Why do car insurance premiums change?

The amount your vehicle is insured for affects your premium. For example, luxury cars can have higher premiums as they cost more to replace as opposed to a less expensive car in the event of a total loss.

The type of vehicle you have, has a significant impact on your premium. This is because the cost replacement parts vary depending on the make and model of vehicle you have.

The place where your vehicle is kept can impact your premium. Generally, a higher population density in an area means more traffic and therefore a higher chance of an incident occurring. Certain areas with higher risk of theft, vandalism and other similar incidents will also affect the premium.

A driver’s age and experience can affect the likelihood of having an accident or claim. Generally, more experienced drivers have less accidents.

Excess is the amount you ordinarily have to pay for each incident when you make a claim. If you choose a higher excess, you may be out of pocket more when making a claim. A higher excess reduces our claims cost meaning we can reduce your premium. Higher excess means a lower premium, lower excess means a higher premium.

A premium may change depending on the total amount of claims we receive each year across all policies. If we receive more claims than expected, premiums can be impacted. 

When your premiums are paid upfront annually it is usually cheaper. Should you choose to pay monthly, a higher premium is usually charged.

After we have calculated the amount to cover your car insurance risk, any applicable stamp duty, charge and levy and GST are then applied. Government taxes and charges may change from time to time.

You can choose a voluntary excess from the range we offer to reduce your premium. This excess applies to all claims in addition to any other excess that applies.

Paying your premium in one lump sum (annually) is cheaper than paying by instalments. By opting to pay for your policy with an annual payment you can lower the premium you pay.

The amount we insure your vehicle for will also impact your premium. When reviewing your amount covered, it’s important to ensure the level is sufficient for your situation.

A number of other factors can impact your premium, including;

• What you use your vehicle for? For example, your premium will generally be lower if you use your vehicle for private use compared to business use. This is not applicable to motorcycle, motorhome or caravan insurance.
• Who drives your car? Age and driving experience of listed drivers can impact your premium.
• How many kilometres you travel each year? The more you are on the road, the more chances there are of having an accident therefore your premium will be impacted by how far you travel each year. This is not applicable to motorcycle, motorhome or caravan insurance

If any of the details have changed it’s important to contact us to ensure you have the right level of cover at the best price.

• Suncorp Insurance offers a family discount on your comprehensive car insurance if you are under 25 years old and one of your parents are also comprehensively insured with Suncorp Insurance, you may be eligible for up to a 10% discount on your comprehensive car insurance premium
• Suncorp Insurance offers a multi-policy discount of up to 15% if you insure three or more eligible paid personal insurance policies with us. These can be home, contents, car, motorhome, motorcycle, caravan and boat. A Queensland Compulsory Third Party insurance policy counts as an eligible policy, but the premium cannot be discounted. Comprehensive car insurance counts as an eligible policy, but the discount is not applicable to the Roadside Assist optional cover.

Discounts are also a factor that can affect your rated premium. Any discounts are usually calculated and applied before application of government taxes and charges.

You should check your relevant policy documentation for information on discounts.

From time to time we might also offer discounts or some other special offers as part of a marketing campaign. If we do this, separate terms and conditions may apply and you might not be eligible for our usual discounts. The amount and type of discount offered can change or be withdrawn.

If you are eligible for more than one discount, we usually apply any subsequent discount to the already discounted rated premium.

Discounts do not apply to the Suncorp Roadside Assist portion of the premium if you purchase that optional cover.

To makes changes to your policy, log in online to your account or give us a call on 13 11 55. Online changes are not available for motorcycle, caravan and motor home policies.