Free Credit Card Balance Cover.
Please note - Free Credit Card Balance Cover has ended.
Free Credit Card Balance Cover for Classic Cards ended on 1 April 2023 and Free Credit Card Balance Cover for Gold Cards ended on 30 April 2023.
This means that eligible cardholders who hold Free Credit Card Balance Cover for Classic Cards or for Gold Cards, no longer have Free Credit Card Balance Cover for Classic Cards on their credit card account from 2 April 2023 or Free Credit Card Balance Cover for Gold Cards from 1 May 2023.
The information below is provided to help customers who held Free Credit Card Balance Cover understand cover that was provided before it was cancelled on the dates set out above. Exclusions and limits apply below – see the details under ‘Things you should know’.
For Classic Credit cardholders
Until 1 April 2023, with free Credit Card Balance Cover your outstanding balance was automatically insured up to $1,000 in the event of your death, exclusions apply¹.
Credit cardholders, other than additional cardholders, who took out a Westpac credit card (excluding Gold card) prior to 30 August 1999 were eligible for this cover, eligibility criteria applies¹.
For Gold Credit cardholders
Until 30 April 2023, with free Credit Card Balance Cover your outstanding balance was automatically insured up to $50,000 in the event of your death or total and permanent disablement, exclusions apply².
Gold Credit cardholders, other than additional cardholders, who were aged from 18 to 64 years inclusive and who took out a Westpac Gold Credit card up to and including 30 August 1999 were eligible for this cover. However, Gold Credit cardholders that were aged 65 years of age or older were eligible for the Classic Credit card cover. Eligibility criteria applies².
Cover provided
Card |
Maximum cover provided |
Classic¹ |
$1,000 For cards commenced on or after 1 March 1987: Once the cardholder was aged 65 the maximum amount payable reduced by $100 per year on each birthday. Cover expired at age 75. For cards commenced prior to 1 March 1987 no age limits applied. |
Gold² | $50,000 Cover expired at age 65. Gold Credit cardholders that were aged 65 years of age or older were eligible for the Classic Credit card cover. |
Things you should know.
1For Credit cardholders, other than additional cardholders, who took out a Westpac Classic credit card (excluding Gold Card) on or after 1 March 1987 and up to and including 30 August 1999, who were aged between 18 and 74 inclusive, were eligible for this cover. Once the cardholder was aged 65 the maximum amount payable was reduced by $100 per year on each birthday. Cover expired at age 75. Cover was provided under Master Policy NZWP 1001.
Exclusions applied to any claim event, which arose from: War or any act of war; or outside the territorial limits of New Zealand and Australia; or from injury or sickness sustained outside the territorial limits of New Zealand and Australia (if the cardholder had been outside New Zealand for more than six months at the time the injury or sickness was first sustained).
Credit cardholders, other than additional cardholders, who took out a Westpac Classic credit card (excluding Gold Card) prior to 1 March 1987 were eligible for this cover, no exclusions or age limits applied. Cover was provided under Master Policy NZWP 1001.
Upon the death of the eligible Cardholder prior to or on the closure date (1 April 2023), Fidelity Life will pay the credit card balance, as at date of the Event, up to the maximum cover provided. The benefit is not paid to the Cardholder, Associated Cardholder, or estate.
2For Gold Credit cardholders, other than additional cardholders, who were aged from 18 to 64 years inclusive and who took out a Westpac Gold Credit card up to and including 30 August 1999 were eligible for this cover. Gold Credit cardholders that were aged 65 years of age or older were eligible for the Classic Credit card cover. Cover was provided under Master Policy NZWP 1011.
Upon the death or total and permanent disablement (as defined by Master Policy NZWP 1011) of the eligible Cardholder prior to or on the closure date (30 April 2023), Fidelity Life will pay the credit card balance, as at date of the Event, up to the maximum cover provided. The benefit is not paid to the Cardholder, Associated Cardholder, or estate. Exclusions apply to any claim event, which arose from: War or any act of war; or Any intentionally self-inflicted injury.
Total permanent disablement means either:
- Permanent and total disablement caused by illness or injury where it is proved to the satisfaction of the Company that as a result of such disablement the Insured Person:
- Has been prevented from engaging in his or her own occupation for a period of not less than six months, and
b. Has not during that period engaged in any income-earning occupation, and
c. Is unlikely to ever resume his or her own occupation or engage in any other occupation for which he or she is fitted by education, training or experience, or - The Insured Person has suffered the loss of:
- Two limbs (“Limb” meaning in this definition a whole hand or a whole foot), or
b. The sight of both eyes, or
c. One limb and the sight of one eye.
Free Credit Card Balance Cover for Classic Cards or for Gold Cards was underwritten by Fidelity Life Assurance Company Limited ("Fidelity Life"). None of Westpac Banking Corporation ABN 33 007 457 141 (incorporated in Australia), Westpac New Zealand Limited, or any member of the Westpac group of companies guarantee the obligations of, or any products issued by, Fidelity Life or any member of the Fidelity Group of companies.
Terms, conditions, exclusions and limits apply, and more detail can be found in the Master Policy documents NZWP 1001 and NZWP 1011. Any payment is subject to your claim being accepted.