We accept credit and debit cards, PayPal, and SEPA direct debit, and all charges are processed in euros. Card or PayPal is required for your first payment at signup; SEPA direct debit can be used for your recurring payments once your policy is active. Your first payment is taken at signup and covers either a full or partial first month, with recurring billing on the 1st of each month within your active policy period thereafter. If a payment fails, you can retry it from your account after resolving the issue, using a card or PayPal — retries can't be collected by SEPA direct debit. Refund eligibility depends on when you cancel relative to your policy start date and purchase date.
What payment methods can I use for expat health insurance?
We accept the following payment methods for expat health insurance:
Credit and debit cards from major providers, including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover.
PayPal, which lets you pay without sharing your card details.
SEPA direct debit from any IBAN that supports SEPA payments, including some accounts based outside the EU.
When you first purchase a policy, you can pay only by credit card, debit card, or PayPal. SEPA direct debit is not available at checkout. Once your policy is active, you can add SEPA direct debit as your payment method, and we'll use it for your recurring monthly premiums.
What currency are my payments charged in?
We process all charges in euros (EUR). If your payment method is linked to a different currency, your bank may apply its own foreign exchange conversion rate or additional fees.
When am I first charged for expat health insurance, and how does ongoing billing work?
Your first payment for your expat health policy is taken on the day you sign up. At checkout you enter your payment method manually, and you can use a credit card, debit card, or PayPal — SEPA direct debit is not available for this first payment. The payment method you enter is saved as your default. If your policy starts on the 1st of a month, we charge the full monthly premium at checkout. If your policy starts mid-month, your first payment is prorated to cover only the remaining days of that month.
After that, we automatically charge you on the 1st of each month that falls within your active policy period, and billing continues until you cancel. Once your policy is active, you can switch your default payment method to SEPA direct debit for these recurring charges.
For example, if you sign up on June 10th for a policy starting September 1st, you are charged the full September premium at checkout on June 10th, and the next charge is automatically withdrawn on October 1st.
If your policy starts on July 15th instead, your first charge covers July 15–31, and the next charge is automatically withdrawn on August 1st for the full month of August.
Will I be charged for 30 days if I only need Expat health insurance briefly or cancel early?
All Expat health insurance policies have a 30-day minimum period, even if you only need cover for a few days or cancel shortly after your policy starts. Your Expat health insurance policy stays active until the end of the 30-day minimum, and you pay for that full period. The 30-day minimum does not apply in 2 cases:
If you cancel within 14 days of purchase and have not made any claims, you receive a full refund.
If you switch from Expat health insurance to Public health insurance (GKV) or Private health insurance (PKV) through us, the 30-day minimum does not apply.
How the 30-day minimum is billed depends on your policy start date:
If your Expat health insurance policy starts on the 1st of a month, your first monthly payment at checkout covers the 30-day minimum, so no additional charge applies.
If your Expat health insurance policy starts mid-month, your first payment at checkout is prorated and covers only the remaining days of that month. Your first payment is not a full monthly premium. On the 1st of the following month, we charge a prorated amount for the rest of the 30-day minimum. This charge applies even if you have already canceled.
Your coverage stays active until the end of the 30-day minimum period, so you remain insured for every day you pay for.
For example, you purchase your Expat health insurance policy on June 10th, your policy starts on July 15th, and you only need cover until July 20th. Your first payment at checkout is prorated for July 15–31. On August 1st, we charge a prorated amount for August 1–14 to complete the 30-day minimum. Your coverage stays active through August 14th, and your policy ends after that date.
Can I change my payment method or billing date?
You can update your payment method at any time by following these steps:
Sign in to your Feather account: https://app.feather-insurance.com/account/signin/question/email
Open the account section in the menu.
Select account settings.
Select "Billing and payment."
Select "Payment method."
Select "Add payment method" to open the payment details section.
Enter your new card or IBAN details.
Select "Make this my primary payment method" if you want the new method used for future premium payments.
Once saved, the updated payment details apply to your account immediately.
If you're settling a failed payment and SEPA direct debit is currently your primary payment method, you must set a card or PayPal as primary here before you retry.
The billing date cannot be changed — recurring payments are fixed to the 1st of each month.
What happens if a payment fails, and how do I retry it?
If a payment fails, you'll receive an email notification and see a billing error in your account. You can retry the payment at any time from your account once you've resolved the issue. Retries are collected from your default payment method, and SEPA direct debit can't be used — if SEPA direct debit is your default, set a card or PayPal as your default first. The collection is instant, and you can set SEPA direct debit back as your default once the balance is paid. Common fixes include:
Adding funds to your bank account.
Removing a restriction with your card provider.
Updating your payment details or setting a different default payment method.
What refund options are available if I cancel my expat health policy?
Refund eligibility depends on when you cancel relative to your expat health policy start date and purchase date:
If you cancel before your expat health policy start date, you receive a full refund because no coverage has begun.
If you cancel within 14 days of purchase and have not made any claims, you receive a full refund even if the policy has already started.
If you cancel more than 14 days after purchase, you do not receive a refund, but your policy remains active until the end of the paid calendar month.
One exception is if you cancel within the first 30 days after your policy start date and outside the 14-day purchase window, you have the option to end coverage at the close of the 30-day minimum period rather than at the end of the second calendar month. If you have already been charged for a full second calendar month, we refund the prorated amount for the days beyond that 30-day minimum.
For example, if your expat health policy started on May 25th and you cancel on June 15th outside the 14-day purchase window, you can choose to end coverage on June 24th (the end of your 30-day minimum). In that case, you would receive a prorated refund for June 25–30 from the full June premium charged on June 1st.
The other exception is if you also hold a public or full private health insurance policy with us, you may be eligible for a partial refund on your expat health insurance charges for that month, which we typically process automatically.
Refunds take 3–7 business days to appear, depending on your bank.