If you’ve ever needed to borrow your friend’s car, or share the driving on a road trip, then you’ve probably dealt with a popular conundrum: how do you arrange car insurance that only lasts a day?
It’s impractical to call up your friend’s insurer to get added as a named driver just so you can drive for a few hours. Instead, you need a policy designed to offer you quick, flexible cover in minutes. And that’s where day car insurance comes in.
Now, while day car insurance can last a day as the name suggests, it’s actually a type of policy that could cover you anywhere between an hour and a few weeks. The idea is that it’s a flexible short term policy that gets you the cover you need for as long as you need it.
If you think day car insurance is right for you, you might be wondering how to pick the right policy – and at the right price too.
What to look for in day car insurance
A day car insurance policy isn’t like your annual car insurance. Your annual car insurance is a long-term policy that can take a while to arrange. You might spend days shopping around, comparing features and quotes, and ringing up insurers to discuss your needs.
A day car insurance policy serves a different purpose. It’s designed to help you out in a pinch and give you comprehensive cover for a short period. Choosing the right day car insurance policy is all about convenience, flexibility, and peace of mind. So what should you look for in your day car insurance policy?
A policy that can be arranged in minutes
We get it, you’re spontaneous. You need a policy that can be arranged on a whim. You need cover that can start in minutes and that only takes a few clicks or taps to arrange. The good news is: it exists. Pick the right day car insurance policy and you never have to spend ages on the phone with your insurer again, when all you want to do is hit the road with cover in place ASAP.
A dedicated app where you can manage your policy
Zay car insurance is designed to be arranged on the go. And so, a decent policy might come with a dedicated app that allows you to manage the full experience from your phone. You fill out your details, get a quote, take out a policy, and view your docs all from the app. Bonus points if you have breakdown cover and can send your insurer your exact location through your phone. Apps are where it’s at these days. HINT: The Zixty app does all of this!
A policy that flexes to suit you
Don’t let a rigid policy dictate your plans. Find an insurer that offers the option to purchase cover for as little as an hour or as long as a few weeks.That means you can take that spontaneous road trip or even simply run a quick errand in your friend’s car. Regardless, the right policy will flex to suit you.
A policy that comes with all the right extras
If extras like breakdown cover or excess protect are important to you, it’s worth checking whether you can get an all-in-one deal. After all, if you’re looking for a day car insurance policy, you probably need it quickly. You don’t want to spend ages shopping around for all those other extras too.
Now, picture this: you’re cruising down the motorway, belting out your favourite tunes, and all of a sudden, you hear a rattling noise that doesn’t sound too good. Oh no. You pull over when it’s safe to do so, but you honestly have no idea exactly where you are. Well, no worries. If you opted for breakdown cover with a provider like Zixty, all you need to do is whip out the app and send your exact location using your GPS. Panic over.
How much does day car insurance cost?
There are lots of different factors that go into working out the exact cost of your day car insurance policy. Factors including your driving history, the car you drive, your address, and how long you’ve held your licence form just part of the equation when it comes to working out your premium. Different insurers will offer you different quotes based on their criteria.
Unlike other types of policies though, with day car insurance you only pay for the cover you need. In that sense, day car insurance can be a cost-effective option as you can pay for as little as an hour if you only need to run a quick errand, for example.
If you’re really after more specific numbers, getting a quote might be a good idea. Or you could check out our starting prices for our policies to see whether a day car insurance policy is within your budget.
How to buy cheap day car insurance
Once you’ve narrowed down what you want in a policy, you can start looking for deals online. Although using comparison sites is a great starting point, it’s worth remembering that the best deals might not be on the comparison sites at all.
Getting quotes these days is fairly straightforward, so try Googling alternative temporary car insurance providers. Once you have a few quotes, don’t automatically pick the cheapest option. Remember, just because the policy is cheap, doesn’t mean it’s the best option for you.
Think back to the features that are important to you in a policy and check that your chosen insurer offers these. If not, it might be worth looking at other, more “expensive” quotes. You might find more value in paying more, if it means not foregoing a feature that’s important to you. The point is: the listed price shouldn’t be the only deciding factor when picking a policy.
Choosing day car insurance that’s good for the planet
There are tons of cheap day car insurance providers out there, but they’re not all made equal. Not all of them might offer the features that are important to you. Some might be cheaper than others, but might not offer Excess Protect for instance. And that might be a deal breaker.
Equally, if you are an eco-conscious driver, you might want to find a green car insurance provider. Here at Zixty, we offer day car insurance with an eco conscious twist. When you take out a policy and enable our free Zixty Miles add-on, we carbon offset all your journeys up to 100 miles a day while you’re a customer. Oh, and we plant a tree every time you take out a policy.
Plus, we’ll give you an EcoScore when you drive with us. This will show you how eco-conscious your driving is and even give you tips to help you become a greener driver. The green portion of your policy comes at no extra cost to you, meaning you can embrace your eco-conscious values without worrying about stretching your budget.
Finding cheap day car insurance that aligns with your values can be as simple as getting a quote and hitting the road in a matter of minutes.
