RetireJapan

Hi all, my better half has planned a surprise trip for us to Thailand going this weekend, and since she booked it using her credit card, I'm unsure of whether or not my credit card's travel insurance would cover me. I've always been pretty blasé with regards to travel insurace since I'm relatively healthy and young, but with covid out and about, I want to protect myself if anything does go wrong.

I own both a SMBC gold card and Rakuten premium card. Does anyone know if either of these would provide me any actual usable coverage for the trip?

Please bare with me since I'm an absolute insurance-noob, but is there such thing as some sort of contents insurance for traveling, i.e. if I have goods stolen or lost during the trip?

Thank you!

You need to look at the details of the credit card insurance policies. I don’t think there’s any common standard that you can assume applies.

Viralriver wrote: ↑Wed Aug 03, 2022 3:55 am... she booked it using her credit card, I'm unsure of whether or not my credit card's travel insurance would cover me. ...

AFAIK, for your card's insurance to work, you need to have used that card for the booking/trip/purchase.

Card insurance takes two forms. Automatic 自動付帯 and on use 利用付帯.

It seems like starting April 2022, SMBC changed their policy from automatic to on-use.

http://qa.smbc-card.com/mem/detail?site ... earch=true

It also seems like Rakuten Card is on-use
https://www.rakuten-card.co.jp/overseas/insurance/

保険が有効となるには、日本を出国する以前に 『募集型企画旅行の料金』 に該当する代金を 利用条件のある楽天カード で支払っていることが条件になります。

In other words, you should check if your wife's card has on-use insurance and if not you should just buy travel insurance since your cards won't work.

Seems as though Thailand is requiring visitors to purchase medical insurance: https://www.thaiembassy.com/travel-to-t ... strictions

Viralriver wrote: ↑Wed Aug 03, 2022 3:55 am Rakuten premium card.

Currently trying to figure this out too. My understanding is that, wierdly, it does, providing you use the card to pay for at least ¥1 of transport to get to the airport. Considering most transport doesn't accept card, that basically means taxi. Driving yourself there doesn't count. Taking a domestic flight does... Or you have to book the entire thing with your card via a travel agent, as zeroshiki said. I'm going to call them about this, but I've still not worked up the stamina... I did confirm with JAL that buying tickets online doesn't count as 募集型企画旅行

zeroshiki wrote: ↑Wed Aug 03, 2022 7:22 am Rakuten Card is on-use

It's technically automatic, but with conditions. Note that premium has the ¥1 travel to airport option, the regular card requires you book via a travel agent. Yeah, I don't understand it either.

adamu wrote: ↑Wed Aug 03, 2022 1:32 pm
It's technically automatic, but with conditions. Note that premium has the ¥1 travel to airport option, the regular card requires you book via a travel agent. Yeah, I don't understand it either.

Does it mean that if you book your flights with the Premium Card (directly with the airlines and not through travel agent), then you qualify for the insurance?
Also, do they cover family? For example, if I pay for my entire family's flight tickets with Rakuten Premium Card, will they be covered as well?

You may not have the answers. But if someone does, please share.

I would strongly recommend getting actual travel insurance. It is quite affordable. It is far to risky to rely on flimsy credit card policies in my opinion.

I recommend this company https://tabiho.jp/tb/