FAQs

Home Insurance covers your home, garages, carports, outbuildings, gates and fences, along with any permanently attached fixtures like solar panels, walls, ceilings, and floor coverings at the insured address for loss or damage caused by a range of insured events, including flood, fire, storm and burglary or theft.

Comparing Home and Contents Insurance is a good way to ensure you get an appropriate level of cover. What’s appropriate for you should be based on what you need cover for: home, contents, combined home and contents, strata, landlord – each of us has different needs. When comparing Home and Contents Insurance, you can:

Contents are your household items that you own or are responsible for and use primarily for domestic purposes. Contents are items not permanently attached to your home or insured address (e.g. a unit you own and live in). Your contents can include, but are not limited to:

Damage to carpets is covered under your Contents Insurance policy.

Underinsurance may expose you to serious financial loss if a claim occurs. It is your responsibility to make sure your home and contents are insured for their full 'new for old' replacement value. 'New for old' means that if your home is damaged, or your contents are damaged beyond repair or stolen, you will be able to replace or repair your home or contents with new items or new materials regardless of age.

Safety Net Home Protection – included in GIO Classic Extras and Platinum cover – provides a financial buffer if the cost of repairing or rebuilding exceeds your sum insured (i.e. the amount you insured your home for) due to an unexpected building price surge. For example:

Pets are not automatically covered. However, when you insure your home contents with GIO, we offer ‘Injury to pet dogs and cats’ as an optional cover for an additional cost.

A premium is the amount you pay for your insurance and it’s calculated based on your sum insured (the amount you insure your home and/or contents for) along with many other factors including information about you, your home, and its contents. Collectively, these are called premium factors. We use these premium factors to reflect the likelihood of you making a claim. We also consider other factors such as the cost of claims we’ve paid to other customers and claims we expect to pay in the future, changes in taxes, duties or levies, along with our cost of doing business.

Strata Insurance provides cover for residential strata titled properties or residential properties associated with a body corporate or owners corporation. Strata Insurance may provide cover to buildings and common areas that are the responsibility of the body corporate or owners corporation for insurance purposes according to the relevant legislation in your state. You may also choose to cover any common contents under this insurance. Strata Insurance is designed for properties like a duplex, a townhouse, a unit, or a flat that shares land, walls, access, or common areas with another property.

Learn more about Strata Insurance.

Common contents, which are covered under Strata Insurance, means your unfixed property that is contained within the common areas of your building – such as appliances, equipment, furniture, fittings and works of art.

If you are using your house or spare room for short term rentals through Airbnb or a similar service, and would like to enquire about insurance, please call us on 13 10 10 for further information.

If you have a holiday house that is only for your personal use and that is unoccupied for much of the time you can still insure your property with GIO Home and Contents Insurance, but you will likely be required to pay an unoccupied excess in the event of a claim.

If you have experienced an insured event, you can follow these five steps towards making a claim with GIO.

1. Make sure everyone is safe. For emergencies, call 000.
2. Try to prevent further loss or damage. If possible, take reasonable steps to prevent further loss, damage, or liability. For example, if there is a hole in the roof, arrange for it to be covered to prevent further water damage from the rain.

You need to contact us if you’re commencing building works or renovations at your home, or if you intend to demolish your home.

GIO does not provide cover for any new buildings during construction. Home and Contents Insurance policies are applicable for completed buildings being used for domestic purposes; that is, once they’re being lived in.

If you are renovating your home or unit, we will not cover any damage or loss that is caused by, arises from or involves those building extensions, alterations or renovations. In particular, we don’t cover:

Yes. It’s important that you get the highest standards of service in all your dealings with us. That’s why we have adopted the Life Insurance Code of Practice. It’s the life insurance industry’s commitment to mandatory customer service standards and it’s designed to protect you, our customer. Find out more. 

Funeral insurance is about ensuring that your family and loved ones don’t have to bear the financial burden of paying for your funeral when you pass away.

When you take out a funeral insurance policy, you will pay a series of regular premiums tailored to cover the sum you choose to insure. In the event of your death, a lump sum of money (known as the funeral benefit) will be paid out either to a person of your choosing or to your estate.

We understand that thinking about your funeral is not a pleasant thing to do. However, we also understand that putting your family first is extremely important.

According to Moneysmart.gov.au, funerals can cost between $4,000 and $15,000, which is a large amount of money for any family to access quickly.

Yes. Funeral insurance works in a similar way to other insurance policies you're likely to have. You pay a series of regular premiums to cover an amount of your choosing. That amount – the funeral benefit – is then paid out at claim time or, with GIO's Value Promise, the amount you have paid in premiums if that’s greater. This money, awarded to your nominated beneficiary, is then used to pay for your funeral and other related expenses.

We believe that a funeral insurance provider should give you the choice of flexible cover you need at a reasonable price, which is exactly what we aim to provide GIO customers. You’re looking for a plan that is going to take care of your family from an insurer you can trust, which is what we pride ourselves on being.

When choosing how much cover you want, it’s important to consider the type of funeral you would like and how much money you would like to provide your loved ones to help make that happen.

With GIO Funeral Insurance, you can pay your premiums in one of two ways: stepped or level premiums.

Stepped premiums are worked out by taking your age, gender and the sum that’s insured each year into consideration. They start out lower than level premiums, but generally increase each year as you get older.

Level premiums generally start out higher than stepped premiums, but don’t increase in line with your age.

Your age when you first take out the policy, your gender, and the sum insured are all used to calculate how much your premiums will cost.

Thanks to the GIO Value Promise, you never have to worry about paying more in premiums than will be paid back at claim time.

In some circumstances you can receive your pay-out early as part of the GIO Early Payment Benefit.

Yes, you can nominate one beneficiary to receive the lump sum pay-out in the event of your death. It’s up to you who you choose, and if you don’t nominate anyone the benefit will be paid to your estate.

We offer both single and joint policies, meaning that you can insure up to two people on a single policy. If you have a joint policy, both insured people are policy owners.

The person who pays the funeral insurance premiums doesn't have to be the person who is insured. Even if the premiums are paid for by someone else, the person who is insured will always remain the policy owner.

If you'd like to separate a joint policy, you can. One of you will keep the existing policy, while the other will be given a new one.

We understand that sometimes the unexpected happens and you may not have access to as much money as you normally would. If this happens to you, GIO customers have two options:

1. Premium Freeze Benefit

2. Premium Pause Benefit

There are some instances that mean you won’t receive the full Funeral Benefit. These are if, in the first 12 months of your policy, you die as a result of:

• An accident that happened before the policy start date
• Sickness
• An intentional self-inflicted act

If this happens, we will refund all of the premiums that have been paid.

If you die after the first 12 months, the funeral benefit or the amount you have paid in premiums, whichever is greatest, will be paid in full.

We offer three main discounts on our funeral insurance policies:

• 20% Family Discount –20% off premiums if a member of your immediate family takes out funeral insurance with us as well. This applies to joint and single policy holders
• 10% Cash Back Benefit – Get a 10% refund on the premiums you’ve paid every three years when you hold a continuous policy with us
• 10% Large Sum Insured Discount – Save 10% if you have a sum insured of $20,000 dollars or more, and have chosen a stepped premium policy

Yes, you can pay fortnightly, monthly or yearly premiums at no extra cost.

You can get an online quote from GIO in a matter of minutes. The form is quick and simple to fill out, and there’s no medical required.

GET A QUOTE

If you want to make a claim, all you need to do is give us a call on 1800 604 215. It can be the policy owner, the nominated beneficiary or a legal representative that contacts us. We’ll then send out a claim pack that we ask you to fill in and return to us.

You can find out more about our service on our Funeral Insurance page.

For full details, please refer to the GIO Funeral Insurance Product Disclosure Statement and Policy Document (20/10/2014).

Alternatively, you can contact us – we’ll be in touch as soon as we can.

If you’re concerned about losing income due to illness or injury, GIO Bill Protect may help.

You can choose to receive a monthly benefit of between $1,000 and $4,000, and choose a 6, 12 or 24-month benefit period. 

Yes, for Holiday Travel Insurance the maximum journey is 12 months. But you can apply to extend it up to 6 months more. For Annual Travel Insurance, each trip can be up to 90 days.

Yes you can. Your Holiday Travel Insurance can cover you for a journey of up to 12 months but you can apply to extend it up to a maximum of 6 months more.

No, GIO Travel Insurance doesn’t have an age limit. However, to complete an online quote you must be over 18. If you are under 18 please contact our specialist centre on 1800 205 445.

During the quote process, you’ll be asked if you have a pre-existing medical condition. By this we mean a medical condition that you’ve had investigated, treated, received medical advice or taken prescribed drugs for within the last 90 days.

You should select the region you are travelling to. We have 5 different regions to choose from:

• Region 1 – Worldwide
• Region 2 – Worldwide (excluding the USA, Canada, Japan and Africa)
• Region 3 – South East Asia covering Borneo, Brunei Darussalam, Burma, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Korea, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Tibet, Vietnam and including Region 4 and 5 countries.
• Region 4 – The South Pacific and Indonesia: covering Cook Islands, East Timor, Fiji, Indonesia (including Bali), Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa (American), Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Vanuatu, Western Samoa and including Region 5.
• Region 5 – Australia (including Lord Howe Island, Thursday Island, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Coral Sea Islands Territory) only.

When purchasing GIO Travel Insurance, you should set your return date as the date you arrive back at your home address. That way you’re covered for the entire journey, from when you leave your home in Australia to start your trip, through to you returning back to your home in Australia at the end of your trip.

We ask for the oldest traveller's age on the day you purchase the policy because when you purchase a policy, part of your cover begins immediately.

There are a number of measures you can take to protect your workshop.

There is a type of insurance policy called Business Interruption cover. This could help your business if an insured event like a fire prevents you from trading.

If it’s any comfort at all, you’re not the only business that has faced this problem. I know it’s too late for you, but to avoid it happening again...

One of the most common mistakes business owners make is being underinsured.

Business Interruption is a type of insurance that every small business should have – but only around 50% do.

Public Liability policy covers your legal liability to third parties for personal injury and damage to property caused by something connected to your business.

You certainly can and you’re very wise to think of this.

It can happen to you and it’s a worrying possibility. Unfair dismissal cases seem to be more common these days but there is an insurance cover that can help you.

Be very careful! Have you heard the old expression “penny wise, pound foolish?” By trying to reduce your premiums, you’re running the risk of joining the thousands of small Australian businesses that are actually underinsured.

There are a lot of simple tactics that should see your premises through your holiday and give you peace of mind.

Most businesses have a public liability policy which covers accidents like this.

It’s a grey area isn’t it. But corporations can guard their visual identity very closely. There’s a type of insurance called Professional Indemnity that is designed to protect people like you and your friend who give advice to your clients. Financial advisers, architects, accountants etc are all liable to be sued for the advice they have given in good faith. Professional Indemnity Insurance can protect you.

Be very careful! Have you heard the old expression “penny wise, pound foolish?” By trying to reduce your premiums, you’re running the risk of joining the thousands of small Australian businesses that are actually underinsured. Ask your accountant or insurance advisor to conduct an audit of your needs. You might save some money…but you won’t risk being underinsured.

Your policy number can be found on the Certificate of Insurance that you received when you purchased your policy. You can also look up your policy number online.

Any time you renew your insurance, your premium is likely to change, even if your personal circumstances have not changed.

We make it easy to pay for your insurance with a number of different payment methods available. Depending on the type of insurance, you can make a secure online payment with your credit card, pay by BPAY, by mail, by phone or in person at Australia Post or a GIO agency.

Learn more about ways to pay for your policy.

No, with GIO you can pay your insurance premium annually or monthly.

No, you're not able to pay your monthly instalments via BPAY. We only offer monthly direct debit from either a bank account or credit card.

A Product Disclosure Statement, also referred to as a PDS, details the terms of the insurance product. It clearly explains what is and isn't covered, optional covers that may be available, your responsibilities and information about how to make a claim.

It won't happen without us notifying you. We send renewal notices at least 14 days before your current policy expires, showing how much you need to pay and when the payment is due.

We're sorry you're thinking of leaving. To discuss your situation further or to cancel your policy, call us any time on 13 10 10.

We reward our seniors with a discount on GIO Home and Contents Insurance, which is available for customers who are aged 60 or over and hold a valid State Government Seniors Card.

GIO do not offer cover notes (a form of temporary insurance covering the period between signing up for a policy and making the first premium payment). 

If you have Home, Landlord or Strata Insurance, you can choose a higher standard excess from the levels we offer to reduce your premium. The levels usually fall between $0 and $5,000. 

An excess is the amount you must pay for each incident when you make a claim. A standard excess applies to all claims unless stated otherwise in the PDS.

To view and manage your policy online, please log in to My Insurance Centre (you’ll need to register if you haven’t already). 

No, GIO does not charge any fees for credit card payments.

Qantas Business Rewards is a new loyalty program from Qantas, specifically targeting small and medium businesses across Australia. 

Qantas Business Rewards is Australia's business rewards program. With a wide range of partners, your business could earn Qantas Points* on many business expenses. You can transfer Qantas Points^ earned by your business to any Qantas Frequent Flyer account of any individual member at a rate of 1:1 and redeem those Points to reward your business, your employees or yourself - with flights and upgrades or products from the Qantas Store.

You can be registered online at qantasbusinessrewards.com using your business ABN. 

The business will benefit by being rewarded with Qantas Points for everyday business expenses, including eligible Qantas domestic and international travel#.  Businesses can transfer their Qantas Points to the Qantas Frequent Flyer account of any individual member^. Those Qantas Points can then be redeemed for flights, upgrades and over 3,000 items in the Qantas Store. For more information on redeeming Qantas Points for rewards visit qantaspoints.com/use-points. 

From 1 February 2017, new  GIO customers can enjoy complimentary membership of Qantas Business Rewards – saving you $89.50. To join or to find out more call GIO at 13 10 10.

1 Qantas Point per $1 spent on eligible business insurance products will be the standard offer in place. There is a cap on the maximum Qantas Points available to be earned on specific insurance products. 

If you purchased your insurance directly from GIO your Points will be automatically added to your account within 90 days.

Points are calculated 45 days after the inception date of the insurance policy. Clients should allow 90 days from the date they register their policy for points

Any mid term endorsements will be allocated points based on the additional spend.

If you cancel your policy within 45 days of inception, you will not be eligible to receive any Qantas Points in respect of that policy. If they cancel their policy at any other time, or if premium is refunded, GIO may deduct an amount of Qantas Points equivalent to any premium refunds from any future Qantas Points they would otherwise be entitled to under this offer.

One Qantas Point will be awarded for every dollar of premium paid (excl. GST and broker commissions). From time to time GIO may run specific campaigns or offer bonus points.

Qantas Points earned by a business can be transferred to any individual’s Qantas Frequent Flyer account and can be redeemed by that individual for award flights, flight upgrades or products and experiences from the Qantas store#. For more information on redeeming Qantas Points for rewards visit qantaspoints.com/use-points.

It is recommended you consult your accountant or tax advisor to ensure you understand possible tax implications.

Eligible products are GIO Business Insurance, GIO Trade Insurance, GIO Business Insurance for Professional and GIO Commercial Motor and GIO Workers Compensation Insurance but only for covers in WA, NT, ACT or TAS.

Yes, if the flyer is a member of Qantas Frequent Flyer and the business has pre-registered for Qantas Business Rewards.  Qantas Points are earned for a business in addition to Qantas Points the individual would usually earn.

Qantas Points are earned by the business’ transactions. If for example you have an employee that flies from Sydney to Melbourne, the business will earn Qantas points for the costs associated with that travel. If the individual is a Qantas Frequent Flyer member, they will also earn Qantas Points for their flight with their Qantas Frequent Flyer account. 

As long as your business renews its Qantas Business Rewards membership each year, its Qantas Points will not expire. If you terminate or do not renew your business' membership, any Qantas Points in your business' account will expire. In addition, any Qantas Points in the membership account with a "pending" status at the end of a membership year will expire. Pending Points include Points for airline travel if your business has not earned at least 20,000 Points and had at least two travellers. 

Qantas Business Rewards currently have 20 partners with their  program. These partners are from across a range of business expenditure categories such as Financial Services, Professional Services, Office Supplies, Vehicle Related Spend and Travel. 

GIO will continue to look at how we can add value to our brokers business and their customers.

GIO will reward eligible clients Points relative to their spend, starting from $1. There are maximum points caps for specific products. Qantas Business Rewards members will earn Points for the normal business expenses with Qantas Business Rewards program partners. The minimum and maximum points earned by Qantas Business Rewards members will be based on how engaged with the program they choose to be.  For full terms and condition refer to GIO's terms and conditions.