Car insurance for couples: Should you get a combined policy?
Borrowing your partner's things is one of the perks of being coupled up. But if you find yourself using their car pretty often, it may be time to make things official — in terms of car insurance that is.
If a crash happens while an unlisted driver is behind the wheel, you could be dealing with extra costs, reduced payouts or even a denied claim.
Can a couple get car insurance together?
If your partner is using your car regularly — whether you're de facto, married, or things are still pretty new — you can easily add them to your Bingle car insurance policy as a listed driver, as long as they're eligible for a policy with us.
In fact here at Bingle, anyone who lives with you or drives your car regularly should be listed, even if they aren't your partner. We even cover Rideshare and Learner drivers too.
So, if you're after car insurance that's cheap, affordable and simple — look no further
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Why should you list additional drivers?
Listing household members or regular drivers on your Bingle policy saves you from an unlisted driver excess, that is, an additional amount you have to pay on top of your standard excess when you claim. For an idea of how much you'd be looking at, see the Comprehensive Car Insurance or Third Party Car Insurance premiums, excesses, and claims guides.
Though, it's important to note that not everyone who drives your car is counted as an unlisted driver. Bingle classifies unlisted drivers as anyone who is not listed on your policy, but they:
- are a member of the same household as the policyholder, or
- drive the car regularly (which means at least once a week, or for rideshare services).
So, for example, if a relative borrows your car while visiting from out of town, they probably won't need to pay an unlisted driver excess if they need to claim.
However, we'll still cover you if a crash occurs at the hands of an unlisted driver who would have met our acceptance criteria to be a listed driver — we understand you may forget to update your policy when life gets hectic.
When should you add your partner as an additional driver?
If your partner lives with you and uses your car, they should be added as an additional driver to avoid the unlisted driver excess. The same goes for anyone else you live with, regardless of your relationship with them, so keep that in mind if you have a child who's a P-plater or a housemate who likes to use your car.
Even if someone just uses your car weekly to drive short distances, like the odd grocery run or to netball training, we'd recommend listing them.
How much does it cost to add an additional driver?
Listing an additional driver may increase your premium. The exact amount can vary based on things like their age and personal driving record. If they're young and inexperienced, it'll probably cost you more. Here's a guide to some of the other factors that may affect your premium.
How to add an additional driver to your car insurance policy?
Bingle customers can list additional drivers at any time. All you have to do is:
- Sign into your Bingle account.
- Select 'Update Driver'.
- Add the driver's details.
- Save the info.
