Covers all prepaid non-refundable travel with no dollar cap if you cancel for a covered reason, subject to a $300 excess per claim. The covered-reasons list is broad: serious illness or injury, death of a relative, natural disaster, retrenchment, jury duty and more. A travel agent's cancellation fee is capped at the lesser of $500 or 15% of the travel arranged.
What does the St George Vertigo credit card travel insurance actually cover?
St.George·A$99/year·Visa Platinum

Our Verdict · Travel Insurance
Our take on travel insurance for the St.George Vertigo Platinum
Full Level 1 cover on a low-rate card. The catch is activation. Most people pick the St George Vertigo for its 12.99% purchase rate, and the St George Vertigo credit card travel insurance quietly matches the bank's top card: unlimited overseas emergency medical, cancellation with no dollar cap, rental excess to $5,500, each with a $300 excess per claim. None of it switches on by itself. You have to charge at least $500 of prepaid travel to the card and hold a return ticket before leaving Australia. Book on points so only the taxes hit the card, and you can land in Bali uninsured, while a standalone policy pays out no matter how the trip was booked, often from a few dollars a day. Charge your travel to the card and keep trips under six months, and this is genuinely strong cover on a card most people hold for the low rate.
- Unlimited overseas emergency medical and evacuation, with a $300 excess per claim
- Trip cancellation with no dollar cap, covering all prepaid non-refundable travel
- Cover runs up to six consecutive months per trip, a long window for a complimentary policy
- Interstate flight inconvenience included: domestic cancellation to $3,000 and flight delay from four hours
- Same Level 1 cover as the bank's top card, on a low-rate card with a $99 fee
- Activation by spend: no cover unless at least $500 of prepaid travel is charged to the card plus a return ticket
- Travel delay only starts after six hours and caps at $1,100 for a family
- Age cap of 81: travellers over that age get no international cover
- Pre-existing conditions off the auto-covered list need assessment and a $45 fee
- Closed to new applicants: only existing Vertigo Platinum cardholders can rely on this cover
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 St.George Vertigo Platinum Travel Insurance actually cover?
- Serious illness or injury to you or a travel companion
- Death, serious injury or illness of a relative in Australia
- Natural disaster, riot, strike or carrier disruption
- Retrenchment or redundancy (not voluntary)
- Stolen travel documents, quarantine, home destroyed, jury or court summons
- Cancellation for a reason not on the covered-events list
- Pre-existing conditions not assessed or not on the auto-covered list
- Losses recoverable from a supplier, travel agent or other source
Covers overseas emergency medical and hospital costs with no dollar cap, subject to a $300 excess per claim. Treatment and hospitalisation are covered for up to twelve months after the injury or sickness first arises. Emergency dental for sudden acute pain is a separate sub-limit of $2,000.
- Hospital admission and treatment overseas
- Surgery, doctors and prescribed medication
- Ambulance and emergency transfers
- Emergency dental for spontaneous toothache (sub-limit $2,000)
- Pre-existing conditions not assessed or not on the auto-covered list
- Pregnancy after the 26th week
- Off-piste snow sports, and other dangerous activities
- Claims linked to alcohol or drugs
Covers emergency evacuation and repatriation with no dollar cap, arranged through the 24/7 Allianz Global Assistance line, subject to a $300 excess. Funeral expenses overseas and repatriation of remains are covered without a dollar cap. The assistance team coordinates transfer to the nearest suitable hospital and, where needed, home to Australia.
- Emergency evacuation to the nearest suitable hospital
- Repatriation to Australia when medically necessary
- Repatriation of remains and overseas funeral expenses
- 24/7 emergency assistance coordination
- Evacuation not authorised by the assistance provider
- Pre-existing conditions not assessed
- Dangerous activities excluded by the policy
Covers emergency dental treatment for sudden and acute pain to natural teeth, up to $2,000 per person, with a $300 excess. It applies to spontaneous toothache only, not routine or cosmetic dental work. Treatment must happen during the journey.
- Emergency treatment of sudden acute pain to natural teeth
- Routine, planned or cosmetic dental work
- Denture and bridge repairs
- Treatment of teeth already under care
Pays $100 per person for each full 24-hour period you spend as an overseas hospital inpatient, up to $15,000 per person, with a $300 excess. It is a cash allowance for incidentals on top of your medical costs. It starts after the first 24 hours of admission.
- Cash allowance for each full day admitted as an overseas inpatient
- First 24 hours of admission
- Domestic hospital stays (Medicare applies)
Covers additional travel and accommodation costs with no dollar cap when injury, illness or a covered disruption forces you to change plans, subject to a $300 excess. It includes emergency expenses for a necessary travelling companion and repatriation of dependants left without supervision. Reasonable and necessary costs only.
- Extra travel and accommodation from your incapacity
- Emergency expenses for a necessary companion
- Repatriation of dependants left without supervision
- Costs recoverable elsewhere
- Expenses not related to a covered event
After a delay of six consecutive hours, covers meals and accommodation up to $500 per person, capped at $1,100 for a cardholder travelling with family, with a $300 excess. It applies when scheduled transport is delayed for reasons outside your control. Keep the receipts, the insurer asks for them.
- Meals and accommodation during the delay
- Delays you were aware of before travel
- Costs covered by the carrier
Covers reasonable alternative transport to reach your destination on time after a covered delay, up to $3,750, with a $300 excess. It applies when a delay would otherwise cause you to miss a connection or a prepaid arrangement. Only necessary extra transport is covered.
- Alternative transport to reach a scheduled destination on time
- Costs recoverable from the carrier
- Upgrades beyond reasonable alternative transport
Covers the cost to return home and then resume your journey after the death of a relative, up to $5,750 per person and $12,500 for a family, with a $300 excess. Resumption of the trip is included, not just the flight home. The relative must be as defined in the policy.
- Return home following the death of a relative
- Resumption of the journey after returning home
- Return for reasons other than a covered event
- Costs recoverable elsewhere
If the carrier delays your luggage more than twelve hours, covers essential replacement purchases up to $800 per person, capped at $1,600 for a family, with no excess. Keep receipts for the items you buy during the wait. This benefit is deducted from any later luggage loss claim for the same items.
- Essential clothing and toiletries during a luggage delay
- Delays on the final leg home
- Items not reasonably essential
Covers lost, stolen or damaged luggage and personal effects up to $20,000 per person, capped at $30,000 for a family, with a $300 excess. Per-item sub-limits apply: $5,000 for most items, $5,500 for a camera, and $5,500 in total for laptops. Depreciation applies to older items.
- Loss, theft or damage to luggage and personal effects
- Portable electrical equipment within sub-limits
- Sporting equipment while in use (no cover)
- Valuables checked into the hold
- Items left in a vehicle beyond the reduced limit
Covers replacement of travel documents, transaction cards, travellers cheques and cash up to $550 per person, capped at $1,250 for a family, with no excess. It applies to loss or theft during the journey. Reasonable costs to reissue documents are included.
- Reissue of passports and travel documents
- Replacement of transaction cards, cheques and cash
- Losses not reported to authorities
- Cash beyond the stated sub-limit
Covers your legal liability for injury to another person or damage to their property overseas, up to $2,500,000, with no excess. It applies to claims arising during the journey. Liability linked to a vehicle, aircraft or watercraft is excluded.
- Third-party bodily injury overseas
- Third-party property damage overseas
- Legal costs with consent
- Liability from a vehicle, aircraft or watercraft
- Liability to family or travel companions
- Business or professional liability
Pays a lump sum of $50,000 for a cardholder, and $25,000 each for a spouse or dependant, if an accident during the journey causes death, with no excess. The family total is capped at $150,000. It is paid to your estate.
- Accidental death of the cardholder, spouse or dependant during the journey
- Death from illness rather than accident
- Dangerous activities excluded by the policy
Replaces verified income up to $1,000 per week for a cardholder or spouse who cannot return to work because of an overseas injury, with no excess. It is limited to twelve weeks of incapacity and $12,000 in total. You must provide proof of your income.
- Weekly income replacement after an overseas injury prevents work
- Incapacity from illness rather than injury
- Self-employed income that cannot be verified
Covers cancellation of prepaid interstate flights up to $3,000, with a $300 excess, under the Interstate Flight Inconvenience benefit. The entire return interstate airfare must be charged to the card. It covers the flight cost, not overseas-style trip cancellation.
- Cancellation of prepaid interstate flights for a covered reason
- Pre-existing conditions
- Reasons not on the covered-events list
After a four-hour delay to an interstate flight, pays $125 per person for meals and accommodation, capped at $500, with no excess. It applies to return interstate flights charged to the card. The cover is for the delay, not the ticket.
- Meals and accommodation after a four-hour interstate flight delay
- Delays you were aware of before travel
- Costs met by the airline
No domestic additional expenses cover. The interstate benefit covers cancellation, flight delay and luggage only, not extra travel or accommodation from disruption. Extra meals and accommodation during an interstate trip beyond the flight delay allowance are the cardholder's responsibility.
- Not provided under the Interstate Flight Inconvenience benefit
Covers loss, theft or damage to luggage on an interstate flight up to $500 per item and $1,500 in total, with a $300 excess. The return interstate flight must be charged to the card. Per-item limits apply.
- Loss, theft or damage to luggage on an interstate flight
- Valuables checked into the hold
- Items left unattended
If interstate luggage is delayed more than twelve hours, pays $125 per person for essentials, capped at $500, with no excess. The flight must be charged to the card. It covers reasonable replacement purchases during the delay.
- Essential purchases during an interstate luggage delay
- Delays on the final leg home
- Items not reasonably essential
We source benefits from official card guides, but PDFs are sometimes hard to obtain or update. Spotted something off?
Coverage Radar
Where the St.George Vertigo Platinum wins, where it loses
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Side-by-side comparison
How the St.George Vertigo Platinum stacks up against the alternatives
Same 5 coverage dimensions, ranked head-to-head against the cards most Vertigo Platinum shoppers also consider.
| Card | This card Vertigo Platinum St.George · A$99/yr 4.3/5? | Amplify Rewards Platinum St.George · A$175/yr 4.3/5? | Low Fee Platinum Westpac · A$90/yr 4.3/5? | Amplify Signature Bank of Melbourne · A$295/yr 4.3/5? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Trip cancellation Per person, per trip cap | Unlimited Unlimited (all prepaid) | Unlimited Unlimited (all prepaid) | Unlimited Unlimited | Unlimited Unlimited |
Emergency medical Hospital bills abroad | Unlimited Unlimited | Unlimited Unlimited | Unlimited Unlimited | Unlimited Unlimited |
Emergency evacuation Air ambulance + repatriation | Unlimited Unlimited evacuation | Unlimited Unlimited evacuation | Unlimited Unlimited evacuation | Unlimited Unlimited evacuation |
Trip delay trigger Hours before benefits kick in | 6h / $1,100 Trigger: 6 hours | 6h / $1,100 Trigger: 6 hours | 6h / $1,100 Trigger: 6 hours | 6h / $1,100 Trigger: 6 hours |
Trip interruption Covered amount | Unlimited Extra travel & accommodation | Unlimited Extra travel & accommodation | Unlimited Unlimited | Unlimited Extra travel & accommodation |
Data verified against each card's Guide to Benefits, May 2026.
What cardholders say about the St.George Vertigo Platinum
Real experiences on the low rate, complimentary cover and claims 34 reviews
raywst (ProductReview)
Free insurance and extended warranty
Free extended warranty and visa platinum service. The free insurance and the best price guarantee.
Paul D (ProductReview)
No correspondence on my application
Terrible service. Did not contact me regarding my application. No correspondence.
SixthSense (ProductReview)
Credit limit cut for new customers
A reduced credit limit was provided because we were new customers and did not have a history.
How to contact St.George Vertigo Platinum assistance?
Australia Assistance
1800 227 773
24/7
Overseas Assistance (reverse charge)
+61 7 3305 7468
Reverse charge accepted · 24/7
Benefit administrator: Allianz Global Assistance (AWP Australia) for St.George
Claims & pre-authorizations
How to make a St.George Vertigo Platinum claim
Step 1: Call the 24/7 assistance line before treatment where you can
For a medical emergency overseas, call Allianz Global Assistance on +61 7 3305 7468 (reverse charge) before you are treated where possible, so they can approve and coordinate care. Save the number in your phone before you fly.
Step 2: Lodge the claim and gather your documents
Lodge online with Allianz Global Assistance, or call 1800 091 710 within Australia. Gather itemised accounts for medical or delay costs, a property irregularity report from the airline for luggage, and your rental agreement and incident report for an excess claim.
Step 3: Prove the trip was charged to the card
Include your card statement showing that the required $500 spend, the full rental, or the purchase was charged to the Vertigo Platinum. Activation is the first thing the insurer checks. Lodge early and keep everything dated.
What people ask about the St.George Vertigo Platinum
- There is no separate registration step, but the international cover is not automatic. It switches on only when you charge at least $500 of your prepaid overseas travel to the Vertigo Platinum and hold a return overseas ticket before leaving Australia. You also need to reside in Australia and be aged under 81 when you become eligible. Interstate cover works the same way: the whole return interstate airfare must be charged to the card. If you book with points and only the taxes hit the card, that may not meet the $500 spend condition, so read the PDS before you rely on the cover.
- Cover extends to the cardholder, a spouse or de facto partner, and dependants, but each person has to meet the eligibility criteria in their own right. That means a return overseas ticket, at least $500 of their prepaid travel charged to the card, and being aged under 81 when they become eligible. A spouse and dependants also need to travel with the cardholder for at least half the cover period. The exact definitions and sums insured per person sit in the PDS, so confirm each traveller against the covered-persons definition before you leave.
- It reimburses the excess the hire company charges you after a rental vehicle is damaged or stolen, up to $5,500, with a $300 excess per claim. Excess here is the amount you must contribute towards the repair, and this benefit refunds it. It does not waive the damage, so you pay the hire company first and claim it back afterwards. The Vertigo Platinum covers both overseas hires, within the travel policy, and Australian hires through a separate Rental Vehicle Excess in Australia benefit. To qualify, charge the full rental to the card and be a named driver on the agreement.
- Claims go through Allianz Global Assistance, the administrator behind the policy. Lodge online, or call 1800 091 710 within Australia during business hours. For a medical emergency overseas, call the 24-hour assistance line on +61 7 3305 7468 before treatment where you can. The insurer will ask for itemised accounts, a property irregularity report from the airline for luggage, your rental agreement for an excess claim, and proof the trip was charged to the card. Some cardholders report clean approvals, others describe disputes before a payout, so lodge early and keep everything dated.
- The biggest gap is activation: if you did not charge at least $500 of prepaid travel to the card and hold a return ticket, there is no international cover at all. Travellers aged 81 or over get no international cover, and pre-existing conditions are excluded unless they are on the auto-covered list or assessed for a $45 fee. There is no domestic medical cover, because Medicare applies in Australia, and no mobile phone, price or refund protection. Off-piste skiing, off-piste snowboarding and snowmobiling are excluded, and sporting equipment is not covered while in use.
- Yes, through a separate Interstate Flight Inconvenience benefit that applies to return interstate flights charged to the card. It covers cancellation up to $3,000, flight delay of four hours or more at $125 per person up to $500, luggage up to $1,500, and luggage delay. There is no domestic emergency medical cover, because Medicare applies within Australia. The limits are lower than the overseas policy, and there is no domestic additional-expenses benefit. It is real protection for interstate air travel, not a full domestic travel policy.
- Yes. On top of the overseas rental excess in the travel policy, the Vertigo Platinum includes a separate Rental Vehicle Excess in Australia benefit. It reimburses the excess you are liable for after an Australian hire car is damaged or stolen, up to the lesser of the excess in your agreement or $5,500, with a $300 excess per claim. Cover runs for the length of the rental agreement. To use it, charge the entire vehicle rental to the card. This is a genuine advantage over cards that only cover overseas hires, which leave a domestic road trip exposed.
- Some are, automatically. The policy auto-covers a defined list of stable conditions without assessment, provided you meet the specific requirements for each one, such as no recent treatment or complications. A pre-existing condition is any condition you had symptoms, diagnosis or treatment for before the trip. If your condition is not on the list, or you do not meet its requirements, you can apply to Allianz Global Assistance for assessment and pay a $45 administration fee. Without confirmation of cover, any claim linked to that condition is declined, so sort this out before you leave Australia.
- No. The Vertigo Platinum does not include mobile phone or smartphone insurance, so theft of your handset or a cracked screen is not covered by the card. Its purchase protection can cover a newly bought phone against theft or accidental damage for four months from purchase if the whole price was charged to the card, but that is a one-off purchase benefit, not ongoing phone cover. Replacing a flagship smartphone out of pocket costs $1,200 to $2,300, and a screen repair runs $200 to $600. For ongoing cover, you would need standalone mobile phone insurance.
- On-piste skiing and snowboarding are covered under the overseas travel policy at no extra cost, because they are not listed in the dangerous-activities exclusion. Off-piste snow skiing, off-piste snowboarding and snowmobiling are excluded, so a claim from skiing outside the marked runs would be declined. Your ski equipment is also not separately insured while in use, so treat expensive gear as uncovered on the slopes. If you plan off-piste or backcountry runs, a dedicated snow travel policy is the safer option.
- Yes, for existing cardholders. The Vertigo Platinum is closed to new applications, but if you already hold the card, nothing has changed: it remains a Level 1 card with the full complimentary cover, including overseas and domestic travel insurance, rental vehicle excess, purchase protection and extended warranty. The plain low-rate Vertigo is a different card and does not carry this travel cover. As always, the international cover is not automatic, so charge at least $500 of prepaid travel to the card and hold a return ticket to switch it on.
Other cards worth considering
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