UK courier insurance
Compare Courier Insurance Online
Courier insurance is the cover couriers and delivery businesses use when they carry other people's goods for payment. It is usually built around hire and reward motor insurance, with goods in transit and public liability cover added depending on the work. Gavello's online Courier Insurance comparison is coming soon, so couriers will be able to describe their deliveries once and compare responses from specialist providers.
Courier Insurance. The Gavello Way.
- Hire and Reward
- Goods in Transit
- Public Liability
- Courier Fleets
Courier comparison — Coming soon
Read the courier guide
Courier Insurance on Gavello
- Describe your deliveries once
- Specialist providers respond
- Choose who to speak to
At a glance
Courier Insurance at a Glance
- What it is
- Insurance for delivering goods for payment, built around hire and reward motor cover
- Who it's for
- Self-employed and employed couriers, delivery riders, same-day couriers and courier companies
- Vehicles
- Vans, cars, motorbikes and scooters, plus liability and goods cover for bicycle and e-cargo bike couriers
- Main covers
- Hire and reward motor cover, goods in transit, public liability and employers' liability
- The legal essentials
- Motor insurance that covers delivery work, plus employers' liability once you take on employees
- On Gavello
- Online comparison launching soon
Insurers package courier cover differently, and limits, exclusions and eligibility vary. Your certificate, schedule and policy wording confirm what you are actually covered for.
Courier insurance explained
What Is Courier Insurance?
Courier insurance is the collective name for the cover needed to deliver goods for payment. At its core is hire and reward motor insurance, which covers a vehicle while it carries other people's goods for a fee. Many couriers add goods in transit insurance for the items they carry and public liability insurance for injury or damage to members of the public.
Everyday car and van policies are normally sold for social, domestic and pleasure use, commuting or business use, and none of these is designed for paid deliveries. Police guidance warns that business use and hire and reward driving are not automatically covered, and driving for a purpose your policy excludes can leave you effectively uninsured.
The right courier cover depends on the vehicle, who drives it, how many drops you make, what you carry and whether you work for yourself, a platform or a courier company.
Which class of use covers delivery work?
- 1Social, domestic and pleasurePersonal journeys, such as shopping or visiting friendsNot for deliveries
- 2CommutingTravel to and from a regular place of workNot for deliveries
- 3Business useWork driving, such as visiting clients or other sitesNot for paid deliveries
- 4Carriage of own goodsCarrying your own tools, equipment or stockNot for other people's goods
- 5Hire and rewardCarrying other people's goods for paymentNeeded for courier work
Insurers use slightly different names and combinations for these classes, so check your certificate of motor insurance and policy wording.
Launching on Gavello
Courier Insurance Is Coming to Gavello
Couriers often juggle quotes around vehicle type, drop counts, mileage and goods values, repeating the same details to each insurer or broker. Gavello is creating a single online route to specialist providers.
Once Courier Insurance is live on Gavello, the planned route is:
- 1
Describe Your Deliveries
Tell us about your vehicles and drivers, single or multi-drop work, goods carried, mileage, claims and the cover you need.
- 2
Providers Review the Risk
Suitable participating specialist providers will be able to assess your courier requirement through Gavello.
- 3
Compare Responses Online
See indicative prices, cover levels and goods in transit limits side by side as providers respond.
- 4
Pick Your Provider
Decide which provider you'd like to talk to, and they'll check your details and confirm final terms.
One route in. Several providers. Your choice at the end.
Launching soon on Gavello
Who it is for
Who Needs Courier Insurance?
Anyone paid to collect and deliver goods may need courier insurance, from self-employed parcel drivers and takeaway riders to same-day couriers and companies running delivery vans. The right mix of cover depends on the vehicle, whether drivers are employed, what is being carried and how many drops are made.
Multi-Drop Parcel Couriers
Drivers making many deliveries a day on routes for parcel networks, retailers or delivery partners.
Same-Day and Single-Drop Couriers
Couriers collecting a consignment and taking it straight to its destination, often against tight deadlines.
Food and Takeaway Riders
Car, scooter and bike riders delivering meals and groceries for restaurants, shops or apps.
Delivery App Drivers
Self-employed drivers working through platforms, who should check what cover the platform requires or provides.
Courier and Delivery Companies
Businesses with employed drivers or subcontractors, often needing fleet, goods in transit and employers' liability cover.
Specialist Couriers
Medical, legal, high-value or temperature-controlled deliveries that may need higher limits or specialist terms.
Running several delivery vehicles? One policy covering the whole operation can be simpler than insuring vehicles separately. Read our Fleet Insurance guide, which Gavello can already compare online.
Single-drop or multi-drop?
Single-Drop or Multi-Drop: What's the Difference?
Single-drop couriers typically collect one consignment and deliver it directly to one destination, while multi-drop couriers make many deliveries on a route. More stops usually mean more time loading, unloading and parking, so insurers generally rate multi-drop work as a different risk, and a single-drop policy may not cover multi-drop deliveries.
Single-drop
- Typical work
- Urgent, same-day or dedicated deliveries
- Stops per journey
- One destination, or very few
- Common risk points
- Longer journeys and valuable single loads
- What to confirm
- The policy covers single-drop hire and reward
Multi-drop
- Typical work
- Parcel routes and retail or platform deliveries
- Stops per journey
- Many drops on a planned route
- Common risk points
- Frequent stops, busy streets and the vehicle left briefly
- What to confirm
- Multi-drop work is included on the policy
Some policies cover both types of work. If your work changes, for example from same-day jobs to a multi-drop route, tell your provider before you start.
Cover explained
What Does Courier Insurance Cover?
Courier insurance can be built in three layers: motor cover for the vehicle while it is used for hire and reward, goods in transit cover for the items being carried, and liability cover for the business. Extras such as breakdown recovery or a replacement vehicle can help couriers keep working after an incident.
Hire and reward motor insurance
Covers your legal liability to others and, depending on the level chosen, damage to or theft of your own vehicle while you are delivering.
- Third party only (legal minimum)
- Third party, fire and theft
- Comprehensive
- Named or any drivers
Goods in transit insurance
Covers loss of or damage to customers' goods while you carry them, up to the limits and conditions set out in the policy.
- Limit per load or vehicle
- Theft from the vehicle
- Damage in an accident
- Loading and unloading, where included
Liability and business extras
Protects against claims from the public and your staff, and helps keep deliveries moving after a breakdown or accident.
- Public liability
- Employers' liability
- Breakdown and recovery
- Replacement vehicle
Cover levels, limits and extras vary by provider. The policy schedule and wording confirm exactly what is included and any conditions that apply.
The law
Is Courier Insurance a Legal Requirement?
Parts of it are. You must have motor insurance to drive on UK roads, and it must cover the way you are using the vehicle, so paid deliveries need hire and reward cover. If you employ staff, employers' liability insurance is usually compulsory. Goods in transit and public liability cover are not generally legal requirements, but many clients and delivery contracts ask for them.
Required by law
Must be in place
- Motor insurance that covers hire and reward use. Third party is the legal minimum
- Employers' liability insurance if you have employees (HSE)
Often required by contracts
Commonly requested
- Goods in transit cover, sometimes with a minimum limit
- Public liability insurance
- Proof of cover before you start work
Worth considering
Helps protect your income
- Comprehensive motor cover
- Breakdown and recovery
- A replacement vehicle
- Legal expenses cover
Source: Police.uk guidance on driving without insurance, which notes that hire and reward driving is not automatically covered.
Goods in transit
What Should Couriers Check in Goods in Transit Insurance?
Goods in transit insurance covers the goods you carry for customers against loss or damage, but only within the policy's limits and conditions. Before relying on it, couriers should check the limit per load or vehicle, any excluded goods, the rules for unattended and overnight vehicles, and whether loading and unloading are included.
The limit
Check the limit per load or vehicle is at least the value of the most valuable load you carry.
Excluded goods
High-value or high-theft items, such as cash, jewellery or electronics, may be excluded or need declaring.
Unattended vehicles
Many policies require the vehicle to be locked, with keys removed and security devices set, whenever you leave it.
Overnight rules
Some policies set conditions for goods left in a vehicle overnight, such as a locked garage or secure compound.
Loading and unloading
Confirm whether goods are covered while they are being handled, not just while they are on the road.
Contract terms
Make sure the limit and conditions meet what your clients, networks or platforms require.
Delivering abroad? International carriage of goods by road for reward is often governed by the CMR Convention, which limits a carrier's liability for lost or damaged goods by weight, at 8.33 SDR per kilogram unless a higher value is declared. Check that your policy covers the countries you visit and how it responds to CMR liability.
Vehicles
Which Vehicles Can Courier Insurance Cover?
Courier insurance can be arranged for vans, cars, motorbikes and scooters used for deliveries, and couriers with several vehicles may use fleet insurance. Bicycle and e-cargo bike couriers don't need motor insurance for bikes that meet EAPC rules, but may still need goods in transit and public liability cover.
Vans
The most common courier vehicle. A standard car licence covers vans up to 3,500kg, or up to 4,250kg for zero-emission vans.
Hire and reward cover neededCars
Popular for food, pharmacy and small parcel deliveries. The motor policy must include hire and reward use.
Hire and reward cover neededMotorbikes and Scooters
Widely used for takeaway and urban deliveries, and need motor insurance that includes delivery work.
Hire and reward cover neededE-Bikes and Cargo Bikes
E-bikes that meet the electrically assisted pedal cycle (EAPC) rules don't need motor insurance, but riders may still want goods in transit and public liability cover.
EAPC: no motor insurance neededHeavier Vans and Trailers
Van and trailer combinations over 3,500kg can bring operator licensing, licence category and drivers' hours rules into play.
Check licensing rulesCourier Fleets
Businesses with several delivery vehicles may find one fleet policy simpler to manage. Compare Fleet Insurance.
Available on Gavello nowRules of the road
Which Rules Should Couriers Know About?
Alongside insurance, couriers may need to think about driving licence categories, drivers' hours and operator licensing, depending on the vehicle and the work. E-bike riders need to know whether their bike meets the EAPC rules, and courier businesses with staff need employers' liability insurance.
- Driving licenceA standard car licence lets you drive a van up to 3,500kg, or a zero-emission van up to 4,250kg. Heavier vehicles may need extra licence entitlement.GOV.UK guidance
- Drivers' hoursIf you drive a van for business for more than 4 hours a day, you must follow the GB domestic drivers' hours rules.GOV.UK guidance
- Operator licenceA goods vehicle operator licence is needed if a plated van and trailer weigh more than 3,500kg in total, and a standard international licence is needed to carry goods for hire or reward in the EU with a van.GOV.UK guidance
- E-bikesEAPCs need no licence, registration, tax or insurance. E-bikes outside the EAPC rules are treated as mopeds or motorcycles and must be insured.GOV.UK guidance
- Employers' liabilityEmployers are generally required by law to insure against liability for injury or disease to their employees.HSE guidance
- Motor insuranceYou must have motor insurance to drive on UK roads, and third party insurance is the legal minimum.GOV.UK guidance
These rules apply in Great Britain and were checked in September 2026. Requirements can change, and Northern Ireland has its own arrangements, so confirm the current rules for your vehicle and work.
Cost
How Much Does Courier Insurance Cost?
There is no fixed price for courier insurance. Providers look at the vehicle, the drivers, the type of courier work, mileage and delivery area, the goods carried and cover limits, security and parking, claims history, and the level of cover and excess chosen.
Vehicle
Type, value, age, modifications and how much the vehicle can carry.
Type of work
Single-drop or multi-drop, food or parcels, and the hours you work.
Mileage and area
Annual mileage and whether you deliver in busy urban or rural areas.
Drivers
Ages, experience, licence history, points and any convictions.
Goods and limits
What you carry, its value and the goods in transit limit you need.
Claims history
Recent claims on your vehicles or drivers are likely to be reflected in the quote.
Security and parking
Where vehicles are kept overnight, plus alarms, trackers and dashcams.
Cover and excess
The level of motor cover, the extras chosen and the excess you agree to.
Why no price guide? Two couriers with the same van can pay very different premiums because of their drivers, routes, goods and claims history, so an average would easily mislead.
Theft and claims
How Can Couriers Reduce Theft and Claims?
Couriers can reduce theft and claims by locking the vehicle at every drop, never leaving keys inside, fitting visible security and tracking, parking securely overnight, loading goods properly and keeping proof of delivery. Good habits also help you meet the security conditions many courier and goods in transit policies contain.
Delivery vehicles are often left for short periods many times a day, which is exactly when thieves strike. Treat every stop, however brief, as if the vehicle will be unattended.
- Lock up at every dropEven for a doorstep delivery, lock the vehicle and take the keys.
- Never leave keys in the ignitionLeaving keys in or near the vehicle can invalidate a theft claim.
- Fit visible securityDeadlocks, slam locks, alarms and immobilisers deter opportunist thieves.
- Use a tracker or telematicsTracking can help recover vehicles and shows how vehicles are used.
- Record your drivingA dashcam can help settle disputes about who caused an accident.
- Park securely overnightUse a garage, compound or well-lit area, and empty the vehicle where possible.
- Load and secure goods properlyWell-packed, restrained loads reduce damage and injury claims.
- Keep proof of deliveryPhotos and signatures help if a customer says goods never arrived.
Getting ready
What Details Do Insurers Ask For in a Courier Insurance Quote?
Providers usually ask about your vehicles, the people who drive them and their licence and claims history, the type of courier work you do, your mileage and delivery area, the goods you carry and their value, and the covers and limits you want.
Your vehicles
- Registration, make and model
- Vehicle value and any modifications
- Whether vehicles are owned, leased or financed
Your drivers
- Ages and licence details
- Years of driving experience
- Points, convictions and claims
Your courier work
- Single-drop, multi-drop or food delivery
- Annual mileage and areas covered
- Platforms, networks or contracts you work with
Goods and limits
- Types of goods carried
- Maximum value of a single load
- Goods in transit limit required
Security and parking
- Where vehicles are kept overnight
- Alarms, immobilisers and trackers
- Dashcams or telematics, if fitted
Business and cover
- Self-employed or limited company
- Number of employees, if any
- Covers required and start date
Describe your work accurately, especially whether you make single or multi-drop deliveries. An inaccurate description can affect the cover and how a claim is handled.
Exclusions
What Might Courier Insurance Not Cover?
Courier insurance won't pay for every loss. Common gaps include deliveries made without hire and reward cover, theft where security conditions weren't met, goods above the limit or excluded from cover, undeclared drivers or work, mechanical breakdown and damage caused by poor packing. Always check the policy wording.
- Deliveries on a policy without hire and rewardYou could be treated as uninsured for that journey.
- Theft when keys are left in or the vehicle is unlockedSecurity conditions are common, and breaching them can mean a claim is refused.
- Goods worth more than your limitAnything above the goods in transit limit is not covered.
- Excluded or undeclared goodsCertain high-value or restricted items may need to be declared or insured separately.
- Drivers or work not on the policyUndeclared drivers, drop types or areas of work may not be covered.
- Wear and tear or mechanical breakdownMotor policies do not usually pay for repairs due to wear, though breakdown cover can help with recovery.
- Damage from poor packing or loadingLosses caused by inadequate packaging or an unsecured load may be excluded.
Why Gavello
How Will Gavello Make Courier Insurance Easier to Compare?
One submission
Describe your vehicles, drivers and deliveries once.
Specialist providers
Courier risks will be open to review by participating specialist providers once the service is live.
Compare online
See responses side by side, including goods in transit limits.
No unwanted calls
Compare responses before choosing which provider you'd like to hear from.
Your choice
Choose whether to go ahead and which provider to speak to.
Courier Insurance on Gavello
We're getting Courier Insurance ready to compare on Gavello, alongside the products already live.
Coming soon
Running a delivery fleet or motor trade business? Fleet Insurance and Motor Trade Insurance are already live on Gavello.FAQs
Courier Insurance FAQs
What is courier insurance?
Courier insurance is the cover used by couriers and delivery businesses to carry other people’s goods for payment. It is usually built around hire and reward motor insurance, often with goods in transit and public liability cover added.
Do I need courier insurance to deliver food or parcels?
If you use a car, van, motorbike or scooter to make paid deliveries, your motor insurance must cover hire and reward use. Police guidance notes that this is not automatically included, so a standard policy may leave you effectively uninsured while delivering.
Does business use insurance cover deliveries?
No. Business use normally covers work-related driving such as visiting clients or other sites. Carrying goods for other people in return for payment requires hire and reward cover.
What is hire and reward insurance?
Hire and reward insurance is motor insurance that covers a vehicle while it is being used to carry goods, or in some policies people, for payment. Courier hire and reward policies cover delivering other people’s goods.
What is the difference between single-drop and multi-drop courier insurance?
Single-drop cover is for collecting a consignment and delivering it directly to one destination, while multi-drop cover is for making many deliveries on a route. Check your policy includes the type of work you actually do.
Is goods in transit insurance a legal requirement?
There’s generally no legal duty to hold goods in transit cover, but many clients, courier networks and delivery contracts ask for it, sometimes with a minimum limit.
Do self-employed couriers need public liability insurance?
Public liability insurance is not a legal requirement for self-employed couriers, but many clients and platforms ask for it, and it can protect you if a member of the public is injured or their property is damaged because of your work.
Do courier companies need employers' liability insurance?
Most employers are legally required to have employers’ liability insurance, which covers claims from employees injured or made ill because of their work.
Do I need insurance to deliver on an e-bike?
If your e-bike meets the electrically assisted pedal cycle rules, it doesn’t need to be insured. E-bikes outside those rules are treated as mopeds or motorcycles and must be insured. Delivery riders may still want goods in transit and public liability cover.
Does a delivery app provide my insurance?
Some delivery platforms provide or require specific cover, but the details vary. Check what is covered, when it applies (for example, only while you are on an active delivery) and whether you still need your own hire and reward motor insurance.
Can I insure several courier vans on one policy?
Yes, some providers can insure multiple delivery vehicles together. Fleet insurance may be more practical for courier businesses with several vans, and Fleet Insurance is already live for online comparison on Gavello.
What happens if I am caught delivering without the right insurance?
Driving without valid insurance can lead to a £300 fixed penalty and 6 penalty points, or an unlimited fine and disqualification if the case goes to court. Police can also seize the vehicle.
Can I use my courier insurance for deliveries abroad?
Check the territorial limits of your policy before travelling. A standard international operator licence is needed to carry goods for hire or reward in the EU with a van, and international road carriage is often governed by the CMR Convention.
Can I compare Courier Insurance through Gavello now?
Not yet. Gavello’s online Courier Insurance comparison is being prepared, so courier insurance quotes can’t currently be requested through Gavello.
Coming soon
Courier Insurance. The Gavello Way.
Gavello is building a simpler online way for couriers and delivery businesses to compare specialist courier cover.
- Describe your deliveries once
- Specialist courier providers
- Compare online
- Your choice of provider
Coming soon
Courier cover can't be quoted through Gavello's online system just yet.
Running several vehicles? Compare Fleet Insurance on Gavello now
About This Courier Insurance Guide
Gavello created this guide for couriers, delivery riders and courier businesses who want to understand their insurance options before Gavello's courier comparison goes live. The content is for general information only and isn't personal or legal advice. Rules mentioned apply in Great Britain unless we say otherwise. Content last reviewed in September 2026.
Gavello compares insurance; it isn't an insurer and doesn't underwrite courier policies. When courier comparison opens, policies will be issued by the provider a courier selects, based on that provider's own underwriting decisions and final terms.
Gavello is a trading style of 1st Tech Group Limited, registered in England and Wales as company 14001276, with its registered office at Granta Lodge, 71 Graham Road, Malvern, Worcestershire WR14 2JS. The company is authorised and regulated by the FCA (FRN 1008478). Meet Gavello.