Travelers vs. USAA Car Insurance: Expert Recommended (2023)

Both Travelers and USAA are good choices, but what is USAA? Is there a catch? Yes. A car insurance policy with this company is available to only active and retired military and their family members.

To see which one suits your needs best, we will look at the pros and cons of Travelers vs. USAA car insurance companies. We will compare car insurance rates, coverage options, discounts, and third-party ratings.

Bundling your policies with the same company can add up to more savings.

Keep reading to compare affordable Travelers vs. USAA car insurance quotes, or enter your ZIP code to compare multiple companies in your area.

Is Travelers car insurance or USAA car insurance cheaper based on age?

The more we drive in various situations and the longer we drive, the safer and more aware we become when behind the wheel.

For this reason, car insurance companies use age as one of the most influential factors in quoting your Travelers vs. USAA car insurance rates.

In most states, it’s legal to base car insurance rates on marital status and gender; however, some have banned it. Let’s compare Travelers and USAA insurance rates based on age, gender, and marital status.

Generally, expect USAA rates to be about 25 to 30% cheaper than most other car insurance companies.

Car insurance for teen drivers will always be high. Why? Because they have limited time behind the wheel, and their brains are not developed enough to make the best decisions.

With that said, Traveler’s rates for teens is about 80% higher than their rates for the other age groups. USAA’s rates for teen drivers are only 35% higher than the rates for drivers in different age groups.

Is Travelers car insurance or USAA car insurance cheaper based on driving record?

Speeding tickets, accidents, or DUIs on your driving record will raise your car insurance rates no matter what company you pick because you become a higher-risk driver.

When it comes to rates by driving record, USAA’s rates are about half of  Travelers’ rates.

However, USAA takes accidents and DUI’s much more seriously. Rates with USAA will increase 30 to 81% if you are in an accident or get a DUI while carrying a policy.

Rates for Travelers will increase 24 to 67% if you are in an accident or get a DUI while carrying a policy.

Is Travelers car insurance or USAA car insurance cheaper based on credit score?

If you experience some type of financial trauma such as medical debt or going through a divorce, a good credit score can drop in a matter of months.

In most states, it’s legal for car insurance companies to factor in your credit score when determining your rates; however, some are banning this along with factoring in gender and marital status.

Based on the assumption that those with higher credit scores are more responsible and, overall, safer drivers are less likely to file a claim, car insurance companies justify using your credit score to determine your rates.

Let’s examine how Travelers and USAA address rates for drivers with varying credit scores.

Again, USAA will always have cheaper rates than other car insurance companies.

Rates for Travelers will increase from 7% to 27% if your credit score drops significantly while carrying a policy.

Rates with USAA will more than double if your credit score drops significantly while carrying a policy.

It may be that basing car insurance rates on gender, marital status, or credit score has been outlawed in your state.

If you want a concentrated view of both companies, check out our Travelers insurance reviews and our USAA insurance reviews for more details.

Does Travelers or USAA have better car insurance discounts?

A car insurance company often determines discounts based on their philosophy and values. Therefore, if you have a bad driving record or a low credit score, getting good deals will offset your high rates.

Travelers has more discounts than USAA, and some of them are interesting. Travelers has 17 deals, and USAA has 13 values.

Travelers offers discounts of 15% to 23% for having continuous coverage, making on-time payments, being claim-free, being a safe driver, or using their driving device or app.

To note, Travelers offers a 30% discount for using their driving app or driving device, while USAA provides only a 5% discount.

USAA may offer fewer discounts, but the ones they offer are pretty good. You can save 10% to 12% by being a family legacy, signing early, driving a newer vehicle, being claim-free, and being a safe driver.

And, if you are an active military member and get deployed, you will get a 90% discount for garaging your vehicle while you are away.

Our records show no Travelers insurance military discount or garaging discount. However, it still pays to get a quote because car insurance companies offer new discounts daily to compete with other companies.

Does Travelers or USAA have better car insurance mobile apps?

Usage-based car insurance has become a hot trend in the car insurance industry in the last decade. All the larger car insurance companies have a driving app that uses your mobile phone or a device installed into your vehicle.

Large car insurance companies also provide a more general app to enable you to pay your bill, make changes to your coverage levels, and use it for electronic verification of insurance in states that permit it.

How does Travelers and USAA car insurance compare in financial strength and customer satisfaction?

Purchasing car insurance is a significant financial responsibility, so you want to make sure you’re selecting the appropriate company that will be there for you when you need it most.

A company’s financial strength, customer satisfaction with the claims process, and customer complaints should be reviewed before making decisions.

The following three agencies provide insight into these factors:

A.M. Best scores companies based on their ability to meet their ongoing insurance obligations, such as balancing premiums collected and claims paid. The highest score A.M. Best award is Superior A++.

Consumer Reports collects annual data from its subscribers regarding customer satisfaction of the claims process, step by step. In their 2017 survey, 27 insurance companies were rated, and scores ranged between 86 and 96.

And the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) calculates a complaint ratio based on the total number of customers against the total number of complaints.

In 2017, the national average complaint ratio was 1. The lower the ratio, the better.

USAA’s ranking and Travelers’ ranking from A.M. Best are the highest possible rankings.

However, Travelers has a smaller customer complaint ratio. Before eliminating USAA, be sure to find more details on the NAIC website.

The Bottom Line

The average cost of car insurance for USAA is several hundreds of dollars cheaper than many other major insurers. USAA is almost always the cheapest insurance company in every state, but its eligibility requirements make it restrictive.

The right car insurance coverage could save you thousands after an accident.

Before you buy Travelers vs. USAA car insurance, enter your ZIP code to start comparing multiple car insurance companies in your local area.