Before COVID-19, my family's annual travel insurance plan covered our frequent travels, including a trip to Hangzhou in December 2019. However, the pandemic has halted our travel plans, making the renewal of our travel insurance less appealing. The situation raises questions for those who had secured travel insurance just before the pandemic, wondering about their options with insurance companies.
The pandemic has indeed shifted consumer behaviour towards travel insurance, with more people recognising its importance amidst travel uncertainties. Those who purchased travel insurance pre-pandemic should contact their providers to explore options like credits, extensions, or adjustments, reflecting the new reality of travel's risks and protections.
Table of contents
- Who buys annual travel insurance?
- Can you get a travel insurance refund?
- What is Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) Travel Insurance?
- What are the Reasons a Traveller Might Cancel their Travel Insurance Policy?
- What are the 3 Steps to Get a Travel Insurance Refund?
Who buys annual travel insurance?
Annual travel plans cover multiple journeys taken by the policyholder from the date of inception for up to a year. People who travel often, for either business or leisure (or both), usually find it convenient to own this type of plan.
Family plans usually cover two adult parents and children. Even if a family were to travel only during the gazetted school holidays, it’s worthwhile to invest in an annual family policy versus buying single-trip plans that only cover one particular trip for a specified number of days. As a rule of thumb, the cost of an annual plan is about the same as four single-trip premiums, with the added bonus of multiple trips within the year covered.
The inconvenience of having to remember to purchase travel insurance for spontaneous long weekend getaways (ah, those good old pre-pandemic days!) to Bali and Phuket has also compelled some people to go for basic annual plans. Furthermore, annual plans offer a straightforward solution to the complications of needing to cancel individual trip travel insurance due to snags in your travel plans. Instead of going through the whole song and dance with your insurer about how to cancel your travel insurance policy and get a refund, you can rest assured knowing your coverage extends to your next trip without any additional fuss.
Annual plans can be as cheap as $368 for an Individual Worldwide plan from Allied World. Of course, if you looking for higher or specific types of coverage (for example, a Winter sports cover) it would come in the form of an additional rider.
If you’re planning a destination wedding (maybe next year?), it’s also worth springing for an annual plan as you may be making several trips. It can also add a rider for overseas wedding coverage. Looking for more annual travel insurance options? Check out this SingSaver blog on the best yearly travel insurance in Singapore.
Can you get a travel insurance refund?
For a policyholder who has purchased a single trip premium, there is no recourse for a refund or cancellation of the premium paid. The plan is still in force though, and is perhaps of some comfort for those who are forced to travel for business or for other important personal reasons.
Adding to this, if your travel insurance policy includes a money-back guarantee or a review period, you’re entitled to cancel for any reason and get a refund within the specified timeframe, provided you haven’t yet filed a claim or started your trip. This flexibility offers policyholders the chance to reconsider their coverage needs without taking a financial penalty. However, cancelling your travel insurance policy after the review period has elapsed means forfeiting the premium.
Singlife Travel Insurance Promotion:
Annual Trip: Use promo code ANNUAL25 to get 25% off Annual Trip plans when you buy now. Valid till 11 November 2024. T&Cs apply.
Also receive:
- Up toS$80 eCapitaVouchers. Valid till 11 November 2024. Fulfilled by Singlife. T&Cs apply.
- Up to S$70 Lazada voucher. Valid till 30 December 2024 5:30 pm. T&Cs apply.
- A chance to win a year's worth of free flights or up to S$160,000 in rewards. Valid till 30 December 2024 5:30 pm. T&Cs apply.
What is Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) Travel Insurance?
For additional flexibility, travellers may wish to consider Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) travel insurance. CFAR travel insurance allows you to cancel your travel plans for reasons outside of the coverage of your travel insurance policy. It is typically offered as an optional add-on when you buy your primary travel insurance. Under CFAR coverage, policyholders may receive a partial refund of their prepaid nonrefundable travel costs.
However, it's important to note that not all insurers offer CFAR coverage, and most CFAR travel insurance policies have specific timelines for cancellation. For instance, most insurers will not allow you to cancel on the day of your trip, and will require travellers to cancel at least two days before the trip date to qualify for a partial refund.
Only Singlife and FWD offer coverage for cancellation for any reason, so do read their fine print to find out more details about them.
SingSaver's Exclusive FWD Promotion: Use the promo code FWDTRAVEL to get a 30% discount on Single Trip plans or a 25% discount on Annual Trip plans! Valid till 15 November 2024. T&Cs apply. Also receive:
- Up to S$40 Lazada vouchers for Annual trip plans. Limited quantities available. Valid till 30 December 2024 5:30 pm. T&Cs apply.
- A chance to win a year's worth of free flights or up to S$160,000 in rewards. Valid till 30 December 2024 5:30 pm. T&Cs apply.
What are the Reasons a Traveller Might Cancel their Travel Insurance Policy?
Travellers might cancel their travel insurance policy for various reasons, such as discovering that the policy doesn't fully meet their needs. Other common reasons for cancelling a travel insurance policy and getting a refund are changes in personal circumstances, such as adjustments to work schedules, health issues, or other unforeseen personal matters.
For such cases where your reasons for cancelling fall outside what's typically covered by standard travel insurance, CFAR coverage offers the flexibility to cancel your travel insurance policy for nearly any reason, enabling a partial refund of prepaid, nonrefundable travel costs.
What are the 3 Steps to Get a Travel Insurance Refund?
Before initiating the cancellation process, it's crucial to understand your rights regarding travel insurance refunds. Understanding the differences between travel delay, curtailment or cancellation, and potential exclusions in your policy will equip you with the knowledge to navigate the refund process effectively. Here is how to cancel a travel insurance policy and apply for a refund in 3 simple steps.
#1: Gather all necessary details
For general insurance, most insurers make it easy for you to quote and buy online. Acceptance is also immediate. You’ll find your certificate of insurance is probably a PDF document sent to your email account. Some insurers may follow up with some paper documents snail-mailed to you.
In any case, make sure you have these policy details ready. You may also wish to download travel advisories, flight cancellation notices, quarantine notices, COVID-19 related announcements and other relevant documents to readily support your case for a refund.
#2: Contact your insurer via email or fill up an online form
Most insurers will require you to formally write in to request a refund, so there is some hoop-jumping involved here. Some insurers have an online portal for correspondence or list an email address for their customer care team. Others don’t, so you would need to contact their hotline to obtain information on how you can submit your written request.
Expect a long wait time before your call is taken because many people will be in the same boat as you. So try not to procrastinate handling this, or else you might miss the eligible timeline for your refund request.
#3: Follow up with the insurer until your refund is processed
Once you have submitted your request in writing, check that you have received some kind of response from the insurer (even an automated one). If you have, you can rest easy knowing that your submission has been recorded and dated. Otherwise, you might want to contact the customer care team again to follow up.
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Insurer
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How to apply
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Terms and conditions
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FWD
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Fill up a form via their Online Services or please contact FWD at +65-6820-8888 or email contact.sg@fwd.com.
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As long as you have not made any claims on your travel insurance plan, you can request for cancellation before your trip starts or before the start date of your policy.
Annual trip: Pro ration applies based on the remaining months of the policy.
Both Single & Annual policies will not be refunded if the premium amount is lesser than $25.
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Singlife
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Submit a formal request for cancellation in writing. You can contact Singlife Customer Care at 68279966.
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1. A Single Trip plan can only be cancelled before the trip’s start date. This must be done in writing. So if you have yet to travel, you will be entitled to a refund.
2. For Annual multi-trip plans, you can cancel the plan within the 14-day free look period without penalty. After that, refunds will be processed at a rate of 80% of premium paid, less a pro-rated amount of the duration for which you have been covered.
3. You won’t be eligible for a refund if you have made a claim on your plan.
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HL Assurance
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Submit a request in writing to Contact +65 6702 0202 or email service@hlas.com.sg
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No refund of premium is allowed once the insurance has been effected or after the date/time of your scheduled journey (for Single Trip plans). You can, however, submit a request to cancel your policy upon issuance of any Travel Alert for the planned destination, and if no claim has already been made.
Annual Trips:
HL Assurance will return up to 60% of the pro-rata portion of the premium for the unexpired partof the Period of Insurance.
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Sompo
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Contact the Sompo Customer Service hotline with your request at 6461 6555 or emailus@sompo.com.sg
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1. Single Trip premiums are non-refundable once the Certificate of Insurance is issued. This usually happens at time of purchase.
2. For annual travel insurance, 20% of the annual premium paid is refundable if requested within a month from the date of policy commencement, or 10% within two months. No refund is given if the request is made after two months of policy commencement.
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Tokio Marine
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You can call, email or write to the General Insurance team here.
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1. For Single Trips, you can request a cancellation of the plan before its commencement date. Your premium will be refunded, less an administrative charge of $25.00, provided you have not made any claims on this policy. You will not be entitled to any refund of premium after the commencement date of the policy.
2. For Annual Plans, you may cancel this Policy within 3 months from the policy effective date by giving seven (7) days’ written notice (provided no claims are made during the time the policy being in force). You will be refunded 80% of the pro-rated premium for the unexpired period, subject to a minimum premium payment of $25.00. There will be no refund after 3 months from the policy’s effective date.
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*This list is non-exhaustive and is correct at the time of writing.
Choosing the right travel insurance is crucial for peace of mind on your journeys. Let SingSaver help you make an informed decision easily by comparing the best travel insurance options available. Find the perfect policy with coverage that fits your need, giving you the freedom to travel worry-free, with the confidence to cancel and apply for a refund if plans change.
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