Travelers insurance is one of the oldest of its kind in the US—it was founded all the way back in 1853 in Minnesota. The company takes great pride in its vast network of agents who offer personalized customer service across the US.
Many Travelers insurance reviews note that the company fosters its image as a caring enterprise that doesn’t just help its customers but also supports local communities and saves the environment. Here we put all of their claims to the test by analyzing reports from industry experts and customers alike to determine how good Travelers is.
Travelers Auto Insurance Review
Overall Product
Financial Strength
Services Offered
Customer Service
Insurance Rates
Carsurance Verdict:
Travelers offers a bunch of discounts, great coverage for new car owners, and reasonable prices. However, its mediocre customer service ratings make it a mixed bag. Nonetheless, if you get an affordable quote from Travelers, it’s worth giving it a shot.
4.3
Pros
- Multiple discounts
- Great network of local agents
- Simple online quotes and good website and mobile app
- Excellent for new car owners
- Good for electric/hybrid car owners
- Good prices
Cons
- Discounts don’t affect premiums that much
- Average customer service
- Not many coverage options
Travelers Auto Insurance – Product Overview
The company’s policies can be bought in 43 states. The company prefers to sell its products through a big network of agents, making the insurance shopping experience more personal and direct.
However, that does not stop it from having an honest and easy-to-navigate website, a great online quote tool, and a decent mobile app that can be used for paying bills, filing claims, contacting roadside assistance, or downloading policy documents.
The discounts and additional coverage options aren’t very extensive, but there are some that Travelers insurance reviews rate as very useful, such as the quick quote guide on the company’s website.
Travelers’ prices are among the cheaper, while its customer service gets average to very good ratings. The company is an established player in the insurance industry, meaning its financial operations have a strong foundation. Something that’s been on the market for more than 150 years has to be good, right?
Join
341 Drivers
Who Got a Quote Today!
- Easy to Use
- Safe & Secure
- Best-Rated Car Insurance Companies
- Assisting Drivers Compare Rates & Save Since 2017
Travelers Review – Financial Strength
Financial strength is one of Travelers’ strongest sides. Being one of the oldest companies in the US insurance industry, Travelers did not make it to where it stands today by handling money irresponsibly.
Put simply, the company has fantastic financial operations, which is confirmed by its highest possible A. M. Best rating of A++, or “Superior.” This information, combined with other Travelers car insurance reviews, indicates that the company will not have trouble paying out claims for the foreseeable future.
For instance, Standard & Poor’s Financial Rating is also an excellent AA. Additionally, the company is 98th on the Fortune 500 US list. It’s also a global player, as it holds 385th on the Fortune 500 global list for 2021. Travelers also has an A rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
Types of Insurance Offered by Travelers Car Insurance
Travelers doesn’t offer as many extra coverage options as its competitors do; nonetheless, almost all options a typical insurance shopper would consider are there.
The standard options include liability coverage, comprehensive coverage, collision coverage, personal injury protection, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, and medical payments coverage. The additional coverage options, which cost extra, include the following:
Gap Coverage
In case your car is totaled in an accident, the Travelers auto insurance claim payment will include the difference between the actual cash value and the amount left on your loan or lease.
Rental Reimbursement
This coverage pays rental car expenses if it takes more than 24 hours for your vehicle to get repaired. The cost of this option varies depending on the price of the insured vehicle; however, even for the maximum coverage, this doesn’t exceed $50 per year. Most insurance companies offer this coverage.
Travelers Insurance Roadside Assistance
This covers the cost of roadside repairs, towing, and locksmith services in case your car breaks down. The roadside helpline operates 24/7. Travelers highlights that their option costs less than independent services. They offer two packages, Basic and Premium, at different prices.
Premier New Car Replacement
If your recently bought car is totaled, Travelers will pay to replace it with a brand new vehicle of the same make and model. Travelers is ahead of the competition here. Namely, it covers the car in its first five years, compared to the competition, which usually covers only two or three years.
This is a nice bonus according to some Travelers reviews. This coverage also includes gap coverage and a lower glass deductible, which can be applied to glass-only losses that include any glass on the vehicle.
Ride-Sharing Coverage
Unfortunately, this option is available only in the states of Colorado and Illinois, with no announcements of covering more states in the future. It expands the insurance offered by ride-sharing companies by providing coverage when you are connected to the Travelers insurance app and waiting to be matched with a passenger.
Accident Forgiveness
Travelers actually offers two options here with their Responsible Driver Plan. The first one is Minor Violation Forgiveness, which prevents every first minor violation that you commit in a 36-month period from increasing your premium. The second one is Accident Forgiveness, which prevents your premium from increasing for every first accident in a 36-month period.
Travelers Insurance Customer Service
Travelers seems to be in the middle of the pack when it comes to customer service. The company has 871 points in J.D. Power’s ranking for 2021, and the industry average is 880. J.D. Power is an authority that ranks auto insurance companies in the aspects of claims processing and insurance shopping satisfaction. The company also holds an excellent rating of A+ on the Better Business Bureau website.
However, many Travelers insurance reviews found on the BBB are very negative, and the overall score is 1.5 stars out of 5. Somef negative reviews can also be seen on sites like Yelp or USInsuranceAgents; however, this can be attributed to the fact that a customer is more likely to take the time and effort to leave a review if the experience with the company was truly negative.
It should be noted that many customers complained that they experienced long waiting times during Travelers insurance claim process, not that they were dissatisfied with the end results.
On the other hand, a mark in favor of the customer service is the company’s NAIC complaint ratio, 0.40, which is way better than the national average of 1.00 (the lower the ratio is, the better).
Progressive, for example, has a ratio of 0.84. The company also has many local agents who can be easily reached, offering more personalized communication than online tools and call centers—which are also available and very reliable.
Travelers Insurance Discounts
Travelers offers an excellent choice of discounts, most of which are usually found in the industry. While the discounts aren’t as numerous as those of some of their competitors, like American Family, it’s easy for many drivers to qualify for them.
Bundle Discount – You can save up to 10% on your car insurance and 15% on your home insurance if you buy both options together from Travelers. Additionally, renters can save up to 5% on their car insurance.
Hybrid/Electric Vehicle Discount – If you own or lease an electric or even a hybrid vehicle, you can get a discount on your Travelers insurance quote. It is nice to see a big insurance company take the initiative to reward people who behave in an environmentally friendly manner.
MultiCar Discount – If you insure two or more cars on the same policy, you can save up to 8%.
Home Ownership Discount – Just by owning a home or condo, you can get up to a 5% discount, no matter where you insure that property.
Continuous Insurance Discount – If you do not have gaps in your insurance coverage, you can get up to a 15% discount.
Early Quote Discount – If you get a Travelers auto insurance quote before your current policy expires, you can get a discount that ranges from 3% up to 10%.
Safe Driver Discount – In case you didn’t have any accidents, violations, or major claims added to your record within the last three years, you can save up to 10%. If you have been driving safely for the previous five years, the discount is even higher, at 23%.
Electronic Funds Transfer, Paid in Full, and Good Payer Discounts – In case you pay your policy in full, you can get a discount of up to 7.5%. If you pay via electronic funds transfer, a discount can be from 2% to 3%. Travelers insurance reviews your payments and if it finds that you are consistently paying your premium on time, the discount can reach as much as 15%.
New Car Discount – In case you have a car that is less than three years old, you can get a discount of up to 10%. Nationwide insurance also offers good coverage for the new car owners.
Good Student Discount – High school or college students with GPAs equaling a B average or higher can get up to an 8% discount.
Driver Training Discount – Those who complete an approved driving course can get up to an 8% discount on their Travelers insurance payment.
Student Away at School Discount – If you have a student on your policy who goes to a school at least 100 miles away and won’t be driving your car, you can get a discount of up to 7%.
Affinity Programs – Those who work for companies or belong to groups associated with Travelers can get a discount on homeowners or auto insurance and some additional benefits. However, MetLife is the insurer that offers the best discount to those affiliated with their associated companies.
IntelliDrive Program – Here Travelers Auto Insurance reviews your driving style. It’s a 90-day program that relies on a smartphone app to track how safely you drive. Just by enrolling in this program, you can save on your premium for that term. At renewal, safe drivers can get up to 20% in discounts.
However, riskier drivers should beware, since Travelers may increase their premium instead. There are some competitors, like Nationwide, that won’t raise the premium no matter the scores.
About Insurance Rates
Travelers insurance rating is high partly due to its affordable prices. Only Progressive and Geico have a lower monthly premium according to our analysis for all categories except for 70-year-old drivers; Travelers was more expensive than the competition for that particular category.
However, it should be kept in mind that the discounts that Travelers offers do not reduce premiums as effectively as the discounts offered by the competition.
Perhaps the best course of action is to shop around—get a Travelers car insurance quote and compare it to those offered by other companies to determine where you’re able to get the most out of the discounts provided.
It should be kept in mind as well that underwriters might offer better conditions to the agents who bring them good business regularly, meaning that if you know a reliable agent, you should give them a chance to help you.
Best Alternatives
Travelers vs. State Farm
State Farm was the most expensive option in our study. The company does have a reputation for excellent customer service per some reviewers; however, this is not confirmed by J.D. Power’s rating, where both companies have the same score of 3 out of 5 stars in the claims satisfaction and shopping study.
State Farm does offer some discounts (like those for safety features) that its competitor here does not provide. Additionally, State Farm is more willing to take risky drivers compared to Travelers. Furthermore, Travelers Accident Forgiveness option is slightly less forgiving than the one State Farm offers since even violations made by family members can affect the client’s eligibility.
Travelers vs. Allstate
Allstate tends to be a more expensive option than Travelers, although the difference is not that significant. Allstate has an advantage over Travelers in offering more custom coverage options, like audio system coverage.
When it comes to customer service, both companies score 3 out of 5 stars in J.D. Power’s ranking in claims satisfaction study, while Travelers scores better than Allstate in the insurance shopping study, with 3 stars out of 5 compared to Allstate’s 2 out of 5.
On the other hand, once you get your Travelers insurance claims submitted, you will be disappointed to find out that it doesn’t have guaranteed claims satisfaction like Allstate. With Allstate, you get a refund if you aren’t pleased with the way your claim was processed, which is a great option. If you like this feature, it might be worth the extra money.
Progressive vs. Travelers Insurance
When it comes to customer service, reviews on Travelers Insurance and Progressive seem similar, and both have the same score of 3 out of 5 stars in J.D. Power’s ranking in claims satisfaction and shopping study. However, Travelers might have an advantage here, given its vast network of agents who can help you get the best quote possible.
When it comes to prices, both companies offer competitive rates; nonetheless, Progressive is significantly cheaper. Progressive is also a better option for riskier drivers. Given this information, we would advise the average driver to choose Progressive, because of the lower prices.
However, for those who want a better experience getting a quote, enjoy handy tools like
Travelers Insurance online payment, or people who can take advantage of the specific discounts offered, Travelers can be an excellent choice.
Best Alternatives
For those looking for top-of-the line shopping experience and customer service, Erie, Auto-Owners, and Amica Mutual are great choices. Erie and Progressive also offer great rates and good discounts; however, the former is available only in 13 states. If you have a Travelers vs. Geico dilemma – the latter is slightly costlier, but offers more discounts.
MetLife can be a solid choice for those looking for a significant discount since they offer up to 50% off to those working in an associated company. Perhaps the best course of action is to get different quotes and compare them. This is the only way to be sure that you are getting the best car insurance deal.
Expert Thoughts – Summary of Travelers Auto Insurance Reviews
The reviews and rankings awarded to the company tend to vary from average to very good. The company gets 3 out of 5 stars in both the claims and the shopping satisfaction study by J.D. Power.
Clients love its vast network of agents, the high-quality website, and how easy it was to find the right coverage when using the online tools. Most criticism is related to customer service. But we should keep in mind that people who are happy with the service are less likely to leave comments or reviews. That might create a false image.
Our Travelers review has shown that its prices are among the most competitive on the market. The service is average or above average, there are plenty of discounts and everyone can find coverage they need. In our book, it is pretty good insurance. The company combines strong and long tradition with modern solutions, making it a good choice for people wanting the best of both worlds.
People Also Ask
Is Travelers a good insurance company?
Yes, Travelers is good auto insurance. Besides offering good coverage and reasonable prices, it also has some features that set them apart from the competition. For instance, its accident forgiveness period is only three years. That means you can qualify after just three years of accident-free driving, while that period is five to six years with other car insurance companies. Another notable feature is a wide array of discounts, especially for safe drivers and hybrid cars.
Is Travelers insurance better than State Farm?
Travelers and State Farm are both top companies in the car insurance industry. Both companies have Excellent financial strength and an Average J.D.Power rating. State Farm has a five times larger market share than Travelers, 10% to 2%. It’s also a bit pricier than Travelers but has a long list of available discounts. State Farm is also more forgiving to risky drivers.
Is Travelers Insurance owned by Geico?
No, Geico does not own Travelers Insurance. However, the two companies do business together. Geico’s subsidiary, called Geico Insurance Agency, sells third-party insurance, including Travelers’ home and car policies.
Many companies are intertwined these days, and it’s hard to keep track of who owns which company. Travelers Insurance is owned by its stockholders and doesn’t have a parent company, while Berkshire Hathaway owns Geico.
Is Travelers auto insurance any good?
Yes, Travelers auto insurance is good. It’s not the best in any category, but it’s solid in all of them. Thanks to its reliable coverage, good options, and reasonable prices, it holds 2% of the total US market. It could use some improvement in terms of claims satisfaction, though, as J.D.Power rates it just below the average. The upside is that it has an A+ Superior financial rating, meaning that it can cover any claim.
Why is Travelers Insurance so cheap?
Travelers insurance is considered to be among cheaper insurances. It’s mainly because it has a large selection of discounts available and practically everyone can find several categories. The most notable feature is the company’s accident forgiveness, where one accident and one minor offense in the past year will not affect your premium. With most of the competitors, this period goes up to five or six years.
Is Travelers Insurance an A rated company?
Even better – Travelers’ A. M. Best rating is A+ or Superior. That means that the company is financially solid and can cover any claim made by its clients. The BBB (Better Business Bureau) also ranked it high when it comes to customer satisfaction. Travelers Insurance is also featured in the Fortune 500 list of the largest US corporations.
Some Travelers Insurance reviews may focus too much on the somewhat disappointing below-average claim satisfaction ratings, but it can be neglected because you do get a lot for the money.