CarInsurance.com Insights
- Travelers received the highest ranking in our 2026 insurer analysis for the second year in a row, with a score of 4.55 out of 5.
- Travelers offers a wide variety of coverage options, including less common coverages such as rideshare and new car replacement.
- In addition to low average rates, Travelers also offers more than a dozen discounts that could help you save money.
As part of CarInsurance.com’s 2026 analysis of major car insurance companies, I put Travelers to the test. To analyze pricing and customer satisfaction, I used Quadrant Information Services’ rate data and the results of CarInsurance.com’s 2026 consumer survey of more than 2,000 customers, conducted by Dynata.
To evaluate the company’s financial strength and potential weaknesses, I used NAIC complaint data and AM Best financial strength ratings. I also ran a quote using my household information to test out the quote experience, and Travelers delivered one of the lowest rates I’ve seen. Here’s what my full analysis and experience revealed.
I Got a Travelers Car Insurance Quote Online — Here's My Honest Review
When I tested Travelers' online quote tool, the process was among the fastest I've experienced with any major insurer. I received a rate of $56 per month for 100/300/100 liability coverage on my 2025 Subaru Outback, with eight discounts applied automatically, totaling $242 in savings. It’s a great rate for my household, but I noticed something: Travelers defaults to a $1,000 deductible, which is partly why the rate looks so low. When I switched to my preferred $500 deductible, the monthly rate moved up $8 to $64. I also appreciated that the fine print around credit-based insurance scoring was unusually clear and direct.
Quick verdict scorecard
| CIC overall score | 4.55 / 5 |
| 2026 national rank | No. 1 of 15 (national + regional carriers) |
| Full coverage rate | $175/month (market average: $209/month) |
| AM Best rating | A++ (Superior) — as of Aug. 8, 2025 |
| Best for | Cost-focused drivers, homeowners and drivers seeking broad coverage options |
| Of note | J.D. Power claims satisfaction trails the industry average, and Travelers scored 59% on discounts in consumer research |
At a glance
Travelers ranked No. 1 among national car insurance companies in our 2026 analysis — for the second consecutive year. With an average monthly premium of $175 for full coverage, an A++ AM Best rating, and high marks for customer satisfaction and policy breadth, it earns its top position. Its main trade-offs: J.D. Power claims satisfaction trails the industry average, and discounts scored lower than other categories.
Pros
- No. 1 rating for the second year in a row in our overall analysis of top insurance companies
- A++ financial strength rating (only matched by GEICO and USAA among the insurers we analyzed)
- 89% customer satisfaction and 93% trustworthiness in 2026 consumer research
- Coverage is available in all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C.
- Cheaper than average premiums in our rate analysis
- Good variety of coverage options, including rental car reimbursement and accident forgiveness
- More than a dozen available discounts
Cons
- Overall score edged down from 4.64 in 2025 to 4.55 in 2026 — still No. 1, but trending down
- Discounts scored 59%, the lowest-rated category in consumer research
- Not a top pick for teen/young adult drivers, according to 2026 data
- Not all discounts are available in all areas
- IntelliDrive telematics program and discounts are not available in all areas
- Accident forgiveness coverage must be purchased separately
After experiencing the quote process myself, there’s one more con I’d flag for rate shoppers: Travelers defaults to $1,000 deductibles during quoting. If you prefer a lower deductible, as I do, your rate will look low at first until you adjust it downward.
Who is Travelers best for?
Travelers is best for cost-focused drivers; its average rate of $175 per month is among the lowest in our study and $34 below the market average. It’s also a good fit for drivers seeking strong policy offerings, a firm financial foundation (as evidenced by its A++ rating), and solid discounts for good drivers and homeowners.
Ranked No. 1 in our Best Car Insurance Companies of 2026 study, Travelers received an overall score of 4.55 out of 5 and a customer satisfaction score of 4.37 out of 5.
It’s not as strong as other insurers for families with teen and young adult drivers, according to our analysis. It’s also not as strong for California drivers, as many of the discounts (homeownership, multi-car, new car, continuous insurance, and safe driver) are unavailable.
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How much does Travelers car insurance cost?
Travelers’ average monthly rate for full coverage is $175, based on our 2026 rate analysis using Quadrant data. That puts Travelers fifth out of 16 insurance companies in our study, and $34 below the category average of $209. Remember, your actual rate will vary based on your car, where you live, your driving record, and the coverage options you select.
View other average rates below for comparison. Quotes were based on a 40-year-old driver with a clean record and a Honda Accord LX, with liability limits of 100/300/100 and $500 deductibles, via Quadrant.
| Company | Average monthly premium |
|---|---|
| American Family | $159 |
| Erie | $159 |
| Auto-Owners | $171 |
| Travelers | $175 |
| GEICO | $179 |
| Auto Club Group (AAA) | $185 |
| Nationwide | $205 |
| Progressive | $223 |
| Amica | $231 |
| State Farm | $240 |
| Auto Club Enterprises (AAA) | $243 |
| USAA* | $131 |
*USAA is available only to active military, veterans and their families.
When I ran my own quote for Travelers for my 2025 Subaru Outback, I received a rate of $56 per month for 100/300/100 liability coverage. I needed to adjust some assumptions, but it gave me a clear idea of where pricing starts.
The quote process was pleasant and quick, one of the fastest I’ve tested across any major insurer.
Something I noted: Travelers defaulted to $1,000 deductibles. That’s part of why my initial quote looked so low. When I adjusted it to my preferred level ($500), the monthly rate moved up by $8 to $64. Over a year, that’s $96 more in premiums to pay $500 less out-of-pocket after a claim.
Sophie’s Tip
The Travelers quote defaults to $1,000 deductibles. Switching it to $500 added $8 to my monthly bill — that’s $96 a year for $500 less out of pocket if you file a claim. Whether that math works for you depends on the funds you’d have available if you needed to file a claim.
Travelers discounts and savings
Travelers offers more than a dozen discounts, including telematics, driving record, vehicle type and policy management. The IntelliDrive program is the highest-value option, with good drivers saving up to 35% on their premiums, depending on the state. Most discounts stack automatically during the online quote process, which means you don’t have to hunt for them individually.
When I requested a quote, Travelers applied eight discounts for me automatically, which reduced my rate by $242 in total: Digital Auto (for enrolling in IntelliDrive plus autopay and paperless billing), safe driver, homeownership, good payer, continuous insurance, early quote, new car, and automatic emergency braking.
During your quote process, find out if you’re eligible for one or more of the following discounts:
- Multi-policy
- Multiple vehicles
- Homeownership
- Safe driver
- Continuous coverage
- Hybrid or electric car
- New car (less than three years old)
- Autopay, pay-in-full and good payer (consistently on-time payments)
- Early quote (for shopping for a new policy in advance)
- Good student
- Student away at school
- Driver training
Note that not all discounts are available in all areas. The good payer discount is not available in California, Maryland, New York, or Washington. Early quote and safe driver discounts are not available in California or New York. Continuous insurance, EFT, new-car, paid-in-full, homeownership and multicar discounts are not available in California.
Sophie’s Tip
Your credit score and your insurance score are not the same thing. Insurance scoring looks at your credit history, not the score number itself, to judge the risk of you filing a claim. Even if your credit file is frozen, an insurer can still pull a report for underwriting purposes.
Coverage options
Travelers offers a variety of coverage options beyond liability coverage, including less common choices such as new-car replacement, rideshare, and named non-owner insurance. It scored 92% for policy offerings in our study, the highest score of any national insurer we looked at. Note that in California, some products are only available through independent agents.
Liability car insurance is mandatory in every state except New Hampshire – and even there, you must prove financial responsibility. It helps you cover someone else’s costs if you’re at fault in an accident. Other car insurance coverages from Travelers include:
- Collision: This pays to repair or replace your vehicle if you’re involved in a crash.
- Comprehensive: This coverage helps pay for damage to your vehicle caused by events other than an accident, such as storms, falling trees, fire or vandalism.
- Medical expenses: Also known as MedPay, this coverage pays for your and your passengers’ medical expenses if you’re injured in an accident, regardless of fault.
In addition to the common coverages above, Travelers also offers other options that let you customize your policy for an additional fee, such as:
- Personal injury protection (PIP): This coverage helps pay for medical expenses and other related costs, regardless of who is at fault in the accident.
- Loan or lease gap coverage: This helps cover the gap between your vehicle’s actual cash value and the amount remaining on your car loan or lease if your car is totaled.
- Extended transportation expenses: This helps pay for a car rental, car service or public transportation while your vehicle is being repaired.
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage: This protects you financially if you’re in an accident with a driver who has too little coverage or no car insurance at all.
- Roadside assistance: Travelers will help if you’re stranded at the side of the road because of something like a flat tire or a dead battery.
- Accident forgiveness: This coverage prevents your premium from increasing after an accident.
- New car replacement: If your vehicle is totaled, this coverage helps you replace it with a new car of the same make and model (if you purchased your vehicle within the last five years).
- Rideshare: Travelers offers limited coverage for rideshare drivers; it protects you while you’re available to pick up passengers, but not after you’ve picked up your passenger.
- Umbrella: This coverage provides protection when covered costs exceed the limits named in your policy.
Travelers also offers named non-owner insurance, designed for people who regularly drive others’ vehicles but don’t own a car.
When I reviewed the coverage options during my quote, the new car replacement and rideshare options stood out, since both are harder to find at this price point.
The Travelers claims experience
You can file a Travelers claim online, through the mobile app, or by phone at 1-800-252-4633. Support is available 24 hours a day. Using the app is the fastest way to file standard claims; for major accidents or injuries, Travelers recommends calling directly. In our 2026 consumer research, Travelers scored 82% for claims handling — the highest of any national carrier we analyzed.
The Travelers app received a 4.7-star rating out of a possible five stars on the App Store for iOS, based on more than 119,000 reviews as of May 2026.
On the Google Play Store, the app has a rating of 4.6 stars out of 5, based on 4,000 reviews as of May 2026.
Travelers received a score of 691, slightly below the 700 industry average, in the J.D. Power 2025 Auto Claims Satisfaction Study. In our 2026 auto insurance customer survey of more than 2,000 policyholders, Travelers led all national carriers for claims handling at 82%. These results might seem confusing until you consider that they’re measuring different things. The J.D. Power auto claims study measures how satisfied customers felt after filing a claim. Our survey measured how customers feel about their insurer’s claims reputation overall.
Travelers’ customer satisfaction
Travelers’ customer satisfaction picture is strong, for the most part. There are two weak spots worth pointing out. In J.D. Power’s 2025 claims satisfaction survey, Travelers scored slightly below the industry average, and in our consumer survey, it scored a relatively low 59% for discount satisfaction. However, across all other categories (including trust, ease of service, policy offerings, and digital experience), Travelers ranks at or near the top.
Travelers received slightly fewer complaints than the average in 2024, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). Its NAIC Complaint Index was 0.625; an index below 1.0 indicates below-average complaints for its size.
Travelers scored slightly below average —691 to the average 700 — in the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study. It was comparable to the study average — 698 to 699 — in the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Insurance Digital Experience Study.
In J.D. Power’s regional customer satisfaction survey, Travelers scored above the segment average in New York — 654 vs. the regional average of 636.
In terms of financial strength, Travelers received stronger ratings than some of the other insurers in our study, with an A++ (Superior) rating from AM Best as of August 2025. Such a strong rating indicates that the company is highly likely to be able to pay future claims.
In our survey, 92% of Travelers policyholders planned to renew their policy. That’s among the strongest renewal rates of any national carrier in our study, and just two points below the category leaders. That number, combined with a 93% trustworthiness score, suggests that long-term satisfaction is high, even if the claims experience has room to improve.
| What we measured | Travelers score | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Customer satisfaction | 89% | Above national average |
| Trustworthiness | 93% | Near top |
| Ease of service | 89% | Strong |
| Policy offerings | 92% | Tied for top national carrier |
| Claims handling | 82% | Top national carrier |
| Digital experience | 87% | Top national carrier |
| Recommended by customers | 86% | 1 point below category average |
| Renewal intent | 92% | Strong; 2 pts below leaders |
| Discounts satisfaction | 59% | Lowest-rated Travelers category |
A J.D. Power claims score below the industry average doesn’t mean Travelers mishandles claims. It means the experience, on average, was rated slightly lower than competitors in that particular study. Travelers’ A++ AM Best rating, confirmed in August 2025, indicates the company has the financial strength to pay its obligations. That’s the more fundamental promise.
My verdict on Travelers
Travelers earns its No. 1 spot by doing almost everything well, not by dominating a single category. Its rates are competitive, the coverage menu is broad, and it’s financially strong. It also offers a super-fast quote process that makes it easy to find your best rate. There are some weak spots, such as a slightly lower-than-average score in J.D. Power’s claims experience study and a low satisfaction rating for discounts in our survey.
But overall, Travelers’ 4.55 out of 5 overall score in our 2026 analysis shows how consistently it performs across nearly every aspect we measured. It’s not the cheapest (that’s Erie and American Family), and it’s not the best in customer satisfaction (that’s CSAA and Erie). But it’s at the top across the board, and no other insurer matches that performance.
The Travelers quote process was one of the fastest I tested, and it applied eight discounts for me without any effort on my part. That got me $242 in savings before I’d compared a single coverage option. Just make sure you check the deductible before you accept the first number you see. The default was higher than I expected, and adjusting it gave a better picture of the actual rate for what I wanted.
Travelers could be a great fit if:
- Low rates for full coverage are a priority for you
- You can stack discounts because you own a home, drive a newer car or have a clean driving record
- You want broad coverage from a financially stable company
- You prefer managing your policy digitally.
On the other hand, consider other options if:
- You’re adding teen or young adult drivers to your policy
- You need rideshare coverage after passenger pickup
- You’re in California, where multiple discounts and programs aren’t available
Frequently Asked Questions: Travelers car insurance
What is Travelers’ overall rating?
Travelers received a score of 4.55 out of 5 in CarInsurance.com’s 2026 analysis of major car insurance companies — ranking it No. 1 among national carriers for the second consecutive year. The score reflects excellent performance across customer satisfaction, price, AM Best financial strength ratings, and NAIC complaint data.
Is Travelers cheaper than other car insurance companies?
The average monthly premium for full-coverage insurance with Travelers was among the lowest in our ratings analysis, ranking fifth out of 16 insurers. The average rate with travelers is 34 below the $209 market average. However, the price you pay for coverage depends on your unique driver profile and the coverage you select.
What discounts does Travelers offer?
Travelers offers the most common car insurance discounts, like multi-policy, good student, safe driver and autopay. If you sign up for IntelliDrive, Travelers’ telematics app that tracks driver behavior, you could save up to 35% on your premium for good driving (depending on your state).
Does Travelers offer accident forgiveness?
Eligible drivers may be able to add accident forgiveness to their policy as an optional coverage. Accident forgiveness isn’t available in all states. Travelers also offers other similar programs, including minor violation forgiveness and the Responsible Driver Plan.
Does Travelers have gap insurance?
Yes, you can buy gap insurance with Travelers. You must be the original owner and have purchased the vehicle from a dealership to qualify for this coverage.
How do I file a claim with Travelers?
To file a claim with Travelers, you can report it online, through the app or by phone. Like most major insurers, Travelers offers digital tools to help you upload documentation and track your claim.
Does Travelers raise rates after an accident or ticket?
Your Travelers car insurance premiums might increase after an at-fault accident or a major moving violation. Purchasing accident forgiveness coverage in advance can offset the cost.
Is Travelers suitable for high-risk drivers?
If you have some claims, accidents, speeding tickets or DUIs on your driving record, you may be a high-risk driver, and your premiums will likely be higher. However, coverage may still be available, so it’s worth speaking with a Travelers agent to explore your options.
How does Travelers IntelliDrive work?
IntelliDrive (or IntelliDrive 365, depending on your state) is Travelers’ telematics program. After you enroll, the app tracks your driving behavior, such as speed, braking, and time of day. Drivers with good driving habits could save as much as 35% by enrolling in this program, but be aware that poor driving habits could actually cause your premiums to go up. Intellidrive is available in select states, so check for availability when signing up.
Methodology
CarInsurance.com’s 2026 ratings are based on a 2025 national survey of more than 2,000 auto insurance customers, conducted by research firm Dynata. Respondents rated their insurer on customer satisfaction, ease of service, claims handling, digital experience, policy options, discounts, bundling, trustworthiness, and renewal intent.
For insurers with sufficient survey responses, we added AM Best financial strength ratings, NAIC complaint index scores, and average premium estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Rate data is based on a standardized driver profile: a 40-year-old with good credit, a clean driving history, and full coverage on a Honda Accord LX with 100/300/100 liability limits.
Sources
- AM Best. “AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of The Travelers Companies, Inc. and Main Subsidiaries.” Accessed June 2026.
- J.D. Power. “It’s Now a Buyer’s Market for Auto Insurance, J.D. Power Finds.” Accessed June 2026.
- J.D. Power. “Auto Insurer Websites and Apps Become Battleground for New Customers as Policy Shopping Activity Skyrockets, J.D. Power Finds.” Accessed June 2026.
- J.D. Power. “Satisfaction with Auto Insurance Claims Strained by Higher Deductibles, More Total Losses, J.D. Power Finds.” Accessed June 2026.
- National Association of Insurance Commissioners. “National Complaint Index Report.” Accessed June 2026.
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