Online Knowledge Hub

While we'd be happy to talk to you, we have many answers to common questions already here that will save you time.

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Product

Who are your policies underwritten by?
Travel insurance products distributed by nib, as a representative of nib Travel Services, will be underwritten by Pacific International Insurance Pty Ltd as of 22 November 2021. This replaces our previous relationship with AXA XL (XL Insurance Company SE, Australia branch), a division of AXA. All of the changes that came into effect, 22 November 2021, can be found here.
What is a Target Market Determination (TMD)
As part of the design and distribution obligation, we must ensure we have a publicly available Target Market Determination (TMD) for any product we offer. This is to assist distributors and consumers in identifying and determining if a product meets their objectives, financial situation and needs. A TMD describes the target market, any conditions and restrictions on distribution, reporting requirements and product review periods, which will ensure that the TMD remains appropriate. These documents will be publicly available on our websites by 5 October 2021. Issuers (such as nib) will not be able to offer a product if an appropriate target market has not been identified for the product, and they must take reasonable steps to issue products in accordance with their target market.
Does nib provide cover for Coronavirus (COVID-19)?

For more information on nib’s Coronavirus benefits, please view our What's Covered article.

Can multiple destinations be added to a policy?
We ask customers to list all their destinations when they get a quote, so if they know which countries they will travel to, you should enter each country. If they are planning on travelling in a specific region, they should indicate the specific countries they know they will visit as well as the general region (e.g. type in France, Germany, Spain and Europe if they plan to go to those countries and also intend to visit other countries in the region but are unsure which ones specifically). New destinations or regions cannot be added after a policy has been purchased.
Is Cruising covered?
Yes. Cruising is covered as standard so you don’t need to add anything on when purchasing.

Whilst we do have ‘cruising’ destinations available for selection, these do not have to be selected. If the cruise only stops in one country, just select that country. If the cruise only visits stops within Australia, make sure you select the ‘Cruising – Australian Waters’ option and NOT just Australia. Please note that the Australian Travel plan does not cover Ocean cruising but can be selected for land locked (river) cruises.

If there is a ‘cruising’ option for the region (e.g. South Pacific cruise), select that region. If there is no option to select cruising, you should enter the names of each of the countries where the cruise will dock. For example, a cruise in Asia may include Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia (among other countries).
Are accompanying children covered at no additional charge?
Yes. If they fall within the below definition, they can be added to policies at no additional charge.

Your children, stepchildren, grandchildren, foster children, and children for whom you are the legal guardian, who are travelling with you on the same itinerary for the entire duration of your trip (if they are not, they will need to purchase their own policy) and at the time the Certificate of Insurance is issued are:

  • under 25 years of age, and
  • working less than 30 hours per week.
Can I apply for an agent policy?
Agent policies are no longer available however, agents and partners can purchase policies via the Partner Portal where they have the ability to reduce their commission to net, for a reduced premium.

Pricing and Commissions

What do I need to know about my commission?
The nib Partner Portal will default your commission to the level set in your agreement, with the ability to change the premium offered to your traveller within your commission range.
How can I apply a discount for my travellers?
The ability to apply a discount off the partner commission sits in the Quote Summary section in the purchase path on the nib Partner Portal, allowing you to apply a reduction to the commission using the default commission functionality.

There is also an Invoice Details section below the Quote Summary, which can be expanded or hidden from view. Click on the word "show” and this will open up the display to provide you with the $ and % value of your commission.

This section shows the Total Premium the customer pays, the Net Policy Amount, and your Net Commission as both a dollar value and a percentage of the Total Premium. This aligns with what is shown in your Monthly Statements.

Policy Servicing

Can I assist a customer to cancel their policy?
There is a 21 day cooling off period from the day a policy is purchased where a customer is welcome to cancel and receive a full refund provided they:
  • Haven’t started their trip
  • Haven’t made a claim or intend to make a claim or exercise any other rights under your policy.
  • To cancel a policy, sign into the nib Partner Portal and search for the policy you wish to cancel. You can also contact our Customer Service team who are happy to help.
For more information on refunds, credits and amendments, click here. and search for the policy you wish to cancel. You can also contact our Customer Service team who are happy to help.
Can I amend an existing policy?
Yes. You can amend the travel dates on existing policies via the nib Partner Portal, provided the departure date on the Certificate of Insurance has not passed.

Search for the policy and select 'Amend' in the Policy Details box.

Amend the departing and returning dates as required the click Update.

You will be prompted to verify by accepting the Terms & Conditions at the bottom of the page, provide a reason for amendment and lastly provide payment details.
Are we able to save a quote and email the customer with a ‘Buy Now' link?
Yes. When issuing a quote in the nib Partner Portal a quote summary will be displayed on the right side of the screen. Here you will find the option to “email quote”. This is sent to the customer’s nominated email address with a link to buy. The sale will be tracked back to the agent that issued the quote.
How long is a quote valid for?
Quotes are valid for 31 days, unless the start date has already passed.
If my traveller does not have an email address can I use my travel agent email instead?
No. An email address is mandatory for all travellers, and this cannot be your email, or your agency’s email address. It is more important than ever for us to ensure our travellers are receiving the accurate PDS and their Certificate of Insurance.

Claims

How do I make a claim?

If your customer needs to make a claim, they should visit our claims page to submit.

Please note that we ask for any claims to be submitted as soon as your customer can. Once a claim is submitted, your customer can expect to hear from us within 10 working days.

Emergency Assistance

Do you offer travellers emergency assistance?
In an emergency, travellers should contact our emergency assistance team, who are available 24/7.

Please contact the nib International Assistance team using the contact details below:


Phone:+61 3 8523 2800 (outside Australia) or 1300 555 019 (within Australia)

Fax:+61 3 8523 2815

Email: travelassist@nib.com.au


To place a call reverse charge, travellers should dial their local operator, ask for reverse charges and to be connected. Provided a traveller’s claim is accepted, we can also reimburse them for calls made to our Emergency Assistance team.

More information on emergency assistance can be downloaded as a flyer from the resources tab of the Partner Portal.

Existing Medical Conditions

What is an existing medical condition?
An existing medical condition is any medical condition which:
  • at the time you buy your policy is:
    • chronic; or
    • displaying symptoms; or
    • under investigation; or
    • pending follow-up consultation, treatment or surgery; or where these are recommended or planned; or
    • metastatic; or
    • terminal; or
  • in the six months prior to the time you buy your policy there has been:
    • treatment by a medical practitioner; or
    • medication prescribed; or
    • surgery


Applying for cover

If you have an existing medical condition that is not automatically covered, you must complete a medical screening at the time you buy a Comprehensive, Australian Travel or Annual Multi Trip Plan. If we agree to offer you cover for your existing medical condition(s), these can be added to your policy under the Specified medical conditions option for an additional premium.

What happens if you choose not to get cover for your existing medical condition?

If you have an existing medical condition that’s not automatically covered under your policy or added to your policy as a specified medical condition, then you won’t be covered for any claim that arises from that existing medical condition.

Automatically covered conditions

We automatically cover you for over 40 existing medical conditions that may exist at the time you buy your policy. Your medical condition is classified by us as an automatically covered condition if it’s listed in the table below, provided that you satisfy all criteria listed for that condition. You must read this information together with the General exclusions, as these may affect your cover.

Travelling while pregnant

For information regarding travelling while pregnant please refer to the PDS.

Existing medical conditions of other people

The definition of existing medical condition also applies to claims you make that arise from the existing medical condition(s) of your travelling party, a close relative, and your business partner.

There are exclusions that may apply to claims arising from existing medical condition(s).
How do I complete a medical screening?
Generate a quote via the nib Partner Portal. Once you reach the 'Details' page, you will be asked the following:

“Does this traveller have any existing medical condition(s) that are not automatically covered?” Read the customer the definition as described in the policy wording and if the customer’s medical condition falls within the existing medical condition(s) definition, then select “Yes”.

“Would this traveller like to be assessed for existing medical condition(s) cover?” If the customer would like to be covered for their existing medical condition(s), then select “Yes”.

On the next “medical” page, you will be given the option to complete the screening now, or later.

If “Screen now” is selected, a series of questions related to the customer and their conditions will begin. Please ensure the customer is comfortable to answer these with you.

If they would like to complete the screening themselves, select “Self Screen Later” and the screening will be emailed to their selected email address.

Manage your Account

How do I add new staff members to the Partner Portal?
Sign into the nib Partner Portal and head to the 'Account' tab along the top of the screen. Please note the account tab, is only available to those set up with administrator access.

Enter your new team member’s first name, last name and email address and select 'Add User +'.

This will automatically generate an email to be sent that includes instructions on how to complete training. Please allow approx. 20 minutes for the email to be sent.
Can I disable staff access to the Partner Portal?
Yes. If you are an 'admin' you can sign into the nib Partner Portal and head to the 'Account' tab along the top of the screen.

Search for the team members name and select the 'Disable' option.
Can all users access sales reports and statements?
No. You must have been set us as an account admin of financial user to access reporting.
Why am I set up for credit card payments only?
This could mean that we don’t have your bank details and is easily fixed. Go to the ‘Resources’ tab in the nib Partner Portal to complete a Direct Debit form. For other issues related to payments, please contact us.

Training

Do I need to do training?
Of course! You’ll need to complete training to sell nib travel insurance products and use nib systems.

We’ve created a catalogue of online training modules covering product, system, compliance and authorisation to get you up to speed.

Don’t worry, each module should only take you 10-20 minutes to complete!

Log in to the nib Partner Portal and click on the 'Training' tab at the top, next to 'Resources’.
Why do I need to complete training?
Simply put, we want to ensure all of our customers receive all the important information and the same great experience when buying nib travel insurance. It is also our job by law to ensure all our distributors complete up-to-date product and compliance training. Completing the online modules and receiving your certificates of completion, serves as recognition that you understand our products and how to sell them.

Completing the compliance training also means you are aware of your responsibilities as our representative and you are up-to-date with important rules that affects you (as a distributor) and your travellers (as customers).
What happens if my training is overdue?
If you have incomplete training, you will receive a notification on the Partner Portal alerting you to the approaching deadline.

If you miss the deadline, you’ll still be able to log in and complete your training (no additional passwords to remember!), but the system will automatically restrict quoting and sales functions. Once any overdue training has been completed, full functionality will be restored within approximately 20 minutes from completion.

Partners with training over 60 days outstanding may find they cannot access the agent console. They will need to contact our Customer Service Centre to reactivate their login.

Marketing

Can I order printed PDSs?
With a growing requirement to source information digitally recently, purchasing behaviours have shifted online and the needs of modern travellers have adapted and evolved. Due to these changes in behaviours, we will not be distributing hard copies of product brochures.   

Of course, where a traveller has no option but to receive a physical copy, we can arrange this via our service centre, on an adhoc basis. 

Contact information, including Emergency Assistance, can be located on the Certificate of Insurance and travellers should be encouraged to save this to their smart phones – the wallet of today. 
Where can I locate a soft copy of the PDS?
The products assigned to your partner account will be available to you throughout the purchase path in the nib Partner Portal and can be downloaded via the links on each page. Additionally, all mandatory policy documentation is provided by email to all customers who have a quote or policy issued to them.
If we mention travel insurance on the website, what disclosure should we display?

There are different disclosures depending on your agreement type. Please visit the nib Partner Brand Toolkit to find these.

Remember to send your website copy to us for review at partners@nib.com.au for approval before it is published.