How Much Excess Should I Pay On Travel Insurance?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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An excess amount means

you pay a portion of each claim or of your overall claims, with the balance covered by the insurer

.

Does travel insurance have an excess?

What does Excess on Travel Insurance Mean?

The definition of travel insurance excess is the amount payable by you, in the event of a claim and is sometimes called ‘deductible’ rather than excess

. Travel insurance excess is typically applicable per person, even when travelling on the same policy.

What is the recommended amount for travel insurance?

While travel insurance costs vary, the average is somewhere

between 4-12% of your total trip cost

*. If you’re on the fence, then consider this: an emergency situation can cost tens of thousands of dollars, but the insurance plan might be a fraction of your trip cost.

What is an excess policy?

Excess policies, also called secondary policies,

extend the limit of insurance coverage of the primary policy or the underlying liability policy

. In other words, the underlying policy is responsible for paying any portion of a claim first before the excess policy is used.

What is excess travel?

An excess is

the agreed amount of money you will pay towards a claim on a travel insurance policy

and can be referred to as a ‘deductible’. Once the excess has been settled your travel insurance provider will then pay the remaining expenses up to the limit of cover.

What is excess payment?

In a nutshell, insurance excess is

the amount that you agree to pay upfront when you take out an insurance policy

. If you were in an accident, then an excess payment is the amount you first need to pay before the insurance company will pay the panel beater that fixes your car.

Do I have to pay the excess if it is not my fault?

When you won’t pay an excess

That’s because your losses aren’t covered and, when someone claims against you, your insurer covers it. If you’re found not to be at fault,

your insurer claims the excess back from the at-fault party’s insurer, along with other costs

.

Can I claim back my excess?


If you were clearly not at fault for the loss or accident and there is an identifiable third party who admits liability, you can claim back your excess

.

What does Has your excess been waived mean?

For extra protection, some companies offer a ‘super’ CDW (also known as an excess waiver), which means

you won’t have to pay the excess either

. Buying this can be relatively expensive, but it may be cheaper than not being covered at all.

What is no excess travel insurance?

Some travel insurance policies have no excess fee

But with a no-excess travel insurance policy

you can get all your money back when you claim, though you usually have to pay more for cover

.

What does excess waiver insurance mean?

Excess insurance, also known as excess waiver insurance and car hire excess insurance, is

an optional insurance policy that protects you against any excess charges you may incur in the event your hire car is damaged or stolen

.

Does travel insurance get more expensive closer to the trip?

Unlike other aspects of your travel experience like airfares or hotel-room rates,

the price of travel insurance doesn’t increase the closer you get to your travel date

. There’s no financial penalty if you wait to buy travel insurance (except for those bonus coverages, of course).

Why is travel insurance so expensive?

When you go on longer holidays, your travel insurance is likely to be more expensive. This is because

the longer you’re away, the more likely it becomes that you’ll have an accident, need medical treatment for an illness, or lose some personal belongings

.

Is it mandatory to have travel insurance?

Is travel insurance a legal requirement?

No, you’re not legally required to have travel insurance

. Some tour operators will insist you have a policy in place before they confirm your travel, especially to countries like the USA where there’s no public health service.

What is a basic excess?

Excess refers to

a fixed amount that you have to pay if you make a Car Insurance claim

. If, for example, your basic excess is R3 000 and the damages to your vehicle amount to R40 000, you will have to pay the first R3 000 and your insurance provider will pay the balance of the claim, i.e., the R37 000.

What is insurance premium and excess?


An excess is a contribution you are required to pay towards a claim you make on your car insurance policy

. An insurer may have many types of excesses that can apply in different situations or apply concurrently. Choose an excess that reduces your car insurance premium.

What is single article limit on travel insurance?

A single item limit – sometimes called a single article limit – is

the maximum you can claim on your contents insurance for any one item that’s damaged or stolen

.

What is excess payment examples?

An excess is an amount that you pay yourself when you make an insurance claim. For example, if your car is insured against accident damage and you have a minor accident that requires the replacement of a door panel to the value of R20 000, you may have to pay the first R2 500, and your insurer will pay the rest.

Is it better to have high or low excess?

Generally,

a higher excess is considered higher risk

. But it might save you money right now. If you’re an infrequent driver and mostly have your car safely stored then the level of risk may be low and the savings could be great.

How does excess work?

Insurance excess is

a pre-agreed amount of money that you need to pay to your insurance provider in the event of a claim

, such as a car accident or a flood at home. In many cases, you’ll be asked to pay the excess immediately so that the claim process can begin.

What should voluntary excess be?

The voluntary excess amount that you commit to will mostly be determined by the disposable income you have access to if the need for a claim arises. It should be set at

an amount that you can comfortably manage to pay whilst taking the inclusiveness of compulsory excess into consideration

.

Do I have to pay voluntary excess?

Because excess is split between compulsory and voluntary,

you should only offer a voluntary excess if you’re able to pay it

. Paying for additional excess insurance is an expense that you could just absorb by not offering a voluntary excess to your provider.

Timothy Chehowski
Author
Timothy Chehowski
Timothy Chehowski is a travel writer and photographer with over 10 years of experience exploring the world. He has visited over 50 countries and has a passion for discovering off-the-beaten-path destinations and hidden gems. Juan's writing and photography have been featured in various travel publications.