Metromile Auto Insurance Review (2024)

Metromile exclusively sells pay-per-mile insurance, which can help drivers save when they don’t drive very often. Along with other usage-based insurance (UBI) programs, Metromile offers low rates for people who don’t often use their cars.

In 2022, Metromile was purchased by Lemonade. Although Metromile has a new owner, you can still purchase car insurance policies with the Metromile name.

While pay-per-mile insurance can minimize your rates, it’s not the best choice for everyone. Read on to learn about Metromile car insurance, then compare rates with other pay-per-mile companies to find the best price possible.

What You Should Know About Metromile

Metromile is an excellent option for drivers looking for pay-per-mile insurance rather than traditional coverage. As long as you put fewer than 10,000 miles on your car per year, Metromile might be the right option for you.

Annual mileage isn’t the only eligibility you should look at for Metromile — the company only sells insurance in eight states:

• Arizona
• California
• Illinois
• New Jersey
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Virginia
• Washington

One of the best ways to determine if this company has the right insurance for you is to look at Metromile reviews.

For example, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) ranks companies on their ability to resolve customer complaints. Metromile currently has a C, which means it struggles to resolve complaints.

Another company that tracks customer complaints is the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). The NAIC ranks companies on the number of complaints they receive compared to other companies of the same size.

Metromile does very poorly, receiving one of the NAIC’s lowest scores.

Looking at professional reviews isn’t the only way to determine if Metromile is a good insurance company. Many customers rave about Metromile’s affordable prices, with some saying they cut their insurance rates in half by switching.

However, Metromile has its fair share of angry customers. Many reviews state the Metromile car insurance claims process is frustratingly slow, with some customers feeling like their insurance representative forgot them in the middle of a claim.

In general, customers seem to love their time with Metromile until they have to make a claim. Metromile’s ability to resolve claims in a way that leaves customers happy seems to be hit or miss.

How does Metromile work?

Metromile works similarly to other types of pay-per-mileage insurance. While other factors affect how much you’ll pay, your rates are primarily determined by how many miles you drive per month.

Pay-per-mile and other usage-based insurance programs are great options for people who don’t use their vehicles for a daily commute. According to the NAIC, usage-based insurance is a type of auto insurance that tracks mileage and driving behaviors.

All pay-per-mile insurance companies have a tool to track your driving so your rates will be accurate. Metromile uses the Pulse device to track your driving habits.

When you sign up for a Metromile policy, your quote will contain two prices. The first is your base price, or the amount you’ll pay monthly no matter what. Your base price is usually much lower than quotes you’ll see from standard companies.

The second part of your quote is your mileage price, which is what you’ll be charged for every mile you drive.

The amount you’ll pay per month combines these two prices. For example, say your base price is $37 a month and you pay six cents per mile. If you drive 500 miles in a month, your bill will be $67.

The maximum number of miles Metromile will charge you for in a single day is 250, or 150 in New Jersey. Unlike some pay-per-mile insurance companies, there’s no need to alert Metromile when you plan to take a road trip.

Of course, the amount you’ll pay depends on how much you drive, plus other factors like your location, age, and driving history. However, people who don’t often drive usually find more affordable prices with pay-per-mile insurance.

What is the Metromile Pulse device?

When you sign up for a Metromile policy, you’ll receive a small wireless device that plugs into your vehicle’s diagnostic port called Metromile Pulse. Metromile uses the Pulse device to track your miles.

Pulse is for more than tracking mileage, however. It also tracks your driving behaviors like speeding, hard braking, and what time you drive. If you’re a safe driver, Pulse can help lower your rates.

Your Pulse device has other features that many drivers enjoy, including:

• Tracking your driving routes
• Error code identification
• Helping find your car if you forget where you park or if it’s stolen
• Gathering data about your fuel economy

Although these features are helpful, not all drivers want Metromile to track their location. If you’re more comfortable without location tracking, you can turn GPS tracking off in the Pulse app without losing your mileage counter.

Metromile Insurance Coverage Options

The eight states that Metromile services require a minimum amount of car insurance before you can legally drive. Drivers with loans or leases on their cars also need full coverage until they own their vehicle outright.

Because of these requirements, Metromile sells the basic coverage options you might need:

• Liability. Liability insurance pays for damage you cause to other drivers and their property in an at-fault accident. It does not help pay for repairs to your car, however.
• Collision. If you want help paying for damage to your car after an accident, you need collision insurance. Collision insurance covers accidents with other drivers and stationary objects.
• Comprehensive. There’s a lot more than car accidents that can damage your car. Comprehensive insurance covers damage from weather, fire, vandalism, theft, and animal contact.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist. While most states require car insurance, not all drivers have it. Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage will pay if a driver hits you and they don’t have adequate insurance.
• Medical payments and personal injury protection. While coverage varies, medical payments or personal injury protection help pay for health care expenses after an accident.

When you purchase collision and comprehensive insurance from Metromile, your policy automatically includes $1,000 of pet injury coverage.

Other features you can add to your policy include roadside assistance, rental car reimbursement, and a collision deductible waiver. The collision waiver skips your deductible if an uninsured motorist hits you.

Metromile Insurance Rates Breakdown

While Metromile has a higher number of complaints compared to other companies, one thing that customers love is the low rates.

As a pay-per-mile insurance company, Metromile’s rates are generally much lower than the quotes you’ll see at standard companies. While your monthly mileage plays a crucial role in your rates, there are a variety of other factors that change how much you’ll pay.

You can explore how different factors affect your rates below. Keep in mind that these factors affect both your base price and the price you pay per mile.

Metromile Rates by Coverage

While most factors that affect your insurance are related to your unique circumstances, the amount of insurance you buy also changes your rates. Your state’s minimum insurance requirements will be your cheapest option, but your coverage will be limited.

On the other hand, full coverage offers much better protection but also costs more. Here’s a look at how Metromile rates differ for minimum vs. full auto insurance coverage.

Usually, the amount you pay for either minimum or full coverage is set by a variety of factors. However, Metromile insurance rates change depending on how many miles you drive.

Drivers that put less than 7,500 miles on their car per year will see much lower rates with Metromile.

However, Metromile might not be the best choice if you are a frequent driver. You’ll also pay more if you add optional coverages, like Metromile’s roadside assistance.

Metromile Rates by Age

Another critical aspect of your car insurance rates is your age. Insurance companies keep careful track of claims numbers, and the statistics show that young drivers are more likely to get into accidents and engage in unsafe behaviors.

Older drivers are statistically more likely to get into an accident and have more serious injuries after traffic incidents. You can check the average rates by age and gender in the tables below.

As with all insurance companies, young drivers always pay higher rates than other adults. Here's a look at Metromiles rates for teenage drivers.

While finding cheap auto insurance rates for teens can be challenging, Metromile might be a good choice for young drivers who don’t rack up too many miles.

Unfortunately for teens, Metromile does not offer student or driver education discounts to help young drivers save.

Finally, here are Metromile's average rates for senior drivers.

Metromile Rates by Driving Record

While you can’t pick how old you are, your driving record is a factor you can control. You'll pay much less for your insurance if you can keep your driving record clean of at-fault accidents, speeding tickets, and other traffic violations.

To get an idea of how much your rates could increase after an accident, take a look at the chart below with rates from top insurers.

Now compare those with rates after a single traffic ticket.

Drivers will see the largest increase in rates if they get caught driving under the influence and receive a DUI.

While you’ll pay more for Metromile insurance when you have violations on your driving record, it’s hard to compare with other companies. You might see lower rates with Metromile if you drive fewer than 7,500 miles despite having incidents on your record.

However, companies like GEICO or State Farm might offer cheaper rates if you drive your car more often.

Metromile Rates by Credit Score

While some factors that affect your insurance are relatively obvious, many drivers don’t realize that their credit score is also taken into account.

Insurance companies look at your credit score as an indication of your risk. Drivers with low credit scores are statistically more likely to file claims, meaning that you can pay up to 60% more for insurance than those with higher credit scores.

While rates are higher for people with low credit scores, residents of California are in luck — this state has made it illegal for car insurance companies to consider your credit score when setting rates.

Metromile Discounts Available

One of the best ways to save on your insurance is to take advantage of discounts. Metromile doesn’t offer as many discounts as some of its competitors, but you still have plenty of options for savings:

• Anti-theft devices
• Continuous coverage
• Safe driver
• Multi-car
• Mature driver
• Safety equipment
• Ride Along for letting Pulse track your driving habits
• Paperless
• Online quotes

If you’re interested in Metromile insurance, you should check with a representative about discounts, as not all options are available in every state.

Metromile might lack student discounts that many other companies offer, but it does have one of the only discounts for older drivers.