Nationwide does not currently offer its customers rideshare coverage—so if you drive for a rideshare company like Uber or Lyft, you’ll have to find special coverage with another provider.

Nationwide does not offer rideshare insurance to policyholders.
Popular rideshare apps may offer commercial coverage at an elevated cost, but you can’t mix and match Uber or Lyft’s commercial coverage with your Nationwide policy.
To find the best rideshare insurance for you, compare quotes from at least 3-5 insurance companies before making a final decision.

Let’s go over what you should do if you have Nationwide

car insurance

coverage and drive for a rideshare company.

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Everything about a Nationwide car insurance quote

Does Nationwide have rideshare insurance?

No, Nationwide does not offer rideshare insurance to policyholders. But you can still purchase a Nationwide auto policy and choose to find rideshare coverage from a separate provider.

Just be aware that if you choose to purchase regular auto insurance from Nationwide, your policy won’t cover you when you’re ridesharing. With a Personal Auto policy through Nationwide, no coverage will be provided in the following three circumstances:

Your rideshare mobile app is turned “on” but no match with a rider/product has been made yet.

A match with a rider/product has been made, but that person/product is not yet in your vehicle.

The rider/product is in your vehicle being taken to the destination.

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What to do if you have Nationwide car insurance and drive for a rideshare company

If you’re a Nationwide customer that drives for a rideshare company, your Nationwide insurance policy won’t cover you while the rideshare app is on, especially after you’ve accepted a ride request or made a pickup. Moreover, if you get into an accident while ridesharing, you won’t be able to submit a claim to Nationwide—and if the company discovers that you’re a rideshare driver, there’s a chance your policy could get dropped.

That means you’ll have to find your rideshare insurance somewhere else—but finding affordable rideshare coverage can be challenging. That’s because rideshare insurance is an inherently risky investment for providers. As a result, even companies that do offer rideshare insurance tend to charge more for it.

While popular rideshare apps—including Uber and Lyft—offer commercial auto insurance policies that include

bodily injury

and

property damage liability coverage

during rides (and sometimes additional insurance for drivers who have

full-coverage policies

), that coverage only applies when a passenger or product is in the car. Uber and Lyft also charge significantly higher insurance deductibles: $1,000 for Uber drivers and $2,500 for Lyft drivers.

A word of caution: mixing and matching your rideshare company’s commercial insurance with your personal Nationwide auto policy is a dangerous approach to coverage. Because these commercial policies only offer coverage while you’ve got a passenger or product in the car—and Nationwide won’t cover you at all while your rideshare app is turned on—you’ll essentially be driving without insurance for a significant portion of your working hours.

That’s a criminal offense in most states, one that’s often accompanied by financial and legal penalties and significantly increased insurance rates if you’re caught.

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Is the Nationwide SmartRide app worth it?

What is the best rideshare insurance company?

Nationwide won’t offer you rideshare insurance coverage—but other car insurance companies will! The following providers are the best options currently out there for Uber and Lyft drivers:

Purchasing rideshare coverage from one of the above companies may involve switching your insurance provider since it’s typically offered in the form of an endorsement for your existing personal insurance policy. Most rideshare endorsements include basic liability insurance, along with the option to add collision and comprehensive coverage if you choose.

Exactly what you pay for this type of coverage will depend on factors like your location, covered vehicle, driving history, and more—but prices can vary from as little as $20 per year to as much as $300 per year.

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Does my car insurance cover me if I drive Uber or Lyft?

Should I tell my car insurance company that I drive for Uber?

Yes, you should. While it might be tempting to avoid sharing this information with your provider (especially if you can’t get ridesharing coverage through them), it’s important to remain transparent with your insurance company—or you could face potentially serious consequences.

The increase to your insurance rate that you’re likely to face as a rideshare driver is relatively small when compared to the potential costs of uncovered claims and a policy cancellation—not to mention the penalties of being caught driving without insurance, which can include steep fines and possible jail time no matter where you live.

But here’s the bottom line: it’s never a good idea to keep your rideshare driving a secret from your insurance company. Instead, take the time to find the coverage you need before you start your ridesharing side hustle.

“
Jerry
makes choosing new insurance as easy as grocery shopping. Even though I had a car accident within the past two years, Jerry found me a great deal with Nationwide—I went from paying $340 to $90 a month!” —Pan N.

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