When do you pay excess on insurance

The excess level tends to be higher for new drivers with less driving experience, or those who drive high-performance cars - depending on the car's insurance group. Voluntary excess gives you control over the cost of your car insurance. You decide how much to pay.

Added to your compulsory excess, you will need to pay both in the event of an accident so make sure you can afford to pay this amount in the event of an accident. You may either choose a lower voluntary excess for a higher premium, or a higher voluntary excess for a lower premium. However, our Uninsured Driver Promise means that this will be refunded if the other party isn't insured. The driver will need to be identified as uninsured and the claim will need to be settled in your favour for the refund to take place.

Some examples include:. By altering the amount of excess you voluntarily pay, you can see what effect it has on your quote. Make sure the amount set is an amount you are able to pay for the duration of your new car insurance policy if you need to make a claim.

Every time you make a claim this may affect how much you pay when you come to renew. You should always report incidents to your insurer, but if the costs are relatively low and you can afford to pay for the damage yourself, such as a broken wing mirror, then do so. Most policies require that you pay an excess unless the cost of the excess can be recouped from the other driver who caused the accident.

To double check if you need to pay the excess, you can start a claim online. This can lower your up-front cost because some of the risk has now been transferred from your insurer back to you. If the damage to your vehicle is minor, and the cost of repairing it is less than your excess, lodging a claim is unnecessary.

Your Certificate of Insurance will show the types of excess that you might have to pay if you make a claim. When you make a claim your insurer will either deduct the applicable excesses from the amount it pays you, or direct you to pay the excesses to it, or to the appointed repairer or supplier.

Your insurer may require you to pay the excess in full before it pays your claim or provides any benefits under your policy. In some situations your insurer may waive any excess that applies, and under some policies there may be no excess at all. For instance, if you are involved in a car accident your insurer may waive the excess if you were not at fault and you can provide the name and address of the person who was. When do you have to pay the excess? Compare quotes. Types of additional excess Depending on the type of claim you might have to pay a different or additional excess.

Make sure you check for any additional excess before you take out a policy. Non-approved repairers When your car is damaged, call the insurer first. What is excess protection insurance? You can buy it as a standalone policy or as a paid-for extra from some insurers. How do I know how much excess I need to pay? When you compare car insurance, the total amount of excess is displayed on the results page. The amount of voluntary and compulsory excess will also be listed in your policy documents.