Pay-Per-Mile Insurance Coverage
With pay-per-mile insurance, telematics are used to track your mileage. Then your rates are determined by your mileage plus a small daily charge. Stay-at-home parents and people that live near public transit who don’t drive a lot can benefit from pay-per-mile car insurance. To find out if usage-based insurance is a good choice for you, compare online quotes from top-ranked companies.
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Mary Martin
Published Legal Expert
Mary Martin has been a legal writer and editor for over 20 years, responsible for ensuring that content is straightforward, correct, and helpful for the consumer. In addition, she worked on writing monthly newsletter columns for media, lawyers, and consumers. Ms. Martin also has experience with internal staff and HR operations. Mary was employed for almost 30 years by the nationwide legal publi...
Published Legal Expert
UPDATED: Oct 13, 2023
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right legal decisions.
We strive to help you make confident insurance and legal decisions. Finding trusted and reliable insurance quotes and legal advice should be easy. This doesn’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own.
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about legal topics and insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything legal and insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by experts.
UPDATED: Oct 13, 2023
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right legal decisions.
We strive to help you make confident insurance and legal decisions. Finding trusted and reliable insurance quotes and legal advice should be easy. This doesn’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own.
On This Page
- Auto insurance companies use telematics to determine how many miles you drive
- Pay-per-mile insurance is a combination of a small daily charge and a rate based on how many miles you drive
- Most major auto insurance companies offer usage-based insurance
Pay-per-mile insurance is a great choice for some drivers. You control how much you pay each month by how much you drive.
Be sure to shop around and compare quotes to find affordable pay-per-mile auto insurance. Each auto insurance company will have its own program so you will want to look carefully at what multiple companies can offer you.
Enter your ZIP code now to compare pay-per-mile auto insurance rates from top companies in your area.
What is pay-per-mile auto insurance?
Insurance pay-per-mile is exactly as it sounds. You’re basically paying for every mile you drive.
First, you are charged a small base rate each month. This rate is calculated from the usual factors that affect the price of car insurance, such as age, driving record, and ZIP code.
Second, you are charged at a low rate for each mile you drive. You pay the combined charge for the base rate and the mileage.
You are in control of your rates. Usage-based insurance can be much cheaper than standard auto insurance if you drive very little.
Although they sound similar, pay-per-mile insurance should not be confused with pay-as-you-drive insurance.
The major difference is that with pay-as-you-drive insurance, your rates are based on your safe driving habits. Hard braking, speeding, distracted driving, and the time of day you drive are all used to calculate your rates or discounts.
If you drive poorly, your rates can increase with some companies.
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Who should use pay-per-mile auto insurance?
For drivers who don’t put much mileage on their cars, pay-per-mile insurance is a great choice.
Great candidates for use-based insurance are stay-at-home parents, people who work from home, and people who live near public transit.
However, this form of insurance may not be the best fit for you if you drive to work every day or drive around for fun.
Also, pay-per-mile insurance might not work for you if you have a tight budget, because the charge for each month would be different.
How does pay-per-mile auto insurance work?
Some companies, like Metromile, are dedicated to pay-per-mile insurance, while other companies offer it along with standard policies.
Nine out of ten of the major auto insurance firms offer some kind of use-based insurance, according to the Insurance Information Institute. This makes finding a program relatively easy, but keep in mind that each one is different.
For example, pay-per-mile insurance auto insurance companies have different methods of tracking your mileage.
Most auto insurance companies use some sort of telematics device to count miles. This is usually a plug-in device but can also be a tab that mounts on your windshield. An app is used with these devices to report your mileage.
For example, Milewise is Allstate’s pay-per-mile program. It records your mileage using a plug-in device, and then adds that to your daily rate. Learn more in our Allstate auto insurance review.
Also, with pay-per-mile insurance, you can still receive the basic types of auto insurance coverage as with a normal policy, your cost is just different.
Another thing to be aware of is that pay-per-mile programs like Milewise aren’t available everywhere. You will need to check to see if usage-based insurance is offered in your state.
Before you buy pay-per-mile auto insurance, shop around to see if it’s the best option. Compare quotes with standard auto insurance rates to see what is the cheaper insurance option for you.
Enter your ZIP code now to compare pay-per-mile auto insurance quotes and find the best deal for you.
Case Studies: Pay-Per-Mile Insurance for John, Sarah, and Mark
Case Study 1: John – Pay-Per-Mile Insurance for Stay-at-Home Parents
Discover how John, a stay-at-home parent who rarely drives, benefits from pay-per-mile insurance. By utilizing telematics to track his minimal mileage, John enjoys reduced rates and increased savings. Get insights into his experience and compare quotes from top-ranked companies.
Case Study 2: Sarah – Pay-Per-Mile Insurance for Urban Dwellers
Explore Sarah’s case as an urban dweller living near public transit. With infrequent driving, Sarah finds pay-per-mile insurance ideal for her lifestyle. Learn how she compares quotes from different providers to find the most suitable and cost-effective coverage for her needs.
Case Study 3: Mark – Pay-Per-Mile Insurance for Low-Mileage Drivers
Discover how Mark, a low-mileage driver due to remote work, benefits from pay-per-mile insurance. By choosing this usage-based option, Mark has better control over his insurance costs. Find out how he compares quotes to find the most affordable coverage that suits his budget.
Enter your ZIP code below to compare cheap insurance rates.
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Mary Martin
Published Legal Expert
Mary Martin has been a legal writer and editor for over 20 years, responsible for ensuring that content is straightforward, correct, and helpful for the consumer. In addition, she worked on writing monthly newsletter columns for media, lawyers, and consumers. Ms. Martin also has experience with internal staff and HR operations. Mary was employed for almost 30 years by the nationwide legal publi...
Published Legal Expert
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about legal topics and insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything legal and insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by experts.