Who is Coverwise?

Coverwise is a travel insurance provider which is part of Coverwise Ltd – an international insurance intermediary based in Gibraltar.

Coverwise offers single trip and annual multi-trip travel policies, business travel insurance and specialist skiing travel cover. 

It has seven policy levels on offer – Standard, Standard Plus, Bronze, Silver, Silver Plus, Gold and Platinum – and this guide reviews the features and benefits of Coverwise Silver Plus policies. 

All Coverwise travel insurance policies are underwritten by Axa Insurance. 

Coverwise has a UK-based sales and customer service team available during office hours during the week and between 9am and 2pm on Saturdays.

What are the features of Coverwise’s Silver Plus policy?

There are single trip and annual multi-trip policies available at the Silver Plus level. Policies can be bought for individual travellers, couples, families (including single parent families) and groups of up to nine people on a single trip cover basis.

Travellers and holidaymakers can get a single trip or annual policy to cover specific regions. These are the UK, Europe (which also includes the UK as standard), Australia and New Zealand (single trip cover only), Worldwide or Worldwide excluding the United States of America and Canada.

The maximum age for single trip policyholders is 75 and the maximum age on annual policies is 65.

Within the annual policy, the single trip limit is 31 days. Single trips can be up to 60 days in duration (or 31 days for policyholders aged 61 or over). 

The standard excess towards claims is £50. Although some claims, such as hospital benefit and baggage delay, do not require an excess payment.

What cover is included in the Coverwise Silver Plus policy?

Among the benefits included under this policy are:

• £20 million emergency medical cover – this includes hospital bills and repatriation and also £1,000 of cover for emergency dental treatment
• £2,000 for cancellation – this provides cover for out of pocket losses due to pre-paid accommodation, travel expenses and other non refundable expenses should you need to cancel your trip as a result of death, illness and some other reasons specified in the policy 
• £1,750 baggage cover – for loss, theft or damage to your personal items during your trip. The single item limit for claims is £200, or £250 for a pair or set of valuable items
• £2,000 for abandonment – this covers the policyholder in the event public transport is delayed at the final departure point from the UK for at least 12 hours and you decide not to travel 
• £2 million cover for personal liability – cover for legal expenses in the even you are sued because you injure someone or damage someone else’s property, for example
• £500 cover for passport and visas – covers expenses incurred as a result of loss or theft.

Other benefits included as standard on Silver Plus policies include cover for missed or delayed departure, personal accident, legal expenses and cover for cash. 

Gadget cover and travel disruption can be added to Silver Plus policies at extra cost – typically around £25 on a single trip policy. Gadget cover protects you up to £1,000 for loss, theft or damage of electronic gadgets, cameras and smartphones. 

Travel disruption covers unexpected events, such as if you’re stranded overseas due to natural disasters including floods, hurricanes or earthquakes, or you have to leave your holiday accommodation due to food poisoning or an outbreak of infectious disease for example, or you cannot board your flight due to overbooking by the airline. 

Typically adding on this cover on a single trip policy could cost up to £68.

How much does a Coverwise Silver Plus policy cost?

The premium you pay for cover will depend on a range of factors, including who is travelling, where you’re going to and for how long. In many cases an annual multi-trip policy will be cheaper than a single trip policy to the same destination. 

This is because the insurance price is based on risk and statistically there are less claims on annual multi-trip policies compared to single trip policies. 

As an example the cost of Silver Plus cover for a single trip 14-night stay in Europe for a family of four would cost £93.06. The same cover but for a single trip to the USA (Worldwide cover) would cost £232.25.

European annual multi-trip cover at Silver Plus level for a family of four would cost £41.94, rising to £99.95 for worldwide cover including the USA and Canada.

Who does the Coverwise Silver Plus policy suit?

Coverwise Silver Plus suits consumers under the age of 75 for single trips or under the age of 65 for annual policies. 

The Silver Plus plan is a comprehensive policy, covering a broad range of risks with generous levels of cover. The £20 million of cover for medical emergency costs is attractive as this gives peace of mind when you’re overseas. 

Coverwise can cover people with pre-existing medical conditions, depending on the specific circumstances.

Policyholders have to pay more for the extra level of cover provided by the Silver Plus policy compared to the Standard and Bronze insurance. But for the extra money policyholders are getting a good breadth of cover and higher cover levels. The excess is also low at just £50 for most claims.

Annual multi trip policies tend to work out cheaper than single trip cover, which will suit those who know they plan to take at least two trips per year. Another benefit is that the European annual policy also covers policyholders for trips they make in the UK.

Coverwise has UK helplines and claim lines open during working hours and from 9am to 2pm on Saturdays, which many policyholders will find appealing.

Coverwise scores 57% for customer experience on the Fairer Finance website, which is slightly lower than many of its competitors, but it scores a healthy 4.7 out of 5 on the review site Trustpilot, with consumers praising helpful staff and a good quality product.

Policies can be purchased online at the website coverwise.co.uk and the phone number is 01903 255 650. The office opening hours are 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 2pm on Saturday. Insurance claims can be made through the Axa Coverwise claims portal.

How to find the best travel insurance for you?

A price comparison service is the best way to ensure you get the best cover for you at the best price. Our comparison tool will show you travel insurance policies offering the cover you require from providers across the market, enabling you to choose a policy and insurer that gives you what you need at the right price for you.

If you go directly to an insurance provider, you’ll only see the prices and features of its own policies, with no context about what other providers are offering or charging. The same goes for renewal quotes, which may not represent the best value cover.

Why it makes sense to compare providers and policies

Price is only half the story when it comes to travel insurance. A cheap policy could prove to be a false economy if it doesn’t provide the level of cover you need – and could present problems if you come to make a claim and find yourself underinsured.

Travel insurance providers are in the business of trying to undercut one another to grow their market shares, so by comparing policies and prices you can take advantage of their competition while getting the cover you need at the best price.