What is Car Insurance?

Car Insurance, also known as auto or motor insurance, is a type of vehicle insurance policy that protects you and your car from any risks and damages caused from accidents, thefts or natural disasters. So, you will be financially secure in case of any losses that may be incurred because of any such unforeseen circumstances. In addition to that, you will also be protected from third-party liabilities.

Whether you want to just legally comply with the law with the most basic, third party car insurance, or give your car ultimate protection with a comprehensive car insurance or own damage policy, Digit offers you a third-party, comprehensive and own damage car insurance at affordable premiums online.

The best part? You can customize your IDV yourself, along with 10 beneficial add-ons to suit your car. So, whether you want to buy/renew a car insurance by Digit or make a claim- everything can be done online with our quick and simple smartphone-enabled processes.

When we say we’re making insurance simple, we truly mean it! When it comes to car insurance, we understand that you’ve already spent a lot of money on just getting that car in the first place, so we try and make car insurance claims as simple and cost effective as possible for you.

Case 1: If you bought a new luxury car -  Buying a luxury car is a one-time deal for most owners, thus, you must protect it with comprehensive car insurance to cover both third-party liability and own damage. Appropriate add-ons for luxurious cars are necessary too. 

You can get a Zero Depreciation Cover to claim the full value of repairing/replacing its expensive parts. A Return to Invoice Cover will be useful for luxury cars as it ensures that you receive the original invoice value of your car in case of theft or total loss. 

An Engine Protection Cover is a must for luxury car since it is an expensive component of the car, and this cover will protect you against all engine and gearbox repairs. Also, it's better to get a consumables cover to cover the replacements cost of lubricants, oils, nuts, bolts, screws, washers, grease, etc.

Case 2: If you own a 7-year-old car that you drive daily - Most car owners tend to ignore the importance of car insurance if you have a 7-year-old car; however, having at least third-party insurance is mandatory from the legal perspective. Since your car is already 7 years old, it is advisable to have own-damage cover to get coverage for repairs or replacement of your car in case of accidents, theft, fire, natural calamities, etc.

Also, getting a comprehensive cover with add-ons like a Roadside Assistance add-on will safeguard you on long road trips if your car breaks down, has a flat tyre or requires towing.

Case 3: If you’ve preserved your grandfather’s car that rarely hit the roads - People keep some things solely for the emotional value attached to them like that car in your family for generations, which is rarely driven but still requires to be insured via at least a third-party coverage policy as per legal requirements. Since you do not drive that car around, you can skip purchasing other add-ons.

What is IDV in Car Insurance?

IDV is the maximum amount your insurance provider can give you, in case your car is stolen or totally damaged.

The Insured Declared Value and your car insurance premium go hand in hand. This means, the higher your IDV is, the higher your car insurance premium – and as your vehicle ages and IDV depreciates, your premium also decreases.

Also, when you decide to sell your car, a higher IDV means you’ll get a higher price for it. Price may also be affected by other factors like usage, past car insurance claims experience etc.

So, when you’re choosing the right car insurance policy for your car, remember to make note of the IDV being offered, and not just the premium.

A company offering a low premium may be tempting, but this could be because the IDV on offer is low. In case of a total loss of your car, a higher IDV leads to higher compensation.

At the time of resale, your IDV is indicative of the market value for your car. However, if you have maintained your car really well and is shining as good as new, you can always aim at a price more than what your IDV might offer you.

At the end of the day, it all boils down to how much love you have showered on your car.

Know more about Insured Declared Value in Car Insurance.

What is No Claim Bonus (NCB) in Car Insurance?

NCB (No Claim Bonus) definition: NCB is a discount on premium given to the policyholder for having a claim free policy term.

A no claims bonus ranges from a discount of 20-50% and is something you earn at the end of your policy period by maintaining a record of making no car accident claims under your car insurance policy.

This means that you can’t get a no claims bonus when you buy your first comprehensive car insurance policy – you can only get it on your policy renewal. Your no claims bonus increases after every claim-free year on your policy renewal.

For example, you can earn a 20% NCB after the first year of having no claim under your car insurance policy. This percentage will increase with every claim-free year, reaching 50% after 5 years – and resetting to zero when you make a claim.

After reaching 50% in the 5th year, your NCB stops rising and remains the same. This is called the No Claim Bonus Sunset Clause.

A No Claim Bonus is meant for the car insurance policyholder regardless of the car. This means, even if you switch your car, your NCB stays with you.

If you decide to buy a new car, you will be issued a new car insurance policy, but you can still avail of the NCB you accumulated on the old car or policy.

Know more about NCB in Car Insurance.

Zero Depreciation Cover in Car Insurance

A Bumper-bumper or Zero dep cover or Parts Depreciation Cover, makes sense for cars less than 5 years old. Like everything in life, there is a decrease in value of certain parts of your car, including the bumper or any other metal or fibre glass parts.

So, when a damage happens, the full cost of replacement is not given as depreciation is deducted from the claim money. But this add-on makes sure there is Zero Depreciation and you get the full value of the cost of repair/replacement provided.

In short, if your car is partially damaged, you don’t have to bear the amount being calculated for depreciation and your insurer will take care of everything.

Know more about: 

• Difference between comprehensive and zero depreciation insurance
• Bumper to Bumper Car Insurance
• Zero Depreciation Car Insurance

What is Cashless Claim in Car Insurance?

If you opt to get your car repaired with a Digit Authorized Repair Center, we will make the payment for the approved claim amount, directly to the Repair Center. This is a Cashless Claim.

Please note, if there are any deductibles, like a Compulsory Excess/ Deductible, any repair charges for which your insurance doesn’t cover you or any depreciation costs, that is to be paid by the insured’s own pocket.

Know more about Cashless Car Insurance.

Use Car Insurance Calculator and Calculate the Premium Online

To help you understand and customize your car insurance premium better, we’ve given you the option calculate your car insurance premium yourself using this car insurance calculator.

What decides your car insurance premium? You can notice this in your car insurance premium calculator too. The factors affecting your premium include:

• Type of Car Insurance Policy - The coverage and benefits provided by your car insurance policy influence your car insurance premium. So, if you choose a comprehensive policy over a third-party policy, your premium would be higher as it offers much greater coverage than the latter. 

• Your Car’s IDV - The Insured Declared Value (IDV) is your car’s current market value after deducting the depreciation charges. If your IDV increases, so will the insurance premium. 

• Add-Ons Opted - A customised insurance policy with different add-on covers to fulfil your crucial insurance requirements and protect your car in all situations will fetch you a higher premium. 

• Deductibles - Deductibles in car insurance mean the predetermined amount that the policyholder needs to pay from their pocket before the insurer pays the rest of the claim amount. So, you can opt for a higher voluntary deductible for a lower premium because the insurer will have to pay less during claim settlement. 

• No Claim Bonus - If you do not raise any claim in a policy year, the insurer will reward you with a discount on your next policy renewal premium in the form of a No Claim Bonus. 

• Make & Model of your Car - The car insurance premium is subject to change depending on the manufacturer and model of your car. Insuring a luxurious sedan will attract a higher premium than a standard hatchback. Further, the cubic capacity of the car’s engine and its fuel efficiency also directly impact the car insurance premium. 

• Age of your Car - Since the value of your car reduces with each passing year due to normal wear and tear of its parts, the IDV also falls, and hence the policy premium also decreases. It implies that insurance premiums are higher for a brand-new car and less for an old car. 

Tips to reduce your Car Insurance Premium

• Increase Voluntary Deductible - If you have had no claims for more than 4-5 years, or you think you can afford to pay more from your pocket during claims, you can look at increasing your Voluntary Deductible and decreasing your car insurance premium.
  
• Maintain a Good Driving Record - This is obvious, but important. Apart from being safe on the road, cautious driving in speed-limits, will avoid accidents and make sure you get a No Claim Bonus each year.
• Choose the Right Add-ons - Additional covers can be really beneficial, as long as you choose the right ones. Therefore, pick not all but selective add-ons you think are valuable for you and your car.

Know more about How to Calculate the Car Insurance Premium

Compare Car Insurance Quotes Online

Make sure your car insurance company is giving you the right information on the below.

• Check your IDV - A lot of cheap car insurance quotes will have a low IDV (Insured Declared Value), which is the market value of your car. If it is low, then at the time of claim, esp. during theft and total damage, you are in for a shock! So setting this at the Right Value is important. Digit gives you the option to set it while buying your car insurance policy online.
• Check the Service Benefits - Go for a company that gives you good after-sales services. Some of the services Digit offers are Doorstep Pickup, Repair & Drop with 6 months Warranty, 24*7 Customer Care Support, Cashless at 6000+ Garages, and many more.
• Speed of claims of the insurer - You buy insurance for claims, so this should be investigated before you switch for a company. 90.4% of Digit’s claims settled are within just 30 days. This means our claims are fast and hassle-free. Plus we have a Zero Hardcopy policy i.e. we just ask for soft-copies, completely paperless claims!
• Best value - If you are satisfied with the service and the IDV is right, check the premium and the discount you are getting.

Learn more about the Right Way to Compare Car Insurance Quotes.

Common Mistakes to avoid while Comparing Car Insurance Quotes

It’s a great thing to compare your car insurance quotes before buying. But make sure you’re comparing them on the below parameters. What do people usually look for while renewing their car insurance?

• Low Premium

But what should you actually look for while renewing your car insurance?

• Right IDV
• Great Services
• Killer Prices

Why choose Digit for your Car Insurance Renewal?

It doesn’t matter whether your old car insurance policy was with us or not, choosing Digit for Car Insurance renewal is easy and hassle-free and can be done within minutes online.

Looking to renew your car insurance policy with us for the first time? Here are some benefits to look forward to:

• Quick claims - Everyone’s primary objective of buying a car insurance is so that they can get their claims done easily during times of need. Luckily, with all our processes everything from making a claim to assessing car damages can be done online.
• Cashless Car Repairs - The last thing you want to do at the time of an accident is spend unnecessarily from your pocket. That’s why we offer the option of cashless repair, where you can just drop by at any of our network garages and get your claimed repairs done without any extra money spent.
  
• Large Network of Garages - You can avail cashless services only at our network garages but lucky for you, we have 6000+ garages spread across the country that you can choose from.
  
• Doorstep Pickup & Drop - As and when the need arises, such as if your car can’t be repaired in time, we offer our pickup and drop services, so you don’t have to worry about the logistics.
  
• 24x7 Support - So, that no matter what time or day it is, we’ll always have your back.
  
• Customize your IDV - Don’t let anyone fool you into low premiums and even lower IDVs that can instantly affect the money you’d be liable to receive during claims. That’s why, at Digit we believe in transparency as we let YOU customize your IDV as required.

How to buy/renew Car Insurance Policy with Digit?

• Step 1:  Fill your Vehicle’s Make, Model, Variant, Registration Date & the city you drive in. Press ‘Get Quote’ and choose your choice of Plan.
• Step 2: Choose between a Third-Party Liability Only or a Standard Package (Comprehensive Insurance).
• Step 3: Give us details about your previous insurance policy- Date of expiry, Claim made in the last year, No Claim Bonus earned.
• Step 4: You will get quote for your premium. If you have chosen a Standard Plan you can customize it further by selecting add-on’s, setting the IDV and confirming if you have a CNG car. You will see the final premium on the next page.
• Step 5: Complete your payment and your policy will be sent to you online!

Why is a Car Insurance mandatory in India?

Unfortunately, when it comes to supposedly mundane things like a car insurance, people tend to ignore or forget about it unless there’s a repercussion of not having one.

However, more often than not- these guidelines are made for the overall safety of people like you and me.

Let’s take for example; what if a Third-Party Car Insurance wasn’t mandatory by law. In this case, most people wouldn’t even have one and in case of an accident, both affected parties would drown in baseless arguments and of course, tons of expenses!

Therefore, while the primary objective of a car insurance is to protect an affected party during a mishap or accident, there is more than one reason why a car insurance has been made mandatory in India.

• Large Number of Road Accidents: Road accidents are extremely common in India and one of the main reasons the Motor Vehicle Act has made car insurances mandatory is due to the same. In 2017, there were more than 1200 injuries reported on a daily basis due to road accidents! A car insurance would ensure no one has to bear the financial brunt in such a situation.
• Protects the Third-Party: Whether you bump into someone’s vehicle or a car hits your dear car, having at least a third-party car insurance in place will ensure that the affected third-party will be compensated for in cases of car damages or, personal damages.
  
• Makes Legal Processes Easier: When an accident happens, more than the damages – it is the legal process that takes one’s time and energy. However, when you have a valid car insurance, legal processes too are taken care of.

Know more about Why Car Insurance is Mandatory in India?

Why Buying a Car Insurance Online Makes Sense?

When’s the last time you made the effort to pay your electricity bill at your registered center or, when was the last time you went to your kirana shop to get your mobile recharge done? It’s been a while hasn’t it?

Thanks to the power of the internet, most of us now use the internet to get most things done. Pay bills, recharge and now, even order groceries! Naturally, technology has also progressed in a way that we need not visit insurance agents or get in touch with our dealers to get our car insurance anymore.

Now, you can simply buy your car insurance online 😊 All you need is your basic car details and your debit/credit card to process your premium and that’s it, your car insurance policy will be emailed to you within minutes.

• Buying a car insurance online can save you so much time. You need not waste your time waiting or visiting someone to get the job done. You can do it right there on your couch, with your laptop in your hand and just about five minutes to spare.
  
• Buying a car insurance online allows you to customize your car insurance policy yourself. Moreover, with Digit’s Car Insurance; you can also customize your car’s IDV yourself.
  
• Buying a car insurance makes a lot more sense as the process of buying one becomes instantly transparent since you’re the one buying it for yourself firsthand, instead of relying on a third-party person to do it for you.
  
• The best part about buying a car insurance online is the fact that there is absolutely no paperwork involved!

Buy or Renew Secondhand Car Insurance Online

Whether you’ve just purchased a brand-new or second-hand car, a car insurance policy can be bought for any of them.

However, while purchasing your second-hand car check if the owner already has a valid car insurance and get the same transferred to your name, well within 14 days of purchase. Additionally, while insuring your second-hand car, you need to make sure:

• Both the car and insurance are transferred to your name successfully. You should ideally do this within 14 days of purchase.
• Make sure you are aware of the claim history of the car. You can simply do this by providing the policy number to the respective car insurance company.
• If you’ve had a car insurance earlier, make sure you transfer your No Claim Bonus to your new car insurance policy.
• In case the owner hasn’t had a car insurance, or it has expired, you can instantly insure your car on our website here.
• If you’ve successfully transferred your secondhand car’s insurance in your name already, check the expiry date and make sure you renew it before or on the date of its expiry.

Know more about Second hand Car Insurance

Buy or Renew Car Insurance for an Old Car

Whether you’ve just bought an old, second-hand car or have realized you don’t have a car insurance for your current car yet; you can instantly insure the same on our website.

However, here are three important things to keep in mind before buying a car insurance online for your old car:

• Car Use & Type of Insurance - There are essentially two kinds of car insurances; Third-Party and Comprehensive Car Insurance. Although we generally recommend getting a Comprehensive Car Insurance for maximum benefits, you could also go for a Third-Party Insurance if you’re not going to use the car much or are going to discard it soon. In this situation, a Third-Party Car Insurance could make sense as it at least fulfils your car’s legal responsibility.
• IDV (Insured Declared Value) - The IDV, i.e. Insured Declared Value is the market value of your car. Since your car is old, the IDV too would be low (you can customize this accordingly on our website while buying a car insurance online) due to the depreciation over time, depending on how old it is. The IDV directly affects your premium and sum insured. While the premium will be low, the sum insured too would be low at the time of a claim.
• Add-Ons - Add-ons are what you can opt for while buying a car insurance for your old car online. However, this only applies when you’re purchasing a Comprehensive/Standard car insurance policy. These help you and your car with maximum coverages and benefits such as; tyre protect, gearbox and engine protection, return to invoice, etc. However, since you’re planning to buy a car insurance for an old car, see which add-ons would be applicable or not. For example; A Zero Depreciation or Bumper to Bumper cover may not be applicable if your car is more than five years old.

Know more about Old Car Insurance Online.

Buy or Renew an Expired Car Insurance Policy

Why is it Important to Renew your Expired Car Insurance Policy on time?

• You’ll Lose out on your NCB - Your NCB is your No Claim Bonus accumulated for the years you haven’t made any claims. The higher your NCB, the higher your discount during renewals. However, if you don’t renew your policy before it already expires, you lose out on your NCB and hence the discount too!
  
• Higher chances of paying a penalty - If you don’t renew your car insurance policy on time, you may be liable to pay a penalty fine as your previous car insurance policy won’t hold true after its expiry date has passed.
  
• Bear the Financial Brunt - Apart from saving on traffic penalties and your NCB, not renewing your car insurance policy in time means you may end up losing out on money in case of an unfortunate accident or mishap. Therefore, it’s always better to be safe than sorry and get your car insurance policy renewed before the expiry date of your existing policy!

Know more about Expired Car Insurance Online.