Westpac car insurance

The Westpac Comprehensive policy is just what the name suggests - comprehensive. It covers just about any fix you might expect car insurance to cover, including:

• A new car if yours is written off (conditions apply)
• Damage to personal property
• Windshield damage
• Emergency repairs without assessment (up to a certain dollar value)
• Towing, accommodation or taxi fare in an emergency
• A hire car after having yours stolen
• A hire car after an accident (most policies only include this as an optional extra)
• Hire car liability (as long as you use Westpac’s rental car provider)
• Cover for things like lost/stolen keys, baby seats, damage to commercial signage or trailers
• Modifications made to your vehicle (conditions apply)
• Accidental death of driver (conditions apply)

Just like any other car insurance policy, there are a number of things that are excluded from your Westpac cover. These include if the accident happens when:

• An unlicensed driver is driving your car
• You’re driving under the influence
• Your car is in a condition that makes it unsafe to drive
• You’re using your car for motor sports or to make money (e.g. as a rideshare vehicle)

When you take out a car insurance policy with Westpac, like with most insurers, you can choose either low or high excess. But what does that mean and which one is best?

Well, if you opt for high excess, you’ll pay a lower premium, but if you ever do make a claim, you’ll wind up getting a lower payout. Opt for low excess, and your premiums will be higher, but your insurance will cover more of the cost if you do make a claim.

As for which is best, that’s up to you to decide, depending on your budget and how likely you think you are to claim.

Westpac will work out your premium depending on a bunch of factors, like who you are, what car you drive and where you live. Ultimately, what they’re trying to guess is how likely you are to be in an accident or make a claim - the more likely, the more you’ll pay.

Some questions you might have to answer to work out your premium include:

• What kind of car you drive? What make, model and colour is it?
• When you aren’t driving, do you park your car in a garage or on the street?
• Where do you live - is it a safe area?
• How old are you and how long have you been driving?

Car insurance premiums can be a pretty big cost to fit into your budget - so it’s nice to have some flexibility about how you pay. The good news is, you can pay your Westpac premium either in one lump sum or as monthly installments at no extra cost.

Another thing that can make paying your car insurance premiums much easier is cashing in on some great discounts. With a Westpac car insurance policy you may be able to snag a no claims discount, as well as a loyalty discount.

How is Westpac rated by customers?

There’s no better way to find out what a Westpac car insurance policy is like than getting it straight from the horse's mouth. That’s why we’ve asked Westpac customers to rate their policies in terms of things like customer service, convenience and value for money. Read all about it in our customer review section.

How to make a claim

Best case scenario: you never have to make a claim on your car insurance and you won’t need the information in this section. But it’s always a good idea to be prepared just in case.

• You can claim online or over the phone, and here’s what you’ll need:
• The name, address, phone number, email address, licence number and insurer of other drivers involved.
• The registration number and a description of any vehicles involved.
• Contact details of anyone who may have witnessed the accident.
• Photos of the accident, including the location, the damage and external factors that may have been an influence - like bad weather or road conditions.