- Post Office sells three tiers (Core, Extra, Max) with emergency medical and repatriation limits of 5 million, 10 million and 15 million pounds. Tesco lists three tiers (Economy, Standard, Premier), each showing unlimited emergency medical cover.
- Post Office Travel Insurance is arranged by Post Office Management Services Limited (FCA FRN 630318) and underwritten by Collinson Insurance, a trading name of Astrenska Insurance Limited (FCA FRN 202846).
- Tesco Travel Insurance is arranged by Rock Insurance Services Limited (FCA FRN 300317) and underwritten by AWP P&C S.A. (FCA FRN 534384), with claims handled by Allianz Protection.
- Tesco caps eligibility at travellers under the age of 80. Post Office sets a maximum age of 75 on annual multi-trip policies but accepts single-trip applicants up to age 110.
- Tesco advertises a 15% Clubcard discount on the standard premium.
Post Office and Tesco at a glance
Both Post Office and Tesco are high-street names selling travel insurance under their own brand while relying on separate authorised firms to arrange and underwrite the cover. Neither sits closer to the traveller than the other in legal terms: in each case a regulated intermediary distributes the policy and a separate insurer carries the risk.
Post Office Travel Insurance is arranged by Post Office Management Services Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under FRN 630318, with Post Office Limited acting as its appointed representative. The policy is underwritten by Collinson Insurance, a trading name of Astrenska Insurance Limited, FCA firm reference number 202846. Claims and assistance services are administered by Collinson Insurance Services Limited.
Tesco Travel Insurance is arranged and administered by Rock Insurance Services Limited, FCA FRN 300317. For policies sold on or after 4 September 2024 the underwriter is AWP P&C S.A., FCA FRN 534384, a company within the Allianz Partners group. Claims are handled under the Allianz Protection name.
The tier structures use different labels. Post Office runs Core, Extra and Max, in ascending order of cover. Tesco runs Economy, Standard and Premier. The labels do not map one to one, so the comparison below works from the published figures rather than the names.
Cover limits compared
The clearest difference sits in the emergency medical line. Post Office states fixed monetary ceilings: 5 million pounds on Core, 10 million pounds on Extra and 15 million pounds on Max for emergency medical expenses and medical repatriation, each carrying an excess of 150 pounds, 125 pounds and 75 pounds respectively. Tesco lists emergency medical and repatriation cover as unlimited across Economy, Standard and Premier when the policy is bought directly.
In practice a 5 million pound ceiling is well above the typical bill referenced by the Association of British Insurers, which reported an average travel medical claim of 1,528 pounds in 2024 and a single member paying more than 1 million pounds for a hospitalisation and repatriation from the United States. An unlimited figure removes the ceiling entirely on paper, though both products apply the same kind of conditions, excesses and exclusions that govern when a medical claim is paid at all.
On cancellation, the two providers diverge at the entry level. Post Office covers 1,000 pounds on Core, 3,000 pounds on Extra and 5,000 pounds on Max. Tesco covers 1,000 pounds on Economy, 5,000 pounds on Standard and 10,000 pounds on Premier. A traveller comparing top tiers sees Tesco Premier carrying double the Post Office Max cancellation limit, while the cheapest tiers match at 1,000 pounds.
Personal baggage limits sit closer together. Post Office covers 1,500 pounds, 2,000 pounds and 3,000 pounds across Core, Extra and Max. Tesco covers 1,000 pounds, 2,000 pounds and 3,000 pounds across Economy, Standard and Premier, with single-article and valuables limits of 250 pounds, 350 pounds and 500 pounds. The single-article sub-limit is the figure most travellers overlook, and it is where an expensive camera or laptop can fall short of the headline number on both products.
| Feature | Post Office (Core / Extra / Max) | Tesco (Economy / Standard / Premier) |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency medical and repatriation | 5m / 10m / 15m pounds | Unlimited (all tiers) |
| Cancellation | 1,000 / 3,000 / 5,000 pounds | 1,000 / 5,000 / 10,000 pounds |
| Personal baggage | 1,500 / 2,000 / 3,000 pounds | 1,000 / 2,000 / 3,000 pounds |
| Medical excess (per tier) | 150 / 125 / 75 pounds | Excesses apply; see policy |
Age limits and eligibility
Age handling is one of the sharper differences. Tesco states that everyone covered on a policy must be under the age of 80, and directs travellers aged 80 and over to the Money and Pensions Service for specialist options.
Post Office takes a split approach by policy type. Annual multi-trip cover carries a maximum age of 75. Single-trip cover, by contrast, accepts applicants up to age 110, with the maximum trip length tightening as age rises: a single trip is capped at 31 days for travellers up to age 110. Winter sports cover under Post Office sets a maximum age of 70 on the date of purchase.
For an older traveller buying a single trip, Post Office therefore remains open well beyond the point at which Tesco directs the applicant elsewhere. For an annual multi-trip buyer in their late seventies, neither standard product applies, and the Money and Pensions Service directory becomes the route to follow.
Pricing structure
Neither provider publishes a flat price, because travel premiums depend on destination, trip length, age, the number of travellers and any declared medical conditions. What can be compared is the structure around the premium.
Tesco advertises a 15% Clubcard discount applied to the standard premium for cardholders, a saving tied to the supermarket loyalty scheme rather than to the cover itself. Post Office does not run an equivalent loyalty discount on this product. Both providers price upward through their three tiers, and both sell optional upgrades such as cruise cover and winter sports for an additional premium rather than bundling them as standard.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office notes that cruises generally require an additional level of cover and that some activities need specialist insurance or an add-on, which is consistent with how both products are structured. A like-for-like premium comparison only holds if the same destination band, trip length, traveller ages and add-ons are entered into each quote engine.
Claims handling
The two products route claims through different organisations. Post Office claims and assistance are administered by Collinson Insurance Services Limited, the claims arm of the same group that underwrites the policy. Tesco claims are handled under the Allianz Protection name, sitting with the Allianz Partners group that underwrites through AWP P&C S.A.
For emergencies abroad, both products operate a 24-hour medical assistance line that should be contacted before incurring large costs, since each policy states that medical expenses must be authorised by the insurer or its assistance service. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advice reinforces this point: emergency transport such as an ambulance is often charged separately, and declaring existing conditions or pending treatment matters because failing to declare can invalidate a policy.
Which traveller each suits
The decision turns on the traveller's profile rather than on which brand is broadly stronger. A single-trip buyer in their eighties or nineties has a route through Post Office that Tesco does not offer, subject to the 31-day single-trip cap. A traveller focused on the highest cancellation ceiling will note that Tesco Premier publishes 10,000 pounds against Post Office Max at 5,000 pounds. A traveller who values an unlimited medical headline and holds a Tesco Clubcard has two reasons to look at Tesco, while a traveller comfortable with a 5 to 15 million pound medical ceiling and a declared excess structure may find Post Office Core, Extra or Max sufficient.
In every case the published headline is only the starting point. Excesses, single-article baggage sub-limits, medical screening outcomes and add-on requirements for cruises or winter sports determine what is actually paid. The figures above should be confirmed against each provider's current policy wording and a personalised quote before buying.
Does Post Office or Tesco offer unlimited medical cover?
Tesco lists emergency medical and repatriation cover as unlimited across its Economy, Standard and Premier tiers when bought directly. Post Office sets fixed ceilings of 5 million pounds on Core, 10 million pounds on Extra and 15 million pounds on Max. Both apply excesses and exclusions to medical claims.
What is the oldest age each provider covers?
Tesco covers travellers under the age of 80. Post Office covers single-trip applicants up to age 110, with a 31-day single-trip cap at the upper ages, but limits annual multi-trip cover to a maximum age of 75 and winter sports cover to a maximum age of 70.
Who underwrites each policy?
Post Office Travel Insurance is underwritten by Collinson Insurance, a trading name of Astrenska Insurance Limited (FCA FRN 202846), and arranged by Post Office Management Services Limited (FCA FRN 630318). Tesco Travel Insurance is underwritten by AWP P&C S.A. (FCA FRN 534384) and arranged by Rock Insurance Services Limited (FCA FRN 300317).
