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

Why You Can Trust Compare.com

At Compare.com, it’s our mission to find simple ways to help our customers save money on the things they need. While we partner with some of the companies and brands we talk about in our articles, all of our content is written and reviewed by our independent editorial team and never influenced by our partnerships. Learn about how we make money, review our editorial standards, and reference our data methodology to learn more about why you can trust Compare.com.

Written by Mandy Sleight Edited by Nick Versaw

Updated September 11, 2024

Some car insurance companies offer affinity program discounts if you’re part of a specific organization, partnership, professional association, or employer. Affinity discount savings vary by insurance company and affiliation, but some can save you over 20% on auto insurance. GEICO, Travelers, and Farmers are a few insurers offering affinity group discounts.

Keep reading to learn more about the organizations that can qualify, insurers offering affinity discounts, and how to maximize your discount savings.

How Much You Can Save With an Affinity Discount

The amount you can save with an affinity discount varies by the state you live in, the affiliation type, and your insurance company. Generally speaking, savings range from 5% to 25% or more.

For example, GEICO offers active-duty military members sent on emergency deployment savings of up to 25%, and non-deployed, active-duty members, veterans, and reserves and National Guard members can receive up to 15% in savings on some car insurance coverages.

How to Get an Affinity Discount

Insurers partner with a wide variety of groups to offer an affinity discount. The following groups are examples of organizations that may qualify:

• Fraternities and sororities
• College honor societies, like the National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS)
• Alumni associations
• Credit unions
• Wholesale shopping clubs like Sam’s Club, BJ’s, and Costco
• Employers
• Government associations and employees
• Churches
• Teachers and administrators
• Full-time students
• Professional associations
• Social clubs
• Affiliate company employees

You’ll typically need to show proof of membership to get an affinity discount. For instance, you can provide an employment letter, pay stub, or work badge with your photo ID if the affiliation is through your employer. For a wholesale club, your membership card should qualify. Credit union members can provide a bank statement or letter as proof of membership.

Auto insurance companies usually have several ways to add the discount to your policy. Log into your online account or mobile app, or contact your agent or the customer service department to add the discount and find out what qualifies as proof of membership.

Where to Get an Affinity Discount

Auto insurance affinity discounts can be harder to find than other discounts, such as the multi-policy and multi-car discounts that most companies offer.

Below are a few notable insurers with affinity discounts and their advertised discount amounts.

If you don’t see your insurer in the table, it’s worth reaching out to learn if an affinity discount is available, how to qualify, and how much you can save.

Which companies offer the largest affinity discounts?

For most auto insurance companies, how much you can save depends on the affiliation and the state you live in.

Below are the companies with the largest Affinity discounts we could find — but that doesn’t mean you can’t land a larger affinity discount in your state or with your insurer. Some companies don’t advertise all their discounts online, so it’s a good idea to contact your agent to find out what’s available.

GEICO

• Advertised discount amount: Up to 25%

Past and present military members stand to save the most with GEICO, but you generally need to be deployed to an “imminent danger zone” to qualify for the largest discount. To get the maximum 25% discount, active-duty members must supply the orders that sent them to an imminent danger zone on emergency deployment.

GEICO partners with over 500 groups, so chances are you’ll be able to find an organization you belong to in order to get an affinity discount, even if it’s not as much as the military discount.

Farmers

• Advertised discount amount: Average of 23%

Drivers who switch to Farmers GroupSelect auto insurance save an average of 23% on their car insurance premiums. You can get a quote online or contact the Farmers affinity member call center at 1 (800) 438-6381 to compare quotes and see how much you can save with the Farmers affinity program.

Wawanesa

• Advertised discount amount: Up to 22%

California drivers who are also California Coast Credit Union customers can save up to 22% on their car insurance when they switch to Wawanesa. Call Wawanesa at 1 (833) 302-5625 to get a quote and find out if it’s worth switching.

How to Maximize Your Affinity Discount Savings

A good thing about maximizing your savings is that you can afford the right coverage for your specific needs without draining your bank account. These money-saving tips can help you get the most out of your affinity relationships:

• The savings don’t always stop with insurance discounts. Programs like AARP and wholesale clubs like Sam’s Club and Costco offer other member benefits such as discounts on gas, new car purchases, car rentals, travel, roadside assistance plans, and other products and services.
• Ask which category saves the most. Most insurers have tiered affinity categories that vary in savings amounts. For example, you may save 5% with your alumni organization’s membership but 8% as a credit union member.
• You might get access to other coverage options. The AARP Auto Insurance Program through The Hartford includes optional coverages like disappearing deductible, accident forgiveness, and lifetime care repair assurance.

Other Common Car Insurance Discounts

An affinity discount is an excellent start at lowering your car insurance costs. Still, you can stack multiple discounts together to save even more. Here are a few other common auto insurance discounts to consider:

• Telematics programs: Allow your insurer to track your driving habits through your phone or plug-in vehicle devices to get a usage-based discount for safe driving habits.
• Insurance bundling: Insure your car and another insurance product with the same company, such as home insurance or life insurance, to get a multi-policy discount. Small businesses can also qualify with similar business policies.
• Teacher discounts: Some insurers, such as GEICO, Liberty Mutual, and Farmers, offer teacher-specific discounts for educators.
• Good student discounts: Full-time students with a B or better GPA equivalent can qualify for a good student discount.
• Military discounts: Active-duty, veteran, and reserve members can qualify for a military discount from companies like Amica, Kemper, Nationwide, Plymouth Rock, and Direct Auto.

Affinity Discount FAQs

Taking advantage of affinity discounts is an easy way to save money on car insurance. Below are answers to the most common questions about affinity discounts.

What’s the maximum affinity discount percentage?

The maximum affinity discount percentage depends on the type of affiliation and insurance company. For example, active-duty and retired military, National Guard, and reserves members can save up to 15% on some GEICO car insurance coverages. Active-duty members who deploy to danger zones can save even more — up to 25%.

How do you get an affinity discount?

You can get an affinity discount if you’re a member of certain alumni associations, financial institutions, professional organizations, and other groups. Discount savings, eligibility, and qualifying criteria vary by insurance company, state, and organization. Contact your insurance agent or company to find out how to get an affinity discount and how to qualify.

How do you know if you qualify for an affinity discount?

The easiest way to know if you qualify for an affinity discount is to ask your insurer. But you might also find information about affiliations on the insurer’s or organization’s website or by receiving a letter or postcard.

What’s an affinity sale in insurance?

An affinity sale in insurance means selling insurance policies through groups like a professional organization or financial institution. Insurers partner with organizations by offering discounted rates to their members in hopes the organization will encourage members to buy policies from the insurance company.

Sources:

1. AARP, “Membership & Benefits,” accessed September 1, 2024.
2. IRMI, “Affinity Sales,” accessed September 1, 2024.

Mandy Sleight Auto Insurance 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 is a sought-after insurance expert, appearing in Bankrate.com, Moneygeek.com, U.S. News & World Report, Reviews.com, CNET, and other publications. She 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 to help readers make smarter insurance choices that have a positive effect on their budgets and finances.