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10+ years in insurance and personal finance content
30+ years in media, PR, and content creation
Evelyn leads Insurify’s content team. She’s passionate about creating empowering content to help people transform their financial lives and make sound insurance-buying decisions.
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Licensed auto and home insurance agent
3+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing
NPN: 20564519
Katie uses her knowledge and expertise as a licensed property and casualty agent in Massachusetts to help readers understand the complexities of insurance shopping.
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At Insurify, our goal is to help customers compare insurance products and find the best policy for them. We strive to provide open, honest, and unbiased information about the insurance products and services we review. Our hard-working team of data analysts, insurance experts, insurance agents, editors and writers, has put in thousands of hours of research to create the content found on our site.
We do receive compensation when a sale or referral occurs from many of the insurance providers and marketing partners on our site. That may impact which products we display and where they appear on our site. But it does not influence our meticulously researched editorial content, what we write about, or any reviews or recommendations we may make. We do not guarantee favorable reviews or any coverage at all in exchange for compensation.
Table of contents
Pay-as-you-go car insurance premiums vary each month depending on how frequently and how many miles you drive your car. Your monthly premium will have two parts: an unchanging base rate and the variable portion.
Most pay-as-you-go insurers base the variable portion on your actual mileage each month. But some insurers calculate usage costs in other ways.
If you’re considering pay-as-you-go insurance, here’s what to know about how it works, which insurers offer it, and how to compare quotes to find the best price on coverage that meets your needs.
Companies may also refer to pay-as-you-go car insurance as pay-per-mile or usage-based insurance.
Not all companies offer pay-as-you-go coverage. Instead, they may offer you a discount for driving less.
Pay-as-you-go insurers use standard car insurance rating factors like your driving record, credit history, age, gender, ZIP code, and more to determine your base rate and per-mile charge.
How pay-as-you-go car insurance works
Pay-as-you-go car insurance provides the same types of coverage as standard auto insurance policies.
You can get minimum coverage, which is your state’s required amount of liability insurance, or full coverage, which typically adds comprehensive and collision insurance to a basic policy. If you opt for collision and comprehensive, you’ll have a deductible.
When you enroll in pay-as-you-go car insurance, most insurers will consider common rating factors to set your rates. On top of a base rate, you’ll pay a per-mile amount that depends on the number of miles you drive each month. This is why companies often call this type of coverage pay-per-mile auto insurance.
Some insurers will also track your driving habits and reward safe driving with bigger savings.
How to get pay-as-you-go car insurance
You can buy a pay-as-you-go policy the same way you buy a standard car insurance policy. You can deal with an agent or broker, apply directly on an insurer’s website, or use an online comparison platform to compare quotes from multiple companies.
Best companies for pay-as-you-go car insurance
Company | Rate | Availability | IQ Score The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-ten scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores. | Best For |
---|---|---|---|---|
Allstate (Milewise) | Daily rate + per-mile rate | AZ, DE, FL, ID, IL, IN, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NJ, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TX, VA, WA, and WV | 8.9 | Overall |
Nationwide (SmartMiles) | Monthly base rate + per-mile rate | Everywhere but: AK, HI, LA, NC, NY, and OK | 9.0 | Wide availability |
Hugo | On-demand | AL, AZ, FL, GA, IL, IN, LA, MO, MS, OH, PA, SC, TN, TX, and VA | 6.3 | Minimum coverage |
Mile Auto | Monthly base rate + per-mile rate | AZ, FL, GA, OH, OR, TN, and TX | 8.8 | Ease of use |
Our editorial team spent more than 350 hours developing the Insurify Quality (IQ) Score and scoring insurance companies. The IQ Score objectively analyzes and calculates a score for insurers using more than 15 crucial criteria. The team weighted criteria by importance to the consumer — factors such as customer reviews and affordability influence the score more than availability and third-party ratings.
We rate each company on a 1 to 10 scale based on five categories: financial ratings, customer satisfaction, affordability, customer support and transparency, and availability. Insurify updates ratings once a year or as more recent information becomes available.
- Third-party financial ratings: Insurify uses data from AM Best, S&P, Moody’s, and more to compare insurance companies’ credit and ability to pay out future claims.
- Customer satisfaction: To calculate this score, Insurify analyzed more than 55,000 customer reviews across 155 car insurance companies. We also consider third-party ratings from J.D. Power, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, and Trustpilot.
- Affordability: Our data scientists analyzed more than 90 million real-time auto insurance rates from our partners across the U.S., as well as available discounts, to calculate an affordability score.
- Customer support and transparency: This measures coverage options, ease of claims filing, and the insurer's transparency surrounding discounts, coverages, and claims process.
- Availability and reach: Insurify scores availability and reach by identifying the number of states in which insurers offer coverage and company size by market share.
Best overall pay-as-you-go car insurance: Allstate Milewise
User Reviews | 3.9 |
---|---|
IQ Score The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-ten scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores. | 8.9 /10 |
Liability Only Liability-only insurance, sometimes called minimum-coverage insurance, pays for bodily injury and property damage to others in an accident the policyholder causes. It does not pay for the insured’s own damages. | $64/mo |
Full Coverage Full-coverage car insurance generally includes liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage, and may include other optional coverages such as uninsured motorist coverage. Collision covers a policyholder’s repair or replacement costs in case of an accident. Comprehensive covers damages caused by non-accident events. The average quote displayed here reflects policies with the following coverage limits: $50,000 bodily injury liability per person; $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident; $50,00 property damage liability per accident; $1,000 collision deductible; and a $1,000 comprehensive deductible. | $132/mo |
Drivers appreciate the friendly customer service and efficient claims processing, but many find the rates too high and experience unexpected price increases. Some also report poor communication from agents.
Drivers appreciate the friendly customer service and efficient claims processing, but many find the rates too high and experience unexpected price increases. Some also report poor communication from agents.
Steve
June 11, 2025
AllState Insurance
Chrystal
June 11, 2025
Allstate - ehh
Carl
June 9, 2025
Water Damage, Master Bedroom Lost Ceiling, Walls, Trim, Furniture
Milewise is Allstate’s pay-per-mile car insurance product. Allstate provides a telematics device that plugs into your vehicle’s diagnostic port. The device tracks miles driven, speed, location, time of day, and driving events.
You must deposit funds into a prepaid account with Allstate, and the company deducts a daily rate, such as $1.50, and a per-mile rate, like $.06, based on your actual mileage. You can access your Milewise policy details, miles driven, and more through the program’s mobile app.
A+ (Superior) financial strength rating from AM Best
Robust mobile app can help with insurance cost budgeting and improving driving skills
Same coverage types, limits, and discounts as standard Allstate policy
Drivewise program rewards safe drivers in states where Milewise isn’t available
Requires preloaded funds
Available in only 21 states
Below-average customer satisfaction rating in J.D. Power’s 2024 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study[1]
Poor driving habits could increase your rates
Best for availability: Nationwide SmartMiles
User Reviews | 4.3 |
---|---|
IQ Score The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-ten scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores. | 9 /10 |
Liability Only Liability-only insurance, sometimes called minimum-coverage insurance, pays for bodily injury and property damage to others in an accident the policyholder causes. It does not pay for the insured’s own damages. | $89/mo |
Full Coverage Full-coverage car insurance generally includes liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage, and may include other optional coverages such as uninsured motorist coverage. Collision covers a policyholder’s repair or replacement costs in case of an accident. Comprehensive covers damages caused by non-accident events. The average quote displayed here reflects policies with the following coverage limits: $50,000 bodily injury liability per person; $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident; $50,00 property damage liability per accident; $1,000 collision deductible; and a $1,000 comprehensive deductible. | $181/mo |
Drivers appreciate the helpful and knowledgeable customer service but dislike the frequent and significant rate increases. Some also found the claims process to be slow and frustrating.
Drivers appreciate the helpful and knowledgeable customer service but dislike the frequent and significant rate increases. Some also found the claims process to be slow and frustrating.
Bettye
June 10, 2025
BG's Lament
Nicholas
May 14, 2025
Poor
Ronald
May 11, 2025
Nationwide opinion
SmartMiles, Nationwide’s pay-per-mile program, uses either a telematics device or existing technology in a connected car to track driving behavior and miles.
A base rate and per-mile charge make up your monthly premium, so your rate will vary each month. SmartMiles is the most widely available pay-as-you-go car insurance; it’s available in most states where Nationwide operates.
SmartMiles also caps your per-mile charges at 250 miles per day — so an unexpected road trip won’t cost you a bundle. Upon policy renewal, SmartMiles drivers can get a discount of up to 10% for driving safely.
Available in 44 states
Up to 10% safe-driving discount on renewal
Road-trip mileage cap of 250 miles per day
Above-average customer satisfaction rating from J.D. Power for usage-based insurance[2]
More expensive average rates than some insurers
Not available in Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, North Carolina, New York, and Oklahoma
Some hybrids and diesel-powered cars might not be able to use SmartMiles device
Many negative customer reviews on Trustpilot regarding claims service
Best for minimum coverage: Hugo
User Reviews | 4.1 |
---|---|
IQ Score The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-ten scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores. | 6.3 /10 |
Liability Only Liability-only insurance, sometimes called minimum-coverage insurance, pays for bodily injury and property damage to others in an accident the policyholder causes. It does not pay for the insured’s own damages. | $207/mo |
Drivers appreciate the pay-as-you-go option and affordability but dislike the lack of full coverage and poor customer service.
Drivers appreciate the pay-as-you-go option and affordability but dislike the lack of full coverage and poor customer service.
Andrea
April 15, 2025
Excellent
Donna
April 2, 2025
No Thanks
Rebekah
March 18, 2025
Never Able to Speak with Customer Service, So I Switched!
Hugo launched in 2021 and is currently the only insurance company offering on-demand car insurance. Drivers can open a Hugo account without paying a down payment up front. Drivers can choose a policy term of three, seven, 14, or 30 days, or six months, and policyholders can pay smaller amounts more frequently instead of all at once. Drivers also receive instant proof of insurance. Hugo currently only offers state-minimum liability coverage in 13 states. J.D. Power and AM Best have not yet evaluated Hugo’s customer satisfaction or financial strength.
Short-term policies
No up-front down payment required
Flexible, pay-as-you-go insurance
Strong customer review rating on Trustpilot
Available in only 15 states
Doesn’t offer collision or comprehensive coverage
No discounts available
Customers can only file a claim online
No third-party ratings from J.D. Power or AM Best
Best for ease of use: Mile Auto
User Reviews | 4.2 |
---|---|
IQ Score The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-ten scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores. | 8.8 /10 |
Liability Only Liability-only insurance, sometimes called minimum-coverage insurance, pays for bodily injury and property damage to others in an accident the policyholder causes. It does not pay for the insured’s own damages. | $62/mo |
Full Coverage Full-coverage car insurance generally includes liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage, and may include other optional coverages such as uninsured motorist coverage. Collision covers a policyholder’s repair or replacement costs in case of an accident. Comprehensive covers damages caused by non-accident events. The average quote displayed here reflects policies with the following coverage limits: $50,000 bodily injury liability per person; $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident; $50,00 property damage liability per accident; $1,000 collision deductible; and a $1,000 comprehensive deductible. | $99/mo |
Drivers appreciate the quality service but find the rates high and claim processing slow.
Drivers appreciate the quality service but find the rates high and claim processing slow.
Betty
June 11, 2025
Loving it with bumps...
Beverly
June 10, 2025
I think I just did that.
Hector
May 28, 2025
Very nice and Happy.
Mile Auto doesn’t require you to install a telematics device to track mileage. Instead, the insurer requires you to send a picture of your vehicle’s odometer once a month. You’ll pay a monthly base rate plus a per-mile charge.
Mile offers both liability and full-coverage car insurance, plus optional coverages like rental car reimbursement and roadside assistance.
No telematics technology needed to participate
Doesn’t monitor driving habits
Optional coverages available
24/7 claims assistance by phone
No advertised discounts
Available in only seven states
Many Trustpilot reviewers complain of slow claims processing and difficulty reaching a representative
Very little company information on website
To choose the best pay-as-you-go car insurance companies, Insurify’s editors and analysts consider:
Average rates (according to our proprietary database of millions of car insurance quotes)
Availability
Whether a company offers discounts or optional coverages like roadside assistance
Industry ratings, such as from AM Best, J.D. Power, and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners
Online reviews from customers
)
Learn More: Insurify Guide to Car Insurance Discounts
Cost of pay-as-you-go car insurance
Several factors can affect your pay-as-you-go car insurance rates. Age, gender, driving history, credit history, state, ZIP code, and more are all factors insurers consider when setting rates.[3]
Generally, though, you can expect your monthly pay-as-you-go premium to include a base rate and a per-mile rate.
Here are the national average monthly rates for some top pay-as-you-go insurers, according to Insurify data.
Insurance Company | Full Coverage | Liability Only |
---|---|---|
Allstate | $132 | $64 |
Hugo | N/A | $207 |
Mile Auto | $99 | $62 |
Nationwide | $181 | $89 |
Our editorial team spent more than 350 hours developing the Insurify Quality (IQ) Score and scoring insurance companies. The IQ Score objectively analyzes and calculates a score for insurers using more than 15 crucial criteria. The team weighted criteria by importance to the consumer — factors such as customer reviews and affordability influence the score more than availability and third-party ratings.
We rate each company on a 1 to 10 scale based on five categories: financial ratings, customer satisfaction, affordability, customer support and transparency, and availability. Insurify updates ratings once a year or as more recent information becomes available.
- Third-party financial ratings: Insurify uses data from AM Best, S&P, Moody’s, and more to compare insurance companies’ credit and ability to pay out future claims.
- Customer satisfaction: To calculate this score, Insurify analyzed more than 55,000 customer reviews across 155 car insurance companies. We also consider third-party ratings from J.D. Power, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, and Trustpilot.
- Affordability: Our data scientists analyzed more than 90 million real-time auto insurance rates from our partners across the U.S., as well as available discounts, to calculate an affordability score.
- Customer support and transparency: This measures coverage options, ease of claims filing, and the insurer's transparency surrounding discounts, coverages, and claims process.
- Availability and reach: Insurify scores availability and reach by identifying the number of states in which insurers offer coverage and company size by market share.
Pros and cons of pay-as-you-go insurance
Pay-per-mile car insurance can help low-mileage and safe drivers save money. How much you save will depend on the company and your unique situation, but insurers with pay-per-mile offerings claim savings of 40% or more off standard car insurance rates.
But not everyone will see significant savings with pay-as-you-go insurance, so it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of the coverage before buying it.
Low-mileage drivers could see significant savings.
Some companies provide additional discounts for safe driving behaviors.
Coverages are generally the same as standard policies: liability and full coverage, with some options like roadside assistance.
You may need to install a telematics device in your vehicle.
Companies that track driving habits may increase rates for poor driving.
It’s not the cheapest option for people who drive 10,000 miles or more per year.
Who should consider pay-as-you-go car insurance
Pay-as-you-go insurance isn’t for everyone, but it may be a good choice for:
People who drive fewer than 10,000 miles per year
Students or the parents of students living away from home
People who work from home
Senior drivers, who typically log fewer miles than other age groups
Safe drivers who avoid hard braking, speeding, and other behaviors that can negatively affect rates
City dwellers who rely on public transportation but still need car insurance
Multiple-vehicle owners who have one car they rarely use
Cheapest recent rates
Drivers using Insurify have found quotes as cheap as $36/mo for liability only and $57/mo for full coverage.
*Quotes generated for Insurify users within the last 10 days. Last updated on June 16, 2025. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer’s unique driver profile.
*Quotes generated for Insurify users within the last 10 days. Last updated on June 16, 2025. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer’s unique driver profile.
Usage-based insurance (UBI) vs. pay-as-you-go
Pay-as-you-go or pay-per-mile insurance is a type of usage-based insurance (UBI), which bases your rates on how, when, and how much you use your vehicles.[4] Pay-as-you-go insurance usually ties your variable rate to the number of miles you drive in a month.
Other types of UBI may also factor in when and where you drive, how you drive, and even if your vehicle’s technology reports a collision warning or airbag deployment. UBI programs also typically require a telematics device to monitor your driving, while some pay-as-you-go policies require only a mobile app or user-reported mileage.[5]
Pay-as-you-go car insurance FAQs
If you’re considering pay-as-you-go coverage as an option to lower your insurance costs, here are answers to some commonly asked questions that could help.
Is pay-as-you-go insurance legit?
Yes. Several insurance companies sell pay-as-you-go insurance, with minimum and full-coverage offerings. Pay-as-you-go coverage typically bases your premiums on a base rate and an additional per-mile rate.
How does pay-as-you-go car insurance work?
Pay-as-you-go car insurance bases your monthly car insurance premium on the number of miles you drive each month. In addition to a per-mile charge, you’ll also pay a base rate.
Because your rate will vary from month to month, you won’t prepay for your insurance each coming month. Instead, you pay for the previous month’s usage.
What is a low-mileage discount?
Not every standard insurer offers a pay-per-mile product. But many that don’t have pay-as-you-go programs offer discounts for policyholders who have low annual mileage or safe driving habits. For example, Progressive’s Snapshot UBI program adjusts your premium based on how, how much, and when you drive.
What variables does pay-as-you-go insurance measure?
Pay-as-you-go insurance uses the same rating factors as standard car insurance, such as age, gender, credit history, driving record, and more. All pay-as-you-go insurance measures how many miles you drive each month. Some insurers also measure your driving habits, such as hard braking or speeding.
Is pay-as-you-drive insurance worth it?
It depends. If you typically drive fewer than 10,000 miles per year and are a safe driver, pay-as-you-drive coverage could help you save money on car insurance costs.
But it’s not for high-mileage drivers and may not be the cheapest option for people with severe driving infractions, such as a DUI.
Which insurance companies offer pay-per-mile car insurance?
Allstate, Nationwide, and Mile Auto all offer pay-per-mile car insurance. You may find others, such as regional insurers, that also offer usage-based car insurance. Comparing quotes and getting advice from an agent can help you find the pay-per-mile policy that’s best for you.
Do you have to pay for car insurance before you get it?
Yes. You need to pay your initial premium before your car insurance goes into effect. Insurance companies don’t issue coverage prior to receiving payment.
Methodology
Insurify data scientists analyzed more than 90 million quotes served to car insurance applicants in Insurify’s proprietary database to calculate the premium averages displayed on this page. These premiums are real quotes that come directly from Insurify’s 500+ partner insurance companies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Quote averages represent the median price for a quote across the given coverage level, driver subset, and geographic area.
Unless otherwise specified, quoted rates reflect the average cost for drivers between 20 and 70 years old with a clean driving record and average or better credit (a credit score of 600 or higher).
Liability-only premium averages correspond to policies with the following coverage limits:
- Bodily injury limits between state-minimum rates and $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
- Property damage limits between $10,000 and $50,000
- No additional coverage
- Comprehensive coverage with a $1,000 deductible
- Collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible
Quotes for Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, State Farm, and USAA are estimates based on Quadrant Information Services’ database of auto insurance rates.
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Sources
- J.D. Power. "Auto Insurance Repair Cycle Times Improve but Price Increases Take a Toll, J.D. Power Finds."
- J.D. Power. "Trust Emerges as Top Driver of Customer Satisfaction with Auto Insurance as Prices Continue to Surge, J.D. Power Finds."
- Insurance Information Institute. "What determines the price of an auto insurance policy?."
- Progressive. "What is usage-based insurance?."
- International Risk Management Institute. "Usage-based insurance (UBI)."
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Evelyn Pimplaskar is Insurify’s director of content. With 30-plus years in content creation – including 10 years specializing in personal finance – Evelyn’s done everything from covering volatile local elections as a beat reporter to building fintech content libraries from the ground up.
Before joining Insurify, she was editor-in-chief at Credible, where she launched and developed the lending marketplace’s media partnership’s content initiative and managed the restructuring of the editorial team to enhance content production efficiency. Formerly, as tax editor for Credit Karma, Evelyn built a library of more than 300 educational articles on federal and state taxes, achieving triple-digit year-over-year growth in e-files from organic search.
Her early career included work as a content marketer, vice president and managing officer of a boutique public relations agency, chief copy editor for 14 weekly Forbes publications, reporting for large and mid-sized daily newspapers, and freelancing for the Associated Press.
Evelyn is passionate about creating personal finance content that distills complex topics into relatable, easy-to-understand stories. She believes great content helps empower readers with the information they need to make important personal finance decisions.
)
Licensed auto and home insurance agent
3+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing
NPN: 20564519
Katie uses her knowledge and expertise as a licensed property and casualty agent in Massachusetts to help readers understand the complexities of insurance shopping.
Featured in