSaver?

Step 1: There is no travel, rental or purchase insurance to claim

The Macquarie RateSaver includes no complimentary insurance, so there is no policy, no insurer and no claim to lodge for a trip, a hire car or a purchase. For those risks you need a standalone policy arranged separately.

Step 2: For a fraudulent or disputed charge, contact Macquarie

If you spot an unauthorised transaction, call the 24/7 line on +61 2 8550 5666 or lock the card in the Macquarie app. This is a chargeback and dispute process run by the bank, not an insurance claim.

Step 3: Keep your own records and buy cover before you travel

Because the card reimburses nothing, keep receipts and arrange a travel or rental excess policy before you leave Australia. Compare standalone cover rather than relying on this card.

You cannot, because the Macquarie RateSaver has no complimentary travel insurance to switch on. On cards that do include cover, you activate it by charging a set amount of prepaid travel to the card and holding a return ticket. This low-rate Visa was never on that list, so there is no spend threshold, no registration step and no policy sitting behind the card. If you want travel cover for a trip, you need to buy a standalone travel insurance policy separately, before you leave Australia. Charging your flights to the RateSaver does not create any cover.
No one is covered, because the card carries no complimentary insurance for any person. On premium cards, cover often extends to the cardholder, a spouse or partner and dependent children travelling together. The Macquarie RateSaver has no such policy, so there are no insured persons, no dependent-child definition and nothing to check in a product disclosure statement. Additional cardholders gain spending access, not insurance. If you need family travel cover, a standalone policy is the only way to insure yourself and anyone travelling with you.
No. The Macquarie RateSaver does not reimburse rental vehicle excess, either overseas or for hires within Australia. Rental excess cover, when a card offers it, pays back the excess (the amount the hire company makes you wear after damage or theft) once you have paid it. This card has no such benefit, so if a hire car is damaged or stolen, the full excess is yours, commonly $3,000 to $5,500 in Australia. At the counter you can either accept the hire company's excess-reduction cover or buy a standalone rental excess policy, which covers Australian and overseas hires from a few dollars a day.
There is no insurance claim to make, because the card has no complimentary travel, rental or purchase cover. If your issue is a fraudulent or disputed transaction, that is a different process: call Macquarie's 24/7 line on +61 2 8550 5666, or lock the card in the Macquarie app, and the bank handles it as a chargeback rather than an insurance claim. For anything travel related, such as a cancelled trip or a medical bill overseas, you would claim on a separate travel insurance policy if you hold one. Keep receipts and documentation, since the card itself reimburses nothing.
Almost nothing is covered, because the RateSaver carries no complimentary insurance at all. There is no overseas or domestic travel cover, no trip cancellation, no rental vehicle excess, no purchase protection, no extended warranty and no mobile phone insurance. Medicare does not follow you overseas, so a hospital admission abroad, commonly $50,000 to $200,000, would be entirely out of pocket. The only card-level protections are Visa zero-liability fraud cover and 24/7 account monitoring, which guard against unauthorised transactions, not travel or purchase risks. For real protection, pair the card with a standalone travel insurance policy.
Yes, without exception, because the card provides no travel insurance of any kind. A standalone policy is the only thing that will cover overseas medical bills, trip cancellation, delays, lost luggage and rental excess when you travel. This matters most for the medical side: Medicare does not cover you outside Australia, and a serious hospital admission overseas can run $50,000 to $200,000. The RateSaver's genuine travel perk is its 0% foreign transaction fee, which saves you money on overseas spending, but it does nothing if something goes wrong. Buy a separate travel insurance policy before you leave.
No. The Macquarie RateSaver does not include mobile phone or screen insurance, so a cracked screen or a stolen handset is your cost. Some cards cover a phone when you pay the monthly bill on the card, but this low-rate Visa has no such benefit. A flagship screen repair typically runs $200 to $600, and a full replacement can reach $1,200 to $2,300. If phone cover matters to you, look at a standalone gadget policy or your home contents insurance, which sometimes includes portable items. This card offers fraud protection on transactions, not device protection.
No. The Macquarie RateSaver charges a 0% foreign transaction fee, so Macquarie adds no surcharge when you buy in a foreign currency, overseas or online. This is the card's standout travel-related feature, and it puts the RateSaver ahead of the many cards that add around 3% on overseas spending. Two caveats worth knowing: overseas merchants or ATM operators may still apply their own fees, and a fee-free card is not the same as travel insurance, which this card does not include. If you travel and pay in local currency often, the 0% fee is a real saving. Just arrange separate travel cover alongside it.
No. The Macquarie RateSaver has no travel insurance, so skiing, snowboarding and any other snow activity are not covered, on-piste or off-piste. There is no policy to include or exclude winter sports, which means an injury on the slopes, a medical evacuation or a lift-pass refund would all be out of pocket. Snow travel is one of the more expensive things to claim for, and a helicopter off a mountain plus surgery can run into tens of thousands of dollars. For a ski trip, buy a travel insurance policy with snow-sports cover added, and check whether it covers off-piste if you plan to leave the marked runs.