Which is better – Travelers or Erie?
The battle for the title of ‘better insurance company’ is epic when it comes to Travelers and Erie as providers. These two well-known auto insurers have high ratings for financial strength through AM Best and come highly recommended by their customers, keeping the lines tightly drawn.
Travelers, with a 3.7-star rating on Insure.com’s top auto insurance companies survey, make a stellar showing for its variety of policy offerings and affordable premiums.
At Erie, which earned 3.2 stars on the Insure.com survey, the premiums are cheaper than Travelers’ premiums, but the company has fewer policy offerings and a variety of discounts.
But both companies are comparable. Keep on reading to find out how Travelers compares to Erie in Insure.com’s top auto insurance companies in survey.
Pros of Travelers or ErieTravelers Pros
- Highly ranked for customer satisfaction
- High customer renewal rate
- Available in all states and Washington, D.C.
Erie Pros
- High recommendation rates
- Affordable premiums
- High customer satisfaction rates
How Travelers and Erie score on customer satisfaction
Travelers and Erie customers both reported high levels of customer satisfaction with their insurance providers. With 96% satisfaction ratings for both companies from customers, Travelers and Erie insurance outrank other competitors for customer satisfaction.
| Insurance Company | Percent of customers that are satisfied |
|---|---|
| Travelers | 96% |
| Erie | 96% |
Do Travelers and Erie customers plan to renew?
Insure.com’s survey shows that both Travelers and Erie insurance customers have strong intentions to renew their policies. Although more Erie customers than Travelers’ customers said they plan to renew, both companies received high rankings from their current customers.
| Insurance Company | Percent of customers who plan to renew with the company |
|---|---|
| Travelers | 96% |
| Erie | 100% |
How Travelers and Erie score on policy offerings
Travelers did not rank as high as Erie for its variety of policy offerings. Customers looking for a better selection of policy offerings could consider Erie.
| Insurance Company | Percent of customers who plan to renew with the company |
|---|---|
| Travelers | 85% |
| Erie | 91% |
Which is cheaper, Travelers or Erie?
Coverage with Erie costs less than it does through Travelers, although both Erie and Travelers insurance have affordable premiums compared with other competitors. Continue reading to take a more in-depth look at Travelers’ and Erie’s rates based on different driver’s profiles.
Which is cheaper at various ages?
Erie is the least expensive insurance in every age group, including age 40, teens aged 16-19, young adults 20-24 and seniors aged 65, indicating that it is a better choice for cheap premiums.
| Age Group | Travelers | Erie |
|---|---|---|
| National Avg (40 yr) | $1,488 | $1,254 |
| Teen (16-19) | $4,634 | $3,664 |
| Young Adult (20-24) | $2,304 | $2,244 |
| Avg for seniors (65) | $1,410 | $1,253 |
Which is cheaper with a ticket?
Erie is far cheaper than Travelers when it comes to getting a ticket. Travelers increases rates more than 36% while rates with Erie go up only 14% by comparison.
| Company | % Increase |
|---|---|
| Travelers | 36.29% |
| Erie | 13.87% |
Discounts available in Travelers vs. Erie
See the chart below for the various discounts available from Travelers and Erie.
| Discount | Travelers | Erie |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | Yes | Yes |
| Anti-Theft Device | Yes | Yes |
| Daily Commute | Yes | Yes |
| Days Advanced Purchase | Yes | Yes |
| Days Per Week Driven | Yes | – |
| Education | – | – |
| Electronic Funds Transfer | Yes | – |
| Electronic Signature | – | – |
| Homeowner | Yes | – |
| Lower Annual Mileage | Yes | Yes |
| Loyalty – Years Renewal With Company | Yes | Yes |
| Marital Status | Yes | Yes |
| Multi Policy | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Policy | – | – |
| Payment Type | Yes | Yes |
| Primary Use | Yes | Yes |
| Profession | – | – |
| Paperless/Electronic Documents | – | – |
| Safety Devices | Yes | Yes |
| Telematics | – | – |
| Vehicle Ownership | Yes | – |
Travelers vs. Erie: AM Best credit rating
AM Best rates insurance companies on their financial strength and gave Travelers an A++, or superior rating, and gave Erie an A+ rating.
Travelers vs. Erie: J.D. Power auto claims satisfaction score
According to the 2022 J.D. Power auto claims satisfaction study, Erie received a score of 893, a much higher score than Travelers, which earned an 854. The industry average was 873.
FAQ: Travelers vs. Erie
Can I buy Travelers car insurance online?
You can start a quote, call to get a free quote or find a local agent online on the Travelers website. Customers also can pay their bills and access the claim center on the website.
Can I buy Erie car insurance online?
With Erie, you can get an online quote by entering your ZIP code, details about vehicles and listed drivers.
Who should get Travelers car insurance?
Travelers is best for people who take the opinions of others under consideration when choosing their insurance company. In addition to being highly recommended by current customers, AM Best also identified Travelers as financially sound, with an A++ rating. Travelers’ moderately-priced premiums and various discounts are attractive.
Who should get Erie car insurance?
People who want a company that makes customer satisfaction an essential priority may like Erie. Its high customer satisfaction rating, smaller increases in premiums when getting a ticket, and affordable premiums make the company a good choice for individuals of any age group.
What other types of insurance does Travelers offer?
Travelers also offers:
- Home insurance
- Renters insurance
- Condo insurance
- Umbrella insurance
- Landlord insurance
- Jewelry and valuable items coverage
- Wedding and events insurance
- Pet insurance
- Travel insurance
What other types of insurance does Erie offer?
Erie also offers:
- Home
- Renters
- Condo
- Mobile home
- Personal valuables
- Flood
- Life
- Business
Resources & Methodology
Sources
J.D. Power. “Insurers Struggle to Manage Expectations in Auto Claims Process as Repair Times Increase, J.D. Power Finds.” Accessed January 2024.
Methodology
Insure.com, which is CarInsurance.com’s sister site, surveyed more than 1,500 insurance consumers (1,080 people with auto insurance). Online market research company Slice MR conducted the survey.
Respondents were asked to name their auto insurer and grade it in the following categories – customer satisfaction, ease of service and policy offerings. The percentage of respondents who said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their insurer is presented in the results.
Respondents ranked their insurer’s top three attributes out of more than a dozen presented – including claims satisfaction, digital experience, discounts, military discounts, best for young drivers and teens, best for college students, best for senior drivers, best for drivers with a ticket, best for high-risk drivers and best for auto/home bundling.
For a number one choice, five points were given; for a second choice, three points; and for a third choice, a single point. The total points for each choice – first, second and third – were then divided by the number of each company’s customers who responded to that survey question to create a percentage. Those percentages are presented in the results as survey scores.
Respondents were then asked if they would recommend their auto insurer to someone else and whether they would renew with their company. The percentage who said yes is presented in the results.
Finally, respondents were given the statement “I trust my insurance company” and asked if they strongly agreed, agreed, disagreed or strongly disagreed with it. The percentage of those who said they agreed or strongly agreed is presented in the results.
The editors compiled the survey results and then selected – based on the number of survey responses – the top companies for further evaluation.
They then collected National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ complaint data, which ranks a company by the number of customer complaints it receives, and A.M. Best data, which measures financial strength.
They also collected insurance rate data from Quadrant Information Services.
With the help of Prof. David Marlett, Ph.D., Managing Director of the Brantley Risk and Insurance Center at Appalachian State University, the editors created a rating system to determine which insurance companies were best in each sector.
For auto insurers, we took the following and gave each a weight.
- Survey: 40% of the total score (10% customer satisfaction, 10% recommended, 10% renewal rate and 10% claims handling)
- Annual premium: 20% of total score
- AM Best: 25% of total score
- NAIC: 15% of total score
- Each insurer was awarded from 1 to 5 stars. No insurer in our star ranking received less than 1 star and 5 stars was the most any insurer could receive.
Ask the Insurance Expert
Laura Longero
Executive Editor
Laura Longero is an insurance expert and Executive Editor at CarInsurance.com, where she specializes in helping consumers navigate the complexities of the financial and insurance industries. She has 15 years of experience educating people about finance and car insurance. Prior to joining CarInsurance.com, she worked as a reporter and editor at the USA Today Network. Her expertise provides readers with practical guidance, helping them make informed choices about their financial and insurance needs.
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John McCormick
Editorial Director
John is the editorial director for CarInsurance.com, Insurance.com and Insure.com. Before joining QuinStreet, John was a deputy editor at The Wall Street Journal and had been an editor and reporter at a number of other media outlets where he covered insurance, personal finance, and technology.
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Leslie Kasperowicz
Executive Editor
Leslie Kasperowicz is an insurance educator and content creation professional with nearly two decades of experience first directly in the insurance industry at Farmers Insurance and then as a writer, researcher, and educator for insurance shoppers writing for sites like ExpertInsuranceReviews.com and InsuranceHotline.com and managing content, now at CarInsurance.com.
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Nupur Gambhir
Managing Editor
Nupur Gambhir is a content editor and licensed life, health, and disability insurance expert. She has extensive experience bringing brands to life and has built award-nominated campaigns for travel and tech. Her insurance expertise has been featured in Bloomberg News, Forbes Advisor, CNET, Fortune, Slate, Real Simple, Lifehacker, The Financial Gym, and the end-of-life planning service.