If you're paying your policy by monthly instalments, you can pay your policy in full at any stage throughout the year. The service charge will only be applied to your premium for as long as you're availing of the instalment option, so you can save money by paying your policy off early.

To make an early settlement payment, contact us here.

Car, van, and taxi

We will pay you the market value of the vehicle immediately before the accident. The value will be calculated based on industry standard guides.

New car replacement applies to cars less than 12 months old that were bought as new. Please refer to the policy booklet for details. 

New car replacement does not apply to bike policies.

Check all the details on your renewal notice to make sure they're correct and that you have all relevant discounts included. You should review things like cover type and any optional extras.

Our renewals team will be happy to go through all the details with you. You can contact us here.

Car, taxi/hackney, van, motorcycle or home

We'll send you your renewal quote about 30 days before your renewal date. It's very important that you carefully read your renewal information and let us know about any changes that could affect your policy.

Did you know you can now pay for your renewal online?

Policies starting with GEI

If you currently pay for your policy on a monthly basis, there's no need for you to do anything. We'll automatically renew your policy and apply for your monthly direct debits as normal. We'll send your new policy documents once we have received your payment.

You have the right to cancel the automatic renewal of your policy. You can advise us by phone or by email. Please contact us here at any time during the policy if you do not wish to automatically renew.

If you cancel the automatic renewal of the policy, your cover will cease at the renewal date unless you advise us to renew the policy before the renewal date.

You can find more information in the ‘Consumers’ section of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission website.

Policies starting with XB

There's no need for you to do anything. We'll automatically renew your policy and send you your new policy documents once we have received your payment. You can pay for your renewal on the Liberty Customer Portal, click here to watch our How To video.

You have the right to cancel the automatic renewal of your policy. You can advise us by phone or by email. Please contact us here at any time during the policy if you do not wish to automatically renew.

If you cancel the automatic renewal of the policy, your cover will cease at the renewal date unless you advise us to renew the policy before the renewal date.

You can find more information in the ‘Consumers’ section of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission website.

Accidental damage is optional and if you have selected it, you'll be covered for any sudden and unexpected damage which is not caused deliberately.

For example, on your buildings insurance, it would cover you for accidents such as putting a nail through a pipe.

On your contents insurance, it would cover you for accidentally spilling paint on a carpet.

More information is available in your policy booklet.

Car or van

The car or van's stereo, sat nav, or other radio equipment will be covered up to €635 or 5% of the market vehicle value (whichever is lower) provided they're permanently fixed to the vehicle.

Personal possessions such as handbags, shopping, etc., are not covered, so please do not leave them in your car.

Yes, once the policy is in your own name you'll start to earn a No Claims Bonus, regardless of which licence type you hold. You can also earn named driver experience if you have been a named driver on somebody else’s policy, regardless of your licence type.

Car, taxi/hackney, van or motorcycle

How do I avail of my No Claims Bonus (Discount)?

A No Claims Bonus (or No Claims Discount) is a discount that you earn by holding a policy in your own name without any claims:

• It builds up in years, so the more years you drive without any claims, the bigger your discount will be, up to a limit of nine years.
• Your No Claims Discount must have been earned on a policy within the past 24 months. To clarify, you must have held a policy in your name with your No Claims Bonus obtained within the past 24 months.
• The discount can only be used on one policy and for one person at any one time. This means that if you currently hold another policy which will be remaining active, you cannot use the No Claims Bonus from that policy on this one.
• You can use a No Claims Bonus earned on private motor, taxi, or commercial policies on your private motor policy.
• To avail of a No Claims Bonus, you must have earned your bonus on a similar policy. For example, for a No Claims Bonus to be applied on a motorcycle policy, it must have been earned on a motorcycle policy.
• You can use a No Claims Bonus earned on a commercial vehicle or private motor vehicle towards a commercial vehicle policy providing weight of the vehicle does not exceed two tonne carrying capacity.

What if my No Claims Discount is from outside ROI?

If your No Claims Discount has been earned outside the Republic of Ireland, it must have been earned in the past 24 months, within UK, all EU countries, USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand.

Please Note:

• Once we receive proof of your No Claims Discount, we'll contact your last insurer to confirm the document is valid.
• We may need your help during this process, so we would request that you assist us with this. For example, we may ask you for contact details for your last insurer. We may also request that you contact your previous insurer to allow us to obtain information on your previous policy.
• This process may take some time.
• If we are unable to confirm your No Claims Discount, this may result in the removal of your discount, hence your premium may increase.

What do I need to do next?

Once you buy your policy, you'll need to provide us with proof of your No Claims Bonus. To do this, you'll need to send us a copy of your No Claims Bonus Certificate.

Your No Claims Bonus Certificate will be included in your renewal pack from your previous insurer, or you can request it from them if you don’t already have it.

You can email a copy or a clear photo of your certificate to us. Click here to contact us. Remember to add your policy or reference number clearly in any emails you send to us. 

If you earned your No Claims Discount with Liberty Insurance under a previous policy, please contact us to advise.

Car

Windscreen cover* is included as standard on our comprehensive car insurance policies.

This is an optional extra on third-party fire and theft car insurance policies. This covers all the windows in the car, but doesn't include sunroofs, glass roofs, or panoramic sunroofs, as long as an approved repairer is used.

A claim on your windscreen cover won't affect your No Claims Bonus. Two claims for every vehicle in any one period allowed.

Call 1800 944 435 to arrange for your windscreen to be repaired.

[*] Windscreen Replacement Excess applies should your windscreen be deemed unrepairable by the glass technician. You pay the first amount as outlined in your policy schedule and we pay the rest.

Car

For motor policies beginning with XB, please refer to your schedule of insurance to check if you selected Breakdown Assistance as an optional cover.

For motor policies beginning with GEI, Breakdown Assistance is included as standard. Please see full details below:

If you cannot drive your vehicle as a result of a breakdown, we'll arrange one hours free roadside assistance and tow the vehicle to the nearest competent repairer, or to a garage of your choice, whichever is closer. If the repairs cannot be completed where the vehicle broke down and you're away from home, we can arrange and pay up to €150 for one of the following:

In the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland:

• Transport for you and your passengers to your intended destination within the territorial limits; or
• Use of a replacement vehicle for up to 48 hours while the repairs are being carried out; or
• Bed and breakfast accommodation for one night only while repairs are being carried out (up to €35 for each person and €150 in total). If the vehicle is repaired, we'll provide the cost of public transport for you to collect the vehicle.

In England, Scotland, and Wales (including the Isle of Man and Channel Islands):

• A replacement car for up to 48 hours, up to £100; or
• If the car cannot be repaired before the departure date, we'll cover the cost of towing the car to the port you're leaving from, up to £250.

The help provided depends on the options available to us at the time you contact us. We also offer a message service to let family and friends know what has happened. Breakdown assistance is subject to three call outs within the insurance year.

Motorcycle

For motor policies beginning with XB, please refer to your schedule of insurance to check if you selected Breakdown Assistance as an optional cover.

For motor policies beginning with GEI, Breakdown Assistance is included as standard. Please see full details below:

For those days when your motorcycle won't start or breaks down at the side of the road, use our free 24-hour breakdown cover (including home start). Using this breakdown assistance will not affect your No Claims Bonus.

If you cannot drive the motorcycle as a result of a breakdown, we will arrange and pay for:

1. One hour’s labour at the roadside or at your home; and
2. Towing the motorcycle to the nearest competent repairer or to a garage of your choice, whichever is closer.

If the repairs cannot be completed where the motorcycle broke down and you're away from home, we can arrange and pay for one of the following:

1. Transport for you and your passenger to your intended destination, within the territorial limits, up to €35 for each person and €70 in total; or
2. Bed-and-breakfast only accommodation for one night only while repairs are being carried out, up to €35 (£35) for each person and €70 (£70) in total.

The help provided depends on the options available to us at the time you contact us.

Please refer to your Certificate of Insurance for details on those who are named on your policy and can drive your vehicle. If you have opted for open drive, any driver between the ages of 25-70 with a full Irish or EU licence and who is claim, conviction, and penalty point free will be covered. Open drive is not available on motorcycle insurance and taxi/hackney. 

More information is available in our policy booklets:

Car insurance policy booklet

Taxi policy booklet

Van insurance policy booklet

Motorcycle insurance policy booklet

Car

Check your Certificate of Insurance to see if you're covered to drive other cars. If so, the policyholder will have third party only cover to drive other private motor cars that are temporarily borrowed, under the following conditions:

• The other car is not owned by your spouse, partner/cohabitant, employer or hired to them under a hire-purchase or lease agreement.
• You currently hold a full Irish, United Kingdom (UK), or European Union (EU) driving licence.
• The use of the other car is covered in your Certificate of Insurance.
• There's a current insurance policy in place in another person’s name that covers the other car.
• You're not covered under any other policy to drive the other car.
• You have the owner’s permission to drive the other car.
• The other car is not more than 15 years old.
• The other car is in a roadworthy condition and holds a valid NCT.
• The vehicle is not being driven outside the territorial limits and you still have the insured vehicle and it holds a valid NCT and is in a roadworthy condition.

This extension applies while being driven within the territorial limits and only to private passenger cars.

It does not include:

• Vans
• Car-vans
• Crew cabs
• Jeep-type vehicles with no seats in the back
• Vans adapted to carry passengers; or any vehicles taxed commercially

For full details, please refer to section seven of the policy booklet.

If you're in any doubt as to whether the benefit applies to your policy, please contact us here. 

Policies starting with XB

Your Certificate of Insurance is available for you to access and print from your Customer Portal. To learn more about reading your documents on the Liberty Customer Portal, watch our How To video here.

Policies starting with GEI

Home Insurance: Where we hold a valid email address for you, most of our documents will be issued to you digitally by the end of the next working day. 

We have introduced a Documents Portal where you can access all your documents in one place at any time you like. As we refine this new tool, some documents are currently unavailable. These documents will be issued to you by post. If we do not hold a valid email address for you, your documents will be posted.

Car/Taxi/Hackney/Van Insurance: Where we hold a valid email address for you, most of our documents will be issued to you digitally. We have introduced a Documents Portal where you can access all your documents in one place at any time you like. As we refine this new tool, some documents are currently unavailable. Where we do not hold a valid email address for you, your documents will be posted.

Your Certificate of Insurance and Disc are available for you to access and print from your Customer Portal. It's a legal requirement to display this disc on the windscreen of the vehicle covered by this insurance policy. The disc is non-transferable. 

Failure to print/display the insurance disc correctly could result in you being fined under the Road Traffic Act 1961 (as amended). Please refer to the print instructions contained on your Insurance Certificate and Disc.

Motorcycle Insurance: Where we hold a valid email address for you, most of our documents will be issued to you digitally by the end of the next working day. We have introduced a Documents Portal where you can access all your documents in one place at any time you like. As we refine this new tool, some documents are currently unavailable. These documents will be issued to you by post. If we do not hold a valid email address for you, your documents will be posted.  

Your Certificate of Insurance is available for you to access and print from your Documents Portal.

Policies starting with XB

To log on to your Customer Portal you will need the following information:

• Your email address that you used when you purchased your policy.

  If you are having trouble logging into your Customer Portal, you can watch our How To videos here. This includes how to create your Customer Portal account, what to do if you need to reset your password and how to access your documentation.

Policies starting with GEI

To access the Documents Portal, you will need the following information: 

•    Your email address that was used when you purchased your policy. 
•    Your policy reference number (this begins with GEI).

Once you’ve entered these details, a one time password (OTP) will be sent to your email address. This will contain a password which you should copy and enter on the portal.

This password is valid for 30 minutes, to help protect your personal information.

The one time password is valid for 30 minutes. If this time has passed, you can request a new one through the Documents Portal. If you are still unable to access the portal, please contact us.

Most of our documents are issued electronically in your Documents Portal. If you have no access to a colour printer, we can print your documents for you - just let us know. You can contact us here.

There's no charge to receive a paper copy of your documents.

Please note: We will require your policy number In order to process your request.

Only newly issued or requested documents are shared on the Documents Portal:

• Policies starting with XB
• Policies starting with GEI

If you need a copy of an older document, you can contact us here.

You need to ensure you use the email address that we have registered for you. Your policy reference number must be entered as it's displayed in the email we sent you. Please note this is case sensitive.

Your one time password is only valid for 30 minutes. If this time has passed, you can request a new one through the Documents Portal. You can learn more by watching our How To video here.

If you are still unable to access the portal, or your email address has changed, please contact us.

If there’s a system outage, we apologise. Please try and access the Documents Portal again in a short time.

Due to changes being introduced by the Commission for Communications Regulation (“ComReg”), we're replacing our phone numbers that start with 1850 and 1890. These are known as non-geographical numbers (NGNs).

1850 and 1890 numbers will be withdrawn and no longer available for customers to use after December 31st, 2021. We're replacing the old numbers with freephone, 1800 numbers. 

We have updated our numbers to 1800 prefix. This means it will be free to contact us. From January 1st 2022, only the new 1800 number will work. 

Here are our new numbers: 

Customer Service: 1800 891 890 

Claims Support: 1800 771 800 

General Queries: 1800 944 412 

Windscreen Repair: 1800 944 435 

The calculation of a premium is the result of a complex interaction between many rating factors. Even though there doesn't appear to be any change in individual circumstances from the time of the previous renewal, some of the ratings change merely through the passing of time (e.g., the age of the policyholder and vehicle) and these factors can contribute to an increase in the premium. There may also have been changes in our approach to pricing the various risk factors or the introduction of a new pricing risk factor, which may then apply to your individual circumstances.

As a concept, insurance works by pooling the funds of many to pay for the claims of a few. Every customer contributes their premium to a larger fund from which we as insurers are able to compensate a customer who has a valid claim, e.g., vehicle damage or an injury to a third party. Therefore, increases in the costs of the total costs of claims and/or the increases in the total number of claims will have a knock-on effect on the overall pool and will result in higher premiums.

Please find below a list of the types of factors – both customer-specific and general – which are most likely to be relevant in explaining any increase in your premium.

Customer-Specific Factors

Some of the customer-specific rating factors which lead to a change in risk and/or our view of that risk are:

Age of Vehicle

The risk changes every year as the vehicle itself is now a year older, potentially putting it into a different rating category.

Type of Vehicle

You may have changed your vehicle in the past year, again potentially putting it into a different rating category. The make and model, engine capacity, weight, fuel type, transmission, safety features and the cost of repairs are among the relevant factors. Also, based on the most recent analysis of claims, pricing models are regularly reviewed and this may result in changes in our approach to pricing various risk factors or introducing new pricing risk factors, which may then apply to you. An example of this would be using fuel type or transmission as a rating factor for the first time. So, ratings may change from being based on engine size/cubic capacity (CC) to brake horse power (BHP) as our view of vehicle technology and engines evolve with the car market.

Named Drivers/“Open Driving”

Any change in the number or circumstances of the drivers named on your policy may affect your premium. Certain driving options like “Open Driving” may result in an increased premium due to the risk associated with such driving options.

Age of Driver

The risk actually changes every year as the drivers are now a year older, potentially putting him/her into a different rating category. Your experience and that of the drivers who may drive your car is one of the main rating factors used by insurers. Statistics show that younger, less experienced drivers are a higher risk (more likely to be involved in accidents and make claims). More experienced drivers will benefit from lower premiums; however, at a point the risk starts to increase again and this is reflected in the pricing of motor insurance. Also, the type of driving licence you hold and the number of years for which it has been held is an indicator of an individual’s driving experience and this is often reflected in your premium as a rating factor.

Location of Risk

The area you live or work in may have a bearing on the cost of your motor insurance. Normally, in areas where the risk of accidents is greater (typically more urban and densely populated areas), you’ll pay more. The same applies if you live somewhere which has high levels of vehicle crime. Insurers may assess each address individually or at an overall county level, looking at claims, traffic, theft and malicious damage statistics together with the frequency of accidents in that area. More accidents tend to result in more claims, so it could cost more to insure vehicles in those areas. Again, we continuously review and analyse relevant data so that even if you have not changed address, our view of this risk factor may have altered since your last renewal.

Occupation

If you use your car for business purposes, you're likely to pay more for cover as you’ll be driving more when the roads are busy. Your annual mileage may also be an important consideration. After all, the more you drive, the more likely you are to be involved in an accident. Also, the nature of your journeys could affect your price. For example, if you use your car to commute to work when traffic is busy, insuring your car may cost more than if you only used your car socially. Again, we continuously review and analyse relevant data so that even if you have not changed job, our view of this risk factor may have altered since your last renewal.

Mid-Term Amendments

If you made a change to the policy during the year (particularly if made towards the end of the term), this is possibly affecting your premium this year. Any mid-term changes will have been charged on a pro-rata basis until renewal, but the new renewal price will have been calculated using the new policy details for a full 12 months.

Loss of No Claims Discount (NCD)

This would be as a result of claim(s) submitted/processed within the past 12 months.

Claims and Convictions

A loading may have been applied to your policy due to the number or severity of claims and/or convictions incurred by you or any person who will drive your vehicle. Claims within the last five years can still affect the premium and multiple claims will attract a higher loading, particularly for the same cause.

Penalty Points

You or any person who will drive the vehicle may have incurred Penalty Points, therefore impacting on the premium.

Payment Method

The payment method used by you may have caused an increase in your premium. For example, if you choose to pay by direct debit, an annual percentage rate may apply.

Regulatory changes

Your renewal premium may also be impacted by new Central Bank regulations effective from July 1st, 2022, which has introduced a ban on price walking (see definition below). This means that, from that date, insurers cannot charge consumers, who are on their second or subsequent renewal with the same insurer, a premium higher than they would charge an equivalent first renewal customer. We have amended our rating to be compliant with these regulations.

Central Bank definition: Price walking is where you are charged a higher premium the longer you remain with your insurer, and for no reason other than staying with the same provider

External Factors

External factors are those costs which affect the cost and number of the claims we have to pay. The cost of paying claims is the single largest factor which contributes to your premium. Given that the cost of claims is the most significant cost associated with insurance, it's vital that insurers set premiums which are sufficient to meet these costs so the business is sustainable and that we are there to pay claims for our customers in the long term.

The main components of the total cost of claims are:

• The size of awards for injury claims and medical inflation.
• Legal costs associated with handling claims.
• Cost of parts.
• Labour for repairs.

We hope that you find this information useful. However, if you believe that you require more information in relation to the price of your premium renewal, you can contact us here.