Compare fairly · 10 min read · Reviewed November 10, 2026
How your deductible and discounts can change when you switch
The headline number on a new offer is the premium, but two policies with the same premium can behave very differently when something goes wrong. Deductibles, discounts and rewards you earned at the old company often look different at the new one, and a few of them do not transfer at all.
This guide explains what tends to change when you move to another company, how to line up deductibles so the comparison is fair, and which discounts you may need to set up again after the switch.
In this guide
Deductibles are chosen again, not carried over
Your deductible is the slice of each covered repair bill that comes out of your own pocket, and it is set separately for collision and for comprehensive protection. When you switch, the new company does not automatically copy your old choice. Many online offers default to a higher deductible, such as $1,000, because it produces a lower headline premium.
Before comparing, ask each company for a price at the same deductibles you have now. Then, if you like, ask for a second price at a different level. A policy that is $90 a year cheaper with a deductible $500 higher only saves money if you go more than five years between claims.
Rewards tied to staying put usually stay behind
Some benefits are earned by time with one company and stay with that company. Loyalty or tenure discounts reset to zero. Accident forgiveness, which keeps a first at-fault accident from raising your price, often must be earned again over several years without a claim. Programs that shrink your deductible for each year without a claim usually start over, so a deductible that had fallen to $250 may be back to $500 or more.
These are real losses, but they are often smaller than they feel. Put a dollar figure on each one and compare it with the yearly savings from the switch.
Discounts you may need to request again
Many discounts exist at most companies but are not applied unless you ask or qualify again. Common ones include paying the full term up front, signing up for automatic payments, choosing paperless documents, a good student discount for a young driver with strong grades, a discount for completing an approved defensive driving course, and credits for safety equipment such as anti-theft devices.
Driving-score programs, the kind that watch braking and mileage through a phone app or a small gadget in the car, begin again from nothing. Any discount you earned in the old program does not carry over, and the new company may give a small credit just for joining while it collects a few weeks of driving data.
Watch the multi-policy discount on everything else
If your car and home or renters policies sit with the same company, moving the car can remove a multi-policy discount on the policy that stays. That increase shows up on a different bill, so it is easy to miss. Ask the old company what the remaining policy will cost without the car, or ask the new company for a combined price on both.
Compare the total, not just the premium
A fair comparison adds up the yearly premium, the deductibles you would pay in a typical claim, and any discounts that are lost or gained. Line up the same limits for liability, the same deductibles, and the same add-ons such as towing or rental reimbursement. Only then does the lower number tell you which policy actually costs less.
Worked example
Tomasz Wierzbicki and Dalia Haddad add it all up
Tomasz Wierzbicki and Dalia Haddad pay $1,380 a year for their car with a $500 collision deductible, which their company's no-claims program has lowered to $250. They also hold renters insurance with the same company at $168 a year after a $24 multi-policy discount, and the car premium includes an 8 percent loyalty discount.
A new company offers $1,140 a year, but at a $1,000 collision deductible. When they ask for the same $500 deductible, the price becomes $1,215. Moving the car would also lift their renters premium to $192. The year-one difference is therefore $1,380 minus $1,215, which is $165, less the $24 renters increase, or $141 in savings.
They weigh that against the $250 deductible credit they would give up, which only matters if they have a collision claim. They decide the switch is worth it, set up paperless documents and automatic payments for two more small discounts, and plan to ask the new company for a combined price with their renters policy when that renews.
Names, cars and dollar amounts in this example are made up so the sums are easy to follow.
Checklist
- Write down your current collision and comprehensive deductibles.
- Ask every new company for a price at those same deductibles.
- List each discount on your current declarations page.
- Put a dollar figure on any reward that will not transfer.
- Ask what your other policies will cost if the car leaves.
- Request paperless, automatic payment and other discounts after the switch.
Quick reference
| Feature | What usually happens | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Collision and comprehensive deductibles | Chosen again, often defaulting higher | Price at my current deductible |
| Loyalty or tenure discount | Resets to zero at the new company | Is there a new-customer discount instead |
| Accident forgiveness | Usually must be earned again | How many years without a claim to qualify |
| Shrinking deductible credits | Start over from the full deductible | How fast credits build here |
| Usage-based program results | Do not transfer between companies | Is there a credit just for joining |
Six key terms
Deductible
Your own share of a covered repair, paid first, with the company picking up whatever is left above it.
Comprehensive protection
Pays for damage not caused by a crash, such as hail, theft or a cracked windshield.
Collision protection
Pays to repair your own car after it hits another car or an object.
Accident forgiveness
A benefit that keeps a first at-fault accident from raising your premium.
Multi-policy discount
A reduction for holding more than one kind of policy with the same company.
Usage-based program
An optional plan that prices partly on measured driving habits from an app or device.
Questions to ask the companies
- What would this policy cost at exactly the deductibles I carry today?
- Which of my current discounts will you apply automatically, and which must I request?
- Do you offer any credit for joining your driving program before you have my data?
- How many years without a claim before accident forgiveness applies with you?
- If my car moves away, what will my remaining home or renters policy cost on its own?
- Is there a new-customer discount that replaces the loyalty discount I am giving up?
Bistrehaven describes common practice. Your own policy wording, company and state rules decide how your switch is handled.