Does Travel Insurance Cover Laptops and Tablets?

The travel insurance coverage for laptops and tablets is isolated to the theft or loss of the traveler’s equipment.

You can read how travel insurance covers theft but it’s important to understand the limitations. It’s also important to understand that when it comes to laptops and tablets, travel suppliers like airlines and cruise lines have disclaimers in their contracts that limit their liability.

How do travelers lose their laptops and tablets?

Travelers are often the victims of theft in no small part simply because their personal belongings are in the care of so many people along the way.

• While going through security, your belongings are spread out and often out of sight and away from your control – a situation that’s ripe for thieves.
• While sightseeing you may not want to carry all the electronics you need to bring on your trip, so you lock them in your hotel room but who has the key?
• While traveling between countries by train, you stack your bags into the overhead bins but those don’t lock. If you fall asleep, someone can easily rifle through your things.
• While you’re enjoying the sun and some time with your tablet by the pool, a little cannonball action from a herd of teenagers could easily drown your laptop.

At any point along their journey, a traveler could lose, be divested of, or destroy their electronic equipment.

Travel insurance cover for laptops and tablets works like this

Claims for lost, stolen, or destroyed laptops and tablets fall under the travel insurance coverage for baggage whether your equipment was in your carry-on, your backpack, or in your checked luggage. The coverage for your laptops and tablets comes with some exclusions that are important to understand, specifically:

• Claims for electronics are subject to a per-item limit as well as a payout maximum
• Claims for lost or stolen laptops and tablets must be accompanied by the original receipt

Even if your travel insurance plan has baggage coverage with a high policy limit, the per-item limit is not likely to be enough to replace your laptop or tablet. Even a premium plan with a $3,000 maximum limit often comes with a $600 limit for specific items – including laptops and tablets – so you may not be able to replace your electronics with a travel insurance claim.

Other insurance options to protect laptops and tablets

Here’s a tip you may not know – you don’t have to rely solely on travel insurance to cover your laptops and tablets. Most homeowner’s and renter’s plans let the insured schedule specific items like these on their home insurance coverage and often up to replacement value.

If you’re traveling with important electronics and want to be able to replace those items if they’re stolen, lost or destroyed, consider covering them with your home insurance plan and use the travel insurance claim to cover the deductible instead. You’ll come out ahead in the long run and you’ll have better coverage for your laptops and tablets.