Insurance benefits attached to accounts are provided by third-party insurers under group policies with their own terms, limits and exclusions. We are not the insurer, and the policy document decides what is covered, not this page.
Cover that comes with an account
Some cover is bundled with the paid account tiers. It is genuinely useful and it is also frequently misunderstood, which is the expensive part.
| Cover | Tier | What to check first |
|---|---|---|
| Travel cover | Elite Plus and Prestige | Age limits, trip length, pre-existing conditions and excluded activities. |
| Purchase protection | Elite Plus and Prestige | The claim window, the item value limits, and whether the item must have been bought on the card. |
| Medical cover while travelling | Prestige | Whether family are included and whether the destination is covered. |
| Card fraud protection | Every account | Not insurance: a scheme and regulatory protection on unauthorised transactions. |
| Dispute rights | Every account | Chargeback rights on card purchases where goods are not received or not as described. |
Check before you rely on it
Bundled travel cover usually has an upper age limit and excludes conditions you already have. Assuming it covers a trip it does not is how people end up uninsured in a hospital abroad.
Protection we do not provide
We would rather tell you what you need and where to get it than pretend we sell everything. These are the covers that matter most for most households, and we do not underwrite any of them.
- Life cover
- Pays out on death. The priority for anyone whose income supports another person. Often available through an employer already, and worth checking before buying.
- Income protection
- Replaces part of your income if illness or injury stops you working. Statistically far more likely to be claimed than life cover, and far less often held.
- Critical illness cover
- A lump sum on diagnosis of a listed condition. Read which conditions and at what severity; the list is the product.
- Buildings and contents
- Buildings cover is a condition of most mortgages. Contents is optional and routinely under-insured.
- Vehicle insurance
- A legal requirement in most markets, and a condition of vehicle finance.
Check what you already hold first
A large share of people buy cover they already have through work. Read your employer benefits statement before buying anything — it is the cheapest hour in personal finance.
The order that makes sense
- 1Build an emergency fund. It covers the small shocks that insurance will not, and it lets you choose a higher excess on everything else.
- 2Take whatever cover your employer provides, and check the nominations are current.
- 3Insure the legally required things: vehicle, and buildings if you have a mortgage.
- 4Cover the catastrophic and unlikely: income protection first if you depend on your income, then life cover if others depend on you.
- 5Only then consider the optional extras. Cover for things you could afford to replace is usually poor value.
Insure what you cannot absorb
The purpose of insurance is transferring losses that would be ruinous, not losses that would be annoying. Extended warranties on small appliances fail that test almost every time.
Claiming on bundled cover
Find the policy document
It is in online banking under your account benefits. Read the exclusions before you start.
Note the deadline
Most policies require notification within a set period. Missing it is the commonest reason a valid claim fails.
Claim with the insurer
Not with us. We can tell you who the insurer is and give you the policy number; they decide the claim.
Gather evidence early
Receipts, reports, photographs, and a written record of what happened and when.
If you are unhappy
The insurer has its own complaints process, and an ombudsman route beyond it. We will point you to both.
Documents you may also need
Your Benefits
Everything that comes with a personal account, tier by tier — what is included, what it is worth, and how to claim it.
Account TiersElite Plus
Enhanced rewards: a premium metal card, cashback on eligible spend, no foreign transaction fees and global ATM rebates.
Financial PlanningEmployee Benefits
The pay you already have and probably are not using: pension matching, insurance, share schemes and the benefits people forget they hold.
This document was last updated on 1 August 2026. We publish the current version here at all times; superseded versions are available on request.
If anything on this page is unclear, write to us and we will explain it.