USAA Car Insurance Discounts

Reviewed By Joshua Adamson
on October 17, 2016

You get discounts from your grocer, your cable provider, and even your favorite bookstores. But did you know that most auto insurance companies offer discounts, too? USAA, an insurance provider that caters to members of the military and their eligible family, is one of these companies.

Our research uncovered several ways that you can save money on USAA car insurance. It’s one reason why we think the company is a great choice for customers who have USAA in their area. Learn more about USAA car insurance, including reviews and cost in our company overview.

What kind of car insurance does USAA provide?

With USAA, you can get the standard bodily injury liability and property damage liability coverage that most states require, along with collision coverage and comprehensive coverage.

In addition to these basic coverage options, USAA insurance policyholders can also opt to include GAP insurance, rideshare coverage, medical payments coverage, rental reimbursement, and a variety of other add-ons to their policy.

What car insurance discounts are available from USAA?

USAA is already an affordable option for many drivers, but the company has several discounts that could make your car insurance even cheaper. USAA breaks down its discounts into three categories: driver discounts, vehicle discounts, and membership savings. Here’s the basic rundown of these discounts:

Driver Discounts:

• Safe Driver. USAA rewards you if you avoid at-fault (caused by you) accidents for more than five years.
• Defensive Driving. With some age restrictions, taking an approved defensive driving course will earn you a discount.
• Driver Training. Young drivers can get a discount for completing a basic driver training course.
• Good Student. Studying hard pays off! USAA discounts rates for students with good grades.

Vehicle Discounts:

• New Vehicle Discount. You might think older cars are cheaper to insure, but USAA will discount your rate for cars three years or younger.
• Annual Mileage Discount. Don’t drive as much as your neighbor? Keeping low-mileage on your car will get you a discount.
• Multi-Vehicle Discount. Like most companies, if you insure multiple vehicles under one USAA policy, you’ll save money on your auto insurance rates.
• Vehicle Storage Discount. Have a car that sits in a garage? USAA will drop up to 60 percent of your rate for vehicles that you store and don’t drive.
• Discount for Driving Research. This issits in a garage? USAA will drop up to 60 percent of your rate for vehicles that you store and don’t drive.

Membership Savings:

• Family Discount. Savings for the whole family! USAA offers up to 10 percent for drivers on family plans.
• Bundling. Bundle your homeowners/renters insurance with auto insurance to save on both.
• Length of Membership. USAA rewards members who stick around for long periods.
• Military Installation Discounts. This is unique to USAA car insurance. If you park your car on a military base, you’ll get a discount of up to 15 percent.

How can you get Safe Driver and Good Driver Discounts?

As you’ve seen in the last section, USAA offers a safe driver discount a common program among car insurance companies. Some companies offer good driver discounts instead, or they offer both. But wait, aren’t those the same thing? Not quite. Here’s the subtle difference between the two types of driver discounts. Safe driver discounts are usually given to customers who have clean records no speeding tickets or major moving violations. Good driver discounts are typically for drivers who have had no accidents that they’ve filed a claim for.

That said, the distinction isn’t always clear among insurance companies, and some use one term while others use another for the same type of discount. The truth is, the differences don’t matter. What does matter is what the discount offers and what you have to do to get it. USAA offers three major safe or good driver discounts:

• Safe Driver
• Defensive Driving
• Driver Training

Everybody makes mistakes. So it’s good to know that USAA also has an accident forgiveness add-on in which the company won’t raise your rates after you’re first accident if you’ve gone claim-free for five years.

What usage-based insurance discounts does USAA offer?

In recent years, many insurance companies have implemented Usage-Based Insurance (UBI) programs. The goal of UBI is to use data mined from automotive technology to set rates that are specific to each driver. UBI with USAA works a little differently than most others. USAA calls their program a Discount for Driving Research, and customers can sign up for free. Here are the pros:

• Drivers get a five percent discount just for enrolling in the program
• You don’t have to worry about getting rate hikes if you’re not a great driver. USAA is just using the device for research.

The downside: If you’re an especially good driver, you won’t get any discounts beyond the flat five percent.

How can you save on car insurance with USAA?

Discounts give USAA customers plenty of ways to save money on car insurance. But discounts aren’t the only way you can lower your out-of-pocket costs. Here are more ways to save on car insurance with USAA.

• Choose a Higher Deductible. Higher deductibles usually come with lower rates. This is because you’re agreeing to take on more of the risk in case of an accident. The downside is that if you do happen to need to file a claim, you’re on the hook for the higher amount before the insurance pays its part.
• Drive Safely. USAA has a safe driver discount; but even without the discount, being a good driver should save you money. The longer you can drive without any accidents or violations on your record, the lower you can expect your rates.
• Improve Your Credit Score. Poor credit often results in paying more for car insurance. This means that one way to lower your rates is by paying off debt.
• Ask for Discounts. USAA offers several discounts to customers, from multi-vehicle bundles to defensive driving courses. Ask your insurance agent which USAA discounts are available to you.
• Shop Around. We can’t stress this enough—shop around. Whether you’re a current USAA customer or not, get quotes from multiple car insurance companies to get a better idea of what rates are available to you. You may be able to get a lower rate just for switching companies.

How much are car insurance quotes from USAA?

As we’ve discussed, members of eligible military families you can get a quote for an auto insurance policy from USAA. So what can you expect to pay for car insurance from the company? We researched rate data from multiple sources to give you a better idea of what to expect from USAA. One finding: USAA does not have the cheapest insurance premiums. But that doesn’t tell the whole story. Based on our research, see how much car insurance from USAA costs people like you.

What do the USAA auto insurance reviews say?

Customers really like USAA car insurance. In fact, out of all major insurance companies that we reviewed, USAA got the highest rating. From cost to customer service, we heard glowing reviews about this company. Even though USAA is often not the cheapest option for drivers, people generally see it has a good value.

What does this mean for you?

USAA treats its customers well, and this top-notch company includes several discount opportunities. It offers discounts for safe driving, multi-vehicle policies, and more. A wealth of discounts is just one reason why we rated USAA car insurance as high as we did. Ready for USAA car insurance quote? Call us at [mapi-phone-link /]  and we’ll connect you with an independent agent. Or go back to square one and read more about car insurance company quotes.

About USAA

USAA is a financial and insurance company for military personnel and their immediate families. Founded in 1922, USAA built its company on the pillars of service, loyalty, honesty, and integrity. Today, it provides retirement, banking, investment, and insurance services for the men and women who serve our nation.