Question 1

How do I pay my premiums?

Accepted Answer

Click the button below to refer to our premium payment methods.

Question 2

What is the exchange rate if I pay my insurance premium in foreign currency?

Accepted Answer

Click the button below to refer to the exchange rates.

Question 3

Can I pay my premium if the due date has passed?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we provide a 30-day grace period from the premium due date.

Question 4

Can I have a third party pay the premium on my behalf?

Accepted Answer

Yes, that’s no problem. Please complete and submit the "Special Arrangement of Premium Payment Application Form" to us so we can give prior approval (for security reasons and to protect your account).

Question 5

My premium is due tomorrow. Can I use the PPS bill payment service?

Accepted Answer

Yes. And remember, we also offer a 30-day grace period.

Question 6

Can I apply for a claim while I am overseas?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The quickest and easiest way is to download our app, FWD eServices. Find out more here. You can also send in a claim by post. For advice and support, please call our Service Hotline on +852 3123 3123.

Question 7

How do I file a claim?

Accepted Answer

This depends on the type of cover you have. The fastest and easiest way to make a claim is through FWD eServices, our fast and easy app. Through FWD eServices, you can file a claim and for some plans, get paid instantly.

Question 8

What documents do I need for filing a hospitalisation claim?

Accepted Answer

This depends on the plan that you have. Please refer to the hospitalisation claim process on our website

Question 9

Who should sign a claim form?

Accepted Answer

All claim forms should be signed by the policyholder. The exceptions are loss of life (death) claims which need to be applied for by the beneficiary. Details can be found on the claims section of our website. If the policyholder is also the insured person and is unable to sign the claim form, a close relative can complete the form on behalf of the policyholder. If this is the case, please advise us and state the relationship on the claim form. We sometimes request proof of this relationship.

Question 10

Can I ask for my claims payment to be in a different currency?

Accepted Answer

Ordinarily, all claim payments will be made in the policy currency. Upon request, a US dollar policy can be paid in Hong Kong dollars.

Question 11

Can I ask for my claim cheque to be sent directly to me, not via my agent?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Simply let us know by calling our Customer Engagement team on 3123 3123. If not, it will be processed via your agent.

Question 12

Can I upgrade my hospital accommodation from what is covered in my policy?

Accepted Answer

Please call us and we can discuss your options in advance. If you’re already claiming and the hospital accommodation is outside the benefit class covered by your policy, we may make an adjustment to the claim settlement.

Question 13

Do I have to pay for my medical report fee?

Accepted Answer

Yes. If your attending doctor charges you for the report, you will be responsible for the payment.

Question 14

Can you tell me about your instant claims service?

Accepted Answer

This is something we’re very excited about! Our smart technology uses algorithms to ensure we can pay and process certain claims in (quite literally) seconds. This includes all FWD life insurance personal accident claims of up to HK$5,000. As part of this we use smart text reading technology to read and validate receipts and other documentation. Your data and personal information are always kept secure and totally safe.

Question 15

What is Common Reporting Standard?

Accepted Answer

The Common Reporting Standard (“CRS”) is a standard for the Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information (“AEOI”) between participating jurisdictions to enhance tax transparency and fight against cross-border tax evasion.

Question 16

What is the Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information?

Accepted Answer

The Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information (“AEOI”) is a new system that involves the transmission of financial account information from Hong Kong to an overseas tax jurisdiction with which Hong Kong has entered into an AEOI agreement.

Question 17

How does CRS affect new and pre-existing customers?

Accepted Answer

To identify reportable persons, if you purchase insurance policy from FWD Life Insurance Company (Bermuda) Limited (“FWD”) on or after 1 January 2017, FWD will require you to provide a self-certification form to confirm your tax residency. If your insurance policy was purchased before 1 January 2017, FWD will identify your tax residency based on your existing account information. If necessary, FWD will ask you to provide a self-certification to confirm your tax residency.

Question 18

Who will be the reportable persons under AEOI?

Accepted Answer

Individuals or entities who hold financial accounts with FWD and are liable to tax by reason of residence in the AEOI participating jurisdictions are reportable persons. Financial account information of reportable persons will be furnished to the Inland Revenue Department (“IRD”) and IRD will then transmit the information to the tax administration of the relevant jurisdiction of which the account holder is tax resident.

Question 19

What is a self-certification?

Accepted Answer

A self-certification is a formal declaration that the account holder makes in connection with his/her tax residence. An account holder is required to make a formal declaration when he/she is applying for an insurance policy and/or the account holder has subsequent changes in circumstances and/or when FWD has doubt about your tax residence. A beneficiary is also required to make a formal declaration when he/she is submitting a death claims.

Question 20

What information does reporting financial institution collect and report?

Accepted Answer

In general, information including your name, address, tax identification number, date of birth, place of birth, jurisdiction to which the information is reportable, policy number and the account balance or value as of the end of the calendar year of financial accounts held by reportable persons will be collected by reportable financial institution and reported to IRD.

Question 21

Why am I asked to provide my tax residency in the self-certification?

Accepted Answer

Under the Inland Revenue (Amendment) (No. 3) Ordinance 2016, reporting financial institutions are required to apply the due diligence procedures to identify the tax residency of the account holders and controlling persons for the purpose of AEOI. Therefore an account holder is required to provide his/her tax residency to a reporting financial institution.

Question 22

What should I do if there are changes in circumstances affecting my tax residency?

Accepted Answer

You are required to advise the reporting financial institution of any change in circumstances which affects your tax residency and provide the reporting financial institution with a suitably updated self-certification form within 30 days of such change in circumstances.

Question 23

Which countries are AEOI participating jurisdictions?

Accepted Answer

There are more than 100 countries or jurisdictions committed to the AEOI including China, Macau, United Kingdom, Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, etc. You may refer to the OECD CRS portal for the complete list of participating jurisdictions.

Question 24

How do I get more information and advice?

Accepted Answer

For more details, you are advised to visit the IRD website or the OECD website or contact your tax advisor.

Question 25

How do I check my policy document?

Accepted Answer

After your policy has been issued, you can log in to FWD eServices to review your policy document and edit your personal information.

Question 26

How do I file a claim?

Accepted Answer

Claim method varies by protection categories, please click here for full claim support details.

Question 27

How do I know if my application is successful?

Accepted Answer

After submitting your online application, you will receive a confirmation email with policy reference number. You are also welcomed to contact us at 3123 3338 to learn about your application status.

Question 28

I am unsure about my health conditions during application, what should I do?

Accepted Answer

Please contact our financial advisor at 3180 0658 for further assistance.

Question 29

What document do I need for online application?

Accepted Answer

You would need your HKID card and credit card for online payment during application.

Question 30

What will be the consequence if I incorrectly declared my health condition or medical record during my application?

Accepted Answer

If any of the statements and declarations given in the application are inaccurate or incomplete, we reserve the right to cancel the policy, decline claim, or to re-issue the policy with changes even after the policy has been issued.

Question 31

What is insurance levy?

Accepted Answer

To support the financial independence of the Insurance Authority (IA), starting from 1 January 2018, a levy on insurance premiums will be collected from policy holders through insurance companies. The levy rate in the first phase will be 0.04% of the insurance premium and there will be a levy cap. Policy holders must pay the levy in accordance with the law. The insurance levy applies to new business and inforce policies with premium payment of both life insurance and general insurance policies. However, reinsurance business, policies underwritten by authorized captive insurers, and marine, aviation and goods-in-transit business are exempt from the levy.

Question 32

What if a policy holder refuses to pay the levy?

Accepted Answer

If a policy holder refuses to pay the required levy, the Insurance Authority (IA) may impose on the policy holder a pecuniary penalty of up to HKD5,000. The IA may recover the outstanding levy as a civil debt due to it.

Question 33

Can a policy holder pay levy directly to the Insurance Authority (IA)?

Accepted Answer

As stipulated in the Insurance (Levy) Regulation, policy holders must pay the levy through insurance companies.

Question 34

How can I know the exact amount of the premium levy?

Accepted Answer

Premium and levy payable will be separately shown in the premium notice and premium reminder to facilitate the policy holder to arrange payment. A levy statement, which shows the details of levy payment, will also be available for the policy holder upon request.

Question 35

Are there any policies exempted from the levy?

Accepted Answer

All life insurance policies are subject to the levy. Except for marine, aviation and good-in-transit business of general insurance, general insurance policies are also subject to the levy. Group life insurance policies with medical protection offered by employers will be subject to the levy cap for general insurance policies.

Question 36

Will levy be refunded to policy holders?

Accepted Answer

Refund of levy is allowed if the corresponding premium becomes refundable, e.g. alter from inception, cancellation of policies, cooling off, etc. However, there will not be refund of levy if the amount of levy payable on premium after refund has reached the levy cap and for cancellation of policies that do not constitute any premium refund.

Question 37

If a policy holder makes a payment that is less than the sum of premium and levy payable, will FWD deduct the levy from the premium?

Accepted Answer

FWD will discuss with policy holder as to how the payment will be used to settle the premium and the levy payable and endeavor to collect any outstanding levy from the policy holder. To avoid unintended policy termination, FWD will not deduct the levy from the premium.

Question 38

If a policy holder pays an exact premium amount via bank autopay service, will the levy be debited together with the premium payment?

Accepted Answer

FWD will notify the policy holder of the default arrangement of debiting the levy together with the premium via autopay service. The policy holder needs to revise the direct debit authorization limit to cater for the levy to be collected.

Question 39

If a policy holder pays premium by Automatic Policy Loan (APL), will the levy be deducted from APL as well?

Accepted Answer

If a policy is being paid by APL, levy will also be deducted by APL and be part of it.

Question 40

Will levy impact the coverage, benefit, or return of a policy?

Accepted Answer

Levy is separated from premium. The payment or non-payment of which the levy will not impact the coverage, benefit, or return of a policy.

Question 41

How can I change my contact information?

Accepted Answer

You can update your contact information on FWD eServices. Please click the button below for the step-by-step guide.

Question 42

How can I obtain a copy of my insurance contract?

Accepted Answer

You can request it through FWD eServices. Please click the button below for the step-by-step guide. Please note that there is an administration fee of HK$100.

Question 43

My policy has lapsed but I’d like to reactivate it. How do I go about this?

Accepted Answer

We’d love to welcome you back as a customer. Please fill in Part B of the "Policy Services Request Form" You’ll need to pay any arrears (outstanding payments) which may include a small amount of interest (click here for payment methods). Submit the form, together with a proof of address (dated within the last three months) plus a copy of your identity card.

Question 44

Can I withdraw any dividends that are attached to my policy?

Accepted Answer

Yes you can. Please complete and submit the "Policy Services Request Form" together with a copy of your identity card and proof of address (dated within the last three months). All being well, this will take around five working days to process. You can also bring the required documents to one of our Insurance Solutions Centres for our “Quick Cheque Issuance Service”. Your request will be processed within two working days.

Question 45

Can you tell me about your “Quick Cheque Issuance Service”?

Accepted Answer

Here’s how it works: You can apply for cash coupons or dividends as well as a loan from your policy (this would be payable by cheque).This can be done at our Insurance Solutions Centre in Sheung Wan Monday-Friday from 9am-12pm and 2pm-5pm..The maximum withdrawal is HK$100,000 per day per policy.Your application via our other Insurance Solutions Centre will be processed within two working days.

Question 46

What is the exchange rate of an individual insurance policy?

Accepted Answer

For details, please refer to the exchange rates here.

Question 47

Can you tell me about participating policies?

Accepted Answer

This refers to a life insurance policy that gives customers what’s known as ‘dividend’ payments.Our participating policy has five main features:Guaranteed loss of life (death) benefit along with other payable benefits Guaranteed cash value offered for loan or upon surrenderGuaranteed cash coupons at certain designated timesNon-guaranteed dividends every yearNon-guaranteed cash bonuses paid upon certain events, such as loss of life, policy surrender, policy maturity, or when your policy has been active for a certain length of timeSome features are only applicable to in-force plans - i.e. plans that are active.

Question 48

What is your dividend / bonus declaration policy?

Accepted Answer

Please refer to the full details here.

Question 49

What is FWD eServices?

Accepted Answer

FWD eServices is our customer app, designed so that you have everything you need, all in one place. Think of it as a customer service hub with lots of added extras. The app is available to download on your mobile device. It’s fast and completely free to download.

Question 50

I’ve never used an app. Do I have to use this one?

Accepted Answer

Not at all. If you’re happier managing your insurance as you’ve always done so, that’s fine by us. However, do bear in mind that FWD eServices has been designed to create a simpler, faster and smoother insurance experience – whether that’s paying your renewal premium, updating your details, or (if your plan is eligible) making a claim. Registering is fast and completely free.

Question 51

Why are you asking me to use face ID? What is this?

Accepted Answer

This is what’s known as biometric set-up and involves finger and face ID. It’s optional and simply an extra layer of security designed to keep your data safe. It means that only you can access your account and your account can only be accessed on the devices you choose and trust.

Question 52

Can you tell me about your instant claims service?

Accepted Answer

This is something we’re very excited about! Our smart technology uses algorithms and smart technology to ensure we can pay and process certain claims in (quite literally) seconds. This includes FWD life insurance personal accident claims and hospitalisation claims up to HK$5,000 and HK$50,000 respectively. As part of this we use text reading technology to read and validate receipts and other documentation. Your data and personal information is always kept secure and totally safe.

Question 53

Can you tell me what’s new in FWD eServices?

Accepted Answer

We now offer instant claims approval and pay-out for our FWD life insurance personal accident plans (up to HK$5,000) and hospitalisation (up to HK$50,000). We’ve also simplified the claims experience for all customers - meaning a much faster, easier, and completely online claims experience.Additionally, we have a new and enhanced design making it far more intuitive to navigate the app and complete the tasks you want to do – access all your policy details, update your information instantly and track your claims in one place.

Question 54

How do I know if I can access the app via my smart phone or mobile device?

Accepted Answer

The FWD eServices app is available on all iOS and Android devices. If you’re having any issues, please get in touch. In the meantime, you can access FWD eServices via our website or head to the web browser version of our Customer Portal.

Question 55

Is FWD eServices free?

Accepted Answer

Yes – It’s a completely free service for all FWD customers, together with policyholder of General Insurance of Bolttech Insurance (Hong Kong) Company Limited (“bolttech insurance”). FWD Life Insurance Company (Bermuda) Limited is a third-party administrator appointed by bolttech Insurance

Question 56

If I previously used Face ID or fingerprint authentication to log in to eServices, do I need to re-register to log in to FWD eServices?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and this is simply to protect your online identity and data.

Question 57

Can I still use the desktop version of Customer Portal?

Accepted Answer

Yes of course. We’ve kept this service for customers who prefer to use a desktop computer or laptop.

Question 58

How do you protect my personal information provided to FWD eServices?

Accepted Answer

At FWD, protecting your personal data is our utmost priority. We’re committed to managing the information you give us with fairness and integrity, abiding to all data management laws, guidelines and best possible protocol. Please read our Personal Data Protection Policy and Practices to reassure you that we treat all personal information with the highest respect and discretion.

Question 59

What should I do if I’ve forgotten my FWD eServices log-in or password?

Accepted Answer

Please fill in the information for "Forgot Login ID / password" on the FWD eServices app home page to reset Login ID / password.

Question 60

If I’m claiming via FWD eServices and am scanning my documents (for example, receipts), should I keep these originals, for reference?

Accepted Answer

Yes, please do keep all original copies for three months (even after you’ve been paid). Occasionally these documents may be required to verify a claim application or as part of our own internal auditing and checks.

Question 61

How can I get my insurance discounts via [i.fwd.com.hk](https://www.fwd.com.hk/online-insurance/en/)?

Accepted Answer

Register online as an FWD Member to enjoy discounts and other offers.

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