Vitality Travel Updates

Vitality Travel is currently accessed on desktop, through the Discovery Bank online platform.

Currently, Vitality members without South African ID's are unable to access the Vitality Travel booking platform. Discovery Bank is working on an urgent solution, and will update members as soon as this is available.

If you have a South African ID and are struggling to activate a Discovery Bank account or access Vitality Travel, contact Discovery Bank on 0800 07 96 97.

With Vitality, which includes Vitality Money and Vitality Health, you can get discounts on local and international flights - on both the base fare and fuel surcharges (YQ tax) - as well as on accommodation and car hire. Your personalised discounts are based on your Discovery Bank product, Vitality Money status, Vitality Health status (if applicable) and qualifying credit card spend.

With Vitality Money and Vitality Health you can get from:

• 10% to 75% off local flights
• 10% to 75% off international flights
• 10% to 25% off accommodation
• 10% to 25% off car hire.

You can use your personalised Vitality discount on six one way (or three return) local flights per calendar year. Thereafter, you will receive a flat rate of 10% off for the rest of the calendar year on local flights you book.

From January 2023, regions outside South Africa's borders will now form part of your Vitality Travel international flight booking allocation. Qualifying clients can get Vitality Travel discounts on two international flight bookings a year - including flights to Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Reunion, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Booking fees of R460 apply to each ticket booked, except for tickets for children under the age of two.

Read the terms and conditions for Vitality Travel benefits on the Vitality Rules page here.

For more information on how we calculate Vitality Money local and international flight rewards, please read or download the Understanding your Dynamic Discounts rewards percentages information that applies to your product colour.

For your travel benefits, we look at your average monthly qualifying credit card spend over the previous rolling 12 months at the time of booking. If you haven't had a Discovery Bank Credit Card for that long, we'll look at your average monthly qualifying credit card spend over the number of months you've already had your Discovery Bank credit card. A minimum period of three months applies.

If you upgraded to Discovery Bank from a Discovery Card that was first issued before the launch of Discovery Bank, we'll include your spend history before upgrading.

You can book discounted flights with the following local flight partners on the Vitality Travel booking platform:

• Airlink
• Cemair
• FlySafair
• LIFT
• South African Airways (SAA)

You can also book flights with a range of non-partner airlines through the Vitality Travel booking platform, however no travel discounts will apply.

Your Vitality Money and Vitality Health personalised discounts apply to six one way (or three return) local flights booked in a calendar year. You need to book at least 7 days in advance to receive your discount. You can book flights on the day of travel, but you will not receive your discount.

Once your flight allocation is depleted, or if you don't qualify for personalised discounts, you will receive a flat 10% discount on an unlimited number of local and regional flights. The flight discounts will apply to the base fare and fuel surcharge (YQ taxes) where applicable.

Disclaimer: Rewards are based on your engagement in Vitality programmes, Discovery products, and monthly qualifying card spend. Limits, terms and conditions apply.

For any Vitality Travel booking platform queries or issues, please contact:

• Vitality Travel: 087 742 0272

Email: vitalitytravel@travel.co.za

• After hours emergencies: 011 790 0322 (note that fees will apply to the member for this option).

You can view your personalised travel discounts in the Discovery Bank app. Simply log in to your banking app and scroll down to the Travel rewards tile for all your current travel discounts.

The six one way (or three return) local flights per calendar year depend on the personalised Vitality Health and Vitality Money discount. Thereafter, you will receive a flat rate of 10% off all flights booked on the Vitality Travel booking platform for the rest of the calendar year.

If you don't qualify for personalised travel discounts, or choose not to use your personalised travel discounts, you'll still qualify for a flat 10% saving when booking with local flight partners.

Platinum, Black and Purple Bank clients can await their flight in style in any of SAA's airport lounges - enter using your Discovery Bank app.

Platinum, Black and Purple Bank clients can await their flight in style in any of SAA's airport lounges - enter using your Discovery Bank app.
Black and Purple Bank clients have access to LoungeKey, with over 200 international lounge options to choose from https://www.loungekey.com/en/visasignaturemena/our-lounges.

Discovery Bank clients with Vitality Money can use Discovery Miles to pay for flights and Vitality holiday accommodation on the Vitality Travel booking platform when booking online. Plus, book non-discounted stays at a wide variety of global listings on Vitality Travel through Booking.com and pay with Discovery Miles too. Simply select Discovery Miles as your payment method when checking out and enter the amount of available Discovery Miles you'd like to spend.

The booking fee is an administration fee that you have to pay for Vitality to manage and facilitate the booking. It includes support for any issues experienced for booking on the platform.

The variable booking fee applies to local and regional flights booked on the Vitality platform. This varies based on the time between the booking date and the date of travel.

The flight booking fee is charged on each ticket (which can consist of multiple sectors) booked, where adults and children are charged separately. The fee does not apply to tickets for children younger than two years at the time of travel.

The demand for travel and the price of fuel has significantly increased the cost of processing travel. We are adjusting our booking fees for 2024 to in accordance with industry fees:

• Local flights:
  • 21 days or more from travel date: R70
  • 7 to 20 days from travel date: R130
  • Less than 7 days from travel date: R160

International flights
All international flight bookings (including those that don't deduct usage): R460

Local and International Accommodation
Domestic: R99

Purple Escapes: Accommodation
Domestic and regional: R99

Change or cancel through the Vitality Travel online booking platform:

1. Log in to Discovery Bank online banking
2. Select Travel > My Bookings
3. Click on any upcoming trip to change or cancel your booking.

Please note, where the flight is not refundable, you need to accept the 100% penalty fee upon cancellation along with the estimated airline cancellation fee.

You can also contact Vitality Travel:

• Vitality Travel: 087 742 0272
• Email:vitalitytravel@travel.co.za
• Call afterhours emergencies: 011 790 0322 (note that fees will apply to the member for this option).

Yes, you choose to get the refund paid into your card:

1. Click on Wallet balance on home page meganav. This will show your last 10 transactions and the rand value available for your refund
2. Select the Card for refund then Proceed to refund.
3. You'll see the refund confirmation pop-up. It will take a day for you to receive it

Once you've requested your card refund and received the refund confirmation pop-up, it will take a day for you to receive it.

The Vitality Travel Wallet is only available on the Vitality Travel online booking platform as it's available for all travel bookings (flights, holiday accommodation and car hire).

All bookings paid for in Discovery Miles that are refundable will be credited to your Travel Wallet.

Should the booking be partially or fully refundable, your usage will be reinstated once the refund process is completed.

• All your Discovery Bank cards are already preauthorised for international use, so there's no need to let us know when you travel abroad. You can use your card as usual and withdraw cash from most VISA ATMs worldwide.
• Discovery Bank Platinum, Black and Purple cardholders can access a world-class airport lounge experience in The Lounge, now available at all SAA lounges in Cape Town, King Shaka and OR Tambo International airports. Simply generate your voucher in the Discovery Bank app.
• Discovery Bank Black and Purple cardholders also have access to LoungeKey, with over 1,000 international lounge options to choose from. Download the LoungeKey app today.
• You automatically get free travel insurance when you book an international trip with your Discovery Bank card.
• In an emergency, you have access to our Discovery Bank international hotline, 24/7 on +27 11 324 4444.
• With Priority Fast Track, Discovery Bank Black and Purple cardholders can enjoy faster and more efficient security clearance at OR Tambo and Cape Town International airport domestic departures, and Purple cardholders can even speed through international passport control at OR Tambo International Arrivals. Simply show your qualifying Discovery Bank card.
• You can open a Discovery Bank Forex Account in seconds in your Discovery Bank app and start saving for your next international trip in British Pounds, Euros or US Dollars. Plus, add a virtual or physical card to use while you're overseas.

No, your Discovery Bank card is already pre authorised for international use so you don't have to activate it to work overseas. This applies to any additional cards linked to your account as well.

No, there is no need for you to let us know if you're travelling outside of South Africa. All Discovery Bank cards are pre authorised for international use and you don't need to do anything to use it abroad.

Earlier this year, we built the Vitality Travel platform within Discovery Bank, for even more security, and a much more seamless end-to-end travel booking and payment experience. It provides a much broader offering, including discounts on all local airlines.

Until recently, Vitality Travel has been available exclusively for Discovery Bank clients, because you need a secure Discovery Bank login and verification profile to access the platform. However, when Comair went into liquidation in June, Vitality members were no longer able to book discounted travel, so we had to quickly find another solution for our Vitality members to enjoy this benefit.

We created the Ðiscovery Account, which has no monthly fees, and gives Vitality members fully secure access and use of Vitality Travel to enjoy their Vitality discounts on their travel bookings. You get enhanced discounts with certain Discovery Bank accounts. Access the account options at https://www.discovery.co.za/bank/accounts.

To get local and regional flight discounts with Vitality Money, you must be a primary accountholder or secondary cardholder with any one of the following products:

• A Discovery Bank Transaction Account with pay as you transact fees
• A Discovery Bank Transaction Account with bundled fees
• A Discovery Bank Credit Card Account
• Discovery Bank Suite
• Ðiscovery Account.

Note: Vitality Health discounts and limits apply to the main member and all dependants listed in the Vitality Health membership. Vitality Money personalised discounts apply only to the primary accountholder, while secondary cardholders receive a flat 10% saving.

Vitality Travel, our comprehensive travel booking platform offers upfront discounts of up to 75% on all domestic airlines in South Africa: FlySafair, Airlink, LIFT, SAA, CemAir; as well as international airlines, Airlink, British Airways, CemAir, Emirates, FlySafair, Qantas and SAA. It also offers up to 25% off accommodation and car hire.

Accountholders with one of the following Discovery Bank products can access this benefit:

• Discovery Bank Platinum Transaction Account with bundled fees
• Discovery Bank Platinum Card Account
• Discovery Bank Platinum Suite
• Discovery Bank Black Transaction Account with bundled fees
• Discovery Bank Black Card Account
• Discovery Bank Black Suite
• Discovery Bank Purple Suite.

Who can use this benefit?

As a primary accountholder, the benefit gives you a defined number of complimentary visits for domestic and international lounges, respectively. If you've used up this amount of complimentary visits or wish to enter the lounge but not use your complimentary visits, you can still access the lounges but at a cost of R300 a person inclusive of VAT, provided that you are still eligible for the benefit. This amount will be deducted from the selected Discovery Bank card.

The following individuals are also able to use the benefit, and we'll deduct visits for them from your annual allocation if available:

• Your Discovery Bank secondary cardholders who are 18 years or older. Please note that they do not have to be with the primary accountholder to use this benefit. Secondary cardholders can access The Lounge using your benefit but will share your number of complimentary visits per year and they need to generate vouchers to enter The Lounge using their own Discovery Bank app.
• All children younger than 18 years old visiting a lounge with you or with your Discovery Bank secondary cardholders 18 years or older.
• Guests who are 18 years or older visiting a lounge with you or with your Discovery Bank secondary cardholders who are 18 years or older.
• Any combination of the above.

Access to The Lounge under this benefit falls away if:

• You are not up to date on your Discovery Bank fees.
• The account is not in good standing. 'Good standing' means that none of your Discovery Bank accounts and credit facilities are overdrawn, in arrears, in default, or subject to any legal process with Discovery Bank - including being under debt counselling, administration or sequestration and keeping your KYC (verification information) or AML (anti-money-laundering) information up to date.
• Your qualifying spend was less than R2,500 in the previous month. For clients with a Discovery Bank Transaction Account with bundled fees, this will be calculated using qualifying debit card spend. For clients with a Platinum or Black Credit Card Account, or Platinum, Black or Purple Suite, this will be calculated using qualifying credit card spend only. For clients who upgrade from a Ðiscovery Account or Transaction Account to a Black Credit Card Account, or Black or Purple Suite, this will be calculated using qualifying debit card spend up to when the upgrade takes effect. Thereafter, qualifying credit card spend will be used.
• Qualifying spend includes local and international straight and budget purchases made online and in-store using the qualifying Discovery Bank credit card, based on the date the transaction was made, however, only once the transaction has been banked by the merchants. It will also include any spend on secondary credit cards associated with your primary Discovery Bank account. Transactions that don't qualify towards qualifying spend are:
  • Cash withdrawals
  • Traveller's cheque purchases
  • EFTs
  • Debit orders
  • Budget facility transfers
  • Gambling transactions
  • Health Banking transactions
  • Discovery Pay transactions
  • For clients with a Discovery Bank Suite, any transaction using a Discovery Bank Transaction Account or Discovery Bank debit card.
• You have downgraded or closed your qualifying Discovery Bank account.
• Vitality Money terms and conditions apply.

The benefit will be reinstated if the criteria that led to the cancellation of the benefit have been rectified.

From 1 July 2023, you'll receive a specific number of visits to The Lounge based on your Discovery Bank card colour, whether your account is in good standing and your qualifying monthly spend. You'll receive all your lounge visits for the rest of 2023. Visit The Lounge webpage to find the latest updates.

*Clients with an average monthly spend of at least R20,000 per month will receive the full allocation, otherwise clients will receive complimentary access for 2 local visits and 1 international visit. Children aged 12 years or younger can enter for free and will not count towards the complimentary visits.

The Lounge terms and conditions.

Discovery Bank Purple clients get unlimited access to the exclusive Platinum section of The Lounge.

Discovery Bank Priority Fast Track is an exclusive benefit offering a dedicated fast lane for airport security screening. With it, qualifying Discovery Bank clients and other qualifying travellers enjoy faster security clearance at OR Tambo International Airport and Cape Town International Airport.

Discovery Bank primary accountholders and secondary cardholders with a Discovery Bank Purple card or Discovery Bank Black card can use Priority Fast Track.

At OR Tambo International Airport, Priority Fast Track is available at:

• Domestic departures security screening
• International arrivals passport control.

At Cape Town International Airport, Priority Fast Track is available at:

• Domestic departures security screening.

If you're not a qualifying Discovery Bank client, you can still use Priority Fast Track for domestic travel if you have a business class or priority ticket. For international travel, you can access Priority Fast Track if you have a first class, business class or priority ticket, and the benefit is also available to diplomats or holders of special passports.

Discovery Bank clients with a qualifying bank card, as well as priority passengers, may have a limited number of co-travellers or guests join them each time they use Priority Fast Track. The number of guests allowed depends on the card colour or ticket:

• Discovery Bank Purple card: Five guests
• Discovery Bank Black card: Three guests
• Priority passenger: One guest

If you're a qualifying Discovery Bank client:

For domestic departures at OR Tambo or Cape Town International Airports, simply check in as usual. Then proceed to the security screening area and follow the signage for the Discovery Bank Priority Fast Track lane. Present your physical or virtual Discovery Bank Black or Purple card along with your boarding pass to gain access.

For international arrivals at OR Tambo International Airport, simply proceed to passport control. Then, present your physical or virtual Discovery Bank Black or Purple card along with your boarding pass to gain access.

If you're a priority passenger:

You can use the Priority Fast Track queue by presenting your physical or electronic boarding pass.

You need to make your international flight bookings six weeks before your departure date to get your individual Vitality Travel discount.

In 2021, we adjusted the booking period for Discovery Bank clients and Vitality members in response to COVID-19. Now that travel is recovering from the pandemic, we're bringing back our standard six-week rule for international flight bookings in 2023.

No, your Discovery Bank card is already pre authorised for international use so you don't have to activate it to work overseas.

No, there is no need for you to let us know if you're travelling outside of South Africa. All Discovery Bank cards are pre authorised for international use and you don't need to do anything to use it abroad.

You can get verified bank statements and an account confirmation letter in the Discovery Bank app.

You can easily get foreign currency for your trip. Open a forex account and convert funds instantly. This is a free service for Black and Purple account holders which allows you to pay in local currency. You can tap and pay or get a physical forex card. You can also top up your account while travelling and not pay a conversion fee.

Yes, you can withdraw local currency from Visa ATMs worldwide. The set Discovery Bank fee for international withdrawals is R80 for each withdrawal. The Discovery Bank Black and Purple Suites and Discovery Bank Black Transaction Account (bundled fee) offer unlimited free withdrawals worldwide.

Remember that certain international ATMs might charge an additional fee when you withdraw cash. Make sure that you check the ATM for this information before you use it.

The exchange rate at the time applies, and we charge you a standard currency conversion fee of 2.75%.

Check out the Banking fees guide for more information on fees for international withdrawals.

International point of sale swipes are free for all cardholders, but we charge you a standard currency conversion fee of 2.75%. Please note that there is a fee for international cash withdrawals.

Check out the Banking fees guide for more information on fees for international withdrawals.

Use the Contact Us button in your Discovery Bank app, available at all hours, every day.

Yes, you can access the Discovery Bank app while travelling abroad, as long as you have an active internet connection. This means that you can manage your banking no matter where you are in the world. Please review the list of countries where economic sanctions are imposed from a VISA perspective.

Yes, you can receive OTP notifications through SMS while travelling abroad as long as you have activated SMS roaming with your cellular provider.

Yes, accessing your Discovery Bank app while abroad will use the same amount of data as back home in South Africa. Make sure you have international roaming activated or connect to a trusted Wi Fi connection to access the app.

Note: Make sure that you are aware of roaming data costs since it can differ in countries.

Yes, clients with a Discovery Bank credit card can earn base Discovery Miles in line with the normal base earn rate and monthly threshold on all qualifying transactions.

Transactions that do not qualify for earning base Discovery Miles are:

• Cash withdrawals
• Electronic fund transfers (EFTs)
• Budget facility transfers (including the iPhone benefit)
• Gambling transactions
• Monthly Discovery Bank and Vitality Money fees
• Debit orders
• Transactions made with a Discovery Bank debit card
• Transactions on your transaction account, including your debit card spend.

Please note:

• We calculate your spend using the daily exchange rates.
• Your account needs to be in good standing at the time of the transaction to earn Discovery Miles.

Discovery Bank clients qualify for free international travel insurance underwritten by Discovery Travel Insurance through Discovery Insure Ltd if they buy:

• Their international travel ticket with their Discovery Bank Gold or Platinum credit or debit card
• Part of the ticket with their Discovery Miles.

Please note:

• Your account must be in good standing, meaning:
  • No arrears on your credit account
  • No missed payments
  • FICA (Financial Intelligence Centre Act) documents in order.
• Your international flight must leave South Africa.
• You are covered for 90 days or until you return to South Africa - whatever comes first.
• You don't qualify for free travel insurance if you pay for your ticket through an electronic funds transfer.

Discovery Bank clients get free VISA insurance through Chubb Insurance South Africa Ltd if they buy their international travel ticket, or any portion of it, with their:

• Discovery Bank Black (VISA Signature) or Purple (VISA Infinite) credit or debit card.

Please note:

• Your account must be in good standing, meaning:
  • No arrears on your credit account
  • No missed payments
  • FICA (Financial Intelligence Centre Act) documents in order.
• Your international flight must leave South Africa.
• You are covered for 90 days or until you return to South Africa - whatever comes first.
• You don't qualify for free travel insurance if you pay for your ticket through an electronic funds transfer.

You'll get the full free travel insurance when you use your credit or debit card to pay for the full cost of the ticket, or when you use your Discovery Miles to pay for part of the ticket.

You'll get the full free travel insurance only when you use your credit or debit card to pay for the full cost of the ticket.

If you've paid for an international travel ticket with your Discovery Bank Gold or Platinum debit or credit card, Discovery Insure Ltd will automatically email your travel certificate to you.

If you're a Discovery Bank Black or Purple cardholder you can:

• Download your travel certificate from Chubb Insurance South Africa visacards.africa/travel-insurance
• Phone 011 541 1068 for pre-travel advice or a medical emergency while travelling.

If you're a Discovery Bank Gold or Platinum cardholder or an accountholder with the previous Discovery Card that is now managed by Discovery Bank, please use these contact details for Discovery Insure Ltd:

If you're a Discovery Bank Black or Purple cardholder, please phone Chubb Insurance South Africa Ltd on 011 541 1068 for pre-travel advice or medical emergency while travelling.

If you're a Discovery Bank Gold or Platinum cardholder or an accountholder with the previous Discovery Card that is now managed by Discovery Bank, you can enjoy all the cover you've so far enjoyed through Oojah, plus:

• Higher limits on medical emergencies
• Debit cardholders are also covered
• A higher age limit of up to 80 years for medical emergencies.

In addition to this, all cardholders, despite the colour of their card, get cover for:

• Emergency medical and related expenses
• Personal accident
• Baggage and inconvenience
• Personal liability
• Hijack or kidnap and wrongful detention.

To see the complete schedule of benefits and the cover amounts that apply to every colour card, please go to discovery.co.za/bank/legal where the different policy documents are listed.

If you're not covered by Discovery Health Medical Scheme, our travel insurance covers you for emergency medical and non medical costs outside the borders of South Africa. This applies for 90 days from your date of departure from South Africa.

Clients with a Discovery Bank Black card qualify for the Visa Signature travel benefits and clients with a Discovery Bank Purple card qualify for the Visa Infinite travel insurance benefit.

The travel insurance will automatically apply when you buy a flight ticket or cruise ticket using your Discovery Bank credit or debit card. However, the trip must depart from and return to South Africa to qualify for the travel insurance.

What travel benefits do I get with Visa and Discovery Bank?

Some of the benefits you qualify for with Visa and Discovery Bank include:

• Medical and legal assistance
• Global customer assistance services
• Visa merchant offers
• Visa international airport dining programme
• Multi-trip travel insurance
• LoungeKey airport lounge access
• Collision damage waiver insurance.

To get the full details of your travel insurance and benefits, get a copy of your policy documents and travel certificate by:

1. Logging in to https://cardholderbenefitsonline.com
2. Entering your Visa Signature (Black) or Infinite (Purple) card number.

Yes, along with travel benefits, clients with Discovery Bank cards qualify for additional Visa benefits. For more details on these benefits, visit the Visa website.

For travel medical emergencies, you can call Visa directly on:

• +44 208 762 8373 (English)
• +7 (495) 937 6453 (Russian, English)
• +971 (4) 253 6024 (Arabic, French, English)
• +27 (11) 541 1068 (Arabic, French, English)

For all other claims, you can email Visa at creditcardclaims@broadspire.eu.

Include the following information in your claims email:

• Your full name
• The first nine digits of your card
• Your address
• Details on what you're claiming for.

You will receive a claim form. You must return this form within 90 days to creditcardclaims@broadspire.eu along with the relevant supporting documents.

Yes, along with the Discovery Travel Insurance benefits, clients with a Discovery Bank Gold or Platinum credit card also qualify for certain Visa benefits. To find out more about the benefits you qualify for, visit the Visa website.

Discovery Bank Black (Visa Signature) and Purple (Visa Infinite) accountholders have access to over 1,200 lounges worldwide through LoungeKey.

These accountholders are automatically registered for the LoungeKey programme and can access the benefit regardless of the class or airline they're flying with.

Download the LoungeKey app to view the lounges in the programme, FAQs and terms and conditions. It's available in the Apple App Store or through Google Play.

Discovery Bank Black accountholders qualify for six complimentary visits each year with one free guest per visit. Once these accountholders use up all their complimentary visits, they will pay the $32 per person per visit, which will be charged directly to their Discovery Bank card.

Discovery Bank Purple accountholders are entitled to an unlimited number of complimentary lounge visits with one guest per visit. For any other accompanying guests, they will pay $32 per person per visit, which will be charged directly to their Discovery Bank card.