Car insurance renewal

If you’ve set up a direct debit with your insurer, your car insurance policy will generally renew automatically. Before this happens, you’ll usually receive a renewal notice from your insurer 14 days before your policy renews.

This notice period gives you time to consider whether the cover you chose last year is still right for you and provides time for you to compare other products and prices.

If you don’t renew your car insurance policy, your policy will be cancelled by your insurer on the intended renewal date, and you’ll receive a cancellation notice.

If you decide that you no longer want to continue with your policy, it’s better to let your insurer know. Having an insurer cancel your policy due to non-payment could make it more difficult to get car insurance from other providers. This is because insurers often ask if you’ve previously had any policies cancelled by other providers.

Yes, your insurance company can refuse to renew your policy. If your insurer chooses to cancel your policy, they will typically send you a written cancellation notice.

Reasons your insurer might cancel your policy include:

• You haven’t paid your premiums
• Your circumstances change (e.g. your claims history worsens)
• You haven’t met the obligations set by your insurer.

Read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for more details about when your insurer might cancel your policy and other conditions like inclusions and exclusions.

• Your previous and upcoming car insurance premium
• Policy expiration and renewal date
• Changes to your PDS and terms and conditions (if applicable)

• Type of car insurance and policy number
• Listed drivers on the policy
• Payment frequency (annual payments or instalments)
• What your car insurance covers
• Optional extras in your policy (e.g. roadside assistance)
• Basic excess
• Sum insured amount.

• Make and model
• Registration number
• The agreed or market value of your vehicle.

If you haven’t set up a direct debit with your insurer, you can generally pay your car insurance premiums through your policy’s online portal or via BPay. Mastercard or Visa credit cards are common forms of payment.

If you’re looking for a new car insurance policy, you can shop around and switch in minutes using our comparison service. See if you can find a better deal before your next renewal, instead of just accepting the premium offered by your existing insurer.