Reliable Third-Party Shipping Insurance for Any Carrier
by Katrina Luthi
Shipping a package isn't without its potential pitfalls. You have a lot of ground to cover — literally and figuratively — between you and the recipient. The reality is that sometimes parcels get lost or damaged in transit. While some may wish they could travel personally with a package to ensure its safe delivery, a better option is to insure a package through EasyPost.
What is shipping insurance?
Shipping insurance provides coverage for parcels being sent in the mail. If an insured package is stolen or damaged during transit or before delivery, the mailer is reimbursed for the declared value of the shipped item. This protection is crucial for ensuring peace of mind, particularly for high-value items. When choosing the right parcel insurance, it’s important to consider third-party shipping insurance options. Third-party providers, like EasyPost, often offer more flexible coverage, faster claims processing, and better rates compared to standard carrier-provided insurance. Let's talk about why shipping insurance is so important and how to choose the best parcel insurance for your needs.
Why shipping insurance?
Shippers often opt to insure a package because it guarantees that in the unlikely event that their package is lost or damaged, their goods will be replaced at little to no cost to them. Whether you ship 5 or 500,000 packages daily, shipping insurance is important for your business. If your shipment doesn't reach your customer in one piece, it can damage your pocketbook and your reputation.
What kinds of shipping insurance are available?
Two kinds of shipping insurance are available to you — freight and parcel insurance.
- Freight insurance covers a group of packages in a container or on a pallet.
- Parcel insurance covers each individual package.
At EasyPost, we believe parcel insurance gives you the most customization and control over what you insure. If you have a pallet of shipments, but only half of the items are of high value, you may not want to insure the whole pallet. With parcel insurance, you can insure the individual packages you want to protect. In this way, you save money without sacrificing peace of mind.
A variety of pricing options
Insurance is not a "one-size-fits-all" product, which is why EasyPost offers a variety of pricing options. We want to make it easy for you to decide what's right for your business based on your shipping needs.
- Standard shipping insurance rate: 0.5% of the total product value with a $0.50 minimum.
- Custom pricing: includes reduced premiums or a rebate program (cash back on unused insurance).
- Custom option for label customers: includes automatic insurance for as low as $0.10 per $100 (or 0.1%) in package value.
Many insurers only offer discounts to high-volume, enterprise-level customers, but EasyPost offers discounts to both small businesses and enterprise-level companies alike. Whether you're interested in USPS insurance costs or FedEx shipping costs, EasyPost provides you with the best third-party shipping insurance.
When insuring your shipments, you have several different parcel insurance options. You can go through a third-party shipping insurance agency like EasyPost, you can go through carrier insurance, or you can "self-insure" by paying for losses out of pocket. Insurance with EasyPost is by far the easiest option. When you insure with EasyPost, any claims you file stay between us.
This is possible because EasyPost doesn't use a third-party insurance company to insure your packages. We handle the claim on your behalf and pay you for your loss within 10 days of submitting your claim. This is much faster than third-party insurers and carriers, which can take three to 12 weeks to file a claim and process payments.
Peace of mind is around the corner
With more customization and a streamlined process, we make it easy for you to make the insurance choices that are right for your business. Sign up for EasyPost shipping insurance today and start enjoying the peace of mind that comes from knowing you're covered.