If your travel insurance has always come free with your credit card, 2026 is the year to read the fine print. NAB, CommBank, Westpac and ANZ are all cutting, reducing or restructuring their complimentary travel cover, and each bank is doing it on a different date.
The shake-up flows from the Reserve Bank's card surcharge reforms, but there's no single deadline to remember — which is exactly the trap. Here's the bank-by-bank rundown.
NAB moves first, with changes applying to claimable events on or after 15 May 2026. Some cards will lose complimentary international and domestic travel insurance plus rental vehicle excess cover in Australia, though certain eligible cards gain mobile phone insurance instead.
CommBank follows on 29 September 2026, reducing or removing insurance benefits across various card options.
Westpac's changes kick in from 1 October 2026. Its complimentary policy is changing, and customers will need to actively activate cover before travelling — a step many will inevitably forget. Cover may not be included on your card at all anymore.
ANZ is last, from 9 December 2026, moving to a three-tier system. Some cards get reduced benefits, others lose complimentary travel insurance entirely.
Compare the Market's Chris Ford, who has been sounding the alarm, says travellers shouldn't panic — but should treat this as a prompt to shop around. Standalone policies are often cheaper than carrying a high-annual-fee card purely for its insurance, which was "never really free" anyway.
The numbers back that up. A sample policy for a 30-year-old heading to Thailand for 12 days in December 2026 starts at around $83 — about $7 a day — with a $200 excess, $5,000 of luggage cover and $10,000 in trip cancellation cover. A six-day domestic cruise for the same traveller can be covered from as little as $43. Against flights and accommodation that can run into the thousands, it's small change.
There's also a silver lining for anyone booking through an agent: standalone insurance can still be sold at the point of booking, with the industry exemption extended to 2031.
The takeaway for travellers is simple. Don't assume your card still covers you. Check your specific card's benefits well before you book anything non-refundable, note whether activation is required (Westpac customers, take particular care), and get a quote for standalone cover — it may cost less than the annual fee you're paying for cover that no longer exists.
