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Published: July 25, 2018Last updated: October 18, 2022

Esurance Auto Insurance Review 2023

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Esurance is one of the first companies to offer car insurance online. Instead of providing an agent to walk you through a policy and pricing, Esurance has a user-friendly website and app that will save you time, paperwork, and money. This review will provide you with all the details of how Esurance works so you can decide if it’s a fit for you.

Key Takeaways

The Allstate-owned Esurance is an online insurance company that provides a wide range of auto insurance policies. With Esurance, you can get free online quotes, use its Coverage Counselor — an interactive tool that helps you find the right coverage for your needs and budget — and bundle policies for discounts.

That being said, the company has mixed reviews for its customer service. You should also know Esurance currently offers car insurance in every state except Alaska, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Montana, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Wyoming.

Who It’s Best For

  • People who feel comfortable navigating their policies online.
  • Consumers who want to research and buy car insurance quickly.
  • People who want to save money by bundling their auto insurance with renters, homeowners, or motorcycle insurance.

Who It’s Not Best For

  • People who want to work with local agents.
  • Drivers who are not tech-savvy.
  • People who can take advantage of a military or other occupational discount.

Pros and Cons of Esurance Auto Insurance

Pros

  • User-friendly website and app: Esurance’s website and app are easy to navigate to obtain a quote, manage a claim, or make a payment.

  • Wide variety of discounts: Esurance offers a number of discounts so customers can save on insurance.

  • Extensive coverage: With a vast selection of coverage options, and some bundling options, adding more coverage to your policy could help you save money.

  • Rideshare insurance is available: In select states — such as California, Illinois, and New Jersey — Uber and Lyft drivers can add protection to their current policies.

Cons

  • Mixed customer service reviews: While many customer reviews of the company, its website, and app are positive, Esurance has negative reviews for claims and customer service.

  • Missing local agents: If working with a local agent to discuss policies and insurance options is important to you, Esurance isn’t a good fit.

Esurance Insurance Coverages

  • Bodily injury liability: Most states require liability coverage. If you’re responsible for an accident, bodily injury insurance will cover the other party’s medical bills, medications, and lost wages.
  • Property damage liability: Property damage liability pays for the repairs if you damage another person’s vehicle or property in an accident. However, it doesn’t cover damage to your vehicle or property — just the other party’s. Most states require this type of insurance.
  • Uninsured/underinsured motorist: If another driver is uninsured or underinsured and they cause an accident, this type of insurance will cover the medical bills, lost wages, injuries, and damages for you and any passengers in your car.
  • Collision coverage: Collision insurance pays for your property damages after an accident — regardless of fault. This means you’re covered if you back into a fence or a parked car. We recommend collision insurance even though it’s not required in any state.
  • Comprehensive coverage: This type of insurance covers damages to your vehicle that occur outside of collisions. Esurance’s comprehensive coverage pays to repair or replace your car if it’s damaged related to the weather or stolen. For instance, comprehensive coverage would kick in if a tree falls on your car or if hail dents your roof. While collision and comprehensive coverage aren’t required in every state, they’re part of a full coverage policy we recommend. Full coverage costs more than minimum coverage, but you’ll appreciate it if you file a claim for damages or injuries.
  • Medical payments: This coverage pays medical bills for you and your passengers if anyone is injured during an accident. No matter who is at fault for the accident, you can use the money to pay for hospital bills and doctor’s visits.
  • Roadside assistance: For just $12 a year, Esurance’s emergency roadside assistance gives you access to towing, tire changes, lockouts, and gas refills.
  • Rental reimbursement: Rental reimbursement helps cover the cost of a rental car or public transportation when your vehicle is being repaired under a covered claim.
  • Rideshare insurance: If you drive an Uber or Lyft in California, Illinois, or New Jersey, Esurance offers SmartShare commercial insurance.

What Will My Auto Insurance Rate Be?

There are a variety of factors that determine auto insurance rates: including your driving record, age, credit score, and gender. However, the average annual cost for Esurance is $1,724. To find your estimate with Esurance, download its app for a quote or use the quote finder on its website.

Discounts

  • Multipolicy discount: Bundle your policies with Esurance to receive a discount. For example, you can bundle auto insurance with renters, homeowners, or motorcycle insurance to save on each policy.
  • DriveSense discount: Receive a discount just for downloading the DriveSense app. For additional discounts, activate the app while you drive. The app monitors driving habits and encourages better driving habits by giving you a driving wellness score based on your speed, hard braking, and the time of day for each trip. Your driving wellness score will determine your discount percentage at each policy renewal.
  • Multivehicle savings: When you insure multiple vehicles with a spouse or child, you’ll receive a discount. Learn how to add a vehicle to your policy.
  • Safety feature discounts: If your vehicle has safety devices, like air bags or automatic seat belts, you can receive between 2 percent and 33 percent off your MedPay and PIP policies.
  • Roadside assistance: Get up to 5 percent off for obtaining an emergency roadside assistance provider.
  • Paid-in-full rates: If you pay your entire premium upfront and in full, you’ll receive an extra 10 percent off.
  • Claims-free price: Receive between 10 percent and 25 percent off your price if you’ve been claim-free for at least five years.
  • Good student discount: Full-time students under the age of 25 who maintain B averages or higher will get up to 10 percent off their rate.
  • Driver training reduction: Consider completing a defensive driving course to receive up to 10 percent off.
  • Homeowner discount: If you or your spouse owns a house or condo, you may be eligible for a discount.

Availability

Esurance provides auto insurance for residents in 43 states. Unfortunately, if you live in Alaska, Delaware, Washington, D.C., Hawaii, Montana, New Hampshire, Vermont, or Wyoming, you’ll have to look elsewhere for auto insurance options.

Esurance Customer Service

While Esurance does not have a rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), its parent company Allstate has an A+ rating as of July 2022. However, Esurance received 1.1 stars out of five from customer reviews as of July 2022.1 Many of the complaints were from drivers who said they couldn’t reach anyone to ask questions about their claims after an accident. However, most insurance companies have low BBB customer ratings and similar complaints.

To reach Esurance’s customer service team, send a message on the website or app, or call its customer support line at 1-800-378-7262. Representatives are available seven days a week from 6 a.m. until 12 a.m. CST.

You can use its online services to complete the following tasks:

  • Make a payment.
  • Submit a claim.
  • Report an incident.
  • Review policy documents, like your policy declarations page.
  • Request roadside assistance.
  • Obtain a quote.

Esurance performed close to average in the J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, which ranked companies based on their overall customer satisfaction with insurance options, pricing, customer interactions, and communication. Esurance ranked 11 out of 24 companies with a rating of 871 out of 1,000, which equals about the industry average.2

Mobile Apps and Online Features

Since Esurance was designed for customers to purchase and manage their auto insurance policies online, you’ll find a great selection of tools and services on its mobile app. Esurance’s mobile app has a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars from iOS users and a 4.5 from Android users.

Below are a few things we love about Esurance’s app.

  • Access insurance information quickly: Open the app to view your proof of insurance any time of day.
  • Check your policy on the go: Check your coverage, add or edit your existing coverage or your contact and payment information using the app.
  • Manage your repairs: Need to know when your car will be ready? Get direct updates from the app.
  • Help from roadside service: The app makes waiting for roadside assistance a little less stressful because it will show you real-time updates on a map when help will arrive.

Did You Know?

If you have towing and labor coverage with Esurance and you’re stranded, just tap the icon of the tow truck on the Esurance app. You’ll get a list of local towing companies, a link to your location, and updates on the tow truck’s arrival all in the app.

Third-Party Ratings

  • Moody’s: Moody’s provides rankings so investors can analyze credit ratings and risk. Allstate, Esurance’s parent company, received an A3 ranking. This means Allstate and Esurance have financial backing, cash reserves, and a low risk of default. For customers, this means you don’t have to worry that Esurance won’t have the money to pay for your claim because Allstate has a stable ranking.3
  • AM Best’s Credit Rating: Esurance has an A+ with AM Best’s Credit Rating system, which focuses on an insurer’s ability to pay claims and other financial obligations.4

Company History

In 1999, Jean-Bernard Duler, Jeffrey L. Goodman, Huyen Bui, David Griffin, and Charles Wallace founded Esurance. It became known as one of the first insurance companies to sell policies to consumers online instead of using agents.

In May 2011, Allstate announced that it was purchasing Esurance. In 2019, the company announced that Esurance would be phased out in 2020; however, Allstate has not updated this information as of July 2022, and Esurance continues to sell policies.

Other Insurance Esurance Provides

In addition to auto insurance, Esurance provides these other types of insurance:

  • Homeowners
  • Renters
  • Motorcycle

Esurance isn’t available in every state, and certain types of policies differ according to the state in which you reside. Find your state in the following table to see what coverage options you can take advantage of:

State Car insurance Homeowners insurance Renters insurance Motorcycle insurance
Alabama Yes No Yes No
Alaska No No No No
Arizona Yes No No Yes
Arkansas Yes No Yes Yes
California Yes No No Yes
Colorado Yes No No No
Connecticut Yes No No No
Delaware No No No No
District of Columbia No No No No
Florida Yes No No Yes
Georgia Yes No Yes No
Hawaii No No No No
Idaho Yes No Yes No
Illinois Yes No No Yes
Indiana Yes No Yes Yes
Iowa Yes No Yes No
Kansas Yes Yes Yes No
Kentucky Yes No No No
Louisiana Yes No Yes No
Maine Yes No No No
Maryland Yes Yes No Yes
Massachusetts Yes No No No
Michigan Yes Yes No No
Minnesota Yes No No Yes
Mississippi Yes No No No
Missouri Yes No No No
Montana No No No Yes
Nebraska Yes No Yes No
Nevada Yes No No No
New Hampshire No No No No
New Jersey Yes Yes Yes No
New Mexico Yes No No No
New York Yes Yes No No
North Carolina Yes No No No
North Dakota Yes No No No
Ohio Yes No Yes Yes
Oklahoma Yes Yes Yes No
Oregon Yes No No No
Pennsylvania Yes No No Yes
Rhode Island Yes No No No
South Carolina Yes No No No
South Dakota Yes Yes Yes No
Tennessee Yes No Yes Yes
Texas Yes Yes Yes Yes
Utah Yes No Yes No
Vermont No No No No
Virginia Yes No No Yes
Washington Yes No No No
West Virginia Yes No Yes No
Wisconsin Yes No Yes Yes
Wyoming No No No No

FYI:

If you need a different type of vehicle insured, like an ATV, classic car, boat, or a golf cart, Esurance offers coverage through Allstate. Plus, you’ll get a bundling discount.

Cancellation Policy

Unfortunately, Esurance will charge a cancellation fee if you terminate service before the end of your policy. You can expect to pay a cancellation fee that is either 10 percent of your remaining premium balance or a flat fee between $30 and $50.

If you need to cancel your car insurance, call 1-800-ESURANCE (1-800-378-7262) and a customer service representative will assist you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Esurance car insurance the same as Allstate?

Technically, Esurance is not the same as Allstate, it is a subsidiary of Allstate. While Allstate owns Esurance, the companies offer different services and policies.

Allstate uses agents to assist customers with their policies and claims. Esurance does not have agents. Instead, customers use its website and app to purchase policies and manage claims.

Is Esurance a real insurance company?

Yes, Esurance is a real insurance company that offers auto, homeowners, renters, and motorcycle insurance. The company was founded in 1999 as one of the first companies to sell auto insurance online.

Is Esurance the same as GEICO?

No, Esurance and GEICO are two separate auto insurance companies. While both companies have online services and apps, they are separate.

How do I use the DriveSense App?

Here’s how to use the DriveSense app:

  1. Download the app for iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/drivesense-mobile-by-esurance/id1101825622&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1659997464168491&usg=AOvVaw0NZv1f4yfU3ZrSLKmJ1Iny.

    Or, download the app for Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.esurance.drivesense&hl=en_US&gl=US.

  2. Create a profile with your phone number and email address.
  3. Enter your policy information.
  4. Turn on the app when you’re ready to drive. The app will detect when your car is in motion and will start and stop monitoring your trip automatically.
  5. After 25 trips, check the app for your Driver Wellness Score. After 50 logged trips, you’ll be eligible for discounts on your policy each term if you have a strong Driver Wellness Score. However, Esurance does not specify how much the discount will be or what a good score is. Additionally, its website states you’ll lose the discount if you stop using or uninstall the DriveSense app, or if you log fewer than 50 trips during a policy term.
  6. Turn on Standby Mode when you’re in a vehicle but you aren’t driving. When the app senses motion, it begins logging a trip, so without activating Standby Mode, you could be monitoring another driver in a car, bus, or train.
  7. Swipe on a trip in your log or click the trash icon on the trip details page to remove a trip. You will be prompted to give a reason for deleting the trip, like if you were cut off or if you were a passenger and forgot to turn on Standby Mode. The app will recalculate your score, but allow at least a week for the score to change.

Citations

  1. Allstate Insurance. (2022). Better Business Bureau®.
    https://www.bbb.org/us/il/northbrook/profile/insurance-companies/allstate-insurance-0654-12014144

  2. Auto Insurance Claim Satisfaction Rises on Combination of Soaring Vehicle Values and Growth of Straight-Through-Processing Claims Management, J.D. Power Finds. (2021). J.D. Power.
    https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2021-us-auto-claims-satisfaction-study

  3. Allstate Corporation (The). (2022). Moody’s.
    https://www.moodys.com/credit-ratings/Allstate-Corporation-The-credit-rating-600010717/reports?category=Ratings_and_Assessments_Reports_rc%7CIssuer_Reports_rc&type=Rating_Action_rc%7CAnnouncement_rc%7CAnnouncement_of_Periodic_Review_rc,Credit_Opinion_ir_rc%7CIssuer_Comment_rc%7CIssuer_Profile_rc

  4. AM Best Rating. (2022). AM Best.
    https://ratings.ambest.com/CompanyProfile.aspx?ambnum=7289&URatingId=3070794&bl=0&AltSrc=1&PPP=&AltNum=0&Ext_User=&Ext_Misc=&Portal=0&Site=