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.
ASB Visa Flex: does this no-fee card include any travel insurance?
ASB·$0/year·Visa
0,0/5Independent review · verified October 2026
0,0
0,0
0,0
0,0
Our Verdict · Travel Insurance
Our take on travel insurance for the ASB Visa Flex
Expert review · Pauline LauroreAuthor of HelloSafe's card insurance reviews
Zero fees overseas. Zero travel insurance. Here's what that trade means before you fly. You're in a clinic in Bali with a fever and the front desk wants payment up front: the ASB Visa Flex settles the bill with no Offshore Service Margin (ASB's foreign currency conversion charge), but no insurer ever pays you back. Does booking the flights on it switch any cover on? No. Most people assume a credit card brings some protection with it, while ACC (the Accident Compensation Corporation, New Zealand's no-fault injury scheme) and the public health system pay nothing for treatment overseas. ASB credit card travel insurance sits on a single premium card, and paying for the trip with the Visa Flex activates none of it. If cheap spending abroad is all you want, the Visa Flex does that job; if you want the trip itself protected, a standalone New Zealand travel policy covers the medical bills, cancellations and lost bags this card leaves out.
What works on travel
- No Offshore Service Margin: foreign currency purchases are converted at the Visa exchange rate with no ASB fee added
- $0 account fee and no late payment fee: holding the card costs nothing
- Up to 55 days interest free on purchases when the full statement balance is paid by the due date
- 9.95% p.a. purchase rate if a balance does carry over, ASB's lowest credit card rate
Where travel breaks down
- No complimentary travel insurance: paying for flights or hotels with the card switches on no cover
- No overseas medical or evacuation cover: ACC and the public health system pay nothing for treatment overseas
- No cancellation, delay or luggage cover: a cancelled trip or a lost bag is fully out of pocket
- Credit limit of $500 to $4,000: a larger prepaid trip may not fit on the card at all
- Cash from an overseas ATM is a cash advance: interest at 9.95% p.a. runs from the day you withdraw it
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 ASB Visa Flex Travel Insurance actually cover?
What's not covered
- Not covered in any circumstance: the ASB Visa Flex has no complimentary insurance policy behind it.
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.
What's not covered
- Not covered in any circumstance: the ASB Visa Flex has no complimentary insurance policy behind it.
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.
What's not covered
- Not covered in any circumstance: the ASB Visa Flex has no complimentary insurance policy behind it.
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.
What's not covered
- Not covered in any circumstance: the ASB Visa Flex has no complimentary insurance policy behind it.
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.
What's not covered
- Not covered in any circumstance: the ASB Visa Flex has no complimentary insurance policy behind it.
No additional expenses 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.
What's not covered
- Not covered in any circumstance: the ASB Visa Flex has no complimentary insurance policy behind it.
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.
What's not covered
- Not covered in any circumstance: the ASB Visa Flex has no complimentary insurance policy behind it.
No alternative transport 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.
What's not covered
- Not covered in any circumstance: the ASB Visa Flex has no complimentary insurance policy behind it.
No return home 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.
What's not covered
- Not covered in any circumstance: the ASB Visa Flex has no complimentary insurance policy behind it.
No luggage 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.
What's not covered
- Not covered in any circumstance: the ASB Visa Flex has no complimentary insurance policy behind it.
No luggage cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Replacement costs for lost or stolen bags and belongings are the cardholder's responsibility.
What's not covered
- Not covered in any circumstance: the ASB Visa Flex has no complimentary insurance policy behind it.
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.
What's not covered
- Not covered in any circumstance: the ASB Visa Flex has no complimentary insurance policy behind it.
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.
What's not covered
- Not covered in any circumstance: the ASB Visa Flex has no complimentary insurance policy behind it.
No accidental death 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.
What's not covered
- Not covered in any circumstance: the ASB Visa Flex has no complimentary insurance policy behind it.
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.
What's not covered
- Not covered in any circumstance: the ASB Visa Flex has no complimentary insurance policy behind it.
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.
What's not covered
- Not covered in any circumstance: the ASB Visa Flex has no complimentary insurance policy behind it.
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.
What's not covered
- Not covered in any circumstance: the ASB Visa Flex has no complimentary insurance policy behind it.
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.
What's not covered
- Not covered in any circumstance: the ASB Visa Flex has no complimentary insurance policy behind it.
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.
What's not covered
- Not covered in any circumstance: the ASB Visa Flex has no complimentary insurance policy behind it.
No domestic bag-delay cover. This benefit is not included with this card. Essentials bought while your bag is delayed on a domestic flight are out of pocket.
What's not covered
- Not covered in any circumstance: the ASB Visa Flex has no complimentary insurance policy behind it.
We source benefits from official card guides, but PDFs are sometimes hard to obtain or update. Spotted something off?
Coverage Radar
Where the ASB Visa Flex 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
Visa FlexThis card0.0/5?
$0/yrWith travel insuranceIdeal
Complete coverage · 5.0 / 5Premium card avg.
$297 avg. annual feeClick a layer to highlight its scores on the radar.
Side-by-side comparison
How the ASB Visa Flex stacks up against the alternatives
Same 5 coverage dimensions, ranked head-to-head against the cards most Visa Flex shoppers also consider.
| Card | This card Visa Flex ASB · $0/yr 0.0/5? | Visa Platinum Rewards ASB · $125/yr 3.2/5? | Airpoints Visa Platinum ANZ · $150/yr 3.1/5? | 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 | Unlimited All prepaid travel, 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 | Unlimited Unlimited under age 75 | $5,000,000 Capped $5,000,000, overseas only |
Emergency evacuation Air ambulance + repatriation | Not covered Cover this gap → | Unlimited Included in unlimited medical | 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 | 6h / $250 Trigger: 6 hours | 4h / $650 Trigger: 4 hours |
Trip interruption Covered amount | Not covered Cover this gap → | Unlimited Unlimited, broad list of events | 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 ASB Visa Flex
Real comments on fees, exchange rates and applying for the card 1 reviews
LO
looseleaf (ChoiceCheapies)
A lot of paperwork to apply
It was like I had my own personal banker calling me every day to ask me more questions. He was a nice guy but 4x phone calls (one a day) was a bit much. Be prepared to send in 3 months bank statements and then be quizzed on all the transactions.
Emergency · Card assistance line
How to contact ASB Visa Flex assistance?
There is no insurer, policy wording or emergency medical line behind this card. The numbers below are ASB's own lines for questions about the card itself. For medical, cancellation and baggage cover overseas, buy a standalone New Zealand travel policy and keep its 24/7 emergency number with you.
ASB general enquiries (from New Zealand)
0800 803 804
Free call within New Zealand · Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, weekends and public holidays 8.30am to 5pm
ASB general enquiries (from overseas)
+64 9 306 3000
International call rates apply · Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, weekends and public holidays 8.30am to 5pm (New Zealand time)
What to do if something goes wrong overseas with the ASB Visa Flex
1
Step 1: Buy a standalone travel policy as soon as you book
The card includes no travel insurance, so arrange a standalone policy whose policy wording (the insurer's full policy document) states its overseas medical, cancellation and baggage limits. Cancellation cover only protects you from the date the policy starts, so buy it when you book the trip, not the week you fly, and save the insurer's 24/7 emergency number in your phone.
2
Step 2: Card lost, stolen or used without you? Lock it, then call ASB
Lock the card straight away with Card Control in the ASB app or in FastNet Classic internet banking, where you can also cancel and replace it. If you think you have been targeted by a scam or fraud, call 0800 ASB FRAUD (0800 272 372), or +64 9 303 0332 from overseas. For other card questions, call 0800 803 804, or +64 9 306 3000 from overseas.
3
Step 3: Take an unresolved complaint about ASB to the Banking Ombudsman Scheme
For a dispute with ASB over the card or your account (not travel insurance, which this card does not carry), complain to ASB first. If ASB cannot resolve it, the Banking Ombudsman Scheme reviews the complaint for free: start at bankomb.org.nz.
FAQ
What people ask about the ASB Visa Flex
- You can't, because the ASB Visa Flex comes with no complimentary travel insurance to activate. On New Zealand credit cards that do carry cover, it switches on when you pay prepaid travel costs such as flights, accommodation or tours with the card before you leave: any amount on some cards, $500 or half the trip on others. Booking your trip on the Visa Flex triggers nothing like that, because there is no insurer, no policy wording (the insurer's full policy document) and no benefit table behind the card. There is no registration step to look for either. If you want the trip covered, buy a standalone travel policy when you book, and keep the Visa Flex for spending without conversion fees.
- Nobody, because the ASB Visa Flex carries no complimentary insurance. That applies to you as the cardholder and to a partner or children travelling with you, whoever paid for the flights. It matters most for families and couples: on New Zealand credit cards that include travel cover, a spouse and dependent children are often covered when they travel with the cardholder, and this card has no such benefit. Every traveller in your group needs to be named on a standalone travel policy. A family policy can cover two adults and their children on one premium, so check its age limit for children and how it treats pre-existing medical conditions before you pay.
- No. The ASB Visa Flex has no rental vehicle excess cover, either for a car hired overseas or for a hire car or campervan 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. Some New Zealand credit cards reimburse it when the hire goes on the card; paying with the Visa Flex gives you nothing back. Two options close the gap: the rental company's excess-reduction option at the desk, or a standalone rental excess policy bought before you travel. Keep in mind that a bond held on the card uses part of a credit limit capped at $4,000.
- There is nothing to claim on: the ASB Visa Flex 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 ASB: lock it in the ASB app, call 0800 803 804 in New Zealand or +64 9 306 3000 from overseas, and use 0800 ASB FRAUD (0800 272 372) if you suspect a scam. If a complaint about ASB is not resolved, the Banking Ombudsman Scheme reviews it for free.
- The ASB Visa Flex carries no complimentary travel insurance, so there is no overseas medical, cancellation or baggage cover, and no purchase protection or extended warranty. In practice 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 trip cancellation, travel delay or missed connection cover, no rental car excess cover, no ski or snowboard cover, no personal liability and no mobile phone insurance. What the card does offer is a $0 account fee, no Offshore Service Margin on foreign currency spending and a 9.95% p.a. purchase rate. For the risks of the trip itself, pair it with a standalone policy.
- No. The ASB Visa Flex 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 snow-sports extension to buy either, because there is no underlying policy to extend. On a ski trip to Japan, a fracture treated overseas quickly reaches five figures, and ACC does not pay for treatment outside New Zealand. Skiing at home is different, since ACC covers treatment for a ski accident on a New Zealand ski field. For an overseas snow trip, buy a standalone travel policy and add its snow-sports option before you leave, because it cannot be added once you are hurt.
- Yes. The ASB Visa Flex includes no travel insurance, so a trip with this card alone leaves you exposed to the costs that hurt most: a hospital bill, an air ambulance home and bookings you cannot get refunded. 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, whichever card paid for the trip. Buy it when you book rather than the week you fly, because cancellation cover only starts on the policy's start date. Then use the Visa Flex for spending abroad, and keep the policy's emergency number in your phone.
- Not the ASB Visa Flex. ASB says only its Visa Platinum Rewards credit cards include travel insurance benefits, so the Visa Flex, like ASB's other personal Visa cards, comes with none. On the Platinum card, cover for trips starting from 15 September 2026 is underwritten by Zurich New Zealand, and it only applies once at least $500 of prepaid travel deposits went on the Platinum card itself. Paying for the trip with the Visa Flex does not count, even if you hold both cards, because the activation has to come from the insured card. If the Visa Flex is your only ASB credit card, a standalone travel policy is the way to get cover for the trip.
- No ASB fee, as long as you buy rather than withdraw cash. The ASB Visa Flex has no Offshore Service Margin (ASB's foreign currency conversion charge), no account fee and no late payment fee, so a purchase in yen or euros is converted at the exchange rate Visa applies with nothing added by ASB. Cash is different: taking money out of an overseas ATM is a cash advance, charged interest at 9.95% p.a. from the day you withdraw it. When a terminal offers to charge you in New Zealand dollars, choose the local currency instead, because the merchant's own conversion often costs more. Keep Card Control handy so you can lock the card if it goes missing.
Not just ASB
Other cards worth considering
Visa Flex is a strong choice — but depending on what you prioritize, one of these may suit you better.
Visa Rewards
ASB
Visa Light
ASB
Visa Debit
ASB
Visa Platinum Rewards
ASB
Not sure how card insurance works? Read our guide to credit card travel insurance