- Customer satisfaction ratings are average for auto insurance.
- Relative to its size, Progressive auto insurance gets fewer complaints to state regulators than other companies
- Offers a variety of helpful tools and apps for tech-savvy consumers.
Progressive is probably best known for its car insurance, although it also offers insurance for just about anything with a motor. The country’s third-largest auto insurance provider also offers home, renters and life insurance through third parties.
Progressive auto insurance
Progressive auto insurance earned 4.5 stars out of 5 for overall performance. NerdWallet’s ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account details including pricing and discounts and ease of filing a claim. Other factors analyzed include website transparency, financial strength, complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and more.
Based on these ratings, Progressive ties for 5th in our list of the 20 best car insurance companies for 2020.
Progressive offers the usual auto insurance choices, as well as other typical add-on options like roadside assistance and rental car coverage. Depending on your state, you can choose from:
- Gap insurance, under which Progressive pays up to 25% above the value of your car if it’s totaled, to cover a loan or lease balance. You must purchase both comprehensive and collision coverage to buy gap insurance from Progressive.
- Custom parts and equipment value, which pays to fix or replace custom accessories you add to your car.
- Pet injury protection, included if you buy collision coverage. It pays veterinarian bills if your pet is injured in a car accident.
- Deductible savings bank: If you have comprehensive and collision coverage, you can opt in to this program that reduces your deductible by $50 every six months you’re claim-free, all the way down to $0.
Snapshot is a free opt-in program that collects information on your driving habits, including speed, how much you drive and when you drive. Progressive uses the data to adjust your insurance rates up or down next time you renew, and you get an automatic discount for signing up. Data is collected either from a device you plug into your vehicle or a mobile app.
Rideshare insurance is available from Progressive but is not an option in all states. Typical insurance from ridesharing companies only covers the period between accepting a ride and dropping off a customer. This add-on insurance expands your personal auto policy anytime you have the app on, so you’re covered even between rides.
» MORE: Rideshare insurance for drivers
Progressive’s auto insurance discounts include:
- Multi-policy discount.
- Multi-car discount.
- Discount for continuous insurance (even if it was with another company).
- Snapshot good driver program.
- Discount for adding a teen driver.
- Good student discount.
- Distant student discount.
- Discount for being a homeowner.
- Discount if you get a quote for car insurance online.
- Sign online discount.
- Paperless discount.
- Discount for paying your six-month policy upfront.
- Discount for setting up automatic payments from a checking account.
Progressive homeowners insurance
Progressive offers coverage for houses, garages, sheds and more through third-party insurers. In addition, customers can use Progressive’s HomeQuote Explorer tool to see rates from other companies before purchasing a policy.
Progressive’s home insurance discounts include:
- Discount for bundling homeowners and auto insurance.
- Alarm systems and safety devices discount.
- Discount for getting a quote at least 10 days before your policy starts.
- Discount for purchasing a new home or switching from a renters policy.
- Discount for paying your 12-month policy upfront.
- Receive documents by email and receive a discount.
- New home construction discount.
Progressive complaints and customer satisfaction
Progressive had fewer than the expected number of complaints to state regulators relative to its size for auto insurance, according to three years’ worth of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. For home insurance, it has more than the expected number of complaints for its size.
Progressive does about average in J.D. Power studies for auto insurance.
| 2019 J.D. Power Study | Progressive ranks... |
|---|---|
| Auto Insurance Shopping | About average |
| Auto Insurance Claims Satisfaction | About average |
» MORE: Compare car insurance rates
More about Progressive
Website: Progressive’s website includes an insurance quote tool and a portal where customers can log on, pay bills and see claim statuses. Additional helpful features include:
- The Name Your Price tool, which helps you find a policy to fit your budget. Keep in mind that a lower price will come with a trade-off in coverage.
- A comparison feature that shows competitor rates alongside Progressive’s quote for the same policy options.
- Auto financing resources that allow you to get an auto loan quote or refinancing quote from Capital One, a Progressive partner.
Mobile app: Progressive’s main smartphone app allows you to report a claim and lets you request roadside assistance (this may count as a claim if you have the add-on coverage).
Snapshot mobile app: When you sign up for Snapshot, this app displays information about your driving behavior, records details about your trips and provides custom tips to improve your driving.
Virtual assistance: If you have a Google Home device, you can use it to ask Progressive’s digital voice assistant a variety of insurance questions. Or you can use Facebook Messenger to get a quote from Progressive’s Flo Chatbot or ask an insurance-related question.
Progressive insurance policy options
| Other types of insurance from Progressive | |
|---|---|
| Commercial auto insurance | Snowmobile insurance |
| Boat insurance | Mobile home insurance |
| All-terrain vehicle insurance | Segway insurance |
| Recreational vehicle insurance | Umbrella insurance |
In addition to homeowners insurance, Progressive offers other policies through third parties. You can get a quote and sign up for these policies through Progressive, and even receive a discount on your existing Progressive policy if you combine the policies. Here are other types of insurance you can get from Progressive’s partners:
| Other third-party insurance through Progressive | |
|---|---|
| Business insurance | Classic car insurance |
| Renters insurance | Life insurance |
| Insurance for driving in Mexico | Travel insurance |
| Condo insurance | Wedding and event insurance |
| Flood insurance | Pet insurance |
| Health insurance | ID theft insurance |
Recap: Progressive pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Third-largest personal auto insurer in the country | Average ratings for car insurance shopping and auto insurance claims customer satisfaction from J.D. Power |
| Pet injury protection included if you buy collision coverage | More than the median number of complaints to state regulators for home insurance |
| Rideshare coverage anytime you have the app on |
Auto insurance ratings methodology
NerdWallet’s auto insurance ratings reward companies for customer-first features and practices. Ratings are based on weighted averages of scores in several categories, including financial strength, consumer complaints, website transparency and affordability. Using our editorial discretion, we also consider customer satisfaction surveys. These ratings are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several insurance quotes to find the best rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines.Methodology: Insurer complaints
NerdWallet examined complaints received by state insurance regulators and reported to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in 2016-2018. To assess how insurers compare to one another, the NAIC calculates a complaint index each year for each subsidiary, measuring its share of total complaints relative to its size, or share of total premiums in the industry. To evaluate a company’s complaint history, NerdWallet calculated a similar index for each insurer, weighted by market shares of each subsidiary, over the three-year period. Ratios are determined separately for auto, home and life insurance.
