This has particular application when booking AirAsia flights from Australia, because there is no booking fee charged by AirAsia if the tickets are paid for through Paypal.
Online response from Citibank:-
"We confirm that as long as the tickets are purchased in full using your
credit card even if it went through Paypal, you will still be covered
with the complimentary International Travel Insurance."
Yep for sure. Their message resides in my Citibank account mail box, and also I ran off a few copies. I already have some AirAsia Paypal bookings, but I needed to make sure that I had travel insurance coverage. Actually, sending them messages after logging in via my account was quite easy, and they replied very quickly to both messages.
I called amex before on the same question. They said as long as there was paperwork to link the payment to the full ticket purchase paypal was legit for complimentary travel insurance. Caveat is FULL means every bits and pieces of the ticket need to be paid with this card even you split the amount over multiple transactions
Yes I like your emphasis on full. This is the sort of legalese that can catch you out. Especially with AirAsia as you can add on baggage, food, and seat selection closer to the flight date to reduce your losses if you cancel late. Have to ensure the same card.
Some t & c's also state return travel. Some do not mention the word 'return' but that is another risk if you dont use the same card for the return leg.
I suggest you double check the same question in writing with Zurich Insurance, who are the actual insurance provider. In the event of a claim you deal with Zurich directly, not with Citibank.
Did you get that in writing?
Citibank customer service is mind bending at the best of times :(