How do I activate the OneSmart Card complimentary travel insurance?

You can't, because the OneSmart Card has no complimentary travel insurance to activate. On New Zealand credit cards that do carry cover, it switches on when you charge prepaid travel costs to the card before you leave: any amount on some cards, $500 or half the trip on others. Paying for Air New Zealand flights with OneSmart triggers nothing like that, because there is no insurer and no policy wording (the insurer's full policy document) behind this prepaid Mastercard. The only activation step is for the card itself: you activate it with two forms of identification and set a PIN before first use. If you want cover for the trip, buy a standalone travel policy when you book and keep OneSmart for spending.

Who is covered under my OneSmart Card complimentary insurance?

Nobody, because the OneSmart Card comes with no complimentary insurance, for you or for anyone travelling with you. It also works differently from a family credit card: only one card is issued per OneSmart account, and each family member who is a New Zealand-based Airpoints member aged 16 or over has to request their own. You can move money between two OneSmart cards for free, which helps a family share a travel budget, but it shares no cover. For insurance, every traveller in the group needs to be named on a standalone travel policy, and a family policy can cover two adults and their children on one premium. Check the age limits for children and how pre-existing medical conditions are handled.

Does the OneSmart Card cover rental car excess?

No. The OneSmart Card has no rental vehicle excess cover, either for a hire car overseas or for a car or campervan hired in New Zealand. The excess is the amount the rental company charges you after damage to or theft of the vehicle, and hire companies commonly set it in the thousands of dollars. There is a second catch at the desk. Air New Zealand's OneSmart FAQ warns that rental companies may pre-authorise the estimated bill plus 15%, and that hold can take up to 30 days to return to your card. To close the excess gap, take the rental company's excess-reduction option or buy a standalone rental excess policy before you travel.

How do I make a claim on my OneSmart Card insurance?

There is nothing to claim on: the OneSmart Card carries no travel insurance, purchase protection or phone cover, so no insurer handles claims for it. If something goes wrong on a trip, the claim goes to the standalone travel insurer you bought a policy from, with itemised medical bills, a police report or the airline's property irregularity report, and your receipts. Problems with the card itself go to the OneSmart Customer Service Centre on 0800 787 555, or +64 9 377 8535 from overseas. A complaint that EML Payment Solutions Limited, the card issuer, hasn't resolved within 40 days can go to Financial Services Complaints Ltd (FSCL), a free independent dispute resolution scheme, and EML passes the referral on free of charge.

What does the OneSmart Card not cover?

The OneSmart Card carries no complimentary travel insurance, so there is no overseas medical, cancellation or baggage cover, and no purchase protection or extended warranty. That means no emergency medical or evacuation cover overseas, where ACC (the Accident Compensation Corporation) and the public health system pay nothing for treatment. There is no travel delay or missed connection cover either, and no rental car excess, ski or snowboard cover, personal liability or mobile phone insurance. Your balance isn't a bank deposit: OneSmart is an unsecured debt security issued by EML Payment Solutions Limited. What the card does handle is the money side, with nine currencies including NZD and Airpoints Dollars on eligible spending. For the risks, pair it with a standalone policy.

Does the OneSmart Card cover skiing or snowboarding?

No. The OneSmart Card has no snow-sports cover of any kind: no ski injury medical costs, no mountain rescue, no cover for your own or hired gear and no refund of unused lift passes. There is no paid snow extension to buy either, because no insurance policy sits behind the card. On a ski trip to Japan, a fracture treated locally quickly reaches five figures, and ACC doesn't pay for treatment overseas. At home it's different: ACC covers treatment for an accident on a New Zealand ski field. For an overseas snow trip, buy a standalone travel policy with its snow-sports option before you leave, since it can't be added after the injury.

Do I still need separate travel insurance if I have the OneSmart Card?

Yes. The OneSmart Card includes no travel insurance, so a trip with this card alone leaves you exposed to the big costs: hospital bills, an air ambulance home and non-refundable bookings. ACC and the public health system pay nothing for treatment overseas, and a few nights in a Honolulu hospital commonly run to six figures. A standalone New Zealand travel policy covers medical treatment, cancellation and baggage, without any condition about which card paid for the trip. Check whether the policy also covers stolen cash and travel money, since a prepaid card holds your holiday budget. The setup that works is simple: OneSmart for spending in the local currency, a separate policy for the risks.

Does the OneSmart Card include mobile phone insurance?

No. The OneSmart Card includes no mobile phone insurance, and no purchase protection or extended warranty either. If your phone screen cracks or the handset is stolen after you paid for it with the card, the repair or replacement is your cost, and a flagship screen repair commonly costs several hundred dollars. For a phone bought from a New Zealand retailer, the Consumer Guarantees Act still covers faults, but not drops, theft or loss. For those, you need contents insurance that lists the phone, a dedicated phone policy or a card that includes phone cover. What OneSmart does give you is a quick way to suspend the card itself in the app if it goes missing.

Who issues the Air NZ OneSmart card, and is my money protected?

EML Payment Solutions Limited issues the OneSmart card under licence from Mastercard, and Air New Zealand offers it to Airpoints members. Legally, OneSmart is an unsecured debt security: when you load money, you give it to EML, which promises to make it available when you spend. EML holds money on trust for cardholders in a trust account with ANZ Bank New Zealand, but OneSmart is not a bank deposit, it pays no interest, and if EML runs into financial trouble you might lose some or all of your balance. The practical takeaway: load what you need for the trip, not your savings, and cash out the leftover when you get home.

What fees does the OneSmart Card charge?

There is no annual fee and no fee for the card itself, but OneSmart charges $1 a month while money sits in your account. Loading by bank transfer is free and takes 1 to 2 business days, while an instant load with a debit card costs 1.5% of the amount. The first three international ATM withdrawals each month are free, then $3 each under the product disclosure statement, and a domestic ATM withdrawal costs $2. Spend in a currency you haven't loaded, or run a balance short, and a 2.5% currency conversion fee applies. The exchange rate you get when loading also includes a margin, so compare it before you top up.

Does the Air NZ OneSmart card come with travel insurance, or none at all?

Air New Zealand·$0/year·Prepaid Mastercard

Pauline LauroreAuthor of HelloSafe's card insurance reviewsUpdated 21 October 20268 min read

0,0/5Independent review · verified October 2026

Travel Insurance

0,0

Car Rental

0,0

Winter Sports

0,0

Protection

0,0

Our Verdict · Travel Insurance

Our take on travel insurance for the Air New Zealand OneSmart Card

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

Travel money sorted. Zero travel insurance. Here's what that means before you fly. So, you're in a clinic in Bali with a fever, the front desk wants payment before anyone sees you, and the OneSmart card can settle the bill from your loaded balance but will never pay you back for it. Here's the thing about OneSmart card travel insurance: there isn't any, so no overseas medical, cancellation or baggage cover sits behind this prepaid Mastercard. Does booking your Air New Zealand flights with it switch anything on? No. Most Airpoints members assume a travel card from their own airline includes at least basic cover, and ACC (the Accident Compensation Corporation, New Zealand's no-fault injury scheme) won't fill the gap either, because it pays nothing for treatment overseas. A standalone New Zealand travel policy covers the medical bills, cancellations and lost bags this card leaves out, whichever card paid for the trip. If you want locked-in exchange rates and Airpoints Dollars on your spending, OneSmart does that job; if you want the trip itself protected, buy that cover before you leave.

What works on travel

No annual fee and no card fee: the only account fee is $1 a month while money sits on the card
Nine currencies including NZD: the exchange rate is locked in when you load each currency
Three free international ATM withdrawals a month, then $3 each under the product disclosure statement
Earns 1 Airpoints Dollar per $100 spent overseas and per $200 spent in New Zealand on eligible purchases
No card payment fee when you book flights on the Air New Zealand website with it

Where travel breaks down

No complimentary travel insurance: paying for flights or hotels with OneSmart switches on no cover
No overseas medical or evacuation cover: ACC and the public health system pay nothing for treatment overseas, so the bill is yours
No cancellation, delay or baggage cover: a cancelled trip or a lost bag is fully out of pocket
2.5% currency conversion fee when you spend in a currency you haven't loaded or a balance runs short

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 Air New Zealand OneSmart Card Travel Insurance actually cover?

No trip cancellation. This benefit is not included with this card. Prepaid flights, hotels and tours are not reimbursable if you cancel, and a non-refundable week in Tokyo for two commonly runs to several thousand dollars.

No overseas medical cover. This benefit is not included with this card. All medical costs overseas are the cardholder's responsibility, because ACC and the public health system don't pay for treatment overseas, and a few nights in a Honolulu hospital commonly run to six figures.

No evacuation or repatriation. This benefit is not included with this card. Evacuation and repatriation costs are entirely the cardholder's responsibility, and an air ambulance from Bali to New Zealand commonly costs six figures.

No emergency dental cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Emergency dental treatment overseas is out of pocket, because ACC and the public health system don't pay for treatment overseas.

No hospital cash allowance. This benefit is not included with this card. No daily allowance is paid during a hospital stay overseas, so the incidental costs of an admission are yours to cover.

No travel disruption cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Extra accommodation and transport after a disruption, such as a cyclone closing Nadi airport, are the cardholder's responsibility.

No travel delay cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Meals, accommodation and transport during a long delay, such as an unplanned night in Honolulu, are the cardholder's responsibility.

No missed connection cover. This benefit is not included with this card. The cost of alternative transport to reach a prepaid cruise, tour or event on time is out of pocket.

No trip curtailment cover. This benefit is not included with this card. The cost of flying home after a family emergency, and of resuming the trip afterwards, is out of pocket.

No baggage delay cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Clothes and toiletries bought while your bag is delayed, say on arrival in Rarotonga, are out of pocket.

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

No travel documents cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Replacing a lost passport or stolen cash overseas, including the extra travel to reach a consulate, is out of pocket.

No personal liability cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Legal liability for injuring someone or damaging property overseas is uninsured, and claims of this kind commonly reach hundreds of thousands of dollars.

No personal accident cover. This benefit is not included with this card. No lump sum is paid to you or your estate if an accident on the trip causes death or permanent disablement.

No income replacement. This benefit is not included with this card. Injured in Bali and off work for 8 weeks on your return, you get no income replacement from this card, and ACC weekly compensation only applies to injuries ACC covers.

No domestic cancellation cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Prepaid domestic flights and accommodation, such as a Queenstown ski week, are not reimbursable if you cancel.

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

No domestic disruption cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Extra accommodation and transport after a disruption on a trip within New Zealand are out of pocket.

No domestic luggage cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Lost or stolen luggage on a trip within New Zealand is not reimbursable through this card.

No domestic bag delay. This benefit is not included with this card. Essentials bought while your bag is delayed on a domestic flight 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 Air New Zealand OneSmart Card 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

OneSmart CardThis card0.0/5?

$0/yr

With travel insuranceIdeal

Complete coverage · 5.0 / 5

Premium card avg.

$297 avg. annual fee

Click a layer to highlight its scores on the radar.

Side-by-side comparison

How the Air New Zealand OneSmart Card stacks up against the alternatives

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

Card	This card OneSmart Card Air New Zealand · $0/yr 0.0/5?	Visa Platinum Rewards ASB · $125/yr 3.2/5?	Platinum Card American Express · $850/yr 3.6/5?
Trip cancellation Per person, per trip cap	Not covered Cover this gap →	Unlimited All prepaid deposits, no dollar cap	$30,000 per person All prepaid travel, $30,000 cap
Emergency medical Hospital bills abroad	Not covered Cover this gap →	Unlimited Unlimited, ages 75 and under	$5,000,000 Capped $5,000,000, overseas only
Emergency evacuation Air ambulance + repatriation	Not covered Cover this gap →	Unlimited Included in unlimited medical	$5,000,000 Approved by Chubb Assistance
Trip delay trigger Hours before benefits kick in	Not covered Cover this gap →	6h / $400 Trigger: more than 6 hours	4h / $650 Trigger: 4 hours
Trip interruption Covered amount	Not covered Cover this gap →	Unlimited Unlimited, broad list of events	$5,000 per person Trip change during the trip

StrongLimited / misleadingNot covered

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

Cardholder reviews

What cardholders say about the Air New Zealand OneSmart Card

Real experiences of using the card and its app overseas 4 reviews

DebDeeDaw (App Store NZ)

March 2025

Paying in the local currency

We use this card every time we go overseas - convenient not to have transaction fees on all purchases as we are paying in the local currency. Also safer to not be using our regular credit cards while away.

u/LegitimateBat2758 (r/PersonalFinanceNZ)

June 2025

Account emptied, replacement only to a NZ address

Also stay away from the AirNZ travel card, Onesmart. They had very poor security (not even 2FA) when I used it a couple of years ago and my account was hacked & emptied on the first few days of my trip. AirNZ offered to send me a replacement card within 30 days to a Nz address, and wouldn’t send overseas. I eventually got my money back (can’t remember if it was from AirNZ or travel insurance) but had to rely on different accounts (and much less cash!!) for the rest of my trip.

hmmmphhhh (App Store NZ)

June 2025

Slow loads and patchy acceptance in Japan

I had an issue and emailed and never heard back….still waiting 3 weeks later, loaded some funds & it’s day 5, still no show. Really unhappy, also lots of places don’t accept it in Japan.

NRGIZE (App Store NZ)

January 2026

No transaction alerts

The App does not send you a notification when a transaction happens on your account so you have to log in and try and find the transactions. Also the exchange rates are poor.

OneSmart Customer Service Centre (card issues only)

0800 787 555

Local call within New Zealand

OneSmart Customer Service Centre from overseas (card issues only)

+64 9 377 8535

Call charges may apply

Benefit administrator: No insurer. Card issued by EML Payment Solutions Limited

Claims & pre-authorizations

What to do if you need travel cover with the OneSmart Card

Step 1: Buy a standalone travel policy when you book the trip

The OneSmart Card includes no travel insurance, so arrange a standalone policy whose policy wording (the insurer's full policy document) sets out its overseas medical, cancellation and baggage limits. Cancellation cover only protects you from the day the policy starts, so buy it when you book, not the week you fly.

Step 2: If the card is lost or stolen, suspend it and call OneSmart

Suspend the card in the OneSmart app, then call the OneSmart Customer Service Centre on 0800 787 555, or +64 9 377 8535 from overseas. If there is money on the card, they can arrange emergency cash at an approved agent such as Western Union or MoneyGram, within the limits Mastercard sets.

Step 3: Take an unresolved complaint about the card to FSCL

Complain to EML first, by phone or at complaints@airnzonesmart.co.nz; it aims to resolve complaints within 21 days. If the complaint is still unresolved after 40 days, you can escalate it free of charge to Financial Services Complaints Ltd (FSCL), EML's independent dispute resolution scheme. This covers the card and your balance, not travel insurance.

You can't, because the OneSmart Card has no complimentary travel insurance to activate. On New Zealand credit cards that do carry cover, it switches on when you charge prepaid travel costs to the card before you leave: any amount on some cards, $500 or half the trip on others. Paying for Air New Zealand flights with OneSmart triggers nothing like that, because there is no insurer and no policy wording (the insurer's full policy document) behind this prepaid Mastercard. The only activation step is for the card itself: you activate it with two forms of identification and set a PIN before first use. If you want cover for the trip, buy a standalone travel policy when you book and keep OneSmart for spending.
Nobody, because the OneSmart Card comes with no complimentary insurance, for you or for anyone travelling with you. It also works differently from a family credit card: only one card is issued per OneSmart account, and each family member who is a New Zealand-based Airpoints member aged 16 or over has to request their own. You can move money between two OneSmart cards for free, which helps a family share a travel budget, but it shares no cover. For insurance, every traveller in the group needs to be named on a standalone travel policy, and a family policy can cover two adults and their children on one premium. Check the age limits for children and how pre-existing medical conditions are handled.
No. The OneSmart Card has no rental vehicle excess cover, either for a hire car overseas or for a car or campervan hired in New Zealand. The excess is the amount the rental company charges you after damage to or theft of the vehicle, and hire companies commonly set it in the thousands of dollars. There is a second catch at the desk. Air New Zealand's OneSmart FAQ warns that rental companies may pre-authorise the estimated bill plus 15%, and that hold can take up to 30 days to return to your card. To close the excess gap, take the rental company's excess-reduction option or buy a standalone rental excess policy before you travel.
There is nothing to claim on: the OneSmart Card carries no travel insurance, purchase protection or phone cover, so no insurer handles claims for it. If something goes wrong on a trip, the claim goes to the standalone travel insurer you bought a policy from, with itemised medical bills, a police report or the airline's property irregularity report, and your receipts. Problems with the card itself go to the OneSmart Customer Service Centre on 0800 787 555, or +64 9 377 8535 from overseas. A complaint that EML Payment Solutions Limited, the card issuer, hasn't resolved within 40 days can go to Financial Services Complaints Ltd (FSCL), a free independent dispute resolution scheme, and EML passes the referral on free of charge.
The OneSmart Card carries no complimentary travel insurance, so there is no overseas medical, cancellation or baggage cover, and no purchase protection or extended warranty. That means no emergency medical or evacuation cover overseas, where ACC (the Accident Compensation Corporation) and the public health system pay nothing for treatment. There is no travel delay or missed connection cover either, and no rental car excess, ski or snowboard cover, personal liability or mobile phone insurance. Your balance isn't a bank deposit: OneSmart is an unsecured debt security issued by EML Payment Solutions Limited. What the card does handle is the money side, with nine currencies including NZD and Airpoints Dollars on eligible spending. For the risks, pair it with a standalone policy.
No. The OneSmart Card has no snow-sports cover of any kind: no ski injury medical costs, no mountain rescue, no cover for your own or hired gear and no refund of unused lift passes. There is no paid snow extension to buy either, because no insurance policy sits behind the card. On a ski trip to Japan, a fracture treated locally quickly reaches five figures, and ACC doesn't pay for treatment overseas. At home it's different: ACC covers treatment for an accident on a New Zealand ski field. For an overseas snow trip, buy a standalone travel policy with its snow-sports option before you leave, since it can't be added after the injury.
Yes. The OneSmart Card includes no travel insurance, so a trip with this card alone leaves you exposed to the big costs: hospital bills, an air ambulance home and non-refundable bookings. ACC and the public health system pay nothing for treatment overseas, and a few nights in a Honolulu hospital commonly run to six figures. A standalone New Zealand travel policy covers medical treatment, cancellation and baggage, without any condition about which card paid for the trip. Check whether the policy also covers stolen cash and travel money, since a prepaid card holds your holiday budget. The setup that works is simple: OneSmart for spending in the local currency, a separate policy for the risks.
No. The OneSmart Card includes no mobile phone insurance, and no purchase protection or extended warranty either. If your phone screen cracks or the handset is stolen after you paid for it with the card, the repair or replacement is your cost, and a flagship screen repair commonly costs several hundred dollars. For a phone bought from a New Zealand retailer, the Consumer Guarantees Act still covers faults, but not drops, theft or loss. For those, you need contents insurance that lists the phone, a dedicated phone policy or a card that includes phone cover. What OneSmart does give you is a quick way to suspend the card itself in the app if it goes missing.
EML Payment Solutions Limited issues the OneSmart card under licence from Mastercard, and Air New Zealand offers it to Airpoints members. Legally, OneSmart is an unsecured debt security: when you load money, you give it to EML, which promises to make it available when you spend. EML holds money on trust for cardholders in a trust account with ANZ Bank New Zealand, but OneSmart is not a bank deposit, it pays no interest, and if EML runs into financial trouble you might lose some or all of your balance. The practical takeaway: load what you need for the trip, not your savings, and cash out the leftover when you get home.
There is no annual fee and no fee for the card itself, but OneSmart charges $1 a month while money sits in your account. Loading by bank transfer is free and takes 1 to 2 business days, while an instant load with a debit card costs 1.5% of the amount. The first three international ATM withdrawals each month are free, then $3 each under the product disclosure statement, and a domestic ATM withdrawal costs $2. Spend in a currency you haven't loaded, or run a balance short, and a 2.5% currency conversion fee applies. The exchange rate you get when loading also includes a margin, so compare it before you top up.