In this independent review, we take a look at travel insurance provider Coverwise, including what it covers, how much it costs and how it compares to other travel insurance providers. We recommend that you read the review in full, however, you can jump to specific sections of the review using the following links.
- What is Coverwise travel insurance?
- Coverwise travel insurance key features
- Coverwise travel insurance policies
- What does Coverwise travel insurance cover?
- Does Coverwise cover covid-19?
- Does Coverwise cover pre-existing medical conditions?
- Coverwise travel insurance policy exclusions
- How much does Coverwise travel insurance cost?
- How to claim on Coverwise travel insurance
- Coverwise travel insurance customer reviews
- Coverwise travel insurance pros and cons
- Alternatives to Coverwise travel insurance
- Summary
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What is Coverwise travel insurance?
Coverwise is a general insurance intermediary, meaning it acts on behalf of other insurers to provide you with the best policy to suit your travel insurance needs. Coverwise says that its goal is to 'deliver products that suit your needs and to provide high levels of customer service and support in the event that you need to make a claim or require emergency assistance.'
Coverwise travel insurance policies are underwritten by Inter Partner Assistance S.A UK Branch, which is part of the AXA Group.
Coverwise also offers motor breakdown insurance and annual car hire excess insurance for your trip. These policies are underwritten by Inter Partner Assistance SA which is in partnership with AXA.
Coverwise travel insurance key features
- Pre-existing condition cover
- Single and Annual travel insurance policies
- Business travel insurance
- Winter sports insurance
- 24/7 medical assistance
- Enhanced cover for Covid-19
- £20 million of emergency medical cover
Coverwise travel insurance policies
There is a range of travel insurance policies on offer with Coverwise and we summarise the different policies available below.
Coverwise Single trip travel insurance
Single trip travel insurance covers a single trip for an individual, family or couple. Coverwise offers seven different levels of cover ranging from Standard to Platinum, with Platinum being the most comprehensive. With Coverwise's single trip travel insurance you can get up to £20 million in emergency medical expenses cover and receive 24/7 medical assistance.
Coverwise Annual multi-trip travel insurance
Annual travel insurance covers multiple trips over a 12 month period and can be cheaper than single trip travel insurance if you travel frequently. With Coverwise you can choose from seven different annual multi-trip policies to suit your budget with cover up to £20 million for emergency medical expenses as well as cover for trip cancellation and lost or stolen baggage.
Coverwise Business trip travel insurance
Business travel insurance will cover trip cancellation and emergency medical expenses when you are travelling abroad for work. All Coverwise annual multi-trip travel insurance policies cover you for business trips as standard, including if you purchase a family policy. Business travel insurance with a Coverwise Gold or Platinum policy includes cover if you are unable to attend a business meeting due to illness and a replacement employee can be covered to attend on your behalf.
Coverwise Winter sports travel insurance
Winter sports travel insurance covers you for winter activities such as skiing and snowboarding. With a Coverwise winter policy, you can expect cover for ski pass loss, damaged or stolen equipment, equipment hire and mountain search and rescue expenses. You can get cover for single trips or multiple trips throughout the year. Coverwise's Silver, Silver Plus, Gold and Platinum annual policies have no limit on how many winter sports holidays you take throughout the insurance period although each trip is limited to 17 days. Coverwise Standard, Standard Plus and Bronze cover limits you to 17 days of winter sports cover with its annual policy.
What does Coverwise travel insurance cover?
In the following comparison table, we explain the insurance benefits included in each of Coverwise's policies.
| Standard | Bronze | Silver Plus | Gold | |
| Emergency medical cover | £20million | £20million | £20million | £20million |
| Single trip limit (days) | 31 | 31 | 60 (31 for 61+) | 90 (31 for 61+) |
| Annual Trip limit (days) | 24 | 24 | 31 | 31 |
| Cancellation/curtailment | £1,000 | £1,500 | £2,000 | £3,000 |
| Emergency dental treatment | £1,000 | £1,000 | £1,000 | £1,000 |
| Baggage | £1,000 | £1,750 | £1,750 | £2,000 |
| Delayed departure |  |
|
Up to £200 | Up to £300 |
| Trip abandonment (after 12-hour delay) | |
|
£2,000 | £3,000 |
| Missed departure | |
|
£1,000 | £1,000 |
| Total valuables (single item limit applies) | £200 | £200 | £250 | £300 |
| Personal money | £300 (£200 cash limit, £50 if under 16) | £350 (£200 cash limit, £50 if under 16) | £350 (£200 cash limit, £50 if under 16) | £500 (£200 cash limit, £50 if under 16) |
| Passports/Visa | £500 | £500 | £500 | £600 |
| Personal accident (amount paid varies depending on age) | £10,000 | £10,000 | £20,000 | £20,000 |
| Legal expenses and assistance | £50,000 | £50,000 | £50,000 | £50,000 |
| Personal liability | £2million | £2million | £2million | £2million |
Does Coverwise cover Covid-19?
Coverwise travel insurance policies will cover you for some coronavirus-related claims and we highlight briefly below an example of some instances in which you will be covered. It is important that you check your policy documents carefully so that you know exactly what you are covered for. More information on Coverwise and cover for covid-19 can be found on the Coverwise website.
Coverwise will cover the following coronavirus-related claims:
- If you fall ill due to covid-19 and are unable to travel due to illness or isolation
- Cutting your trip short due to a relative being ill due to covid-19 back in the UK
- Medical claims whilst abroad due to covid-19
In most instances, you will be required to provide an official covid-19 positive test result, a medical certificate and evidence for self-isolation (if applicable) should you need to make a covid-19 related claim. You will not be covered for any covid-19 related claim if you choose to travel against FCDO advice, but you will still be covered for any other claim that may occur whilst away as long as it is not related to covid-19. For more information on travel insurance and covid-19 read our article, 'Does travel insurance cover covid?'
Does Coverwise cover pre-existing medical conditions?
You will need to declare any pre-existing medical conditions when taking out a Coverwise travel insurance policy. These conditions will then be screened by Coverwise and you will be informed whether you are eligible for travel insurance for your particular medical condition. It is important that you declare all of your medical conditions when taking out a policy as not declaring a condition could result in a claim not being paid. You may also risk a claim not being paid for a condition you have declared if it is found that you did not disclose all of your medical conditions.
If Coverwise is unable to offer cover for a particular medical condition you can check out the MoneyHelper website for a number of travel insurance providers that may be able to cover your pre-existing condition.
Coverwise travel insurance policy exclusions
In this section, we highlight some of the policy exclusions that apply to a Coverwise travel insurance policy. This list is not exhaustive so you will need to check your policy documents carefully to see exactly what is and is not covered.
A typical Coverwise travel insurance policy is likely to exclude the following:
- Any claim related to travel against FCDO advice
- Pregnancy complications due to a pregnancy-related problem that was apparent before the trip departure date
- Claims related to drug or alcohol abuse
- Claims for loss, theft or damage to mobile phones (unless you have added optional gadget cover)
How much does Coverwise travel insurance cost?
In this section, we compare the cost of the different travel insurance policies provided by Coverwise. The quotes are based on an individual travelling to Spain in Europe on a single or annual multi-trip travel insurance policy.
Coverwise Single trip travel insurance cost
The following comparison table compares the cost of a single trip travel insurance policy to Spain in Europe for individuals aged between 20 and 70 years old. There is an age restriction on single trip policies of 75 years old. The quotes are based on an individual with no underlying health conditions and travelling from Friday - Friday.
| Standard | Bronze | Silver Plus | Gold | |
| Policy excess | £125/£200 | £100/£200 | £50 | £50 |
| Medical expenses | £20million | £20million | £20million | £20million |
| Cancellation | £1,000 | £1,500 | £2,000 | £3,000 |
| Baggage | £1,000 | £1,750 | £1,750 | £2,000 |
| Single trip travel insurance cost to Europe (20-year-old) | £8.45 | £11.07 | £13.97 | £16.07 |
| Single trip travel insurance cost to Europe (30-year-old) | £7.95 | £9.95 | £11.39 | £12.55 |
| Single trip travel insurance cost to Europe (40-year-old) | £7.75 | £9.50 | £10.63 | £13.81 |
| Single trip travel insurance cost to Europe (50-year-old) | £7.89 | £9.70 | £10.65 | £13.81 |
| Single trip travel insurance cost to Europe (60-year-old) | £8.93 | £9.64 | £12.35 | £16.04 |
| Single trip travel insurance cost to Europe (70-year-old) | £12.70 | £17.11 | £22.08 | £24.59 |
(Quotes correct as of 05/02/24)
Coverwise Annual multi-trip travel insurance cost
The below comparison table compares the cost of an annual multi-trip trip travel insurance policy with Coverwise to Europe for individuals aged between 20 and 60 years old. There is an age restriction on annual multi-trip policies of 65 years old. The quotes are based on an individual with no underlying health conditions and travelling from Friday - Friday.
| Standard | Bronze | Silver Plus | Gold | |
| Policy excess | £125/£200 | £100/£200 | £50 | £50 |
| Medical expenses | £20million | £20million | £20million | £20million |
| Cancellation | £1,000 | £1,500 | £2,000 | £3,000 |
| Baggage | £1,000 | £1,750 | £1,750 | £2,000 |
| Annual multi-trip travel insurance cost to Europe (20-year-old) | £12.45 | £12.55 | £18.80 | £27.69 |
| Annual multi-trip travel insurance cost to Europe (30-year-old) | £12.45 | £12.55 | £15.10 | £24.51 |
| Annual multi-trip travel insurance cost to Europe (40-year-old) | £12.45 | £12.55 | £13.95 | £24.44 |
| Annual multi-trip travel insurance cost to Europe (50-year-old) | £11.00 | £13.10 | £14.45 | £28.47 |
| Annual multi-trip travel insurance cost to Europe (60-year-old) | £22.89 | £24.85 | £32.97 | £63.10 |
| Annual multi-trip travel insurance cost to Europe (70-year-old) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
(Quotes correct as of 05/02/24)
How to claim on Coverwise travel insurance
If you want to make a claim on your Coverwise travel insurance policy under any section other than gadget cover, you can do so using the AXA online claims portal. Alternatively, you can call the AXA Travel Insurance Claims team on 0330 024 8315, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Any claims made on a Coverwise travel insurance policy are dealt with by AXA and Coverwise sales and service teams will not be able to provide an update on the status of your claim.
Coverwise policy excess
The policy excess you pay when making a claim varies depending on what you are claiming for as well as the type of policy you have with Coverwise. For example, the emergency medical expense claim excess on a Coverwise Standard policy is £125 compared to £50 on a Coverwise Gold policy. It is important that you check your policy documents carefully so you know exactly how much you are expected to pay in the event of a claim.
Coverwise travel insurance customer reviews
Coverwise has a Trustpilot rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars from over 86,000 reviews. 80% of customers have rated it as 'Excellent' citing very competitive prices and an easy to use website. It is worth noting that most of the excellent reviews do not comment on the claims process and focus more on the price of the insurance and the process of getting insured. 3% of customers have rated it as 'Bad' stating problems with duplicate charges, customer service and a long claims process.
Coverwise is also reviewed on the customer review site Reviews.io. It has a much lower score on this site albeit from fewer reviews (only 133 in comparison to over 86,000 with Trustpilot) but the majority of the reviews complain of issues with the claims process and getting a claim to pay out.
As with all insurance policies, it is imperative that you do your research before taking out a policy.
Coverwise travel insurance pros and cons
Coverwise travel insurance pros
- Seven insurance policy cover levels to choose from
- Winter sports cover
- Business trip cover
- Up to £20million of emergency medical cover
Coverwise travel insurance cons
- Age limit on insurance policies (65 years for annual multi-trip and 75 years for single trip policies)
- Annual multi-trip policy insurance renews annually automatically unless you choose to cancel
Alternatives to Coverwise travel insurance
Below we compare Coverwise travel insurance to Staysure* and Southdowns travel insurance. Another way to compare travel insurance policies is via a comparison site such as Quotezone* or MoneySuperMarket*. Comparison sites allow you to compare multiple insurance policies at once to help you find the best cover and price for your trip. However, one thing to consider is that not all comparison sites are whole of market which means you may get a better deal elsewhere.
Coverwise travel insurance vs Staysure travel insurance
Staysure travel insurance* has a wide range of travel insurance policies including long stay insurance for backpackers, winter sports cover and cruise cover. One of the key differences between the providers is that Coverwise enforces age limits on its policies whereas Staysure does not, but it does restrict the trip limits for those over 70 on its annual policies.
In the below comparison table, we compare the Coverwise Gold single trip policy to the Staysure Comprehensive travel insurance policy. The Staysure Comprehensive policy is not the most comprehensive Staysure policy, you can also choose a Signature policy, but despite Coverwise showing a Platinum travel insurance policy document on its website, it does not let you get a quote via the online quote system. Therefore in the below table, we have compared the Coverwise Gold policy to the Staysure Comprehensive policy for a 30-year-old with no underlying health conditions and holidaying in Europe.
More information on Staysure travel insurance can be found in our 'Staysure travel insurance review'.
Policy cost - Coverwise vs Staysure
| Coverwise | Staysure* | |
| Policy name | Gold | Comprehensive |
| Policy type | Single Trip | Single Trip |
| Destination | Europe | Europe |
| Excess | £50 | £99 |
| Policy cost for a 30-year-old individual | £12.55 | £14.76 |
| Medical cover amount | £20million | Unlimited |
| Cancellation/curtailment | £3,000 | £5,000 |
| Baggage cover | £2,000 | £2,500 |
(Quotes correct as of 05/02/24)
Coverwise travel insurance vs Southdowns travel insurance
Southdowns travel insurance, like Coverwise, is underwritten by Inter Partner Assistance which is part of the AXA Group. This means that depending on the policy that you choose, you may be getting the same travel insurance cover, but via a different provider. One thing that Southdowns does not provide, however, is winter sports cover which is something that can be added to your Coverwise travel insurance policy.
In the below comparison table we compare the Coverwise Gold single trip policy to the Southdowns Gold travel insurance policy. The Southdowns Gold policy is not the most comprehensive Southdowns policy, you can also choose a Platinum policy, but despite Coverwise also showing a Platinum travel insurance policy document on its website, it does not let you get a quote via the online quote system. Therefore in the below table, we have compared the Coverwise Gold policy to the Southdowns Gold policy. The quotes are based on a 30-year-old individual with no underlying health conditions and travelling to Europe.
More information on Southdowns travel insurance can be found in our 'Southdowns travel insurance review'.
Policy cost - Coverwise vs Southdowns
| Coverwise | Southdowns | |
| Policy name | Gold | Gold |
| Policy type | Single Trip | Single Trip |
| Destination | Europe | Europe |
| Excess | £50 | £50 |
| Policy cost for a 30-year-old individual | £12.55 | £12.26 |
| Medical cover amount | £20million | £20million |
| Cancellation/curtailment | £3,000 | £3,000 |
| Baggage cover | £2,000 | £2,000 |
(Quotes correct as of 05/02/24)
Summary
Coverwise has a range of policies to choose from often at a lower price when compared to some of its better-known competitors. It offers a good level of emergency medical cover at £20million but there is certainly scope for higher medical cover with other providers so it is worth shopping around if this is what you are looking for. Coverwise does offer the option to add cover for winter sports and there is no limit to how many winter sports trips you can take in a policy year with its Silver, Silver Plus, Gold and Platinum travel insurance policies, although each trip is limited to 17 days. Coverwise does however enforce upper age limits on its single trip and multi-trip policies so you may wish to look at other travel insurance providers such as Staysure* if you are over 65 and looking for travel insurance.
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