Choose your cover
Comprehensive Car Insurance
Covers the loss of, or damage to, your vehicle due to an accident – regardless of who’s at fault – theft, weather, malicious damage, fire, and accidental damage your car causes to other people’s property.
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Third Party Property Insurance
Covers the accidental damage your car causes to other people’s vehicles and property.
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Third Party, Fire and Theft Insurance
Provides the same cover as Third Party Property, with extra protection against loss of, or damage to, your vehicle due to fire and theft.
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NSW Compulsory Third Party Insurance
Also known as ‘green slip’ insurance, it protects New South Wales residents against compensation claims made against them for injuring or killing someone in a motor vehicle accident.
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Compare cover
Not sure which type of Budget Direct car insurance is the right one for you?
Compare policy benefits
Upgrade your cover
If you purchase comprehensive car insurance, you can customise your cover by adding these optional benefits:
You can add these benefits when you buy your policy or – if you’re an existing customer – by logging into your online account.
Terms and conditions apply. Please read the product disclosure statement for full details.
Roadside Assistance
For just $79.95 a year – less than $1.60 a week – you can take advantage of our 24/7 nationwide Roadside Assistance service.
It can be purchased with or without a Budget Direct car insurance policy.
With our Australian network of more than 2,500 contractors, you’re never too far from help.
Get a quote online and save 15%^
Get a quote online – it takes just two minutes. If you buy online, you’ll receive a 15% discount on your comprehensive or third party insurance premium.
Hail Hero
If you’re a Budget Direct customer, we’ll warn you via SMS of hail storms approaching the address where your car is normally kept.
This award-winning service, Hail Hero, is exclusive to customers throughout Australia.
Compare car insurance savings
Compared to their previous insurers’ premiums, customers across Australia who switched to Budget Direct car insurance told us they saved an average of
$###†
Use our Comparitron™ tool to compare car insurance savings against other insurers.
Award-winning Australian car insurance
After comparing the cost and features of over 60 comprehensive policies offered by more than 50 insurers, Canstar selected us the National award winner for Outstanding Value Car Insurance in 2018 — a record 12th year in a row we've won the award.
We also won Money magazine's Best of the Best 2019 title for Car Insurance; and a Mozo Experts Choice 2018 Exceptional Value Car Insurance award.
To cap it off, the Australian public voted us the Silver Winner in the Car Insurance category of the 2019 Reader's Digest Quality Service Awards survey.
Find out more
The information on this page is a summary only. For more details about Budget Direct car insurance, including the terms, conditions, limits and exclusions that apply, please read the product disclosure statement (PDS)
How to make a claim
If you need to make a claim, we’re here to help you get back on the road as quickly and smoothly as possible. Make a claim on your car insurance policy.
Frequently asked questions
What are the different types of car insurance?
Budget Direct offers four types of car insurance:
- Comprehensive covers the loss of, or damage to, your vehicle due to an accident (regardless of who’s at fault), vandalism, fire, weather, and theft. It also covers damage caused by your vehicle to other people’s property (e.g. their car and home).
- Third Party Property covers damage caused by your vehicle to other people’s property (e.g. their car and home). It does not cover damage to your vehicle (unless it’s damaged in a no-fault accident with an uninsured driver, in which case you have limited cover).
- Third Party, Fire and Theft provides the same protection as Third Party Property plus cover for loss or damage to your vehicle if it’s stolen or catches fire.
- Compulsory Third Party (CTP) all Australian motorists must have this by law. It covers claims made against you for injuring or killing someone in an accident. CTP does not cover damage to your vehicle or other people’s property (e.g. their car and home). Budget Direct offers CTP, or ‘green slip’ insurance to NSW residents only.
The type of cover you have is shown on your car insurance certificate.
How much can I insure my car for?
With Budget Direct, you can insure your car for its market value or, in some cases, for an agreed value.
Market value is the reasonable cost to replace your vehicle with one of the same make, model, age, mileage and overall condition.
To get an idea of what your car may be worth, search for it in the Red Book or on car sales websites.
Please note that the prices provided by these sites are only meant to be a guide. Your car's market value will be determined by us at the time of the loss or damage.
Agreed value is the amount we agree to insure your car for. We may offer you an agreed value, provided:
- your car is less than 10 years old; and
- your vehicle has not been converted to LPG; and
- the agreed value is within an acceptable range of the market value.
The value for which your car is covered is shown on your insurance certificate and in your online account.
Which drivers must be listed on my policy?
You must list any household members (including learner, provisional and occasional drivers) who may drive the car. Unlisted household members won’t be covered.
Any non-household members who drive the car are automatically covered. If you list them on your policy, you’ll avoid having to pay the unlisted driver excess (other excesses may apply).
How can I get cheaper car insurance?
By not insuring unsafe drivers, we can keep our car insurance premiums low for safer drivers like you.
Depending on the type of car insurance you choose, there are a number of ways you can reduce your premium even further, namely:
- Select the right level of cover. Do you need comprehensive cover for your car, or would third party property insurance be enough?
- Set a driver-age restriction. You can get a lower premium by restricting your policy to drivers over a certain age (21+, 25+, 30+, 40+, 50+).
- Increase your excess. If you’re comprehensively insured and you increase your Basic Excess, we’ll reduce your premium.
- Maintain a good driving record. For each claim-free year, you’ll receive a no claim discount (NCD) on your premium; the NCD is capped at 5+ years, at which point we’ll give you a Rating 1.
What is car insurance excess?
An excess is the fixed amount you pay towards a claim for damage to, or loss of, your vehicle.
For example, if your excess was $600 and your damage bill $3000, you would pay $600 and we would pay $2400.
You won’t have to pay an excess if the accident is deemed a no-fault accident.
Car Insurance Knowledge Base
Your questions about insurance all
answered in one place.
Useful links
†{comparitron-disclaimer}
^Online discount terms and conditions apply.
*Based on a survey of Budget Direct Car Insurance customers conducted between 10 February 2015 and 31 December 2018. Visit www.budgetdirectreviews.com.au for more details.
‡The 50+ age bracket applies only to policies purchased after 2 July 2017.
