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What is a car insurance excess?

What is an excess and who pays it?

An excess is an amount that may apply and that you may need to contribute towards the cost of a claim. Depending on your policy and the type of claim you make, different excesses may apply.

An excess usually applies for most claims unless there's someone else we can recover the costs from, like the driver of another car who caused the accident. In some cases you’ll be asked to pay the excess to the repairer or supplier. We can also deduct it from any payment we make to you.

To find out which excess type applies to your policy, please refer to your policy document or view your policy in your online account.

For more general information about excesses, see our Premium, Excess and Discounts Guide.

If a learner driver uses my car, is my excess affected? Do I need to list them on my policy?

You don’t need to list learner drivers on your policy. Instead, we base any excess related to a claim when the vehicle was driven by a learner driver on the excess of the supervising driver. This excess may be higher if the supervising driver is not listed on your policy.

How does age affect excess?

How age affects excess depends on whether a driver is listed on your policy:

  • For any driver listed on your policy, we take their age into account when calculating their excess
  • If a driver under 25 isn’t listed on your policy, you will pay an additional excess called an undisclosed driver age excess.
  • If a driver aged 25+ isn’t listed on your policy, you may pay an additional excess called an undisclosed driver excess, depending on the type of cover you have.

 

Special note for learner drivers:

For learner drivers, any excess related to a claim when the vehicle was driven by a learner driver is based on the excess of the supervising driver.

How do I know if the damage cost is more than the excess?

When the damage to your car has been inspected, we can discuss the cost of repairs with you.

You can then decide if you'd like to proceed with the claim.

Can I change my excess?

You can increase your excess anytime, but you can only reduce it when your policy is up for renewal.

Changing your excess at renewal

  1. Log in to your account
  2. Look for the policy and select Review renewal
  3. Navigate to the section titles Your excess
  4. Select Change vehicle excess
  5. Select an excess amount
  6. Save and update your policy

Changing your excess at other times

  1. Log in to your account
  2. Select View policy
  3. Select View all details
  4. Scroll down to excess area
  5. Edit your excess
  6. Enter the date you want the change to start
  7. Select Update excess
  8. Click Submit.

My claim hasn't been accepted yet. Can I pay my excess anyway?

Yes, but remember that making an excess payment doesn’t mean we’ll accept your claim.

You can also wait to pay your excess until after we’ve made a decision about your claim.

We’ll let you know when we’ve decided if we’ll accept your claim. If we don’t accept your claim, we’ll refund any excess you’ve paid.

How do I pay my excess?

You can pay your excess online in just a few minutes.

Enter your claim number and postcode. We only accept Visa and Mastercard.

We'll email your receipt and process the payment within 48 hours.

Pay your excess

What other ways can I pay my excess?

If you don't want to pay online, there are some other ways you can pay your excess.

  • Over the phone
    Call 1300 317 526 (available 24/7) with your claim number ready. We accept Visa or MasterCard.

  • With BPAY
    Log in to your online banking and go to BPAY bill payments.
    Enter the biller code and your reference number (find it next to the BPAY logo on your claim letter). It can take up to three days for us to receive your BPAY payment. Call us to make a payment if it’s due sooner than that.

Do I pay an excess if my claim is only for a broken windscreen, window or sunroof?

For glass-damage-only claims (like windscreen damage), you don’t need to pay an excess if you:

  • Have Comprehensive Plus
  • Added no excess for glass damage to your policy
  • Aren’t at fault, and you have the at-fault person’s details.

If you’re only claiming for glass damage, call our glass specialists on 1300 050 912.

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Get a car insurance quote online

Once you know what cover you’re after, you’re ready to get a quote. Here’s a summary of what you’ll need to tell us: 

Details about your car 

Let us know your car’s make and model, where it’s registered and its number plate.

The level of cover you’d like

Select the type of insurance you’re after, when you need the cover to start, and provide details about the condition of your car, what you use it for and where it’s usually parked.

    Details about you

    We'll ask for your birth date, gender and some details on prior claims and driving history. We’ll also ask who else might drive your car regularly and whether you’d like roadside assistance.

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