Progressive Auto Insurance Review

The details

The good

Rewards safe drivers. Progressive gives drivers the chance to sign up for Snapshot, its usage-based program that tracks driving habits and awards discounts to safe drivers. However, if you drive poorly, your rates could go up next time you renew your policy.  

Offers rideshare insurance and other non-standard coverages. Progressive has a few coverages not offered by every company, such as rideshare insurance for Uber and Lyft drivers and coverage for your cats and dogs should they get injured in a car accident, regardless of fault. 

Variety of discounts and ways to save. There are many ways to save money with Progressive, including multi-policy bundles, good student discounts, homeowners discounts, and the aforementioned safe-driving program. You’re going to want to use these discounts, too, considering Progressive’s higher-than-average rates.

The bad

Premiums are above the industry average. Car insurance premiums depend on a whole host of factors: your driving record, your age, the state you live in, and more. That said, based on our analysis of data from Quadrant Information Services, premiums with Progressive are above the industry average for full-coverage. You could find cheaper rates with other insurers, or you could take advantage of Progressive’s available discounts to help lower your price.

Progressive is slightly more expensive than its competitors, with an average annual premium of $1,814 a year for a full-coverage policy. This is about 8% higher than the national average premium of $1,638. You can work with your agent to determine which discounts may be able to help lower your rates, and, as with all average rates, what you actually pay will vary from driver to driver.

Discounts

Progressive offers a wide range of discounts, including discounts for insuring multiple cars on one policy, bundling home and auto, and consistently staying insured, even with other carriers. 

Here’s the full discount list:

• Automatic payment discount. Get a discount for setting up automatic payments from a checking account, credit card, or debit card. 

• Continuous insurance (for when you switch carriers). Save when you switch to Progressive. The discount varies based on how long you’ve been insured with your previous carrier.

• Distant student discount. Receive a discount if you have a full-time student on your policy who is 22 years old or younger and lives more than 100 miles from your home (without a family car).

• Good student discount. Get a discount if your household includes a student with a B average or better on your policy.

• Homeowner discount. Save if you’re a homeowner, even if your home is not insured through Progressive.

• Multi-car discount. Get a discount if you have more than one vehicle on your policy, as long as it's also kept at your address.

• Multi-policy discount. Combine your auto insurance with home, motorcycle, RV, or any combination of Progressive policies and get a discount.

• Online quote discount. If you get your quote online, you’ll save.

• Online signup discount. Sign your documents online and get a discount.

• Paperless discount. Choose to get your documents via email and receive a discount.

• Pay-in-full discount. Pay for your annual policy in-full and up front for this discount.

• Safe driver discount. Progressive’s Snapshot program personalizes your rate based on your safe driving, which is tracked through the Snapshot mobile app. The safer you drive, the more you save. 

• Teen driver discount. If you’ve been a Progressive customer for a year or more, and you add a teen driver (18 or under) to your policy, you could earn a discount.

The standout way to save here is the safe driver discount, Progressive Snapshot. This entails attaching a tracking device to your car or using a smartphone app to keep track of your driving habits, including speed, how much you drive, and when you drive. If you drive safely, Progressive can lower your premium the next time you renew your policy. However, the opposite is also true — if you drive poorly, your rates can increase.

Also, remember that all discounts will vary by state, your driving record, and other individual information.

To gauge a company’s financial health we look at ratings from credit agencies. Firms such as A.M. Best, Moody’s, and Standard and Poor’s tell us how financially risky or safe certain insurance carriers are, and whether they can pay out claims in the event of an accident. 

Here’s how Progressive ranks:

• A.M. Best: A+

• Moody’s: Aa2

• Standard & Poor’s: AA

A.M. Best is a credit rating firm focused on the insurance industry. An A+ rating (effective February 24, 2022) from them means a company can fulfill its financial obligation to customers when it’s time to file a claim.

Moody’s rates a company’s ability to pay back debts and assesses its financial standings as a whole. Progressive has a score of Aa2, the third-highest score a company can receive.

Analysis firm Standard & Poor’s gives Progressive an AA rating, which means they have a very strong ability to meet customers’ financial commitments.

Besides financial rating institutions, we turn to third-party review sites and customer satisfaction surveys to see what regular people think of their chosen insurer. Based on the available information, it appears customers are split on the efficacy of Progressive’s service and claims management.    

Here’s how it shakes out:

• Consumers Advocate: 4.7 / 5

• Consumer Affairs: 3.8 / 5

• NAIC complaint index: 0

Consumers Advocate is a third-party review site that focuses on a company’s reputation, policy features, and stability. They give Progressive an “excellent” 4.7 out of 5. 

Consumer Affairs is a review site that lets customers submit their own reviews.  Progressive has a score of 3.8 out of 5. Most customers are satisfied, but several others warn about difficulties with claims handling and customer service.   

 The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) tracks complaints submitted to state insurance departments. . A score of 1 represents the baseline average, with a zero meaning there weren’t enough customer complaints to count. Based on that, Progressive’s score of zero means the NAIC received less complaints about Progressive than other companies.

Progressive offers all the standard coverage options you’d expect from an insurance provider of its size. You’ll also find several optional add-ons you can include on your policy such as roadside assistance in case your car breaks down, and pet injury coverage for any four-legged passengers hurt in an accident.

Coverage options

With Progressive you’ll get all the basic coverage options you need.

• Liability coverage. Required in almost every state, this covers the cost if you injure someone or damage property in a car accident.

• Personal injury protection. This covers medical or other expenses, like lost wages if you or your passengers are injured in an accident.

• Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Covers the cost if you’re in an accident that was caused by a driver who doesn’t have insurance, or whose insurance doesn’t cover the full extent of the damage.

• Collision coverage. Covers damage to your own car after a car accident, regardless of who was at fault.

• Comprehensive coverage. Covers damage to your car that wasn’t caused by a collision, including damage from extreme weather, hail, flood, fire, falling objects, vandalism and theft.

There are also opportunities to add on to your standard coverage. Here’s what’s available to you:

• Roadside assistance. This pays for towing if your car breaks down, plus lock-out services, flat-tire changes, and fuel or fluid delivery.

• Loan/lease payoff. Also called gap insurance. This helps if your car is totaled in an accident while you’re still making payments on it. Loan/lease payoff will pay out the difference between what your car was worth before it was totaled and what you still owe on your loan or lease.

• Rental car reimbursement. Pays up to a certain amount for a replacement rental car if your car is in the shop after a covered accident.

• Custom parts and equipment coverage. This covers your car if you’ve made custom additions, like custom rims, sound systems, or exterior paint.

• Rideshare coverage. This add-on extends your regular car insurance coverage to your car if you drive for services like Lyft and Uber. It covers you when the app is on but you don’t have passengers.

• Pet injury protection. Included with collision coverage, this covers veterinarian bills if your dog or cat is injured in a car accident, regardless of fault.

• Deductible savings bank. You can subtract $50 from your comprehensive and collision deductible for every claims-free policy period if you add this to your coverage.

Perks

Progressive offers two tiers of accident forgiveness to its customers—small and large accident forgiveness. Unlike other insurance companies where accident forgiveness costs you either a flat fee or a certain percentage of your premiums, Progressive offers both tiers for free for qualifying drivers. Here are the two ways you can take advantage of these perks. 

• Small accident forgiveness. In the first term of your policy, if you have a claim for less than $500 Progressive will not raise your rates.

• Large accident forgiveness. I’ve you’ve remained accident free with Progressive for five years, and you’ve received no other violations for three years, your rates won’t increase after an accident.

Other types of insurance offered

Progressive offers a number of insurance products. If you’re looking to save on premiums, you can bundle your auto policy with the following products to get a discount.

• ATV insurance

• Boat insurance

• Classic car insurance 

• Golf cart insurance

• Motorcycle insurance 

• RV insurance 

• Segway insurance

• Snowmobile insurance

• Homeowners insurance

• Business insurance

• Condo insurance

• Renters insurance

• Umbrella insurance

Progressive also provides dental, health, pet, travel, vision, and identity theft protection. 

Your experience with Progressive, of course, will vary. However, some things are certain: Progressive’s website has several tools to help policyholders and prospective customers, including an online quote tool, billing portal, and information about coverage options. Progressive’s products are available nationwide, an available mobile app, and filing a claim is an easy process. 

State availability

Progressive auto insurance is available in all 50 states. 

Digital tools

• Online quote tool

• Mobile app

• Online and mobile bill pay

• Online and mobile claims filing

• Online and mobile policy management

• Electronic policy delivery

• FAQ and blog resources

Snapshot app for tracking driving 

Payment methods

Progressive lets customers pay several ways:

• Online

• Mobile app

• Text

• Phone

• Mail

• Autopay

• Multiple forms of payment accepted 

Claims process 

Progressive drivers can file and track claims online, over the phone, or through the mobile app. The app is the most convenient of your options, allowing you to both file and upload photos of the incident from wherever you are. You can also easily track your claim and get in touch with your representative through the mobile app.

However, we’ve noticed some recent complaints about the claims process on sites like Consumer Affairs. Some customers note that their claims timeline was too long, dragging out for months before they got paid out. We plan to keep an eye on this to see if the problem persists. 

Policygenius offers insurance policies from many of the nation's top insurers, who pay us a commission for our services. However, all editorial choices are made independently.