How do I activate the Kiwibank Zero Visa complimentary travel insurance?

You can't, because the Kiwibank Zero Visa has no complimentary travel insurance to activate. On New Zealand credit cards that do carry cover, activation means charging prepaid travel costs (flights, accommodation, tours) to the card before you leave, and the amount required varies by card. Paying for a trip with the Zero Visa switches nothing on. Kiwibank's credit card travel insurance, underwritten by Tower Limited and managed by Allianz Partners, only applies to the cards its policy wording (the insurer's full policy document) defines as an Insured Card, and the Zero Visa is not one of them. If you want the trip covered, buy a standalone travel policy when you book and keep the Zero Visa for spending.

Who is covered under my Kiwibank Zero Visa complimentary insurance?

Nobody, because the Kiwibank Zero Visa comes with no complimentary insurance. That applies to the main cardholder and to any joint or additional cardholder on the account. A partner or children travelling with you get no cover from the card either, whoever paid for the flights. That matters for families: cards with complimentary cover often extend it to a spouse and dependent children travelling with the cardholder, and the Zero Visa has no such benefit. Each traveller needs to be named on a standalone travel policy, and a family policy can usually cover two adults and their children on one premium. Check the age limits for children and how pre-existing medical conditions (conditions you had before the trip) are handled before you buy.

Does the Kiwibank Zero Visa cover rental car excess?

No. The Kiwibank Zero Visa has no rental vehicle excess cover, either for a hire 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 up to a cap when the hire goes on the card, but paying with the Zero Visa gives you nothing back. You have two ways to close the gap: take the rental company's excess-reduction option at the desk, or buy a standalone rental excess policy before you travel. Either way, read the vehicle and driver conditions before you sign.

How do I make a claim on my Kiwibank Zero Visa insurance?

There is nothing to claim on: the Kiwibank Zero Visa 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 Kiwibank. Block the card in the mobile app or internet banking if it is lost or stolen, then call 0800 113 355, or +64 4 473 1133 from overseas, and dispute any transaction you don't recognise. If a complaint about Kiwibank is not resolved, you can take it to the Banking Ombudsman Scheme, a free independent service.

What does the Kiwibank Zero Visa not cover?

The Kiwibank Zero Visa carries no complimentary 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 travel delay, missed connection or travel documents cover, no rental car excess, no ski or snowboard cover, no personal liability and no mobile phone insurance. What the card does offer is Visa's Zero Liability Policy against unauthorised use, eligibility requirements apply. Pre-existing medical conditions, long trips and older travellers are a question for the standalone policy you buy, not for this card.

Does the Kiwibank Zero Visa cover skiing or snowboarding?

No. The Kiwibank Zero Visa 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 an unused lift pass. There is no paid snow-sports extension to add either, because there is no underlying policy to extend. On a ski trip out of Tokyo, a fracture treated in Japan quickly reaches five figures, and ACC doesn't pay for treatment overseas. Closer to home it is different, because 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 once you're injured.

Do I still need separate travel insurance if I have the Kiwibank Zero Visa?

Yes. The Kiwibank Zero Visa includes no travel insurance, so a trip with this card alone leaves you exposed to the expensive risks: a hospital bill, 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. Standalone travel insurance sold in New Zealand usually covers overseas medical with no dollar cap, plus cancellation and baggage, whichever card paid for the trip. A setup that works: the Zero Visa for spending, with no account fee and up to 55 interest-free days when you clear the balance, and a separate policy for the risks. Watch the 1.85% fee on transactions processed overseas.

Does Kiwibank credit card travel insurance cover the Zero Visa?

No. Kiwibank's complimentary credit card travel insurance, underwritten by Tower Limited and managed by Allianz Partners, covers only the cards its policy wording defines as an Insured Card: the Kiwibank Platinum Visa and the former Air New Zealand Airpoints Platinum Visa. The Zero Visa is not on that list, so booking a whole trip on it activates nothing. On an insured card, the wording effective 1 July 2025 asks for at least $500 of prepaid travel costs for an overseas trip, or $250 for a domestic trip, charged within 12 months before departure, and it covers up to 40 days per trip. If you hold the Zero Visa, the practical answer is a standalone travel policy bought when you book.

Does the Kiwibank Zero Visa include mobile phone insurance?

No. The Kiwibank Zero Visa includes no mobile phone insurance, and it has no purchase protection or extended warranty either. If you pay for a phone with the card and the screen cracks a month later, or the handset is stolen on a trip to Bali, 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, or a dedicated phone policy. The card does protect your account: Visa's Zero Liability Policy can cover unauthorised transactions, eligibility requirements apply.

What fees does the Kiwibank Zero Visa charge overseas?

The fee to watch is the 1.85% international transaction fee, charged on any transaction processed overseas. It applies when you tap the card in Bali or Tokyo, and also in New Zealand when a merchant processes the payment offshore, even if the website ends in .co.nz and the price is in New Zealand dollars. There is no account fee, for you or any joint or additional cardholder, and purchases get up to 55 interest-free days if you clear the full balance by the due date. Cash advances get no interest-free period, and ATM cash withdrawals are capped at $1,000 a day. A $5 fee applies to each late payment, so set up an automatic payment before a long trip.

Kiwibank Zero Visa: is there any travel insurance on this no-fee card?

Kiwibank·$0/year·Visa

Pauline LauroreAuthor of HelloSafe's card insurance reviewsUpdated 28 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 Kiwibank Zero Visa

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

$0 account fee. No travel insurance. Here's what that gap costs on an overseas trip. So, you're in an emergency department in Honolulu and the hospital wants a card to guarantee the admission: the Kiwibank Zero Visa can pay the deposit, but nothing on the card pays you back, because it carries no overseas medical, evacuation, cancellation or baggage cover. Most cardholders assume every Kiwibank credit card comes with the bank's complimentary travel insurance, yet the policy wording (the insurer's full policy document) names only the Platinum Visa and the former Airpoints Platinum Visa as insured cards. ACC (the Accident Compensation Corporation) and the public health system pay nothing for treatment overseas, while standalone travel insurance sold in New Zealand usually covers overseas medical with no dollar cap and no rule about which card paid for the flights. If you use the Zero Visa as a no-fee card for everyday spending, it does that job; if you're booking a trip on it, buy a separate policy the day you pay the deposit.

What works on travel

$0 account fee, for the main cardholder and any joint or additional cardholder
Up to 55 interest-free days on purchases when the full balance is paid by the due date
Visa Zero Liability Policy: protection if your card or account details are used without permission, eligibility requirements apply

Where travel breaks down

No complimentary travel insurance: booking flights or hotels on the card activates no cover
No overseas medical or evacuation cover, and ACC and the public health system pay nothing for treatment overseas
1.85% international transaction fee on transactions processed overseas, even when the price is in NZD
No cancellation, delay or luggage cover: a cancelled trip or a lost bag comes out of your own pocket

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 Kiwibank Zero Visa 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 cover. 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 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.

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 Nadi, are the cardholder's responsibility.

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.

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 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.

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.

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 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.

No loss of income cover. 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 cover. 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 Kiwibank Zero Visa 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

Zero VisaThis 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 Kiwibank Zero Visa stacks up against the alternatives

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

Card	This card Zero Visa Kiwibank · $0/yr 0.0/5?	Platinum Visa Kiwibank · $50/yr 3.0/5?	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 →	$5,000 Capped $5,000, shared by family	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 →	$40,000,000 Capped $40,000,000 under age 75	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 →	$40,000,000 Included in $40M medical limit	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 / $500 Trigger: 6 hours	6h / $400 Trigger: more than 6 hours	4h / $650 Trigger: 4 hours
Trip interruption Covered amount	Not covered Cover this gap →	$50,000 Broad list of disruptions	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.

Kiwibank card enquiries (not travel insurance)

0800 113 355

Free call within New Zealand

Kiwibank card enquiries from overseas

+64 4 473 1133

What to do if you need travel cover with the Kiwibank Zero Visa

Step 1: Buy a standalone travel policy when you pay the deposit

The Zero Visa includes no travel insurance, so arrange a standalone policy and read its policy wording (the insurer's full policy document) for the overseas medical, cancellation and baggage limits. Most policies only cover cancellation from the day they start, so buying one the week you fly leaves the deposit unprotected.

Step 2: If the card is lost or stolen overseas, block it in the app first

Load a temporary block on the Zero Visa in the Kiwibank mobile app or internet banking, then call Kiwibank on 0800 113 355, or +64 4 473 1133 from overseas, to cancel and replace it. Dispute any transaction you don't recognise: Visa's Zero Liability Policy can cover unauthorised use, eligibility requirements apply.

Step 3: Take an unresolved complaint about Kiwibank to the Banking Ombudsman Scheme

For a dispute with Kiwibank over the card itself (not travel insurance), complain to Kiwibank first. If that does not resolve it, the Banking Ombudsman Scheme, a free independent service, can look into it. A travel insurance claim goes to the insurer you bought the standalone policy from.

You can't, because the Kiwibank Zero Visa has no complimentary travel insurance to activate. On New Zealand credit cards that do carry cover, activation means charging prepaid travel costs (flights, accommodation, tours) to the card before you leave, and the amount required varies by card. Paying for a trip with the Zero Visa switches nothing on. Kiwibank's credit card travel insurance, underwritten by Tower Limited and managed by Allianz Partners, only applies to the cards its policy wording (the insurer's full policy document) defines as an Insured Card, and the Zero Visa is not one of them. If you want the trip covered, buy a standalone travel policy when you book and keep the Zero Visa for spending.
Nobody, because the Kiwibank Zero Visa comes with no complimentary insurance. That applies to the main cardholder and to any joint or additional cardholder on the account. A partner or children travelling with you get no cover from the card either, whoever paid for the flights. That matters for families: cards with complimentary cover often extend it to a spouse and dependent children travelling with the cardholder, and the Zero Visa has no such benefit. Each traveller needs to be named on a standalone travel policy, and a family policy can usually cover two adults and their children on one premium. Check the age limits for children and how pre-existing medical conditions (conditions you had before the trip) are handled before you buy.
No. The Kiwibank Zero Visa has no rental vehicle excess cover, either for a hire 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 up to a cap when the hire goes on the card, but paying with the Zero Visa gives you nothing back. You have two ways to close the gap: take the rental company's excess-reduction option at the desk, or buy a standalone rental excess policy before you travel. Either way, read the vehicle and driver conditions before you sign.
There is nothing to claim on: the Kiwibank Zero Visa 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 Kiwibank. Block the card in the mobile app or internet banking if it is lost or stolen, then call 0800 113 355, or +64 4 473 1133 from overseas, and dispute any transaction you don't recognise. If a complaint about Kiwibank is not resolved, you can take it to the Banking Ombudsman Scheme, a free independent service.
The Kiwibank Zero Visa carries no complimentary 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 travel delay, missed connection or travel documents cover, no rental car excess, no ski or snowboard cover, no personal liability and no mobile phone insurance. What the card does offer is Visa's Zero Liability Policy against unauthorised use, eligibility requirements apply. Pre-existing medical conditions, long trips and older travellers are a question for the standalone policy you buy, not for this card.
No. The Kiwibank Zero Visa 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 an unused lift pass. There is no paid snow-sports extension to add either, because there is no underlying policy to extend. On a ski trip out of Tokyo, a fracture treated in Japan quickly reaches five figures, and ACC doesn't pay for treatment overseas. Closer to home it is different, because 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 once you're injured.
Yes. The Kiwibank Zero Visa includes no travel insurance, so a trip with this card alone leaves you exposed to the expensive risks: a hospital bill, 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. Standalone travel insurance sold in New Zealand usually covers overseas medical with no dollar cap, plus cancellation and baggage, whichever card paid for the trip. A setup that works: the Zero Visa for spending, with no account fee and up to 55 interest-free days when you clear the balance, and a separate policy for the risks. Watch the 1.85% fee on transactions processed overseas.
No. Kiwibank's complimentary credit card travel insurance, underwritten by Tower Limited and managed by Allianz Partners, covers only the cards its policy wording defines as an Insured Card: the Kiwibank Platinum Visa and the former Air New Zealand Airpoints Platinum Visa. The Zero Visa is not on that list, so booking a whole trip on it activates nothing. On an insured card, the wording effective 1 July 2025 asks for at least $500 of prepaid travel costs for an overseas trip, or $250 for a domestic trip, charged within 12 months before departure, and it covers up to 40 days per trip. If you hold the Zero Visa, the practical answer is a standalone travel policy bought when you book.
No. The Kiwibank Zero Visa includes no mobile phone insurance, and it has no purchase protection or extended warranty either. If you pay for a phone with the card and the screen cracks a month later, or the handset is stolen on a trip to Bali, 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, or a dedicated phone policy. The card does protect your account: Visa's Zero Liability Policy can cover unauthorised transactions, eligibility requirements apply.
The fee to watch is the 1.85% international transaction fee, charged on any transaction processed overseas. It applies when you tap the card in Bali or Tokyo, and also in New Zealand when a merchant processes the payment offshore, even if the website ends in .co.nz and the price is in New Zealand dollars. There is no account fee, for you or any joint or additional cardholder, and purchases get up to 55 interest-free days if you clear the full balance by the due date. Cash advances get no interest-free period, and ATM cash withdrawals are capped at $1,000 a day. A $5 fee applies to each late payment, so set up an automatic payment before a long trip.