Travelers vs. Progressive Car Insurance

We all need to take every opportunity to save money, and car insurance is no exception. It’s a flooded market, and you’ve done some research, but now you’re down to the remaining two: Travelers vs. Progressive car insurance.

Travelers and Progressive are two of the top 10 best car insurance companies, but how do they compare when it comes to rates, discounts, consumer satisfaction and complaints, mobile apps, and financial strength?

Before jumping into this Travelers vs. Progressive car insurance review, enter your ZIP code to start comparing multiple companies in your local area.

Is Travelers car insurance or Progressive car insurance cheaper based on age?

It’s completely fair for car insurance companies to base rates on your age. After all, the more experience driving we have, the better drivers we become. Some states will also base your car insurance rates on gender and/or marital status, though several states have outlawed this practice.

Progressive’s rates for young drivers are 7 to 25 percent lower than Travelers. On the other hand, car insurance rates for drivers 25 to 35 from Progressive rates are 11 to 16 percent more expensive than Travelers.

For drivers over 35, Progressive’s rates and Traveler’s rates are fairly competitive.

So when it comes to affordable Travelers car insurance vs. affordable car Progressive insurance, expect to pay lower rates with Progressive if you have a teen driver in your household.

Is Travelers car insurance or Progressive car insurance cheaper based on driving record?

Speeding tickets, accidents, DUIs, and other traffic violations will increase your Travelers and Progressive car insurance rates.

Progressive’s rates are lower if you have a speeding ticket on your driving record but more expensive than Travelers if you have an accident on your driving record.

Expect your rate to increase by 24 percent if you get a speeding ticket while with Travelers, but with Progressive, it would raise by only 18 percent.

On the other hand, expect your rates to be the same with Travelers whether you get a speeding ticket or you cause an accident. However, if you were to get a speeding ticket or cause an accident while with Progressive, your rate would be almost twice as much as a driver with a clean driving record.

However, Progressive is a better choice if you have a DUI on your past driving record. But if you did get a DUI while with Progressive, they will be more lenient, and your rates will increase by only 17 percent.

In the same scenario, your Travelers car life insurance quote would increase by 67 percent.

Is Travelers car insurance or Progressive car insurance cheaper based on credit score?

Just like gender and marital status, more states are outlawing car insurance rates based on credit score.

Your credit score is a strong reflection of your consistency with paying your bills, but the reason it is being outlawed is that rates quoted by insurance companies assume those with higher credit scores are better drivers.

Progressive car insurance rates are cheaper than Travelers no matter what type of credit score you have.

Both Progressive and Travelers are fairly easy on drivers based on credit score. With other car insurance companies, expect to pay up to double in car insurance rates if you have a less-than-stellar credit score.

If you renew your six-month policy, and you notice your rate has increased, it could be because your credit score dropped in the previous six months. Use your Progressive login or Travelers login to make adjustments to your coverage levels, if needed, to reduce your rate.

Where you live is the biggest factor in determining your car insurance rates because of state laws. Be sure to check your state car insurance guide before judging Travelers and Progressive car insurance rates by credit score.

Does Travelers or Progressive have better car insurance discounts?

Each company has its selling point, and sometimes that comes down to who has the best discount that applies to your specific situation.

Travelers outdoes Progressive with nine more discounts.

Both Travelers and Progressive provide a discount for when you use their driving app or driving device. You would save 30 percent with Travelers and 20 percent with Progressive by participating in their usage-based car insurance programs.

But, if you don’t aren’t open to usage-based car insurance, you can still save 15 to 23 percent with Travelers if you have made on-time payments, had continuous coverage, are claim-free, or are a safe driver.

Most of the top 10 car insurance companies have mobile apps to access policy information and/or make payments and a separate mobile app that tracks your driving habits (usage-based car insurance).

Commonly, your progressive insurance login or travelers insurance login will work with both the general app and the driving app.

Read about Travelers’ IntelliDrive and Progressive’s Snapshot usage-based car insurance apps in our Travelers company review and our Progressive company review.

How does Travelers and Progressive car insurance compare in financial strength and customer satisfaction?

Reviewing ratings from three different agencies will provide you with a good picture of how a car insurance company works with its consumers, handles complaints, and their overall financial strength.

A.M. Best scores companies based on their ability to meet their ongoing insurance obligations such as balancing premiums collected and claims paid. The highest score A.M. Best awards is Superior A++.

Consumer Reports collects annual data from its subscribers regarding customer satisfaction of the claims process, step by step. In their 2017 survey, 27 insurance companies were rated, and scores ranged between 86 to 96.

And the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) calculates a complaint ratio based on total number of customers against total number of complaints. In 2017, the national average complaint ratio was 1. The lower the ratio, the better.

A.M. Best does not provide a financial strength rating for Travelers, but Progressive comes in exceptionally strong.

Travelers’ customers report greater satisfaction through the claims process. Travelers also has a lower complaint ratio.