What Is Shipping Insurance? (2024)

1. Comprehensive Coverage

With shipping insurance, you can indicate the total value and have confidence that your shipments are protected.

2.Full Reimbursem*nt and Expedited Reshipment
Customers expect if there is an issue that companies will fix it and fix it quickly.Shipping insurance allows you to quickly reship replacement goods or refund or provide a credit to your customer with more confidence that the associated costs can be offset with less risk to your bottom-line.

3.Quick and Easy Claims
A lengthy claims experience can be a major pain point for businesses when it comes to the shipping experience. With InsureShield®shipping insurance you can easily file a claim online and, if approved, have the claim paid in days not weeks.

4.Peace of Mind
Not only can your business experience an easy claims process, but you can also ship confidently knowing your items are covered up to the full retail value. You can get the best of both worlds: peace of mind for your business and peace of mind for your customers.

5.Bottomline and Reputation Protection
A lack of resolution support for stolen or damaged packages may cause a buyer to never shop at a retailer again. Businesses can recapture potential lost sales by improving the shipping experience for customers.

What is the alternative to shipping insurance?

Many businesses rely on declared value/carrier liability to protect their goods. Unfortunately, what many businesses may not understand is that declared value/carrier liability is not real insurance.

Carrier liability is the standard liability offered by the carrier for a shipment, in the event of loss or damage (e.g. up to $100 for small package, or $25/lb. for LTL). Excess liability is excess-value coverage (e.g., more than the carrier’s standard liability), up to the cost of the shipment.

When it comes to carrier liability, the burden falls on the shipper to prove that the loss or damage occurred while the goods were in the physical control of the carrier. And, in most cases when there is an approved claim, a carrier will only reimburse replacement value, not your invoice value.

The Bottom Line

Carrier liability is based on small-print terms and a web of governing statutes, some of which date back to the 1930’s. The statutes allow carriers to limit their exposure and exempt a variety of situations from their liability. Shipping insurance is customized to your business and provides financial protection in the event of loss, damage and porch pirated theft.

Let the team at UPS Capital Insurance Agency, Inc. and its affiliates help you get started with a quoteand we can go from there.

What Is Shipping Insurance? (2024)

FAQs

What does shipping insurance do? ›

Shipping insurance is a service that most carriers offer that protects shippers against lost, stolen, or damaged packages. If an insured package does not reach its destination, or if it is damaged when it's delivered, the shipper can file an insurance claim with the carrier.

Do you get your money back on shipping insurance? ›

Generally speaking, if you buy supplemental coverage through your carrier and cancel the shipment, if you qualify for a shipping cost refund, you will qualify for an insurance refund.

Is it good to get shipping insurance? ›

As stated above, shipping insurance allows you to get reimbursed by the carrier in the event that your package is lost, stolen, or damaged during transit. This offers you an extra layer of protection during the shipping process and ensures that you won't be out the total cost of the package should something happen.

Should you add shipping insurance? ›

Consider where you will be shipping your products, too. If you serve customers all over the world, it could make sense to get shipping insurance to mitigate the higher risk of an issue happening while in transit. But, if you usually ship within your own region, shipping insurance probably isn't necessary.

How much is USPS insurance for $1000? ›

Value over $100 up to $200 is $2.75. $200.01 to $500 is $4.60. $500.01 to $5,000 is $5.80 plus $1.15 per each $1000 or fraction thereof.

How much does it cost to insure a package for $5000? ›

How much does USPS insurance cost?
Coverage / Merchandise Value (USD)Fee (USD)
300.01 - 400.007.60
400.01 - 500.009.15
500.01 - 600.0012.25
600.01 - 5,000.00$12.25 plus $1.90 per $100.00 (or fraction thereof) over $600 in declared value
4 more rows
May 1, 2024

Who pays for shipping insurance, buyer or seller? ›

The seller handles arranging shipping and handling until the goods reach the buyer's destination. The buyer typically arranges and pays for insurance.

Do you get money back for shipping? ›

While different retail companies may have different specific refund policies, all companies should be willing to refund your shipping fees in the case of a late delivery. You'll likely need to request the refund through the company's Customer Service web page, or call the listed Customer Service phone number.

How does USPS shipping insurance work? ›

Insurance provides coverage of up to $5,000 for merchandise that is lost, damaged, or with missing contents in the custody of the United States Postal Service®. (Registered Mail® with insurance has a liability limit of $50,000.) Customers can purchase insurance at a local Post Office™ or online.

Is it worth it to insure a package? ›

It's not common for something to go wrong with your package, but it can happen. Most shipping insurance covers damage, loss and even theft. So if you're shipping something of value, shipping insurance can cover your losses if something goes awry.

Can you ship without insurance? ›

However, for shipments with low value, it may not make sense to purchase additional insurance. Is shipping insurance required? No, shipping insurance is not required, but it can provide a safety net for loss prevention, especially for retailers dealing in high-volume or high-value shipping.

How to calculate shipping insurance cost? ›

The cargo insurance premium on a single shipment is typically calculated as the insured value times the policy rate. And what is insured value? The simplest method to calculate insured value is to add the commercial invoice value of the goods to the cost of freight and add ten percent to cover additional expense.

How much does it cost to insure a package for $1000 with UPS? ›

The cost of UPS insurance varies depending on the value of the package being shipped and the level of coverage selected. UPS offers insurance coverage up to $50,000 for a fee of $2.70 per $100 of declared value. For example, if you want to insure a package worth $1,000, the insurance cost would be $27.00.

Does shipping insurance cover theft? ›

Shipping insurance protects eCommerce businesses in the event a package is damaged, stolen, lost, or mishandled on its way to the customer. Major carriers offer some coverage options and it is also available through third-party vendors. Coverage prices vary depending on the provider and declared value of your shipment.

What does USPS $100 insurance included mean? ›

Priority Mail Express Insurance (for merchandise) is provided automatically up to $100. Documents are insured against loss, damage, or rifling at no additional cost to mailer.

How does shipping protection work? ›

When a customer's package is lost, stolen, or damaged, online merchants won't suffer the financial losses. Instead, the purchases will be covered by insurance that protects both buyer and seller.

Is cargo insurance worth it? ›

In some cases, cargo insurance may be non-negotiable. Depending on the carrier and method of transportation you choose, you may be required to purchase cargo insurance. This is because cargo insurance not only protects your business and its belongings but also protects the carrier in the event of an incident.

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