How do I activate the Westpac Earth Black complimentary travel insurance?

The cover is not automatic. Before you leave Australia, you activate it by charging at least $500 of your prepaid travel costs to the Westpac Earth Black, holding a return overseas travel ticket, and being aged under 81. The trip must also begin and end in Australia. Prepaid costs can include your flights, departure taxes, accommodation or other prepaid itinerary items. Simply holding the card is not enough, and there is no separate registration step. If you book flights on points and only the taxes hit the card, that may not meet the $500 spend condition, so check before you rely on the cover.

Who is covered under the Westpac Earth Black complimentary insurance?

Cover extends to the cardholder, their spouse or de facto partner, and dependants, when each person meets the eligibility rules. Each traveller needs at least $500 of their prepaid trip charged to the card, a return overseas ticket, and to be aged under 81, and spouses and dependants must travel with the cardholder for at least half of the period of cover. Dependants under two years are covered on the same basis. When a cardholder, spouse and dependant travel together, only one person can claim as the cardholder and the others claim as spouse or dependant. Check each traveller against the covered-persons definition in your Westpac Earth Black PDS (Product Disclosure Statement, the policy booklet).

How does the Westpac Earth Black rental vehicle excess cover work?

It reimburses the excess (the amount the hire company makes you pay towards damage or theft), not the damage itself, so you pay the hire company first and claim it back. On the Westpac Earth Black the overseas rental excess is reimbursed up to $5,500, and a separate Rental Vehicle Excess in Australia benefit covers domestic hires up to the lesser of your agreement excess or $5,500. A $300 excess applies to each rental excess claim, overseas or at home. To qualify, charge the entire vehicle rental to the card and drive under a valid rental agreement. Keep the rental agreement, the incident report and the hire company's written confirmation of the amount you owe.

How do I make a claim on my Westpac Earth Black insurance?

Claims go through Allianz Global Assistance, which administers the cover for Westpac, not Westpac itself. Lodge online at insurance.agaassistance.com.au/westpac, or call 1800 091 710 within Australia, and for a medical emergency overseas call +61 7 3305 7468 first. The first thing they check is that the trip was charged to the card, so include the card statement showing your $500 prepaid spend, plus itemised accounts for medical costs and a property irregularity report from the airline for luggage. A $300 excess applies to most claims. Some cardholders report straightforward claims, others describe follow-up requests and delays, so lodge early and keep everything dated.

What does the Westpac Earth Black complimentary insurance NOT cover?

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 cover at all. Overseas cover stops after six months per trip and no cover applies once a traveller turns 81. Pre-existing conditions are covered only if they are on the auto-covered list or assessed and approved for a $45 fee. Off-piste skiing, off-piste snowboarding and snowmobiling are excluded, along with other dangerous activities and travel against a government warning. There is no domestic medical cover, since Medicare (Australia's public health scheme) applies at home, no domestic additional-expenses benefit, and no mobile phone insurance.

Does the Westpac Earth Black cover domestic interstate flights?

Yes, through a separate Interstate Flight Inconvenience benefit that applies when the entire return interstate flight is charged to the card. It covers cancellation up to $3,000, flight delay expenses after four hours at $125 per person up to $500, luggage up to $500 an item and $1,500 in total, and luggage delay up to $500. There is no domestic additional-expenses benefit and no domestic medical cover, because Medicare (Australia's public health scheme) applies within Australia. Cover runs for up to 14 days per journey, so it suits short interstate trips rather than long domestic stays.

Does the Westpac Earth Black include mobile phone insurance?

No. The Westpac Earth Black does not include a dedicated mobile phone insurance benefit. Everyday theft or accidental damage to your phone at home is not covered. While travelling overseas, a phone is only treated as an item of luggage, covered as portable electrical equipment up to $5,000 an item, with a $300 excess on luggage claims. That helps on a trip but does nothing for a cracked screen at home, where replacing a flagship handset runs roughly $1,200 to $2,300. If phone cover matters to you, a standalone mobile or gadget policy, or your home contents insurance, is the place to get it.

Are pre-existing medical conditions covered by the Westpac Earth Black?

Sometimes. Westpac's policy automatically covers a defined list of stable pre-existing conditions without assessment, provided you meet the stated requirements for each. Any condition not on that list is not covered unless Allianz Global Assistance assesses it and confirms cover in writing, for a $45 administration fee. You apply online at checkyourcover.com.au/westpac or by phone, and must answer the health questions honestly. Pregnancy is treated as a pre-existing condition, and no cover applies beyond the 26th week. If a condition is neither on the list nor assessed and approved, any claim linked to it will be declined, so sort this out before you travel.

Does the Westpac Earth Black cover skiing or snowboarding?

On-piste skiing and snowboarding are covered under the overseas travel policy at no extra cost, because they are not named in the dangerous-activities exclusion. Off-piste skiing, off-piste snowboarding and snowmobiling are excluded, so a claim from skiing outside the marked runs would be declined. Your sporting equipment is not insured while it is in use, and racing is excluded, so treat expensive gear and competitive events as uncovered. There is no snow-specific medical top-up on this card. If you plan off-piste or backcountry runs, a dedicated snow travel policy is the safer option, since the Westpac Earth Black will not respond to an off-piste claim.

How long does the Westpac Earth Black cover me on a single overseas trip?

Up to six consecutive months per journey. The Westpac Earth Black is a Level 1 card, which carries the longer six-month overseas period, while Level 2 cards such as the Altitude Platinum are limited to three months. Cover ends when you return home, when you reach the date on your return ticket, or at the six-month mark, whichever comes first, and the trip must begin and end in Australia. For any trip planned to run beyond six months, or a one-way or working-holiday trip, you need a standalone travel insurance policy for the time outside the card's cover.

Westpac Black card travel insurance: what does the Earth Black actually cover?

Westpac·A$250/year·Mastercard

Pauline LauroreAuthor of HelloSafe's card insurance reviewsUpdated July 29, 20268 min read

4,3/5Independent review · verified July 2026

Travel Insurance

4,4

Car Rental

4,4

Protection

3,2

Our Verdict · Travel Insurance

Our take on travel insurance for the Westpac Earth Black

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

Does the complimentary cover on the Westpac Black card actually pay out? If you activated it, usually yes. The Westpac Black card travel insurance, on the card most people know as the Earth Black, runs unlimited emergency medical, unlimited evacuation, and cancellation with no dollar cap, each with a $300 excess per claim, for up to six months per trip. The word doing the work is activated. Cover only starts once at least $500 of prepaid travel is charged to the card and you hold a return ticket, and it ends when a traveller turns 81. Luggage claims are cut by depreciation before the excess, so older gear pays out well below what you paid. Charge your travel to the card and it does a real job; book on points, so only the taxes hit the card, and it may not respond at all.

What works on travel

Unlimited overseas emergency medical and evacuation, with a $300 excess per claim
Cancellation with no dollar cap, covering unforeseen events outside your control
Rental vehicle excess reimbursed both overseas and on Australian hires, up to $5,500
Full Interstate Flight Inconvenience cover: cancellation, delay and luggage on domestic flights charged to the card
Personal liability to $2,500,000 per event overseas

Where travel breaks down

Activation by spend: no cover unless you charge $500 of prepaid travel to the card and hold a return ticket
$300 excess on most claims, including medical, cancellation, luggage and both rental excess benefits
Overseas trips capped at six months, and no cover once a traveller turns 81
No domestic additional-expenses cover: interstate protection is limited to flights, luggage and delay
No mobile phone insurance, no price guarantee and no refund cover

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 Westpac Earth Black Travel Insurance actually cover?

Deductible : A$300

Reimburses your unrecoverable prepaid travel and accommodation with no dollar cap, plus travel agent fees (sub-limit $500 or 15%). It triggers on any cancellation, disruption or rescheduling that was unexpected and outside your control, not a short named-reasons list. A $300 excess applies per claim, and pre-existing conditions follow the auto-covered list or need assessment.

What's covered

Unexpected events outside your control
Sickness, injury or death of you, a travel companion or a relative
Epidemic or pandemic diagnosis preventing travel (such as COVID-19)

What's not covered

Reasons you were aware of before becoming eligible
Changing your mind or a travel companion changing plans
Pre-existing conditions unless on the covered list or assessed
Financial default of a provider, and acts of terrorism

Cover only applies if you charged at least $500 of prepaid travel to the card and hold a return ticket. A points booking where only taxes hit the card may not be covered.

Deductible : A$300

Covers overseas emergency medical and hospital costs with no dollar cap, subject to a $300 excess per claim. Treatment is arranged and approved by the 24/7 Allianz Global Assistance line, and cover for a covered event runs for up to 12 months of treatment. Pre-existing conditions are covered only if they are on the auto-covered list or assessed and confirmed for a $45 fee.

What's covered

Overseas hospital and medical treatment for a covered injury or sickness
Emergency dental for sudden acute pain (sub-limit applies)
Epidemic or pandemic diagnosis such as COVID-19

What's not covered

Pre-existing conditions unless on the covered list or assessed for a $45 fee
Pregnancy after the 26th week, childbirth and newborn care
Dangerous activities, off-piste snow sports, and travel against a government warning

Deductible : A$300

Overseas Emergency Assistance and Evacuation & Repatriation are covered with no dollar cap, arranged by the Allianz Global Assistance team. It includes emergency transport to the nearest suitable hospital, repatriation to Australia when medically necessary, and repatriation of remains with unlimited funeral expenses. A $300 excess applies to evacuation, and the 24/7 line is reachable from overseas.

What's covered

Emergency evacuation to the nearest suitable hospital
Repatriation to Australia when medically necessary
Repatriation of remains and funeral expenses

What's not covered

Costs not approved by the assistance line where approval was practicable
Pre-existing conditions unless on the covered list or assessed

Deductible : A$300

Covers overseas emergency dental for sudden and acute pain to natural teeth, up to $2,000 per person, with a $300 excess. It is limited to the relief of spontaneous pain, not planned, routine or cosmetic dental work.

What's covered

Sudden acute pain to natural teeth while overseas

What's not covered

Routine, planned or cosmetic dental treatment
Dental work that could reasonably wait until you return home

Deductible : A$300

Pays a cash allowance of $100 per person per day while you are hospitalised overseas, up to a total of $15,000 per person, with a $300 excess. It is a comfort payment on top of medical cover, not a substitute for it.

What's covered

Overseas hospital admission during the journey

What's not covered

Domestic hospital stays
Stays not linked to a covered overseas event

Deductible : A$300

Additional Expenses covers reasonable extra travel and accommodation with no dollar cap if your journey is disrupted by a covered event such as injury, illness or an evacuation, subject to a $300 excess. It picks up the unplanned costs of getting back on track after something goes wrong overseas.

What's covered

Extra accommodation and travel after a covered disruption
Emergency travel for a necessary companion
Repatriation of dependants left without supervision

What's not covered

Costs you could recover elsewhere
Disruptions you were aware of before becoming eligible

Deductible : No deductible

Travel Delay Expenses pays for meals and accommodation once your transport is delayed six consecutive hours or more, up to $500 per person and a total of $1,100 for a cardholder travelling with family, with no excess. The delay must be outside your control.

What's covered

Meals and accommodation during a covered delay

What's not covered

Delays you were aware of before you left
Delays within your control

Deductible : A$300

Alternative Transport Expenses reimburses the reasonable cost of alternative transport to reach a destination on time after a covered delay, up to $3,750, with a $300 excess. It applies when a scheduled service fails and you need another way to get there.

What's covered

Alternative transport to reach a scheduled destination on time

What's not covered

Costs recoverable from the carrier
Delays within your control

Deductible : A$300

Return Home and Resumption of Journey pays up to $5,750 per person and $12,500 for a cardholder travelling with family to fly home and, where time allows, resume the trip after the death of a relative, with a $300 excess.

What's covered

Return home after the death of a relative
Resumption of the journey where the period of cover allows

What's not covered

Events you were aware of before becoming eligible
Pre-existing conditions of the relative unless covered

Deductible : No deductible

Luggage Delay pays for essential clothing and personal items if the carrier delays your bags more than 12 consecutive hours, up to $800 per person and $1,600 for a cardholder travelling with family, with no excess.

What's covered

Essential purchases such as clothing and toiletries during a delay

What's not covered

Delays on the final leg home
Items bought after the bag is returned

Deductible : A$300

Luggage and Personal Effects covers theft, loss or accidental damage up to $20,000 per person and $30,000 for a cardholder travelling with family, with a $300 excess. Per-item sub-limits apply: $5,000 for baggage, clothing, valuables and portable electrical equipment, and $5,500 each for cameras and laptops. Items left in a vehicle are covered only up to $5,000.

What's covered

Theft, loss or accidental damage to luggage and personal effects
Portable electrical equipment up to $5,000 per item

What's not covered

Valuables left in a vehicle or checked-in luggage
Sporting equipment while in use
Items left behind, forgotten or misplaced

Deductible : No deductible

Covers the replacement of travel documents, transaction cards, travellers cheques and cash up to $550 per person and $1,250 for a cardholder travelling with family, with no excess. It helps you replace what you need to keep travelling after a theft.

What's covered

Reissue or replacement of documents, cards and cheques
Cash, bank notes and money orders within the limit

What's not covered

Losses you fail to report
Amounts beyond the stated limits

Deductible : No deductible

Personal Liability covers your legal liability for accidental injury to other people or damage to their property overseas, up to $2,500,000, with no excess. It is the benefit that matters if an accident abroad turns into a claim against you.

What's covered

Third-party bodily injury overseas
Third-party property damage overseas

What's not covered

Liability involving vehicles, aircraft or watercraft
Liability to family members or employees
Business or professional liability

Deductible : No deductible

Pays a lump sum of $50,000 on the accidental death of a cardholder and $25,000 for a spouse or dependant, up to a family total of $150,000, with no excess. Overseas Transit Accident cover also applies while travelling on public transport.

What's covered

Accidental death during the journey
Overseas transit accident cover on public transport

What's not covered

Death from illness rather than accident
Dangerous activities and excluded events

Deductible : No deductible

Loss of Income replaces your verified income at up to $1,000 per week if an overseas injury stops you working after you return, limited to 12 weeks and a total of $12,000, with no excess. It applies to cardholders and spouses, not dependants.

What's covered

Income replacement after a covered overseas injury prevents work

What's not covered

Loss of income from illness rather than injury
Dependants are not covered

Deductible : A$300

Interstate Flight Inconvenience covers cancellation of prepaid interstate travel up to $3,000, with a $300 excess. It applies when the entire return interstate flight is charged to the card, and cover runs for up to 14 days per journey.

What's covered

Cancellation of prepaid interstate travel and accommodation

What's not covered

Reasons you were aware of before becoming eligible
Pre-existing conditions unless covered

Deductible : No deductible

Pays for meals and accommodation after a domestic flight delay of four hours or more, at $125 per person up to a total of $500, with no excess. It is modest cover for an interstate delay, not a full domestic policy.

What's covered

Meals and accommodation during a covered domestic flight delay

What's not covered

Delays within your control
Delays you were aware of before you left

No domestic additional-expenses cover. The interstate benefit pays for flight cancellation, delay and luggage only, not extra travel or accommodation from a disruption. Those costs on a domestic trip are the cardholder's responsibility.

What's not covered

Interstate cover is limited to cancellation, flight delay, luggage and luggage delay

Deductible : A$300

Interstate luggage cover pays up to $500 for each item and $1,500 in total for loss, theft or damage on a domestic flight trip, with a $300 excess. The per-item cap is low, so a single expensive item is only partly covered.

What's covered

Loss, theft or damage to luggage on a domestic interstate trip

What's not covered

Items worth more than $500 are only partly covered
Valuables left unattended

Deductible : No deductible

Pays for essential purchases after a domestic luggage delay of 12 hours or more, at $125 per person up to $500, with no excess. It covers the basics while an interstate carrier still has your bag.

What's covered

Essential purchases during a covered domestic luggage delay

What's not covered

Delays on the final leg home
Items bought after the bag is returned

Policy document

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 Westpac Earth Black wins, where it loses

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

Evacuation: above the market average

Trip Cancel: below the market average

Compare

Earth BlackThis card4.3/5?

A$250/yr

With travel insuranceIdeal

Complete coverage · 5.0 / 5

Premium card avg.

A$241 avg. annual fee

Click a layer to highlight its scores on the radar.

Side-by-side comparison

How the Westpac Earth Black stacks up against the alternatives

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

Card	This card Earth Black Westpac · A$250/yr 4.3/5?	Altitude Velocity Platinum Westpac · A$250/yr 4.3/5?	Amplify Qantas Signature Bank of Melbourne · A$370/yr 4.3/5?	Amplify Qantas Platinum Bank of Melbourne · A$250/yr 4.3/5?
Trip cancellation Per person, per trip cap	Unlimited Unlimited	Unlimited Unlimited	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 / $500 Trigger: 6 hours
Trip interruption Covered amount	Unlimited Unlimited	Unlimited Extra travel & accommodation	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 Westpac Earth Black

Real experiences on travel cover and claims 12 reviews

Glenys (ProductReview)

2023

Helicopter evacuation covered

I had a claim 20years ago for an evacuation from EBC hospital to Kathmandu via helicopter all covered.

swal (ProductReview)

2021

No Covid-19 cover

Westpac complimentary travel insurance have not changed their policy to cover Covid-19 as many other companies have.

trompfy (ProductReview)

2019

Rather insure through the airline

I would recommend buying your travel insurance with the airline you are flying with since it is much cheaper.

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 Westpac

Claims & pre-authorizations

How to make a Westpac Earth Black claim

Step 1: Call Allianz Global Assistance before you incur major costs

For a medical emergency overseas, call +61 7 3305 7468 any time, day or night. Getting approval first means the insurer pays what it would have authorised, and it opens the file early. Save that number in your phone before you fly.

Step 2: Lodge the claim and gather your documents

Lodge online at insurance.agaassistance.com.au/westpac, or call 1800 091 710 within Australia. Bring itemised accounts for medical or delay costs, a property irregularity report from the airline for luggage, and a police report for theft. Convert paper to PDF and keep everything dated.

Step 3: Prove the trip was charged to the card

The first thing Allianz checks is activation, so include the card statement showing you charged at least $500 of prepaid travel. A $300 excess applies to most claims. Reply quickly to any request for more information so the file does not stall.

The cover is not automatic. Before you leave Australia, you activate it by charging at least $500 of your prepaid travel costs to the Westpac Earth Black, holding a return overseas travel ticket, and being aged under 81. The trip must also begin and end in Australia. Prepaid costs can include your flights, departure taxes, accommodation or other prepaid itinerary items. Simply holding the card is not enough, and there is no separate registration step. If you book flights on points and only the taxes hit the card, that may not meet the $500 spend condition, so check before you rely on the cover.
Cover extends to the cardholder, their spouse or de facto partner, and dependants, when each person meets the eligibility rules. Each traveller needs at least $500 of their prepaid trip charged to the card, a return overseas ticket, and to be aged under 81, and spouses and dependants must travel with the cardholder for at least half of the period of cover. Dependants under two years are covered on the same basis. When a cardholder, spouse and dependant travel together, only one person can claim as the cardholder and the others claim as spouse or dependant. Check each traveller against the covered-persons definition in your Westpac Earth Black PDS (Product Disclosure Statement, the policy booklet).
It reimburses the excess (the amount the hire company makes you pay towards damage or theft), not the damage itself, so you pay the hire company first and claim it back. On the Westpac Earth Black the overseas rental excess is reimbursed up to $5,500, and a separate Rental Vehicle Excess in Australia benefit covers domestic hires up to the lesser of your agreement excess or $5,500. A $300 excess applies to each rental excess claim, overseas or at home. To qualify, charge the entire vehicle rental to the card and drive under a valid rental agreement. Keep the rental agreement, the incident report and the hire company's written confirmation of the amount you owe.
Claims go through Allianz Global Assistance, which administers the cover for Westpac, not Westpac itself. Lodge online at insurance.agaassistance.com.au/westpac, or call 1800 091 710 within Australia, and for a medical emergency overseas call +61 7 3305 7468 first. The first thing they check is that the trip was charged to the card, so include the card statement showing your $500 prepaid spend, plus itemised accounts for medical costs and a property irregularity report from the airline for luggage. A $300 excess applies to most claims. Some cardholders report straightforward claims, others describe follow-up requests and delays, 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 cover at all. Overseas cover stops after six months per trip and no cover applies once a traveller turns 81. Pre-existing conditions are covered only if they are on the auto-covered list or assessed and approved for a $45 fee. Off-piste skiing, off-piste snowboarding and snowmobiling are excluded, along with other dangerous activities and travel against a government warning. There is no domestic medical cover, since Medicare (Australia's public health scheme) applies at home, no domestic additional-expenses benefit, and no mobile phone insurance.
Yes, through a separate Interstate Flight Inconvenience benefit that applies when the entire return interstate flight is charged to the card. It covers cancellation up to $3,000, flight delay expenses after four hours at $125 per person up to $500, luggage up to $500 an item and $1,500 in total, and luggage delay up to $500. There is no domestic additional-expenses benefit and no domestic medical cover, because Medicare (Australia's public health scheme) applies within Australia. Cover runs for up to 14 days per journey, so it suits short interstate trips rather than long domestic stays.
No. The Westpac Earth Black does not include a dedicated mobile phone insurance benefit. Everyday theft or accidental damage to your phone at home is not covered. While travelling overseas, a phone is only treated as an item of luggage, covered as portable electrical equipment up to $5,000 an item, with a $300 excess on luggage claims. That helps on a trip but does nothing for a cracked screen at home, where replacing a flagship handset runs roughly $1,200 to $2,300. If phone cover matters to you, a standalone mobile or gadget policy, or your home contents insurance, is the place to get it.
Sometimes. Westpac's policy automatically covers a defined list of stable pre-existing conditions without assessment, provided you meet the stated requirements for each. Any condition not on that list is not covered unless Allianz Global Assistance assesses it and confirms cover in writing, for a $45 administration fee. You apply online at checkyourcover.com.au/westpac or by phone, and must answer the health questions honestly. Pregnancy is treated as a pre-existing condition, and no cover applies beyond the 26th week. If a condition is neither on the list nor assessed and approved, any claim linked to it will be declined, so sort this out before you travel.
On-piste skiing and snowboarding are covered under the overseas travel policy at no extra cost, because they are not named in the dangerous-activities exclusion. Off-piste skiing, off-piste snowboarding and snowmobiling are excluded, so a claim from skiing outside the marked runs would be declined. Your sporting equipment is not insured while it is in use, and racing is excluded, so treat expensive gear and competitive events as uncovered. There is no snow-specific medical top-up on this card. If you plan off-piste or backcountry runs, a dedicated snow travel policy is the safer option, since the Westpac Earth Black will not respond to an off-piste claim.
Up to six consecutive months per journey. The Westpac Earth Black is a Level 1 card, which carries the longer six-month overseas period, while Level 2 cards such as the Altitude Platinum are limited to three months. Cover ends when you return home, when you reach the date on your return ticket, or at the six-month mark, whichever comes first, and the trip must begin and end in Australia. For any trip planned to run beyond six months, or a one-way or working-holiday trip, you need a standalone travel insurance policy for the time outside the card's cover.