Is Your Credit Card's Free Travel Insurance Adequate?
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Singaporeans are mature consumers when it comes to credit card usage - you only need to look at the number of credit card comparisons site around to know how popular they are! If you are a frequent traveller, you might already be using a travel credit card to help you accumulate air miles and earn rewards, not to mention enjoy the free travel insurance coverage that comes with it.
But have you actually read through the travel insurance policy provided and compared whether the complimentary insurance is adequate for you? Should you still buy a stand-alone travel insurance if you can enjoy coverage from your credit card? Let’s find out.
Pros and Cons of Credit Card’s Free Travel Insurance
For a start, is the coverage really free? The fact is many credit cards in Singapore offer free waiver of their annual fees, but when it comes to air miles cards, most of them come with a rather high annual fee which is seldom waived unless you are a big spender.
Here are some of the annual fee charges and travel insurance coverage for credit cards that offer free travel insurance:
| Credit cards | Annual Fees | Minimum Income Requirement | Travel insurance coverage (accidental death) |
| Citi PremierMiles Visa Card | S$196.20 | $30,000 | Cardholder: Up to $1M
Family of Cardholder: Up to $1M (Spouse), $50,000 (Child) |
| Citi Rewards | |||
| Citi Cash Back | |||
| Standard Chartered Visa Infinite Card | S$599.50 and no waiver | $150,000 | Cardholder: up to $1M for age up to 69 years old, and up to S$500,000 for aged 70 years old and above |
| UOB PRVI Miles Card | S$261.60 | $30,000 | Cardholder: Up to $1M |
| UOB One | S$196.20 | $30,000 (below 55 years old) $15,000 (above 56 years old) Fixed Deposit collateral of at least S$10,000 | Cardholder: Up to $500,000 Spouse: Up to $500,000 Child: Up to $30,000 |
| UOB EVOL | |||
| UOB Absolute Cashback | |||
| KrisFlyer UOB | |||
| Singtel-UOB Visa Signature | |||
| UOB Visa Signature | S$218 | ||
| HSBC TravelOne | S$196.20 | New HSBC customers: S$65,000 Existing HSBC customers with TRB <S$50,000: $65,000 Existing salaried employees HSBC customers with TRB ≥SGD50,000: S$30,000 Existing Self employed/commission-based earners HSBC customers with TRB ≥SGD50,000: S$40,000 | Up to $75,000 per insured person* *Cardholder and Family members of cardholder meeting the criteria of full travel expenses |
| American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | S$179.85 | S$30,000 (and subjected to internal assessment) | Cardholder, Spouse or child over 16 years old whilst travelling on a Public Conveyance: Up to $350,000 Child under 16 years old whilst travelling on a Public Conveyance: Up to $100,000 |
| American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend | S$397.85 | Cardholder, Spouse or child over 16 years old whilst travelling on a Public Conveyance: Up to $1M each Child under 16 years old whilst travelling on a Public Conveyance: Up to $100,000 |
*Information from various banks’ site. Information correct as at Nov 2025.
At one glance, you might think that the free travel insurance offers quite a good deal, given that if you are already using the said credit card and is willing to pay the high annual fees. But does that million-dollar figure for accidental death really tell you the whole story?
Of course not.
So we looked into some of the details provided by the policy documents and here’s how they compare:
| Credit cards | Accidental Death/ Total Permanent Disability | Medical Expenses | Loss of luggage | Travel Cancellations and Delay |
| Citi PremierMiles Visa Card | Cardholder: Up to $1M Family of Cardholder: Up to $1M (Spouse), $50,000 (Child) | Cardholder: Up to $40,000 Family of Cardholder: Up to $40,000 (Spouse), $20,000 (Child) | Up to $1,000 | Up to $500 |
| Citi Rewards | ||||
| Citi Cash Back | ||||
| Standard Chartered Visa Infinite Card | Cardholder, Spouse: up to $1M for age up to 69 years old, and up to S$500,000 for aged 70 years old and above | Cardholder, Spouse: up to $50,000 for age up to 69 years old and up to $25,000 for aged 70 years and above | Up to $5,000 | Not stated |
| UOB PRVI Miles Card | Cardholder: Up to $500,000 Spouse: Up to $500,000 Child: Up to $30,000 | Not stated | Not stated | Delay more than 6 hours: Up to $200 per insured person and up to $400 per family |
| UOB One | ||||
| UOB EVOL | ||||
| UOB Absolute Cashback | ||||
| KrisFlyer UOB | ||||
| Singtel-UOB Visa Signature | ||||
| UOB Visa Signature | ||||
| HSBC TravelOne | Up to $75,000 per insured person* *Cardholder and Family members of cardholder meeting the criteria of full travel expenses | Up to $150,000 per insured person* *Cardholder and Family members of cardholder meeting the criteria of full travel expenses | Up to $1,500 per insured person* *Cardholder and Family members of cardholder meeting the criteria of full travel expenses | Cancellation: Up to $1,500 per insured person*, $3,000 per family Delay: Up to $150 per insured*, $300 per family *Cardholder and Family members of cardholder meeting the criteria of full travel expenses |
| American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | Cardholder, Spouse or child over 16 years old whilst travelling on a Public Conveyance: Up to $350,000 Child under 16 years old whilst travelling on a Public Conveyance: Up to $100,000 | Not stated | Not stated | Delay: Up to $200 per person subject to a maximum of up to $400 per family |
| American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend | Cardholder, Spouse or child over 16 years old whilst travelling on a Public Conveyance: Up to $1M each Child under 16 years old whilst travelling on a Public Conveyance: Up to $100,000 |
*Information from various banks’ site. Information correct as at Nov 2025.
Looking at the comparison table above, it is pretty obvious that your free travel insurance is not giving you quite a comprehensive protection, given that the coverage listed above are considered the basic requirements of a travel insurance.
Buying a travel insurance is often for giving ourselves a peace of mind when we travel, but with Singaporeans becoming more discerning when it comes to getting the right travel insurance policy, it is worthwhile to spend some time reading through your policy documents to understand what kind of coverage you actually get.
Travel insurance claims relating to socio-political volatility have more than doubled in the last three years and consumers are now more worried about potential travel disruptions. This is why getting the right travel insurance can actually help you save a huge amount, especially when it comes to travelling as a family. If anything unexpected happens, you can file your claim easily through our online insurance claim form.
Our newly-enhanced travel insurance now cover your reluctance to travel due to terrorist acts, travel cancellations due to haze, your pet hotel charges if your return travel is delayed and even the option to include your foreign domestic worker on your family plan. Ask for a travel insurance quote now to get your family protected on your next trip!
