How Discovery Bank and Discovery Card covers you for travel expenses due to COVID-19
If you are travelling abroad, make sure that you know the details of your Discovery Bank and Discovery Card travel insurance cover.
Cover for COVID-19 before and during your trip
Clients who pay for travel tickets using a Discovery Bank card (including the previous Discovery Card) get cover through Discovery Insure or Visa (underwritten by Chubb) for medical incidents (including COVID-19) during their travels.
Information about your cover
Your travel insurance covers:
- Before your trip: You get cover for the irrecoverable cost of prepaid flights and accommodation if you need to cancel, cut short or postpone your trip due to falling ill or being placed in quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19 and being declared unfit to travel by a medical practitioner.
- During a trip: You get cover for inpatient and outpatient treatment under the emergency medical expenses benefit if you test positive for COVID-19 while you're on your trip, and if no travel warning was issued for your destination country.
Your travel insurance doesn't cover:
- Your unwillingness or reluctance to travel due to the risk of contracting COVID-19 or health concerns.
- Unconfirmed COVID-19 test.
Limits, terms and conditions apply. Please contact your insurance provider for more info.
More about your travel cover
Your travel insurance only covers medical and travel expenses related to medical emergencies beyond your or the carrier's control. This means that you don't get travel insurance cover through your qualifying Discovery Bank card or Discovery Card if:
- You book a trip to a known COVID-19 hotspot or deliberately expose yourself to COVID-19.
- You don't take precautions to safeguard yourself from COVID-19.
- You travel to an area that the World Health Organization or the government has issued a travel warning against.
- You choose to cancel or change your flight.
- The carrier cancels your flight or cruise due to an outbreak or any other reason.
If a carrier cancels your flight or cruise journey, you must claim from them directly. Each carrier has its own cancellation process. Some carriers may even waive cancellation fees and penalties. You need to contact your carrier for more information on policies, processes and the cancellation fees or charges that apply.
For travel bookings made through Discovery Vitality's travel partners, please see here for information regarding their changes and cancellations For bookings through all other travel providers, please contact them directly to understand their terms and conditions.
Accessing your emergency cover while abroad
If an emergency or outbreak occurs in your destination country while you're on your trip, the destination country will begin a process for medical evacuation, quarantine or emergency procedures.
If you need to provide proof of medical insurance, contact the relevant insurer below, and they'll assist you with proof of cover, and answer any cover-related queries. Always tell Discovery Bank your travel plans before travelling. It allows us to help you better in case of an emergency.
Who to call if you need information or assistance
In the case of an emergency, contact the local authorities in your destination country.
If you can't contact the local authorities, need further assistance, or you'd like information about your cover, use these details:
Discovery Bank Gold credit or debit card
Insured by:
Discovery Travel Insurance through Discovery Insure Ltd
View Terms and conditions
View Policyholder protection rules
Contact on:
- Service: 0860 87 82 33 or travel.service@discovery.co.za
- Claims: 0860 87 82 33 or travel.claims@discovery.co.za
- Emergency claims: 0860 87 82 33 or +27 11 292 8701 while outside South Africa.
Discovery Bank Platinum credit or debit card
Insured by:
Discovery Travel Insurance through Discovery Insure Ltd
View Terms and conditions
View Policyholder protection rules
Contact on:
- Service: 0860 87 82 33 or travel.service@discovery.co.za
- Claims: 0860 87 82 33 or travel.claims@discovery.co.za
- Emergency claims: 0860 87 82 33 or +27 11 292 8701 while outside South Africa.
Discovery Bank Black credit or debit card
Insured by:
Chubb through Visa
View Terms and conditions
Visit the Visa Travel Insurance page
Contact on:
+27 11 541 1068
Discovery Bank Purple credit or debit card
Insured by:
Chubb through Visa
View Terms and conditions
Visit the Visa Travel Insurance page
Contact on:
+27 11 541 1068
All previous Discovery Cards that are now administered by Discovery Bank
Insured by:
Discovery Travel Insurance through Discovery Insure Ltd
View Terms and conditions
View Policyholder protection rules
Contact on:
- Service: 0860 87 82 33 or travel.service@discovery.co.za
- Claims: 0860 87 82 33 or travel.claims@discovery.co.za
- Emergency claims: 0860 87 82 33 or +27 11 292 8701 while outside South Africa.
Note: The Discovery Card that is now managed by Discovery Bank looks like this:
- Discovery Blue Card; if replaced, it's a Gold vertical physical card
- Discovery Silver Card (Classic); if replaced, it's a Gold physical vertical card
- Discovery Gold Card
- Discovery Platinum Card
All medical information found on this website including content, graphics and images, is for educational and informational objectives only. Discovery Health publishes this content to help to protect and empower all South Africans by promoting a better understanding of COVID-19.
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