Travelers Insurance Review 2024

I would recommend Travelers to drivers who plan to utilize its unique coverage options, like new-car replacement, accident forgiveness, and non-owner insurance. Travelers is also a good choice if you have a DUI, ticket, or at-fault accident, and are searching for lower rates.

Travelers offers good discounts for bundling policies and participating in its safe driving program. This amount is not on its website, but my research determined you can save up to 13 percent when you bundle homeowners, renters, or landlord insurance with your auto insurance. If you participate in IntelliDrive, a telematics program that tracks and rewards safe driving, you could save up to 30 percent on your auto insurance premium.

Travelers has a robust affinity group program. You can call 855-914-5530 to ask Travelers if your credit union, association, alumni organization, employer, or bank participates in the program. This could get you a more favorable auto insurance rate or discount.

The average full coverage auto insurance premium with Travelers is lower than the national average by $294, or about 15 percent. Its rate for minimum coverage is $17 less than the national average (3 percent cheaper). Compared to other large auto insurance providers, Travelers’ average annual premium is more affordable than those from AAA, Allstate, American Family, Farmers, Nationwide, Progressive, and State Farm.

I lived in New York, which is one of the more expensive states for auto insurance. When I compared rates, I found Travelers much more expensive than its national average rate. Here’s one example: On average, Travelers auto insurance costs $261, or 15 percent, less than Progressive. But in New York, where Progressive costs an average of $1,883, Travelers costs a whopping $3,275, or 42 percent more.

As I mentioned earlier, Travelers’ multi-policy discount is one of the easiest ways to save money on your premium. Here are other discounts available from Travelers:

• Multi-car discount if your household insures two or more cars on the same policy
• Homeowner discount if you own a home or condo, even if you insure it elsewhere
• Safe driver discount if you have had no accidents, violations, or major comprehensive claims in your household for the past three to five years
• Continuous insurance discount if you held car insurance with Travelers continuously with no gaps
• Hybrid/electric car discount if you own or lease a hybrid vehicle
• New-car discount when you purchase a new car or own a car that is less than three years old
• EFT, paid-in-full, and good payer discounts
• Early quote discount if you’re new to Travelers and get a quote before your current policy expires
• Good student discount if your policy includes a driver who is fully enrolled in high school or college and maintain a “B” average or above
• Student away from home discount if one of your dependents goes to school at least 100 miles away and won’t be driving your cars
• Driver training discount for young drivers who have successfully completed an approved driver education course

A note on availability: Early quote, EFT/paid-in-full/good payer, new-car, safe driver, continuous insurance, home ownership and multi-car discounts are not available in California. Early quote, safe driver, and good payer discounts are not available in New York, and the good payer discount is also not available in Maryland or Washington.

Highlighted Discount: IntelliDrive

IntelliDrive is Travelers’ telematics-based safe driving rewards program. Using the IntelliDrive app, Travelers tracks your driving habits. The app measures time of day, speed, acceleration, braking, and distracted driving. These habits are used to calculate your insurance premium when your auto policy renews. Safe driving habits can lead to savings of up to 30 percent in most states (in Nevada, savings go up to 40 percent, while North Carolina and New Jersey savings are capped at 25 percent). On the other hand, riskier driving habits could result in a higher premium unless you live in Washington, D.C.; Montana; North Carolina; or Virginia.

When I entered my ZIP code online to get a quote from Travelers, I received instructions to “contact a local independent insurance agent to get a quote and help you with your insurance needs.”

Next, I tried my parents’ ZIP code in Pennsylvania. The first screen asked me to confirm if I am a Travelers customer, then I entered some personal information. I hit another dead end on the next page, where I was supposed to fill out information about the vehicle I want to insure. I do not own a car, so I’m looking for non-owner insurance.

There is no option to get an online quote for non-owner insurance, so I’ll have to call someone. I used Travelers’ online agent search to find an agent to call, and there were more than 50 agents in New York City. That’s too many choices for me, so I’m going to try calling the number Travelers provides on its website to get a quote: 1-866-723-1463

I tried calling pretty late at night and got a robot. First, it asked what I was calling about. I said, “Get a quote,” and then it asked if I already had a Travelers insurance policy. I said no, and then it said no customer service agents were available and to call back during normal business hours. So, in order to get a quote from Travelers, it seems you’ll likely have to speak to an agent — at least that was my experience.

Travelers offers the standard car insurance coverages — liability, uninsured/underinsured motorist, medical payments, personal injury protection, comprehensive, and collision — and many extra coverage options. See below for a breakdown of each type of coverage and what it pays for.

Across all policy types, Travelers’ NAIC index is 0.22, which is below average, which means it gets fewer complaints than expected in the market. However, if you narrow it down to personal passenger vehicles, then the index reaches 10.91, which means complaints are 10 times higher than expected.¹ This was a troubling statistic for me to see, so I dug deep into other customer satisfaction scores and studies.

J.D. Power provides consumer insights through data analytics. It researches auto insurance customer satisfaction and produces multiple studies about auto insurance shopping. Across the board, Travelers ranked below average in customer satisfaction. In its regional study, the only location that ranked Travelers above average was New York. Good news for me!

Overall, these scores suggest to me that Travelers’ customer service may not be as strong as some other providers’.

I am not yet a Travelers customer, so I can’t speak to the claims process from start to finish. Its website notes you can call 1-800-252-4633 24/7 or log in to your MyTravelers account to file a claim.

Third-party data is mixed, which suggests that Travelers’ claims process may not be the easiest or quickest. If you do need to file a claim, you’ll likely have a better experience bringing your car to one of its in-network shops. The 2024 Insurer Report Card from CRASH Network gave Travelers a grade of C, the same as the previous year, ranking it 63rd overall. That said, Travelers actually ranked in the top three among the 10 largest insurers, and it received a B- in the Northeast region. Its Direct Repair Program through an affiliated network of body shops received a B-, and its non-network grade is a C.⁵

J.D. Power’s 2023 Claims Satisfaction Study also gives me pause. It notes that repair cycle times have doubled since 2021 and takes into account auto claims process, settlement, claims servicing, estimation process, and rental experience. Travelers’ overall customer service satisfaction index rating out of 1,000 increased by 17 points to 871 in 2023 from 2022; however, it is still below the study average of 878.⁶

On the plus side, Travelers’ AM Best rating is A++, which means it’s financially stable and should have no problem paying claims.

The Travelers Mobile app offers the following:

• Quick access to agent contact information
• Downloadable auto insurance ID cards
• Online/autopay billing
• Roadside assistance tracking
• Policy management
• Claim filing and status updates

The IntelliDrive app is used only for Travelers’ safe driving telematics program. People seem satisfied with the app and program based on reviews on the App Store, but Android device users are not sure if it truly provides value. Many of the recent reviews note that the app flags curves, potholes, or movement as distracted driving or hard braking. These glitches could reduce your savings or even increase your rate.

Here’s how I assessed Travelers for this review:

1. Pricing and coverage: I researched average prices for different coverage options, as well as prices in different states. Travelers offers a number of discounts and special coverages that I took into account as well.
2. Customer service: I used third-party reviews and ratings to build a fuller picture of Travelers’ customer experience. I also went through Travelers’ online and phone quote processes.
3. Claims process: I evaluated claims handling based on third-party data and customer feedback.
4. Industry ratings and reviews: I used data from independent agencies to assess complaints and customer satisfaction ratings. This unbiased information was vital, especially when it came to customer satisfaction.
5. Digital tools: I am definitely someone who prefers to do her research and purchasing online. I poked around on the Travelers website and app to make sure its digital tools are up to standard.