Multicar insurance
Find the cheapest multicar insurance quotes
If you've more than one car in your household, then it may be worth getting them insured on one policy – this is known as multicar insurance. However, don't always think this is the cheapest option, so this guide tells you how to check and compare multicar and single-car policies to ensure you're not paying more than you need to.
First, a quick overview of multicar insurance...
Multicar insurance lets you cover two or more cars on the same policy. Here's what you need to know:
It can work out cheaper than having separate policies. This isn't always the case, though, so always compare multicar quotes against single-car policies to see which works out better.
A multicar policy can be easier to manage. One renewal date and one payment means less admin.
Watch for potential downsides. You'll get one big bill instead of multiple smaller ones, and most policies don't cover vehicles that aren't cars, such as vans or motorbikes.
Check existing policies for discounts. Some insurers will cut the price for each additional car you add, while keeping the policies separate, and this may work out cheaper than a multicar policy.
Applying is similar to a single policy. You'll just need to provide details for all drivers and cars you want covered.
What is multicar insurance?
Multicar insurance is a way to insure two or more cars on the same car insurance policy. The main reason for doing this is that it can be cheaper having two (or more) cars on one policy – with the same insurer – than having each car on its own individual policy.
However, it's not clear-cut – sometimes multicar insurance will save you money, sometimes separate policies will be cheaper. Our guide takes you through it step-by-step so you can find the cheapest policies.
For more information on car insurance policies generally, see How to get cheaper car insurance.
Is it cheaper to have multi-car insurance?
If you have more than one car in your immediate family or household, it's definitely worth checking, and having different renewal dates or levels of cover needn't be a blocker. For some, multicar discounts could save £100s, or even £1,000s, but for others it could actually be more expensive.
What tends to happen is multicar insurance newbies get offered hot deals to suck 'em in, but that advantage can disappear at renewal. There are two ways to arrange multicar insurance. One option is a single 'multicar' insurance policy, where all the cars are insured on the one policy. The other option is linked policies, where each car is insured separately – still with the same insurer to benefit from an existing customer discount, but has its own policy number.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of multicar insurance?
Advantages:
You can still usually insure everyone in your household on the one policy, making it easier to keep track of.
You'll only have one renewal date for all cars on the policy.
You can usually choose your cover levels – for example, fully comprehensive cover or third party, fire and theft insurance (plus many policies come with optional extras and add-ons, such as windscreen cover, breakdown cover and courtesy cars).
Disadvantages:
If one person on the policy makes a claim, it will usually affect the price for everyone at renewal.
One policy for multiple cars will mean one big bill each year (if you pay annually), rather than multiple smaller bills spread throughout the year.
Multicar policies usually only cover cars – if you need van insurance or motorbike insurance you'll need to usually get separate motor insurance.
Martin's rule of thumb of what to check...
If you've got a multicar policy, check separate quotes for each vehicle first – if you've separate policies, check multicar first.
Sometimes getting multicar insurance works...
I saved £500 by sticking both my and my wife's car on a multicar policy.
And sometimes it doesn't...
Multicar insurer wanted £1,600 for three cars. We shopped around – total with three separate policies, including my son's car, is £720.
How to find cheap multicar insurance quotes
As comparison sites don't offer multicar quotes, you'll need to check the multicar price directly with the insurers below, and then compare those prices with the individual policy costs you get using comparison sites.
Our simple, step-by-step guide takes you through it..
Warning! Changing details between quotes could invalidate your insurance.
Small tweaks to your mileage or job title are likely to be OK, but no matter how tempted you are to try and save money by saying someone else is the main driver, that you have a large no-claims bonus, or to pretend you have no points, or to underestimate your mileage deliberately to get a cheaper premium – don't. You must be completely honest or it could invalidate your insurance and even lead to prosecution.
Step 1. Check multicar insurance policies
This is where all cars are on one policy. If your policies start at the same time, it's easy. If not, we've info just below these links on how it works. Here are the multicar insurers to try...
How does it work if my cars don't have the same insurance renewal dates?
With most of the insurers above you set up a policy at your first car's renewal, while additional cars stay with their existing insurer until their renewal, at which point they're moved on to a multicar one.
Aviva works slightly differently. You can still get a multicar quotation and set up a policy at your first car's renewal, but you'll you need to contact it nearer the start date for the additional car(s) to be added.
If you need a multicar quote for several vehicles with different start dates, this is how it could work:
You get cover for your lead car to start in three weeks' time, car two to start in seven months and car three in 10 months. Cars two and three will stay insured with their existing insurer until their current policy ends, at which point they'll move across to the multicar one, for the remainder of the year.
Once your multicar insurance policy ends, all cars will then be up for renewal at the same time.
How to compare prices
If you want your multicar cover for all your vehicles to start at the same time, it's simple – you'll just be given one total cost. For different start dates, you'll be given a total price to pay, which'll cover all the cars (you just pay for however long each car is insured for), and you'll also be given an 'annual equivalent price', as if all the vehicles were insured for a full year, to help you compare against other providers.
Step 2. Then check existing policies for discounts
Some other insurers will give a reduction in price for each additional policy you add, while keeping the policies separate. This can be an especially easy route if an insurer already covers one of your cars, so check the price when the second car's up for renewal (and see how to haggle car insurance).
Big insurers Axa and Privilege will offer discounts for a second, and subsequent, car.
Plus, Direct Line offers additional discounts if you have a policy for another type of insurance with it, for example, another car, or home insurance.
If you're not already a customer, you can take out two policies in quick succession to get the discount (though only do this if the insurer's policies prove cheap in step 3 below).
Step 3. Check separate policies using comparison sites
Sometimes it will work out cheaper to get individual policies for each car, rather than linking them. As no single comparison site captures the entire market and prices vary, combining a number of sites is the best way to make a saving. Here's what to do next:
MSE's Compare+ Car Insurance tool
You could save £100s on your car insurance costs by switching car insurer. Our advice has always been to never just auto-renew – instead combine comparison sites to scour 100s of insurers and save money in minutes.
MSE's Compare+ Car Insurance tool is designed to take the hard work out of finding cheap car insurance online. You can...
Fill in just one questionnaire. We've borrowed MoneySupermarket's (so if you've used it before, your answers can be auto-filled).
Get MSE cost-cutting tips as you answer. Like our 'best time to buy' analysis tool, which tells you the likely cheapest time to get quotes.
See insurance quotes as a benchmark. These are from MoneySupermarket's comparison. But of course we want you to beat them...
Use personalised tips to cut costs further. These include whether you should add an additional driver, check multicar policies, or tweak your job title, often with one-click checks to see if it helps.
See whether other sites can further slice down costs. We give you our latest comparison site order of others to try, as MoneySupermarket may not be your cheapest.
If you prefer to do more of your own research when it comes to getting quotes, there's still our tried-and-tested steps to getting the cheapest car insurance premiums below, including the comparison sites to check out.
Alternatively, below is our current order of which sites to try and in what order (see how we pick our order explanation for why), though the difference in pricing is often small, so if any perks really appeal, as long as you're trying a couple, go for those you like most.
Do note that comparison sites use a soft search of your credit file to return quotes, though this has no impact on your ability to get credit in future.
We analyse the prices of a large range of insurance quotes given by Compare The Market, Confused.com and MoneySupermarket. We then take the following steps:
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We check how many times each comparison site returned the cheapest quote or within £5 of the cheapest quote.
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The comparison site giving the greatest number of cheapest quotes, or within £5 of the cheapest, is ranked first.
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We then analyse the comparison site ranked first with each of the two remaining comparison sites. The combination of the two that returns the greatest number of cheapest quotes will be ranked as first and second to try, to increase your chances of a cheap quote at speed.
How do we pick the order?
Site | Official perk info & MSE's analysis |
|---|---|
Try as many as you can, in this order... | |
| Official perk info: A Greggs hot drink per month and the choice of a... £20 Halfords voucher | £20 Sainsbury's voucher | £20 Just Eat voucher | Access to Paramount+ for three months. MSE perk analysis: The highest value is Paramount+, just, at £20.97. Add 12 hot drinks, and the value increases to about £40. See our full . |
| Official perk info: Meerkat Movies and Meals, including Caffè Nero. A year's 2for1s on cinema tickets (Tue and Wed nights), including discounts on dining out meals, pizza deliveries and at Caffè Nero. See our full . |
| Official perk info: SuperSaveClub and price promise. |
Then, to boost chances of finding a cheap quote further, try... | |
Another comparison site, and you get access to Rewards+. It includes discounted tickets at selected Cineworld and Odeon cinemas. | |
A big comparison site which currently gives £250 'free' excess cover with every purchase. | |
Struggling to find (affordable) cover?
If you've had a string of claims or accidents, you have a medical condition that affects your driving, or you've four or more points on your licence, you may find it hard to get an affordable quote from a comparison site. Some may find it hard to get cover at all.
If no or few insurers are quoting on the sites above, or premiums are coming back too high, consider enlisting the help of a broker. Search the British Insurance Brokers' Association website to find someone who can help.
Also see our Young drivers' insurance and Car insurance for older people guides for more tips if you fall into either of those brackets.
Standalone insurance policies looking like the best deal...?
If getting standalone policies for each car proved to be your cheapest route, check our full step-by-step car insurance help to see if you can drive the cost down further.
What details do I need for a multicar insurance quote?
Applying for a multicar quote is very similar to applying for a single policy quote. The key difference is that the insurance provider will want details for ALL named policyholders. You'll most likely need the following bits of information when applying for a new policy:
Driver details. For example, dates of birth, addresses and occupations. They'll also want info about your driving licences, including whether or not you or any other named drivers have any points on them.
Claims history. This includes any claims or accidents you or any named drivers have had (usually in the last five years), and how many years of no-claims discounts (NCD)/no-claims bonuses (NCB) you have. More on no-claims discounts in our guide.
Car details. Such as the make and model, mileage, engine size and so on. See car insurance groups for how this affects the price.
Eligibility. Usually you'll need to be a UK citizen and have a valid driving licence.
It's handy to have all this to hand, but don't worry if you get halfway through a quote and realise you've missed something – you can usually save your progress as you go.
How to complain about your insurance provider
The insurance industry, and this includes car insurers, doesn't always have the best customer-service reputation, and while a provider may be good for some, it can be hell for others. We explain how to claim on car insurance cover in our guide, but even if you've provided all the correct info, there can be issues.
Common problems include claims either not being paid out on time, not at all, or even an undervaluation of your car (by the insurer) as a result of a total loss claim.
Other reasons to complain can also be unfair charges for policyholders changing address, drivers or their car (see changing car insurance for full help), or exclusions being hidden in small print.
If you're not happy, it's always worth trying to call your provider first to discuss with them. If you still aren't happy, you can use free complaints tool Resolver. The tool helps you manage your complaint, and if the company doesn't play ball, it also helps you escalate your complaint to the free Financial Ombudsman Service.
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