Geico’s grace period for missed payments depends on your payment method. According to the insurer’s customer service:
- If you are enrolled in autopay, you can postpone your payments by nine days.
- If you miss a payment, Geico will send you a cancelation notice with about 14 days to pay before the cancellation goes into official effect.
While Geico doesn’t typically call it a “grace period,” these policies function as grace periods because you are still covered for a period after your payment is due.
What happens during Geico’s grace period?
If you fail to make payment before or on the due date, Geico will send a cancellation notice with a final date to make the payment, typically allowing an additional two weeks. The insurer does not cancel your coverage immediately.
During this time, your coverage remains in force until the final date specified in the cancellation notice. If you get into an accident, you can submit a claim to Geico for reimbursement.
If you pay before the cancellation date, your coverage will continue and you won’t pay a late fee.
If you’re having trouble making payments
If you missed your Geico insurance payment because rates are too high, take steps now to prevent a coverage lapse in the future.
Autopay: Postpone your payments
Geico allows policyholders to postpone automatic monthly payments. This must be done 11 or more days before the due date. To postpone a payment, open the “Billing” tab in the Geico mobile app and choose “Postpone Payment” to make a one-time change to your payment schedule.
Autopay: Updating banking status
If you’re enrolled in autopay and missed a payment due to a change in your billing information or a low bank balance, update your information or authorize a new payment in your Geico account.
Shop for a lower rate
The rate you pay with Geico might not be the lowest rate available to you. Compare car insurance quotes from at least three to five other providers to see if you can find a cheaper policy elsewhere.
How to pay a missed Geico payment
Here are your options to make a late payment:
- Use your cancellation notice: Send payments on a cancellation notice to Geico Remittance Center, P.O. Box 70775 Philadelphia, PA 19176-0775.
- Online: If you know your Geico user ID or policy number, you can pay your bill online.
- Geico app: If you have the Geico mobile app on your phone, you can pay your bill directly in the app.
- By phone: Call 800-932-8872 to make a phone payment to Geico and store your billing information for future use.
Check the date
To avoid a coverage lapse, make sure any payments by mail are postmarked on or before the cancellation date listed on your cancellation notice.
What to do if Geico cancels your policy
If you do not pay Geico before the final cancellation date, Geico will cancel your policy due to nonpayment. If this happens, you will be in a coverage lapse. Act fast to restore your coverage and avoid higher rates down the line.
Option 1: Call Geico and ask about reinstatement
If you’re able to make a payment, Geico may reinstate your coverage — but this isn’t guaranteed, and you may pay a higher rate upon reinstatement due to your coverage lapse. Even a lapse of a few days can cause your premium to rise significantly.
Option 2: Shop for same-day coverage
If you’re not able to reinstate your Geico policy — or if your rates are higher upon reinstatement — your best option is to shop for same-day coverage from a new insurer. Compare as many quotes as possible to find the best rates for your profile, and be sure to consider smaller insurers and companies that specialize in coverage for “high-risk” drivers.
Xuyun Zeng is a writer and editor with a wide-ranging content background including tech, journalism, cars and health care. After graduating with highest honors in journalism, Xuyun led a newspaper to win eight awards, helped start an award-winning film industry podcast and has written over a hundred articles about cars repair, state laws and insurance. Prior to joining Jerry, Xuyun worked as a freelance SEO consultant with a mission to create the best content that will help readers and grow organic traffic.
Kevin Berry is the Senior Director of Content at Jerry and has been working in the digital content space since 2011 across the car insurance/repair, personal finance, travel and sports industries. Prior to Jerry, Kevin was a content team lead at NerdWallet overseeing the Multimedia Production and Travel Rewards teams. Previously, he worked for NBC Sports, Comcast Cable and Nike. He has a Master`s Degree from Arkansas State and a Bachelor`s from Oregon State University.
