GEICO has a nine-day grace period for missed payments and doesn’t charge late fees—but your policy will be canceled automatically if you wait too long.

Written by R.E. Fulton

Edited by Kathleen Flear

Updated on Jan 31, 2024

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Does GEICO have a grace period for late payments?
Does GEICO accept late payments?
If you missed your GEICO payment
If GEICO cancels your policy
If you’re having trouble making payments
FAQs

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GEICO

has a nine-day grace period for missed payments and does not charge late fees. If you don’t pay your premium within nine days of the original due date, your GEICO

car insurance

policy could be canceled.

Does GEICO have a grace period for late payments?

Yes, GEICO offers a nine-day grace period for missed payments and won’t charge a late fee if your payment comes in after the due date.

When you miss a GEICO payment:

You have nine days to pay your bill before your policy is canceled.

You will receive a cancellation warning from GEICO stating the exact date that your policy will be canceled if no payment is received (typically 14 days from the original due date).

Does GEICO accept late payments?

Yes, GEICO will accept a late payment as long as it’s processed within nine days of your original due date.

What if I get into an accident with a missed payment?

You still have car insurance coverage during your grace period—that’s what makes it a true grace period! As long as you are within the grace period, you still have coverage if you get into an accident and can submit claims to GEICO for reimbursement.

Learn More:

Car insurance lapse grace periods— what to do if you miss a payment

If you missed your GEICO payment

If you’ve missed a car insurance payment to GEICO, you can still make a late payment as long as you’re within nine days of the original due date. You won’t be charged any extra fees, and your policy will stay active.

You can use any of the following methods to make your late payment:

Using 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 quickly 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 1 (800) 932-8872 to make a phone payment to GEICO and store your billing information for future use.

To avoid a coverage lapse, make sure any payments by mail are postmarked on or before the cancellation date listed on your cancellation notice.

To avoid future missed payments, set up payment reminders in advance.

The Jerry app has a built-in payment reminder function to help you keep track of when your bill’s due and prepare to make a payment.

Learn More:

What Happens if You Don’t Pay Your Car Insurance? | GetJerry.com

What if I’m enrolled in autopay?

If you’re enrolled in autopay and missed a payment due to a change in your billing information or a low bank balance, head to your GEICO account to update your information or authorize a new payment.

Will a missed payment affect my credit score?

A single missed car insurance payment shouldn’t impact your credit score if you’re able to pay it within the grace period. However, if you fail to pay your bill and GEICO sends it to a debt collection agency, it could show up on your credit report and lower your credit score—which can lead to

higher insurance rates

If GEICO cancels your policy

If you miss the nine-day grace period, 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.

Step 1:

First, reach out to your GEICO insurance agent directly to 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 premiums to shoot up significantly.

Step 2:

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

The

Jerry

app is a good tool for finding same-day coverage.

Because Jerry partners with over 55 insurance companies and uses a single driver profile to compare quotes, it’s the quickest way to determine your coverage options without requesting quotes individually from separate insurers.

For each quote, you’ll be able to see exactly how much you’d need to pay to start your coverage, and same-day policies are available in most cases.

Find same-day coverage now

If you’re having trouble making payments

If you missed your GEICO insurance payment

because your rates are too high

, take steps now to prevent a possible coverage lapse in the future.

GEICO allows policyholders to postpone scheduled payments if you’re on a monthly payment plan and your due date is less than 11 days away. Head to the GEICO mobile app, open the “Billing” tab, and click “Postpone Payment” to make a one-time change to your payment schedule.

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 insurance providers to see if you can find a cheaper policy elsewhere.

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FAQs

What happens if I pay my GEICO insurance late?

If you pay your GEICO auto insurance bill late, your insurance policy could be canceled if your payment is more than nine days late. If you pay your bill within nine days of your original due date, however, you won’t be charged a late fee and your policy will stay in place.

How do I change my payment date on GEICO?

To change the date of your next GEICO payment, open up the GEICO mobile app and head to “Billing.” Under your next bill, you will see a button that says “Postpone Payment.” Click that button and select the date on which you’d like to make your next payment. Remember that this is a one-time change that won’t affect future payments.

Did GEICO rates go up in 2023?

Yes. In 2022 and 2023, GEICO raised its insurance premiums by an average of 20% across the country to recover financial losses caused by inflation, rising auto repair costs, and a climbing rate of serious car accidents.

Does GEICO have a grace period for new car insurance?

Like most car insurance companies, GEICO typically allows a 30-day grace period to add a new car to your policy if you’re already insured with GEICO. Any coverage and deductibles on your existing policy—from bodily injury and property damage liability to full coverage—should apply to your new car during the

new car grace period

Is there a fee to cancel GEICO insurance?

In most states, there is no fee to cancel GEICO insurance. You can cancel your policy at any time by calling 1 (800) 841-1587. In North Carolina, some GEICO auto insurance policies are subject to short-rate cancellation fees.