Paperless Car Insurance Discount: How to Qualify, Potential Savings, and More

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Mandy Sleight
Written byMandy Sleight
Mandy Sleight
Mandy SleightInsurance Writer

Mandy Sleight has over 15 years of insurance knowledge and expertise in auto, home, life, health, pet, supplemental benefits, and other insurance products. She’s a sought-after insurance expert, appearing in Bankrate.com, Moneygeek.com, U.S. News & World Report, Reviews.com, CNET, and other publications, and she's been writing for Compare.com since 2023.

Mandy uses her background and experience working for well-known insurance companies like State Farm and Nationwide Insurance to create engaging and easy-to-understand content that helps readers make smarter insurance choices that have a positive effect on their budgets and finances.

Lequita Westbrooks
Lequita WestbrooksSenior Editor

Lequita Westbrooks is an insurance editor at Compare.com. Her writing and editing experiences span several industries, including insurance, personal finance, higher education, and more. She excels at explaining complex topics like auto insurance in simple, easy-to-understand language and is passionate about helping readers save money. Lequita graduated from the University of South Florida, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in English.

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When you sign up to receive your insurance policy documents or billing statements electronically, you can usually get a paperless discount on your car insurance. The discount can save you up to 5% on your premiums, based on our research. Nationwide, AAA, and Liberty Mutual are a few of the companies offering a paperless discount for electronic documents, but the actual discount amount varies among them.

Here’s how much you can save with a paperless discount, how and where to get it, and other ways to save on auto insurance rates.

How Much You Can Save With Paperless Discount

Man outside his car using phone and smiling

The amount you can save with a paperless discount varies by state and insurance company, but you can typically save up to 5%, according to our research. AAA has the largest discount we found, at 5%.

Many companies offer this discount but generally don’t advertise savings amounts. The best way to know how much savings the paperless discount offers is to ask your insurance agent or company directly. You can also enroll in paperless document delivery to see how much it lowers your insurance rates.

How to Get a Paperless Discount

Although paperless discount savings can vary by state and insurance company, eligibility requirements are generally the same among insurers. In general, you’ll need to change from receiving paper bills and policy documents to electronic documents and statements to get the discount.

In most cases, you only need to sign up for one paperless option. For example, Progressive, Allstate, and Liberty Mutual only require paperless policy documents for the discount. AAA and Grange will give you the discount when you enroll in paperless billing. But Nationwide, Amica, and American Family require you to go paperless for both policy documents and paperless billing.

You’ll usually need to log into your online account to sign up for paperless documents to get the discount and will need an email address to set it up. You’ll receive email notifications when you have a new bill or document available, and you can view it online or through the company’s mobile app.

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Where to Get a Paperless Discount

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Paperless discounts are common, but most insurers don’t advertise how much you can save. For example, you can save up to 1% with Direct Auto, while AAA members can save up to 5%, according to our research. Though these are the only advertised rates we found, they aren’t the only companies offering lower rates when you go paperless.

The table below shows how savings opportunities and requirements vary among insurers.

Insurance Company
Eligibility Requirements
AllstateSign up for ePolicy to view documents online.
AmicaRequest electronic bills and policy documents.
Liberty MutualSwitch to paperless policy delivery.
NationwideSign up for paperless policy and billing delivery.
National GeneralReceive your policy documents and bills online.

The Best Paperless Discounts Currently Available

Going paperless is a great way to reduce the amount of paper coming into your home, and it can help save the environment, too. On top of that, it can also help you save on your insurance costs.

Here are three car insurance companies offering the best paperless discounts and other ways to easily lower your auto insurance rates.

Progressive

  • Average premium: $119 per month

  • Compare.com Rating: 4.73 out of 5

Progressive offers multiple discounts when you get a quote and sign up for a new insurance policy online. When you sign your policy documents online and combine with paperless policy and billing, you can save at least 8.5%, plus get additional discounts for the online quote and paying in full.

Allstate

  • Average premium: $101 per month

  • Compare.com Rating: 4.93 out of 5

Allstate offers multiple auto insurance policy discounts that you can stack with the paperless policy discount. You can save money by setting up automatic payments or paying in full, signing your policy documents at least a week before the effective date, and going a year without receiving a cancellation notice, which shows you’re a responsible payer.

Direct Auto

  • Average premium: $145 per month

  • Compare.com Rating: 3.76 out of 5

If you’re looking to switch companies, it’s a good idea to get a car insurance quote from Direct Auto. Not only can you save up to 9% going paperless and either paying your premium in full or setting up automatic payments, but you can also get up to 25% off your coverage plan if you have at least six months of continuous coverage with your prior insurer and another 6% as a returning customer.

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How to Maximize Your Paperless Discount Savings

A paperless discount is relatively small, but the good news is you have multiple ways to increase your savings.

A few things you can do to lower your car insurance costs include:

  • Add younger drivers on your policy: Car insurance rates can be expensive for teens and young adults. If your child is driving, adding them to your policy is often cheaper than getting them their own separate policy.

  • Enroll in your insurer’s telematics program: You can get an initial discount for enrolling in a usage-based insurance program, then an additional discount if you prove you’re a safe driver by avoiding behaviors like accidents, speeding, and distracted driving.

  • Bundle your insurance policies with the same company: You can usually save more money when you insure all your policies with one company. Combine your car insurance policy with homeowners, renters, or life insurance to save up to 25% with a multi-policy discount.

Other Common Car Insurance Discounts

Man smiling and using laptop in living room

The paperless discount isn’t the only one that’s easy to get. Several more auto insurance discounts you may qualify for to get even more savings include:

  • Sign online: Sign your policy documents online.

  • Paid in full: Pay your auto policy premiums in full up front.

  • Automatic payments: If you can’t pay your policy term in full, consider signing up for automatic payments.

  • Good student: Full-time high school or college students who earn honor roll, dean’s list, or at least a B average can qualify.

  • Student away at school: College students who go to school at least 100 miles away from home and don’t take a vehicle with them can get a discount.

Paperless Discount FAQs

If you still have questions about how to get and save with a paperless discount, we’ve answered the most common questions.

  • What’s the maximum paperless discount percentage?

    Although many insurance companies offer paperless discounts, most don’t advertise how much you can save. The maximum paperless discount percentage we could find is 5% from AAA.

  • How do you get a paperless discount?

    You can get a paperless discount by signing up to receive your policy documents or billing statements online. You’ll receive notifications by email when your documents are ready. Depending on your insurance company, you may receive a discount for signing up for a paperless policy, paperless billing, or both.

  • How do you know if you qualify for a paperless discount?

    You can qualify for a paperless discount if you sign up to receive your policy and billing statements online instead of by mail. You need to have a valid email address to sign up for paperless documents. Once you do, you can get a paperless discount if your insurer offers one.

  • Does GEICO have paperless billing?

    Yes. GEICO has paperless billing, but you won’t get a discount for signing up for it. You’ll need to set up your online account and sign up to receive your billing statements or policy online, or both. You’ll receive an email when your bill or policy is available, then log into the policy center to review your documents.

Sources:

  1. Insurance Information Institute, “Auto insurance for teen drivers,” accessed November 5, 2024. 

  2. Insurance Information Institute, “Distracted Driving: State of the Risk,” accessed November 5, 2024.

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Mandy Sleight
Mandy SleightInsurance Writer

Mandy Sleight has over 15 years of insurance knowledge and expertise in auto, home, life, health, pet, supplemental benefits, and other insurance products. She’s a sought-after insurance expert, appearing in Bankrate.com, Moneygeek.com, U.S. News & World Report, Reviews.com, CNET, and other publications, and she's been writing for Compare.com since 2023.

Mandy uses her background and experience working for well-known insurance companies like State Farm and Nationwide Insurance to create engaging and easy-to-understand content that helps readers make smarter insurance choices that have a positive effect on their budgets and finances.

Lequita Westbrooks
Edited byLequita WestbrooksSenior Editor
Lequita Westbrooks
Lequita WestbrooksSenior Editor

Lequita Westbrooks is an insurance editor at Compare.com. Her writing and editing experiences span several industries, including insurance, personal finance, higher education, and more. She excels at explaining complex topics like auto insurance in simple, easy-to-understand language and is passionate about helping readers save money. Lequita graduated from the University of South Florida, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in English.

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