A no‐claims protector and your car insurance policy
When you buy auto insurance, you can also take out a no-claims protector. With no-claim protection, your premium remains the same even if you claim one loss each year. However, car insurance with no-claim protection is more expensive.
Calculate your premiumWhat is a no-claim protector or no-claim guarantee?
When taking out car insurance you can additionally choose no-claim protection. This is also called no-claim guarantee. If you choose this no-claim guarantee, your monthly premium does increase slightly.
This no-claim guarantee allows you to report one claim per year to your insurer without affecting the amount of your premium. You do lose a number of claim-free years for each claim submitted, even if you have a car insurance with no-claim guarantee.
The cost of a no-claims protector
The price of insurance with no-claim guarantee is not the same with every insurer. Insurers calculate the cost in different ways. With one insurer you pay a fixed amount per month, while with another insurer you pay an additional percentage on top of the premium.
Some insurers also base the price on the number of claim-free years you have. When calculating the premium for your car insurance, you can select no-claims protection as an additional coverage. You will see the cost for this directly in the calculation.
Switching to another car insurance policy
If you switch to another insurer after a few years and a few claims, your premium does change. Your old no-claims protection then no longer applies. As a result, you will pay a higher premium with a new car insurance policy.
Calculation example
You pay €40 each month for your car insurance with your current insurer. If you report a claim, you lose your claim-free years, but your premium does not change. So you won't notice anything at that moment.
If you switch to another insurer after six months, they will look at how many claim-free years you have. Because you have lost claim-free years, your premium will be higher. For example, €55 per month where before you paid only €40.
Advantages and disadvantages of no-claims protection
Not sure if you need a no-claims protector? The advantage of a no-claim protector is that you pay less premium with your current auto insurer. But if you claim damages every year, there are also disadvantages.
A major disadvantage is that you lose claim-free years and do not accrue new claim-free years. You also get less no-claim discount when you switch to another insurer. This makes you less likely to switch to a cheaper insurer. In addition, you pay more per month for no-claims protection.
Bonus-malus ladder and no-claim guarantee
On the bonus-malus ladder you can see how much discount you get. The number of claim-free years determines which step you start on. Are you at the top of the no-claims ladder because you already have 10 years of no-claims? Then a car insurance with no-claims protection is of little use to you. Your monthly premium will probably be cheaper without no-claim guarantee.
When you claim damage for the first time, you go back a few steps on the ladder. Still, the discount on your premium remains the same with most car insurance companies. Only if you have more frequent damage, it is useful to take out no-claim protection.
Claim-free years are recorded
Claim-free years are stored by the insurer in Roy-data. Roy-data is a central database where insurers can see how many claim-free years someone has. Insurers also record the accrued claim-free years here. If you make a claim, this is also registered in Roy-data.
No-claims protection especially attractive to young people
For young drivers who just got their driver's license, no-claim protection can be useful. Because as a young driver you have accrued little or no discount yet, your premium goes up a lot if you claim damage.
Young drivers are also more at risk and therefore pay an additional surcharge. To reduce the risk, you can take out a no-claims protector.
Frequently asked questions about no-claims protection
When does no-claim protection make sense?
A no-claims protector is especially useful if you have been driving claim-free for years and want to keep your accumulated discount after a single claim. Also for drivers with a high premium or with young drivers, the financial benefit can be great if a claim would otherwise lead to a hefty premium increase.
What is the difference between no-claims protection and claim-free driving?
Claim-free driving means that you do not claim any damage and you accumulate claim-free years. A no-claims protector, on the other hand, allows you to claim damage without immediately reducing your discount, even though, administratively speaking, your claim-free years do decrease.
Does no-claims protection affect my claim-free years?
Yes, although you keep your discount percentage with no-claim protection, the number of claim-free years does drop in the background. This can be disadvantageous if you later switch to another insurer, as they often base premiums on actual claim-free years.
Can I take out no-claims protection retroactively?
No, no-claim protection does not work retroactively. You must take out this coverage before the damage occurs. If you have already driven damage without this protection, then you cannot still have that damage covered under a protector taken out later.
Related pages about no claim
Never underinsured
Put together your own package
A wide range
We compare all insurers for you, saves time again
Help from our experts
Can't figure it out? Our experts are always ready to help you
We can be reached via chat, WhatsApp, phone or email
Questions? Contact us if you want to know more.
We are here Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 18:00.