No-Claims Discount
A no-claims discount is the discount on your auto insurance premium that you receive if you drive without filing a claim. Calculate the amount of your no-claims discount using your insurer’s bonus-malus scale. If you file a claim, you’ll move down a tier and receive a smaller discount.
Calculate Your PremiumThis is a no-claims discount
A no-claims discount means you receive a discount on your auto insurance premium if you don’t file a claim with the insurer. Your insurer rewards you for the number of claim-free years. If you haven’t filed a claim, the insurer doesn’t have to incur any costs.
For every year that you don’t file a claim, you earn one claim-free year. The more claim-free years you have, the more no-claim discount you accumulate. The maximum no-claim discount varies by insurer and can be as high as 80%.
Are you filing a claim? If so, you'll end up paying more because you'll lose your no-claim discount.
Calculate your premium quickly and easily
No-Claim Protection
Some insurers offer an optional add-on to protect your no-claims record. This is called “no-claims protection.” With this protection, your premium stays the same, even if you file one claim each year. However, you will lose your no-claims years. Car insurance with no-claims protection is more expensive.
Calculate your no-claims discount
Every insurer has its own no-claims discount system. As a result, the no-claims discount you receive varies from one insurer to another. You can find your insurer’s no-claims discount system in the terms and conditions of your auto insurance policy. The more years you go without filing a claim, the higher you climb on the ladder and the greater your no-claims discount will be.
In the table below, you can easily calculate how much of a discount you'll receive if you don't file a claim.
| Claim-free years | B/M step | Discount Percentage | New B/M step after 0 damage | After 1 claim | After 2 claims | After 3 claims |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 and up | 22 | 75% | 22 | 16 | 11 | 6 |
| 15 | 21 | 75% | 22 | 16 | 11 | 6 |
| 14 | 20 | 75% | 21 | 15 | 10 | 5 |
| 13 | 19 | 75% | 20 | 14 | 9 | 4 |
| 12 | 18 | 75% | 19 | 13 | 8 | 3 |
| 11 | 17 | 75% | 18 | 12 | 7 | 2 |
| 10 | 16 | 75% | 17 | 11 | 6 | 1 |
| 9 | 15 | 75% | 16 | 10 | 5 | 0 |
| 8 | 14 | 75% | 15 | 9 | 4 | 0 |
| 7 | 13 | 72,50% | 14 | 8 | 3 | 0 |
| 6 | 12 | 70 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| 5 | 11 | 65% | 12 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 4 | 10 | 60% | 11 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | 9 | 55% | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | 8 | 50% | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | 7 | 45% | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 6 | 40% | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| -1 | 5 | 35% | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| -2 | 4 | 25% | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| -3 | 3 | 15% | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| -4 | 2 | 5% | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| -5 | 1 | -15% | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Sample Calculation of the Bonus-Malus Scale
For every year that you don't file a claim, you move up one step on the no-claims discount scale and receive a larger discount. If you do file a claim, you move down a few steps. For each claim, you usually move down 5 steps.
Suppose you have 5 claim-free years and are therefore on step 10 of the ladder. At this step, for example, you receive a 75% discount on your premium. But if you file a claim that year, you drop to step 5 and your discount falls to 50%. As you can see, driving claim-free pays off.
File a claim or pay out of pocket
From the insurer’s perspective, it doesn’t matter whether the car damage is major or minor. If you file a claim, you’ll move down the no-claims discount scale. As a result, you’ll receive a smaller no-claims discount, and your car insurance will become more expensive. That’s why it’s sometimes smarter to pay for the damage yourself.
Always consider whether it’s cheaper in the long run to pay for the damage yourself, rather than filing a claim that will cause your premium to go up.
Liability for Damages
If you aren't responsible for the damage, you won't be affected by the no-claims discount scale. These are all claims covered under the comprehensive coverage portion of your auto insurance.
For example, in the case of:
If someone else has caused damage to your car, you can file a claim with that person's insurance company. Your no-claims bonus will remain the same, and you won't lose any claim-free years.
The no-claims discount applies to one car
Are you buying a second family car? If so, you’d probably prefer to apply the no-claims discount and claim-free years from your first car to the second one as well. Unfortunately, that’s not possible. Usually, the second car has a different driver with different driving experience. Claim-free years therefore apply to only one car at a time.
Second Car Program
Insurance companies often offer a second-car policy. This means that if you insure a second car with the same insurer, you’ll receive the same discount. You cannot transfer your claim-free years. For the second car, you’ll start building up claim-free years from scratch.
Earning a no-claim discount through your parents
Some insurers will add children to their parents’ auto insurance policy upon request. This applies to children between the ages of 17 and 26. This allows the child to start building up a no-claims discount, which can be used later when taking out their own auto insurance policy.
Please note: this does not apply to claim-free years. The no-claims discount applies only if you purchase your auto insurance from the same insurer. If, as a child, you purchase auto insurance from another insurer, you will no longer receive the discount.
No-claims discount for the second driver
If you are the second driver, you generally do not accumulate no-claims years. Only the person who purchased the insurance does so. In some cases, you may still be eligible for a discount as a second driver. Please check your policy or contact us for more information.
Cheapest car insurance with a no-claims discount
If you find an insurance policy with an 80% no-claims discount, that doesn't mean it's the cheapest car insurance. One car insurance policy with a high 80% no-claims discount may still be more expensive than a policy with a 70% discount.
That's why you should always calculate how much your monthly premium will ultimately be. You can easily do this by comparing car insurance policies.
Never Underinsured
Create Your Own Package
A wide selection
We compare all insurance companies for you, saving you time
Help from our experts
Can't figure it out? Our experts are always ready to help you
Frequently Asked Questions About the No-Claim Discount
What happens to my no-claims discount after a claim?
After filing a claim, you’ll usually drop a few notches on the no-claims discount scale, which results in a lower no-claims discount. Exactly how many notches you drop depends on your insurer and the type of claim. Paying for minor damage out of pocket may be more cost-effective if you want to keep your discount.
How many claim-free years do I need to get the maximum discount?
To qualify for the maximum no-claims discount, you often need 10 to 15 consecutive claim-free years. Each insurer uses its own bonus-malus scale, so the exact numbers may vary.
Can I transfer my no-claims discount to another insurer?
Yes, you can transfer your no-claims discount when you switch to another insurer. The new insurer will then ask for the number of claim-free years you have, which are recorded in Roy-data, a central database.
Will my no-claims discount always be reduced if I file a claim?
Not always. Some types of damage, such as windshield damage or damage caused by vandalism, do not count toward your no-claims discount. Even if the other party is fully at fault, you will often retain your discount. Always check the policy terms and conditions.
What is the difference between claim-free years and a no-claim discount?
Claim-free years are the number of years you have not filed a claim. A no-claim discount is the financial discount you receive on your premium as a result. More claim-free years usually lead to a higher discount, but these are two separate concepts.
How can I check my accumulated no-claim discount?
You can check your claim-free years (and thus, indirectly, your no-claims discount) through Roy-data, which you can access through your insurer or with DigiD via a central portal. Your policy statement often lists your current number of claim-free years as well.
Can I earn a no-claims discount with a leased car?
With a private lease car, you generally do not accumulate claim-free years, unless otherwise specified in the contract. With a business lease, it depends on the leasing company and the agreements regarding registration in Roy-data.
Read more about car insurance
We'd be happy to help you right away
Having trouble figuring it out online? We're happy to help you via chat or WhatsApp.
Ask your question and get a response within 2 minutes