If you’re shopping for car insurance and on a budget, Travelers may be a company worth checking out. It’s currently cheaper than the average for multiple categories and costs significantly less for teen drivers. A top-ten insurer, Travelers offers the service options and discounts you’d expect from a leading car insurance brand.
Just beware that the company’s results in recent customer service studies, including those by J.D. Power, are below the industry average.
Travelers pros and cons
Pros:
- Rates are lower than averages in most categories
- Low rates for teen drivers
- Multiple options to get a quote, including agent and online
Cons:
- Below-average rankings by J.D. Power
- NAIC complaint index is eight times the industry norm
Travelers overview
Founded in 1864 – during the U.S. Civil War – Travelers is based in Hartford, Connecticut and sells a variety of insurance products for individuals and businesses. The company is currently the eighth-largest car insurer in the U.S. and has a widely-known insurance brand.
If you’re shopping for car insurance and considering Travelers, use our review to explore what the company offers.
Travelers services
Travelers provides multiple options for getting a quote.
Those who prefer to shop for insurance on their own time can get a quote directly from Travelers at the company’s website or by calling 1-866-586-0102. The website, along with the Travelers app, also offers tools to access your policy and pay your bill, download ID cards (proof of insurance), file a claim, and make basic policy changes.
You can also contact an independent agent who sells Travelers. As independent agents, these individuals represent multiple companies, including Travelers. That means they can comparison shop on your behalf, checking with their companies to find the best combination of coverage and price. So your agent may recommend Travelers; but if the best policy for you is from another company, they’ll let you know.
Travelers discounts
According to its website, Travelers offers plenty of ways to save money on your car insurance, including:
- Affinity programs.
- Continuous insurance.
- Driver training.
- Early quote.
- Electronic funds transfer (automatic withdrawal).
- Good student.
- Home ownership.
- Hybrid/electric car.
- IntelliDrive (usage-based insurance).
- Multi-policy (bundling).
- Multicar.
- New car.
- Pay in full.
- Safe driver.
- Student away at school.
This is a great selection of discounts, including “easy wins” such as early quote and electronic funds transfer of your payments. The company also offers a multi-policy discount for bundling your home and auto insurance. (More about that later.)
Travelers offers a usage-based insurance (UBI) program called IntelliDrive. With this optional program, you agree to allow Travelers to monitor your driving through an app on your phone. This lasts for 90 days. When it’s all over, if you’ve demonstrated safe habits behind the wheel, you could save up to 30% when your policy renews. Just beware that riskier behaviors could lead to a premium increase at renewal!
Travelers claims and customer satisfaction
Travelers’ results in recent third-party ratings and rankings of the car insurance industry are a point of concern.
| Metric | Score |
|---|---|
Crash Network Grade | C |
J.D. Power Claims Satisfaction | 17th out of 24 (871/1000) |
J.D. Power Overall Satisfaction (Mid-Atlantic) | 7th out of 14 (822/1000) |
NAIC Complaint Index (NAIC code 25658) | 8.13 |
Net Promoter Score | 39% |
Trustpilot rating | 2.0 out of 5.0 stars |
First, the (somewhat) positive: Travelers C grade in the Crash Network 2023 Insurer Report Card is second highest among the ten largest car insurance companies in the U.S. The report card evaluates how well companies work to ensure quality repairs and customer service during the claims process.
The company’s performance in the most recent J.D. Power studies of the car insurance industry was mediocre at best. Its 871 points (earning a 17th place ranking) in the 2023 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study was seven points below the study average. Its 822 points in the 2023 U.S. Auto Insurance Study was eight points below the average.
Travelers has an 8.13 complaint index for car insurance from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. An index above 1.0 means a company receives more than the average number of consumer complaints compared to other companies. Travelers’ score is eight times as high as what would be expected from an auto insurer. It’s so high (higher than any major auto insurer we’ve reviewed) that we wonder if there’s some kind of outlier throwing off the result. Note that the company has a very favorable 0.35 index for its homeowners insurance.
Travelers’ 39% Net Promoter Score (NPS) is also a bit lackluster. NPS is a satisfaction measurement that evaluates a company based on its customers’ likelihood of referring that company to friends or family. The industry average is 44%, while a 50% NPS is considered “excellent,” according to clearsurance.com.
How much does Travelers car insurance cost?
If you’re motivated by the opportunity to save money, Travelers may be for you. Its average pricing is lower than the averages in most of the categories in our review. Its rates for male and female teen drivers are significantly lower than the averages.
| Annual cost | Competitors’ average | |
|---|---|---|
Overall | $1,688 | $1,706 |
17-year-old male | $4,972 | $7,008 |
17-year-old female | $4,337 | $6,240 |
60-year-old male | $1,540 | $1,567 |
60-year-old female | $1,520 | $1,510 |
Good driver | $1,688 | $1,706 |
Speeding ticket | $2,366 | $2,009 |
Accident | $2,744 | $2,749 |
DUI | $2,634 | $3,453 |
Full coverage | $1,810 | $1,814 |
Minimum coverage | $1,563 | $1,567 |
Keep in mind that these are average rates, and that your actual cost of insurance may vary significantly. Check with multiple companies to make sure you’re getting the lowest rate for the coverage you need.
Travelers policy bundling options
Insurance companies like it when customers bundle, or insure multiple products with them. They like it so much that they typically offer generous discounts. Travelers, with its multi-policy discount, is no exception.
In fact, if you seek out a car insurance quote at the Travelers website, you’ll immediately be asked if you want to bundle that policy with another policy (but rest assured that you can get a quote for just car insurance if that’s all you really need).
Travelers notes that customers can save up to 13% by bundling a car insurance policy with homeowners, condo, or renters insurance.
Other Travelers insurance products
Travelers offers a good selection of personal and business insurance policies. These include the following:
| Vehicle | Property | Other personal | Business |
|---|---|---|---|
Car | Home | Umbrella | Commercial auto |
Motorcycle | Condo | Wedding and events | Cyber |
Boat and yacht | Renters | Valuable items | General liability |
Landlord | Travel | Professional liability | |
Flood | Pet | Property | |
Business owner’s policy | |||
Workers compensation | |||
Surety bonds |
How Travelers compares to other brands
Travelers offers a slate of coverages, discounts, and other product features that you’d expect from any of the country’s largest car insurance companies.
Like many insurers, Travelers organizes its business into multiple operating companies. Most of these companies have A++ (Superior) ratings from A.M. Best. This is Best’s highest possible rating and an assurance of Travelers’ financial strength and ability to pay claims.
How to file a claim with Travelers
Travelers offers multiple options for filing a claim:
- Call 1-800-252-4633
- Visit the claims center at the Travelers website to file online
- Use the Travelers app to file using a smartphone
Travelers offers competitive rates
Travelers may be a great choice if you’re looking to save money on insurance – it’s certainly worth your time to get a quote. Its current rates are below the New Jersey averages in most of the categories in our review.
Just be aware that the company’s performance in third-party ratings and reviews leaves a bit to be desired. If service is a priority, you might want to be sure to check with multiple companies.
Methodology
Our information about Travelers, including discounts and services, comes primarily from the company’s website. Pricing information is from a recent review of car insurance costs in New Jersey and Quadrant Information Services via U.S. News. Recent third-party customer satisfaction reviews, including those by J.D. Power, helped us complete our analysis.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Is Travelers car insurance worth it?
Travelers current average rates are below the statewide averages for New Jersey in nearly every category in our review. Keep in mind that your rate may vary significantly from these averages. Deciding whether Travelers is “worth it,” therefore, depends on the individual, and whether the company offers the services and coverages you want at a price you can afford.
How do I contact Travelers?
Travelers’ customer service number is 1-800-842-5075. The company’s claims service number is 1-800-252-4633.
Travelers publishes a full page of contact information on its website.
Does Travelers have a good reputation?
Travelers is recognized for its low rates, but many third-party reviews hint at concerns with its customer service quality.
However, Travelers is a company with roots stretching back to the mid-19th century! Today, it’s one of the most recognized insurance brands in the U.S. and one of the country’s largest providers of car insurance. The company’s high ratings from A.M. Best indicate its financial strength and ability to pay claims.
Who are Travelers’ biggest competitors?
As one of the ten largest car insurers in the U.S., Travelers competes with the likes of State Farm, Progressive, GEICO, Liberty Mutual, Allstate, and Nationwide. It also competes with regional companies such as NJM Insurance, which is based in New Jersey.
