GEICO is widely touted as one of America’s most reliable auto insurance providers, offering countless types of cheap car insurance, services, and affordable rates. You can request a quote online directly from GEICO or by using an insurance comparison shopping tool.

GEICO generally receives high customer satisfaction ratings and tends to have affordable car insurance rates—but you’ll need to look elsewhere for gap insurance.
To get the most accurate quote for a GEICO auto insurance policy, know what insurance needs you have, the discounts you could qualify for, and what you’re looking for in a provider.
You can request an auto insurance quote directly from GEICO or by using an insurance broker tool to compare your options with other providers.

MORE:

How to lower your car insurance costs

GEICO pros and cons

Pros	Cons
Generates higher customer satisfaction ratings than other larger providers in this category	Doesn’t offer gap insurance coverage options
Great online navigation tools	Access to local agent support is often limited
Affordable price-points
Full range of discounts

What is covered by GEICO's basic car insurance?

Liability coverage

Auto liability policies are designed to protect you up to your policy’s limit should you be found at-fault in a car accident.

Liability coverage

is necessary as part of most states’ minimum coverage requirements. There are two types of liability coverage:

bodily injury liability

coverage and

property damage liability

coverage. To make sure you have adequate coverage, it’s generally a good idea to purchase both.

Medical payments or personal injury protection coverage

Medical payments (MedPay)

coverage is a common insurance add-on that will help cover the costs of any medical or funeral expenses for you, your family members, or your passengers. Medical payments coverage will kick in regardless of who is found at fault and it also applies to pedestrians hit by a vehicle or passengers riding in another person’s vehicle.

A similar type of auto insurance coverage called

personal injury protection (PIP)

will cover the cost of medical expenses associated with an accident no matter who is at fault and may apply in some cases to cover lost wages as well.

While basic liability coverage only applies to the other party, medical payments coverage or personal injury protection coverage will ensure that your medical expenses are also taken care of up to your policy’s limit.

Uninsured/Underinsured motorist coverage

Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage

will help protect you if you are in an accident with an at-fault driver who doesn’t have sufficient liability coverage.

This type of insurance is sold by GEICO as a policy add-on but it also might be legally required in your state so it’s important to make sure you have the mandated amount of coverage.

Collision coverage

collision coverage

insurance package is designed to protect you if you are involved in a collision.

GEICO's collision package covers the following situations and is claimed regardless of who is found to be at fault. In some instances, you might be able to begin the repair process while the claims investigation is still underway.

Collision helps cover damages if:

Your vehicle hits another vehicle

Your vehicle is hit by another vehicle

Your vehicle collides with an object like a fence or sign (animals are not included here)

Comprehensive coverage

For its

comprehensive coverage package

, GEICO determines your policy limit according to the actual price of your vehicle. This type of insurance will cover you for non-collision situations where your vehicle is still left vulnerable to damage.

Examples of incidents that would fall under comprehensive coverage include:

Theft

Vandalism

Hail damage

Hitting an animal

Optional car insurance coverage options

Rideshare insurance coverage

If you are a rideshare or delivery app driver, you should seriously consider taking out a

rideshare insurance

policy with GEICO. While it is not available in all 50 states, GEICO offers a unique hybrid insurance coverage policy that functions both as a personal and commercial insurance company for your car.

While most providers only offer rideshare insurance options that might help cover the gap periods where you might be left vulnerable on the job or help mitigate company policy deductibles; GEICO's rideshare insurance covers rideshare or delivery app drivers under one convenient policy whether they are using their car for business or personal purposes.

Emergency roadside service

GEICO works in conjunction with local providers to offer an affordable roadside assistance policy add-on. If your vehicle breaks down on the road, the following emergency roadside assistance services can be requested via the GEICO Mobile app, online, or via phone.

Emergency towing to the nearest viable repair facility

Battery jump starts

Tire changes (you must have a functioning spare on hand)

Lockout services up to $100

Vehicle winching services if you get stuck on or immediately next to a publicly maintained roadway

Fuel delivery services

Rental reimbursement coverage

GEICO's

rental reimbursement

package is an optional policy add-on that will help cover the cost of a rental vehicle should your primary vehicle require repairs after filing a valid claim.

The coverage will apply until your vehicle is repaired or until your coverage limit runs out, whichever comes first. GEICO will pay up to $25 a day to the rental reimbursement limit of $750.

This policy will likewise cover your short-term transportation needs if your vehicle is deemed a total loss following a claimable incident.

Mechanical breakdown insurance coverage

A GEICO mechanical breakdown insurance policy functions much like an extended warranty for your vehicle. It is available for newer leased or purchased vehicles. This insurance add-on will cover the cost of unexpected breakdowns and offers more parts, service repair and replacement options than the standard extended warranty plan.

In order to qualify, your vehicle must be less than 15 months old and have less than 15,000 miles on the odometer.

Accident forgiveness

may be purchased as a policy add-on, or GEICO might also reward it automatically if you already have a good driving record.

According to their accident forgiveness plan, GEICO will waive the usual fees and policy price increases associated with at-fault accidents provided it is your first at-fault accident on the policy.

Need to know: GEICO’s accident forgiveness applies once for the whole policy—not once per driver on the policy. That means if your covered spouse is in an accident and GEICO applies accident forgiveness, you won’t be able to use that benefit if you’re in an accident.

Glass coverage

If you have already purchased a comprehensive policy with GEICO, you have the option to purchase a policy add-on so that you may waive the usual deductible on certain types of glass repairs.

GEICO's auto insurance discounts

As one of the country’s top car insurance providers, GEICO offers a full range of car insurance discounts that can translate to major savings on your car insurance policy.

The following discounts can help reduce the cost of your car insurance package anywhere from 3-26%:

Discounts
Good driver
Passive restraint
Anti-theft device
Emergency deployment
Federal employee
Seat belt use
Good student
Military
Federal employee
Anti-lock brake
Daytime running lights Multi-policy

How much does GEICO car insurance cost?

The average annual national cost for a GEICO car insurance policy for a married 35-year-old is around $1,125 a year. However, this number will vary depending on a full range of different factors including the type of vehicle you drive, your location, your driving record, your age, and the type of tailored options you add to your policy.

One of the first things to consider is how much coverage you actually want to have. If you opt for low-coverage options, you can expect to pay about $1,087.80 a year, while a high-coverage plan that includes full coverage will cost around $1,254.53 a year.

An important factor to consider when deciding if GEICO car insurance is right for you is your driving history. Those with a clean driving record could expect to pay about $1,167.93 a year, but if you have a DUI violation on your record that amount could skyrocket to $2,957.84 a year.

While GEICO is generally considered to be an affordable provider across the board, you will probably be able to find better options elsewhere if you have a less-desirable driving record.

The best way to get a good idea of what you can expect to pay for the coverage you want is to use an insurance comparison shopping tool like the

Jerry

app to assess your needs and compare car insurance quotes quickly and easily.

MORE:

Can Jerry’s all-car app really help you save on insurance?

GEICO vs. other car insurance companies

Here’s how GEICO stacks up to two of their major competitors, State Farm and Progressive, in terms of car insurance quotes and service.

GEICO vs. State Farm

As the leading car insurance broker in the country,

State Farm

pulls in relatively high customer service rankings for a major provider, but GEICO still comes out on top in this department.

GEICO also ranks just above State Farm in terms of the average costs of their policies. Generally speaking, a State Farm insurance policy will probably cost a couple of hundred dollars a year more than a GEICO policy.

GEICO clearly wins out in terms of policy price for drivers with a poor credit rating, but State Farms tends to offer better pricing options than GEICO for customers with less-than-perfect driving records—particularly if you have had a DUI in the past.

There are exceptions, so it is always a good idea to compare quotes from both providers before making your choice.

GEICO vs. Progressive

Once again, GEICO wins out in the customer satisfaction department, with

Progressive

falling significantly behind. GEICO also offers cost savings on most policy options when compared with Progressive, although the annual difference is not particularly large in most categories.

If you are a young driver (in the 25-year-old driver age range), a GEICO policy will probably be better suited to your needs than an annual car insurance policy from Progressive. GEICO offers you the chance to save about $350 a year over Progressive in this category.

Once again, GEICO doesn’t fare particularly well in the bad driving record category, and Progressive offers significantly more affordable options if you have a DUI on your record.

How to get a GEICO car insurance quote

GEICO offers up plenty of convenient online options for getting a car insurance quote. You just need to be able to provide your valid driver's license number, your vehicle identification number (VIN), and the physical address where your vehicle is stored.

The downside is that you won’t have access to the powerful online comparison tools that you need to analyze full range free car insurance quotes from different providers so that you can decide which option truly works for you.

This is where tools like

Jerry

come in to make your insurance shopping process effortless. Jerry contacts your insurance company to get the details of your current coverage so you don’t have to scale a mountain of questions. You get all the best prices and coverage with none of the legwork.

How do customers rate GEICO auto insurance?

According to the

2018 J.D. Power Associates U.S. Auto Insurance Satisfaction Study

, GEICO's scores tend to clock in above average.

GEICO ranks as "better than most" in the following categories:

Claim servicing

Estimation process

First notice of loss

Overall satisfaction

Rental experience

Settlement

In the Repair Process category, GEICO earns a score of "about average."

Likewise, the

2018 U.S Auto Insurance Shopping Study

finds GEICO placing well in terms of ratings, ranking "better than most" in terms of the Policy Offerings and Pricing categories.

It receives a score of "amongst the best" for the Insurer Website category but scores only average or below average for the following categories:

Call center representative

Local insurance agent

Overall satisfaction

To make a long story short, GEICO is generally well-ranked in terms of policy, pricing, and service, but there are some areas that still leave something to be desired.

GEICO's services and features

Auto Repair Xpress®

GEICO partners with a broad network of repair shops to offer you guaranteed repairs to your GEICO-insured vehicle.

This feature is convenient, but it is not unique to GEICO.

Farmers

and Progressive also back their clients with similar repair guarantee programs.

Car buying service

GEICO's car buying service offers easy and convenient technological aids to help you land a great deal on a new vehicle. This service allows you to access local dealerships to find out what people have paid for similar makes and models and is available to you whether or not you are currently subscribed to a GEICO car insurance policy.

Prime time contract

GEICO's Prime Time Contract option offers a guaranteed renewal option for drivers over 50. This option could be automatically applied or added on at the time of policy renewal if it is available in your state.

In order to qualify for the program, you must meet the following criteria:

Be 50 or older

Have no operators under the age of 25 on your policy

Have had no violations or accidents in the past three years

Reserve the vehicle for private use only

GEICO's mobile app

GEICO boasts an intuitive and convenient mobile app interface that puts the power to view or modify your policy at your fingertips. In addition, you can access your digital insurance ID cards and summon roadside assistance whenever and wherever you are.

A unique feature is the Easy Photo Estimate tool that lets you upload a photo of vehicle damage and receive a quick estimate of the damage within about 20 minutes.

Voice assistance

GEICO's online users can enjoy the services offered through a virtual assistant named Kate. The GEICO virtual assistant can quickly answer a range of standard insurance questions as well as provide more specific policy details on request.

You can access your online GEICO account and the virtual assistant services through Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant as well.

How to file a claim with GEICO

GEICO recommends filing your claim through either their mobile app or online interface, but you can call (800) 841-3000 to begin the claim process as well.

Keep in mind that GEICO offers limited access to local agents, and you might be left waiting on the line if you have specific questions that need answering.

Be prepared to provide over the course of the claims investigation:

Location, date, and time of the accident

Names, addresses, phone numbers, and insurance policy numbers of anybody else involved

Summary of the weather conditions at the time of the incident

Photo evidence of the accident scene and damage

Any relevant copies of the police and/or accident reports

Once you have filed your claim, you will receive a claim number—be sure to keep this on hand until the investigation is complete.

Now is also a great time to review your policy so that you know what to expect. Knowing and understanding your insurance coverage will help you work hand-in-hand with your adjuster to find the best solution possible given the circumstances.

Once your claim is approved, you can proceed with the repairs and secure a replacement vehicle if it is part of your coverage plan.

Payment methods

As one of the country’s top insurance providers, GEICO offers a wide variety of available payment options to suit your needs.

Automatic online payments

Debit card payments

Electronic check

Mail payment options

Mobile app payments

Multi-payment installment plan options

Phone payment services

GEICO's car insurance cancellation policy

GEICO makes

canceling their policy

easier than some of the other providers out there, but you will still have to call them to do it.

To begin the cancellation process, call (800) 841-1587 to speak with an agent.

You may be prompted to speak to the Interactive Voice Response (IVR). If so, simply say "Cancel insurance policy" and then "Auto." Be sure to have your policy number ready in case you are asked to provide it.

Make sure you have a new policy option in place before deciding to cancel. If you find yourself stuck without an insurance policy, you could be subject to major fines.

GEICO's insurance background

GEICO is the second-largest insurance provider in the country, offering services and products in all 50 states. GEICO was founded back in 1936 in the midst of the Great Depression by an ambitious husband and wife duo named Leo and Lillian Goodwin.

As the company continued to grow over the years, they continued to break new ground by offering a diverse range of insurance services as well as affordable, accessible, and reliable packages.

While their network of in-person local agent access tends to be limited, GEICO is a great option for anybody who likes to take a hands-on approach to managing their own policy and is comfortable using a range of online tools to do so.

The Takeaway: is GEICO right for you?

If you are looking for a reputable national provider that offers good prices and reasonable service, GEICO is a great choice. The notable exception is if you have an imperfect driving record. In this case, you are likely to find a better policy elsewhere.

GEICO tends to scale back their local service offerings significantly, so if you aren’t comfortable navigating your policy online or prefer to speak to an agent in person, GEICO may not be the right provider for you.

"If you're shopping for car insurance shop no further! Jerry's made shopping for car insurance the easiest experience I've ever had! They give you multiple quotes and they were by far the cheapest rates I have seen! Try the Jerry app, you will not be disappointed!" - Satisfied Jerry Customer

RECOMMENDED