- Co-op Travel Insurance is sold under the Co-op Insurance Services brand (FCA firm reference number 203093) and is arranged by AllClear Limited, registered in Gibraltar (company 117274) and trading into the UK under FCA firm reference number 824283.
- The policy is underwritten by Zurich Insurance plc and administered by Insure and Go Insurance Services Limited, FCA firm reference number 309572.
- Four levels of cover are sold: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum, with Platinum available on annual multi-trip policies only.
- Every level carries unlimited emergency medical and other expenses, plus a cashless medical expenses service that can settle bills directly so the traveller pays only the excess.
- Cancellation limits run from 1,000 pounds on Bronze up to 7,500 pounds on Platinum, with the policy excess falling from 100 pounds to 50 pounds as the tier rises.
What Co-op Travel Insurance is
Co-op Travel Insurance is a travel policy distributed under the Co-op Insurance Services brand and arranged by a third-party intermediary rather than written in-house by the Co-op. It is worth separating this product from Co-operative Travel and Your Co-op Travel, which are retail travel agency operations that sell holidays. The travel insurance reviewed here is the personal lines product available through the Co-op Insurance pages, and its policy documentation carries the Co-op Insurance Services firm reference number 203093.
The policy is offered as both single trip and annual multi-trip cover. Single trip buyers can pick from Bronze, Silver and Gold, while the Platinum level is reserved for annual multi-trip policies. Optional upgrades sit on top of the core tiers, covering winter sports, cruises, a valuables or gadget extension, natural disaster cover, car hire excess waiver, golf and certain hazardous activities, each for an extra premium.
Who underwrites the cover
The insurance is underwritten by Zurich Insurance plc, a public limited company incorporated in Ireland (registration number 13460) operating through its UK branch (registered number BR7985) at The Zurich Centre, 3000 Parkway, Whiteley, Fareham, Hampshire. Zurich Insurance plc is authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland and is subject to regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK.
Three separate regulated entities sit behind the product, which is common for branded travel policies. Co-op Insurance Services (firm reference number 203093) is the brand under which the policy is presented. AllClear Limited, registered in Gibraltar at 1st Floor, Portland House, Glacis Road, holds Gibraltar Financial Services Commission number FSC25393 and trades into the UK under FCA firm reference number 824283; AllClear arranges the cover and acts as agent of the insurer in collecting premiums. The policy is then administered by Insure and Go Insurance Services Limited (registered in England, company number 04056769, registered office in Southend-on-Sea), which holds FCA firm reference number 309572.
What policies Co-op offers
The four tiers are structured so that the headline protections rise together as the price increases. Bronze is the entry level on single trip cover, Silver and Gold add higher limits and extra services, and Platinum is positioned at the top of the annual multi-trip range. Across all four levels, emergency medical and other expenses are unlimited, and emergency dental treatment is capped at 250 pounds per insured person.
From Silver upwards, the policy adds a service described as Homecare, intended to help a traveller who suffers a serious injury abroad and needs physiotherapy or a chiropractor visit after returning home. An online doctor service is included on every level, giving access to a UK doctor by video consultation around the clock, with the ability to receive prescriptions, referrals and fit-for-work notes during a trip.
Pricing structure
Co-op does not publish a single flat price, because travel premiums are quoted on the trip, the travellers and any declared medical conditions. What the policy documentation does fix is the excess that applies to a claim, and this is where the tiers differ in a way buyers can compare directly. The standard excess on the medical section is 100 pounds on Bronze, 75 pounds on Silver and 50 pounds on both Gold and Platinum. Buyers can also choose at purchase to waive the excess or take a double excess, which is recorded on the policy schedule.
One feature that reduces out-of-pocket cost is the treatment of European health cards. Where a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or a still-valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is presented to a treating doctor or hospital within the European Union, the medical section excess is waived. The Co-op documentation notes that a UK-issued GHIC or EHIC is no longer accepted in Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
What is covered and excluded
The core protections track the four tiers as follows.
| Section | Bronze | Silver | Gold | Platinum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cancelling or cutting short the trip | 1,000 pounds | 2,500 pounds | 5,000 pounds | 7,500 pounds |
| Emergency medical and other expenses | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Emergency dental | 250 pounds | 250 pounds | 250 pounds | 250 pounds |
| UK trip emergency expenses | 1,000 pounds | 2,500 pounds | 5,000 pounds | 10,000 pounds |
| Medical section excess | 100 pounds | 75 pounds | 50 pounds | 50 pounds |
The exclusions follow the pattern common to mainstream UK travel cover. Undiagnosed conditions cannot be covered, and a traveller must declare pre-existing medical conditions before purchase or when circumstances change, or a claim may be rejected. The policy will not cover a medical condition if a traveller is travelling against medical advice, knows they will need treatment during the journey, or is travelling mainly to obtain treatment. Claims arising from a medical epidemic or pandemic are excluded except for the specific Coronavirus cancellation and treatment scenarios set out in the policy. Theft of baggage, money or valuables must be reported to the police within 48 hours and supported by a written report, or the claim is invalidated.
How Co-op compares
The structural choices here are easier to read against the wider market than the price, which varies by traveller. The unlimited emergency medical limit on every tier sits at the more generous end of the market, where many policies cap medical cover at a fixed figure such as 10 million pounds. The cashless medical expenses service is the more distinctive element: rather than paying a hospital bill and reclaiming it later, a traveller calls the assistance line before treatment and, where the service operates locally, the insurer arranges direct settlement so only the excess is payable. That matters most in high-cost healthcare destinations, where the Association of British Insurers reported one member paying over 1 million pounds for a single United States hospitalisation and repatriation in 2024.
On cancellation, the spread from 1,000 pounds on Bronze to 7,500 pounds on Platinum is wider than some single-tier competitors, which means the entry level may be too low for an expensive booking while the upper tiers compete on this measure. The product is also marketed as accepting all ages and medical conditions for its cashless service, which signals no fixed upper age cut-off, a point that distinguishes it from policies that decline applicants above a set age.
How to make a claim
For an in-trip medical emergency, the traveller contacts the Zurich Assist assistance line on +44 (0)203 467 4125, which operates at all hours; this is also the number to call before seeking treatment to check whether the cashless service is available locally. New claims are submitted online at submitaclaim.co.uk/CO, and questions on an existing claim go to 01702 427 229. Policy queries and medical screening are handled through the Co-op call centre on 0330 400 1511, which is also the route for declaring a change in health before travelling.
Because the cover is arranged by AllClear and administered by Insure and Go, a traveller is dealing with those administrators rather than a Co-op branch when a claim is in progress. Anyone unhappy with the handling of a claim can refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service once the provider has issued its final response.
Who Co-op might suit
The product reads as a fit for travellers who place weight on the medical side of cover: the unlimited emergency medical limit on every tier, the direct-settlement cashless service and the round-the-clock online doctor are the features that carry across all four levels. The waiver of the medical excess when a GHIC is used adds value for trips within the European Union. The tier ladder lets a buyer match the cancellation limit and excess to the cost of the trip, with Platinum reserved for those who travel often enough to want an annual multi-trip policy. Travellers should confirm the current premium, the exact trip-length limits and any medical loadings directly at quote stage, since those depend on the individual booking and declared conditions.
Sources
- Co-op Insurance travel insurance product page
- Co-op Travel Insurance policy document (COOP/MF/PW/STD), tables of benefits and regulatory statement
- Co-op Insurance travel product features page
- FCDO foreign travel insurance guidance
- NHS Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) guidance
- Association of British Insurers travel claims data, August 2025
