Best Auto Insurance Companies That Don’t Charge Late Fees in 2026 (Top 10 Providers)

Amica, USAA, and Geico are the best auto insurance companies that don’t charge late fees. They even offer small discounts if you sign up for automatic payments, reducing your risk of having late payments.

Other auto insurance companies that don’t penalize for a lapse in coverage are below.

Our Top 10 Picks: Best Auto Insurance Companies That Don't Charge Late Fees

If you had a late payment and lapse in coverage, try our comparison tool to find the cheapest auto insurance after a lapse in coverage.

#1 – Amica: Top Pick Overall

Pros

• Customer Service: Amica has decent customer service ratings. Learn more in our Amica auto insurance review.
• Discounts: Amica has a good selection of discounts, which you can learn about in our article on Amica auto insurance discounts.
• Add-On Coverages: Amica offers rideshare insurance, gap insurance, and other add-on coverage.

Cons

• Not Available in Hawaii: Amica sells auto insurance in all states except Hawaii.
• Annual Policy Availability: Amica doesn’t sell 12-month policies in most states.

#2 – USAA: Best for Military Families

Pros

• Military Families: USAA has the best coverage and rates for military families who are shopping for insurance. Learn more in our USAA review.
• Non-Auto Discounts: USAA members can get discounts on shopping and traveling.
• Coverage Options: USAA offers plenty of auto insurance coverages for well-rounded policies.

Cons

• Eligibility: Most drivers won’t qualify for coverage because USAA is exclusively for military and veterans.
• Mainly Virtual Communication: USAA has few buildings with in-person agents.

#3 – Geico: Best for Online Services

Pros

• Online Services: Geico’s app allows customers to file claims, make policy changes, and more.
• Financial Stability: Geico is one of the market’s largest and most financially stable companies. Learn about its financial ratings in our Geico review.
• Discount Options: Geico has a good selection of discounts that benefit drivers.

Cons

• UBI Availability: Geico doesn’t offer its UBI discount in every state.
• Virtual Communication: Geico’s local agents aren’t as numerous as other companies.

#4 – Auto-Owners: Best for Financial Stability

Pros

• Financial Stability: Auto-Owners has good financial stability ratings. Read more about these ratings in our Auto-Owners review.
• Local Agents: Most customers will be able to find a local agent nearby.
• Accident Forgiveness: Good drivers are rewarded with accident forgiveness at Auto-Owners.

Cons

• Agent-Only Quotes: Auto-Owners doesn’t offer online auto insurance quotes.
• Availability: Auto-Owners’ auto insurance is not sold in every state.

#5 – Erie: Best for Personalized Service

Pros

• Personalized Service: Erie’s agents can help customers create personalized policies, make policy changes, and more.
• Rate Lock: Erie’s rate lock is a huge plus for customers. Learn more about it in our Erie review.
• Discount Options: Erie offers good student discounts, diminishing deductibles, and more.

Cons

• Availability: Erie isn’t sold in all states.
• UBI Availability: Erie’s UBI program isn’t available in every state where it sells auto insurance.

#6 – The Hartford: Best for AARP Members

Pros

• AARP Members: The Hartford is a great choice of provider for AARP members. Read our review of The Hartford to find out more.
• Accident Forgiveness: Safe drivers can benefit from The Hartford’s accident forgiveness.
• Coverage Options: Customers can tailor policies to meet their needs.

Cons

• Best for Older Drivers: Younger drivers won’t get the cheapest rates at The Hartford.
• Customer Ratings: The Hartford has some negative customer satisfaction ratings.

#7 – Nationwide: Best for Coverage Options

Pros

• Coverage Options: Nationwide offers a variety of auto coverages, which you can read more about in our Nationwide review.
• Vanishing Deductibles: Nationwide reduces deductibles for safe drivers.
• Discount Options: Nationwide has good driver discounts, good student discounts, and many more.

Cons

• Availability: A few states don’t have Nationwide auto insurance.
• DUI Drivers: Nationwide’s rates for DUI drivers aren’t as competitive as other companies.

#8 – Progressive: Best for Innovative Solutions

Pros

• Innovative Solutions: Progressive has some great innovative solutions for customers, like its Name Your Price Tool. Learn more in our Progressive review.
• Add-On Coverages: Progressive has options like pet coverage to round out a policy.
• Availability: Progressive auto insurance is sold in every state.

Cons

• UBI Rate Increases: Progressive’s UBI program may raise rates for drivers who score poorly.
• Mixed Reviews: Progressive’s customer satisfaction ratings are only average.

#9 – State Farm: Best for Agent Network

Pros

• Agent Network: State Farm has one of the best local agent networks. You can learn more about it in our review of State Farm.
• Financial Stability: The company has high financial stability ratings.
• Coverage Options: You can customize a policy with different add-ons and deductible options.

Cons

• Agent-Only Purchases: You can’t buy State Farm insurance online.
• UBI Availability: The discount from State Farm’s UBI program isn’t available in a few states.

#10 – Liberty Mutual: Best for Various Options

Pros

• Various Options: Liberty Mutual’s various insurance options make it easy to personalize and bundle policies.
• Discount Options: Liberty Mutual offers bundling discounts, good driver discounts, and many more.
• Financial Stability: Liberty Mutual has high ratings for financial strength. Read more about its ratings in our review of Liberty Mutual.

Cons

• UBI Availability: Liberty Mutual’s discount for safe driving is not available in all states.
• Customer Ratings: The company has some negative customer ratings.

What to Do When You Miss an Auto Insurance Payment

If you miss an auto insurance payment, correcting the issue as soon as possible is important. If you don’t make a payment before the company’s grace period ends, it will drop you as a customer. This will result in a lapse of coverage, raising your future auto insurance rates.

If you are considering missing an auto insurance payment because you can’t afford to pay it, speak to your auto insurance company as soon as possible. An agent may be able to help you adjust coverages to make payments more affordable (read more: What to do if You Can’t Pay Your Auto Insurance).

Pay Premiums on Time to Save Money on Auto Insurance

There are quite a few discounts offered that center around payments. Paying online, paying in full, and other payment methods can earn you a discount.

Autopay is a great way to avoid late payments and earn discounts. Read more in our article on how to get an electronic automatic billing auto insurance discount. Paying automatically each month is often the best choice for most drivers.

If you aren’t sure how much your monthly automatic payments should be, below are the average month-by-month car insurance rates at the best companies that don’t charge late fees.

Auto Insurance Monthly Rates for Companies That Don’t Charge Late Fees by Coverage Level and Provider

Most companies, such as Geico auto bill pay, make it easy to set up auto-pay no matter which coverage you purchase. They also offer plenty of discounts besides payment discounts that will help lower your rates.

Auto Insurance Discounts From Top Providers Companies That Don’t Charge Late Fees

Safe driving discounts are often among the biggest discounts possible at auto insurance companies. You can also look for auto insurance with no down payment to save further.

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— Amica Insurance (@Amica) December 10, 2021

How to Avoid Auto Insurance Late Fees

Knowing how to avoid late insurance fees is important. There are a few ways to avoid late fees.

• Auto-Payments: When you set up auto-pay, you are charged automatically monthly for insurance (read more about payment frequency: how often is auto insurance paid?).
• Payment-in-Full: You pay for the entire coverage period, often six months, so you don’t have to worry about monthly payments (learn more: Should I pay my auto insurance in full?).

You can often easily set up auto-payments or pay in full on a company’s app, such as Geico’s mobile app. Company apps make it easy to make payments instantly from your phone and avoid late payments. You can also pay online from your desktop or laptop (learn about online payments: Can I pay my auto insurance online?).

Negotiating Auto Insurance Company Late Fees

If you are charged a late fee, there is often little you can do unless the company makes an error. However, if you are unable to pay the late fee, it doesn’t hurt to call the auto insurance company and try to negotiate the fee. The company may be able to drop the fee or work with you on a better payment plan.

Late fees aren’t as serious as a lapse in car insurance penalty, in which case you will need to get temporary auto insurance immediately to avoid driving illegally, so it may be easier to work something out with your auto insurance company.

Find the Best Auto Insurance Companies With No Late Fees

Amica, USAA, and Geico are the most popular car insurance companies that don’t charge late fees. However, you still need to be careful in avoiding late payments, which can result in an auto insurance lapse. Auto insurance for lapsed coverage is much more expensive, so making payments on time is important.

For more information, check out our article: What You Should Do If Your Auto Insurance Expired Yesterday

If you want to find the best auto insurance after a lapse in coverage, check out our free quote comparison tool.