Pros Explained
- Wide range of discounts available – Not only does Travelers have a menu of discounts available to drivers; the quote process also takes the time to point out which ones may be available to you.
- Accident forgiveness and decreasing deductible options – Drivers with good driving records may choose a Responsible Driver Plan that can forgive one accident or minor violation every 36 months, or a Premier Responsible Driver Plan that can decrease your deductible by $50 every six months without a claim, up to $500 total, as well as waive your deductible in case of the total loss of your vehicle.
- Insures nonbinary drivers – The Travelers quote generation process allows drivers to choose “not specified” for gender, rather than requiring all customers to choose “male” or “female.” It appears that the underwriting process can also handle creating a policy for a nonbinary driver, as the quotes for a nonbinary driver were similar to (or better) than quotes for similar male or female drivers.
Cons Explained
- Not available in all 50 states – Travelers auto insurance is not available in Alaska, Hawaii, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Additionally, not all of the company’s auto insurance discounts are available in all states.
- High number of customer complaints – The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) compiles consumer complaints about insurance companies. As of 2019 Travelers Insurance has 4.5 times as many complaints as the industry average for its private passenger auto insurance.
COVID-19 Assistance
Travelers instituted several types of financial relief for its auto insurance customers in response to the COVID-19 epidemic and its resultant fallout. The insurer provided a 15% Stay-at-Home Auto Premium Credit to all customers for the months of April, May, and June. Travelers also offered billing relief from March 26, 2020, to June 15, 2020, during which time it suspended cancellation and nonrenewal for nonpayment and did not charge interest, late fees, or penalties for customers who were in arrears. Though these offerings have expired, customers who are still experiencing economic distress are invited to call Travelers to work out an individual solution with a billing representative.
Travelers Car Insurance Coverage
Drivers can expect access to the following types of auto insurance coverage through Travelers:
Liability Coverage
This kind of coverage protects drivers in the event of either bodily injury or property damage after an at-fault accident. Every state except New Hampshire requires liability coverage, and it’s smart to carefully consider how much coverage you carry.
Travelers bodily injury insurance can cover expenses for anyone injured in an accident, which includes passengers in your car, a driver or passengers in another car, and pedestrians. The specific expenses that your bodily injury liability may cover include the following:
- Hospital and Medical Bills
- Lost Wages
- Pain and Suffering
- Rehabilitation Services
- In-Home Healthcare Services
- Legal Fees
- Bail Bonds
- Court Costs
Property damage liability through Travelers can cover the cost to repair or replace a car or other type of property that is damaged in an accident where you are at fault. This kind of coverage may also help pay for your defense if you are sued.
Collision Coverage
If you strike another car or object, or if your car rolls over, collision coverage can help to pay for the repair or replacement of your car. Though collision coverage is not required by law, many drivers of leased vehicles will be required to carry it. It’s important to remember that Travelers collision coverage comes with policy limits and will be subject to a deductible.
Comprehensive Coverage
While collision coverage is for damage to your car from hitting another car or object or rolling over, comprehensive coverage can help pay for damage that comes from something other than a collision or rollover. Travelers comprehensive coverage can help pay to repair or replace your car after one of the following events:
- Theft
- Fire
- Vandalism
- Severe Weather (windstorm, hail, flood)
- Animal Impact
The maximum comprehensive coverage is equal to the actual cash value of your car minus your deductible. Remember that the actual cash value is the amount the car is worth as of the day it is damaged, not how much you paid for it originally.
Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage
What happens if you get into an accident where a driver who does not carry insurance or who does not carry enough liability coverage is at fault? How will you pay for vehicle repair or replacement or medical costs?
That’s what uninsured motorist coverage and underinsured motorist coverage are for. They can help pay for your damages or injuries if you’re in an accident with a motorist without coverage or without enough coverage. These extend to you, your family, and your passengers. In addition, if you are hit by an uninsured driver as a pedestrian, you can be covered as well.
Uninsured motorist coverage is required by 19 states—Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin—and the District of Columbia, but it can be a good idea for every driver, no matter where they live, as it provides an added layer of financial protection. Underinsured motorist coverage is required in 16 states—Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Medical Payments Coverage
This kind of coverage is optional, but it can help to cover the medical expenses needed to treat injuries to you or your passengers from an accident involving your vehicle, up to your policy limits. Medical payments coverage is available to you no matter who is at fault in the accident. Travelers medical payments coverage may also kick in if you are struck by a car as a pedestrian.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Coverage
PIP coverage may also be referred to as “no-fault” insurance, because it pays out for covered claims no matter who is at fault in an accident. It extends to you, family members who live with you, and your passengers. That means if you or a family member are injured in an accident while driving someone else’s car, or if you or a family member are injured as a pedestrian, it will pay out for covered claims.
Specifically, PIP takes care of covered medical and hospital expenses and may also cover lost wages, child care expenses, and other household-related services while you are recovering. It may also pay for funeral expenses. Seventeen states—Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Utah—require all drivers to carry PIP coverage.
Optional Coverage
Travelers offers a number of optional coverage options for drivers who would like to have fuller coverage for a number of potential needs:
- Loan/Lease Gap Insurance – Drivers who finance or lease their cars may be interested in gap insurance, which can cover the difference between the current value of the vehicle and what is owed on it should the car get totaled.
- Rental Car Insurance – If your car is damaged and will be at the repair show for more than 24 hours because of a covered accident, this kind of coverage will pay for your rental vehicle.
- New Car Replacement – Total your new car within the first five years of ownership, and this coverage can pay to replace it with a brand new car of the same make and model.
How much you can expect to pay for auto insurance through Travelers is dependent on several factors, including your accident history, age, gender, location, the vehicle you are insuring, and your credit score. For instance, a 42-year-old woman with a clean driving in Antioch, Tenn., driving a 2018 Toyota Camry will pay $132 upon signing and $132 per month, or $792 total for a six-month policy term. However, a 24-year-old man with two accidents on his record who is also driving a 2018 Camry in Antioch, Tenn., will pay $560 upon signing and $224 per month, or $1,679 total for his six-month policy term.
Refreshingly, Travelers Insurance does allow for a nonbinary gender choice in the online quote generation process. In addition to male and female, the drop-down box also includes “not specified.” (This may not be the most progressive language choice, but it is heartening to see that the company offers the option.)
When generating a quote using the same information as above, a 42-year-old nonbinary driver’s policy will cost slightly more than that of a 42-year-old woman, with a $143 due upon signing and a $143 per month premium, or $857 total for the six-month premium. The quote for a 24-year-old nonbinary driver with two accidents was less than the quote for the 24-year-old male driver: $225 due on signing and $225 per month, with a six-month total of $1,352.
Travelers Car Insurance Discounts
The myriad of discounts offered by Travelers is one of its selling points. You may be able to save on your auto insurance premiums with the following discounts:
Payment Discounts
- EFT, Paid-in-Full, and Good Payer Discounts – Depending on how you pay your premiums, you can save money. Sign up for electronic funds transfer (EFT) payments and save 2% to 3% on your premiums. Pay in full every six months, rather than monthly, and you can save up to 7.5%. And if you consistently pay your premiums on time, you can save up to 15%
- Multiple Policy Discount – Customers who bundle homeowners or condo insurance with their auto policy can save up to 13%.
- Multiple Vehicle Discount – Insure two or more cars with Travelers, and you can save up to 8% on your premiums.
- Early Quote Discount – New customers who generate a quote with Travelers before their previous insurance expires may be eligible for a 3% to 10% discount, depending on how far in advance you shop for the new policy.
- Continuous Insurance Discount – If you have no gaps in your auto insurance coverage, you could qualify for a discount of up to 15%.
Driver Habits and History
- Home Ownership Discount – If you own a home or condo, you may be eligible for a 5% discount on your auto insurance with Travelers, even if you insure your home with another company.
- Safe Driver Discount – Customers who have no accidents, violations, or major comprehensive claims in their household for the past three years could save up to 10%. If the safe driving history has lasted five years or longer, and the discount may be increased to 23%.
- Driver Training Discount – Young drivers who have completed an approved driver education course could qualify for a discount of up to 8%.
- Good Student Discount – If your household includes a driver who is fully enrolled in high school or college, you could receive a discount of up to 8% if the student maintains a B average or better.
- Student Away at School Discount – If your household includes a student who goes to school at least 100 miles away and therefore will not be driving one of the covered cars, you may qualify for a discount of up to 7%.
- Affinity Programs – The insurer partners with a number of businesses, associations, and credit unions to offer discounts to employees and members who insure with Travelers.
- IntelliDrive Program – This usage-based program employs a smartphone app to monitor your driving for 90 days. Safe drivers could save up to 20% on their policy as of the next renewal. However, drivers who engage in risky behavior may see their premiums increase.
Vehicle Discounts
- Hybrid/Electric Vehicle Discount – Drivers who own or lease a hybrid or an electric car may be eligible for a discount.
- New Car Discount – If you drive a car that is less than three years old, you may be eligible for a discount of up to 10%.
The following discounts are not available in California:
- Early Quote
- EFT
- New Car
- Safe Driver
- Continuous Insurance
- Multiple Vehicle Discount
Travelers Car Insurance Availability
Drivers in the following seven states cannot get insurance with Travelers:
- Alaska
- Hawaii
- Michigan
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
However, Travelers auto insurance is available in Washington, D.C.
Travelers Customer Service
Travelers offers a mobile app for both iOS and Android. The app purportedly allows you to view and download your insurance cards, make payments, report a claim, get roadside assistance, and contact your claim professional. However, it’s somewhat telling that the app also provides a “link to log in to [Travelers] full website for additional services.” Apps generally offer more than a link to a full website.
Users seem to agree with that assessment. The Travelers app has a 2.3 out of five star rating on the Apple store, and a 3.6 out of five star rating on Google Play. The Travelers website states that a new app, called “MyTravelers,” will be coming soon. In addition to the above features, the new app will also allow users to file and track the status of a claim and chat live with representatives during business hours, which are Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, excluding holidays. However, it is unclear when the new app will debut, and the additional features often come standard with other insurers’ mobile apps.
Customers can also handle their insurance tasks via the website or by calling customer service. There are separate lines for each customer service issue, and these lines are not all staffed 24/7. However, general customer service questions can be answered by calling 800-842-5075, which is available 24/7 and 365 days per year.
Satisfaction Ratings
Customer dissatisfaction with the Travelers mobile app seems to be borne out by their overall satisfaction with the insurer. J.D. Power, which generates annual studies on customer satisfaction within the insurance industry, consistently ranks Travelers as below average in several metrics.
In particular, Travelers Insurance ranks below the industry average in every geographic area in J.D. Power’s 2020 U.S. Auto Insurance Satisfaction Study. In some cases Travelers ranks near the bottom for satisfaction. Claims satisfaction is also lower than average. The 2019 J.D. Power Claims Satisfaction Study ranks Travelers at 865 on a 1,000 point scale in terms of customer satisfaction with the claims process. This is only slightly below the industry average of 868, but combined with the overall satisfaction level, it’s an important metric to know when choosing your auto insurance provider.
Complaint Index
Insurance shoppers seeking to understand how well an insurer meets its customers’ needs can also consider the number of complaints lodged against the company. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) compiles consumer complaints about insurers and compares the information with the industry average. NAIC sets the industry average complaints at 1.0, meaning a company with a score of 2.0 has twice the number of complaints as the average insurer. As noted earlier, Travelers’ NAIC score is 4.50, which means it receives four-and-a-half times the number of complaints compared with the industry average.
Financial Stability
Knowing that your auto insurer will be able to meet its future financial obligations, including any potential claims you may have to file, can also help you to feel confident about your choice of insurance company. AM Best rates insurers on financial strength, giving a Financial Strength Rating represented by a letter. The Financial Strength Rating assigned to Liberty Mutual is A++, which is the highest rating AM Best offers. This means that AM Best believes Travelers has a superior ability to meet its ongoing insurance obligations.
Other Insurance Provided by Travelers
Travelers Insurance has a full menu of other insurance options, on top of its auto insurance. These include:
How to Make a Car Insurance Claim With Travelers
If you need to file a claim with Travelers, you can either do so on its website, through its mobile app, or by calling 800-238-6225, which is available 24/7. When you file your claim, you will need the following information:
- Policy or Account Number
- Contact Information
- Date and Description of the Incident
You will be able to track the status of your claim online or by calling 800-238-6225 during business hours, which are Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. local time. Until the MyTravelers app debuts, there is currently no way to track your claim via mobile app.
Travelers Cancellation Policy
Travelers will cancel auto insurance policies for nonpayment. If a customer chooses to cancel their policy, it is unclear from the Travelers website what they will need to do in order to cancel. Customers may need to talk directly to a customer service specialist to determine the rules surrounding policy cancellation.
Get a Travelers Car Insurance Quote
Customers interested in getting insurance through Travelers can generate a quote online or by phone at 888-695-4625, which is staffed Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET, Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. ET, and Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. In either case you will need to provide the following information about you and your car:
- Name, Age, and Address
- Make, Model, and Year
- Accident History
- Insurance History
Compare Other Car Insurance Reviews
Travelers will not be the right auto insurer for every driver. The number of potential discounts can make it an attractive prospect for many drivers, as can the fact that Travelers allows for nonbinary drivers. However, the lack of a well-rated and robust mobile app and the high number of complaints may turn off potential customers. It’s also important to remember that every insurer has its own underwriting process and offers different discounts and incentives, meaning it is impossible to know which insurer will offer you the best value without generating multiple quotes to compare.
Verdict
Travelers offers customers some impressive discounts and has a superior financial strength rating. Add to that the progressive inclusion of nonbinary drivers, and many shoppers may find that this is the right insurer for them.
However, drivers who want a great mobile app or are leery of a company with a lot of complaints may be concerned about how Travelers scores on those issues. These considerations should be weighed with the company’s positive attributes when deciding if Travelers is right for you.
Methodology
Investopedia is dedicated to furnishing consumers with unbiased, comprehensive reviews of car insurance providers. We reviewed each insurance provider’s coverage options, available discounts, customer services, and satisfaction ratings to ensure that our content helps users make the right insurance decision for their needs.
