Pay-by-the-month Car insurance Background

Pay-by-the-month car insurance at no extra cost

The table below shows a range of comprehensive car insurance policies from providers on Canstar’s database that allow monthly payments at no extra cost.

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Instantly compare 60+ Canstar expert rated policies based on the inputs below


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  • New car in case of write-off - lowest first
  • New car in case of write-off - highest first
  • Pay monthly at no extra cost - lowest first
  • Pay monthly at no extra cost - highest first
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Agreed Glossary
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If written off before 15000 kms
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Only monthly premiums are offered
Bankwest | Comprehensive
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Bankwest logo
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Agreed or market Glossary
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If written off before 24 months old
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Commonwealth Bank | Comprehensive
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Commonwealth Bank logo
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Agreed or market Glossary
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If written off before 24 months old
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Bank of Melbourne | Comprehensive
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Bank of Melbourne logo
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Agreed or market Glossary
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If written off before 24 months old
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BankSA | Comprehensive
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BankSA logo
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Agreed or market Glossary
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If written off before 24 months old
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NAB | Comprehensive
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NAB logo
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Agreed or market Glossary
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If written off before 24 months old
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National Seniors | Comprehensive
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National Seniors logo
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Agreed or market Glossary
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If written off before 24 months old
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St.George Bank | Comprehensive
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St.George Bank logo
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Agreed or market Glossary
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If written off before 24 months old
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Westpac | Comprehensive
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Westpac logo
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Agreed or market Glossary
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If written off before 24 months old
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Agreed or market Glossary
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If written off before the earlier of 36 months old or 50000 kms
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Unsure of a term in the above table? View glossary

The initial results in the table above are sorted by Star Rating (High-Low) , then Provider Name (Alphabetical) . Additional filters may have been applied, see top of table for details.

Pay-by-the-month car insurance

As rising living costs squeeze household budgets, more motorists could be looking into pay-by-the-month car insurance.

Paying for your car insurance annually as a lump sum may not be ideal for everyone’s budget. Some insurers provide the option to pay monthly, which can be a lot kinder on household budgets as the premium is spread out over 12 months. The downside is that you may be charged more overall to pay car insurance monthly.

On the plus side, not all insurers charge extra for monthly payments. There are some providers out there that allow you to pay on a monthly basis without adding a bit more onto the cost for that convenience. You can use the table above to compare car insurance policies with the option to pay monthly.

Frequently Asked Questions about Pay Monthly Car Insurances

Paying for your car insurance upfront in one lump sum a year may have its own benefits, such as not having to budget for ongoing payments for the rest of the year, and potentially paying a lower total premium than if you paid monthly.

Paying for car insurance on an annual basis is the default payment option offered by most providers, but some may offer the option to split that annual cost into monthly payments. It may benefit you to ask how much of a discount your insurance provider might give you for paying annually, as that could factor into your decision.

It’s worth noting too that ‘green slip’ or compulsory third party (CTP) insurance can’t usually be paid by the month. Generally speaking, this type of car insurance needs to be paid as an annual lump sum payment or as a six-monthly payment.

There are generally two ways you can choose to pay for your car insurance policy in Australia: either annually or monthly. That said, insurers are becoming more flexible around the timing of premium payments. A number of insurers will let you pay fortnightly, which could be handy to time premium payments with pay days.

If your car insurance provider does charge extra for monthly payments, it would obviously work out to be more economical for you to pay your car insurance premiums annually. Fortunately, there is a wide choice of insurers will let you pay car insurance premiums monthly without an additional charge.

About half the car insurance providers on the Canstar database (depending on the state or territory you live in) allow policyholders to pay for comprehensive cover monthly at no extra cost.

Choosing to pay annually may mean that you have a wider range of providers to choose from, as some car insurers only offer annual payment options. Canstar compares a range of over 50 comprehensive car insurance policies, and you can choose to just shop among policies that allow you to pay monthly at no extra cost.

While paying a monthly premium for your car insurance could potentially be more convenient and manageable than paying annually, it’s worth noting you could actually end up paying a higher total premium every year. It’s not necessarily as simple as splitting your annual cost into 12 monthly payments.

Exactly how much extra you could pay for making monthly payments varies in line with your choice of insurer, your age, location and the make and model of your car. However, financial advisory group Think Independent has suggested that paying for insurance monthly can add an extra 6% to 8% onto the cost of premiums paid over a 12-month period.

Additionally, if you choose to pay monthly, it may be worth checking whether you’re still committing to a 12-month payment contract, or whether the policy allows you to pay-as-you-go or pay monthly and cancel at any time. Many insurers only offer 12-month policies, so unless the provider stipulates that their product is a pay-as-you-go policy, then even if you choose to pay monthly you will most likely be committing to the same 12-month insurance policy that you would be if you’d chosen to pay annually.

Providers may also charge you an extra fee, such as a regular admin fee, for the privilege of paying monthly, and you may also be charged a higher base premium. That’s why it is important to speak to your insurer or read your policy’s Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) to ensure you’re aware of any extra costs that may be associated with paying monthly.

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About the authors

Nina Rinella, Editor-in-Chief

Nina Rinella
As Canstar’s Editor-in-Chief, Nina heads up a team of talented journalists committed to helping empower consumers to take greater control of their finances. Nina has written countless articles about finance and has been interviewed on finance topics by media organisations including The Australian, Realestate.com.au, Domain, the Herald Sun and the Sydney Morning Herald. Previously Nina founded her own agency where she provided content and communications support to clients around Australia for 8 years. She also spent four years as the PR Manager for American Express Australia, and has worked at a Brisbane communications agency where she supported dozens of clients, including Sunsuper and Suncorp. When she’s not dreaming up ways to put a fresh spin on finance, she’s taking her own advice by trying to pay her house off as quickly as possible and raising two money-savvy kids. Nina has a Bachelor of Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in English Literature from the University of Queensland. She’s also an experienced presenter, and has hosted numerous events and YouTube series. You can follow her on LinkedIn, Instagram or Twitter and Canstar on Facebook. Meet the Canstar Editorial Team. Have a media enquiry, and interested in featuring Nina as a financial expert and commentator? Contact Canstar’s Media Team today.

Joshua Sale, Group Manager, Research & Ratings

Joshua Sale
Joshua Sale is responsible for developing the methodology and delivering Canstar’s flagship Star Ratings, as part of Canstar’s Research Team. With tertiary qualifications in economics and finance, he enjoys helping Australians find more suitable financial products by transforming complex calculations into a consumer-friendly Star Rating that explains the values and benefits of different financial products. As one of Canstar’s company spokespeople, Joshua is confident participating in print, radio and broadcast journalism interviews. He has participated in interviews with the Australian Financial Review, news.com.au and Money Magazine, along with other leading media outlets, discussing topics such as home loan equity, banking incentive schemes, digital wallets and wider finance trends. You can follow Joshua on LinkedIn. Have a media enquiry, and interested in featuring Joshua as a financial expert and commentator? Contact Canstar’s Media Team today.

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Important information

For those that love the detail

This advice is general and has not taken into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider whether this advice is right for you.

Canstar may earn a fee from its Online Partners for referrals from its website tables, and from sponsorship or promotion of certain products. Fees payable by product providers for referrals and sponsorship or promotion may vary between providers, website position, and revenue model. Sponsorship/promotion fees may be higher than referral fees. If a product is sponsored or promoted, it’s an ad and it is clearly marked as such. An ad might appear in different places on our website, such as in comparison tables and articles. Ads may be displayed in a fixed position in a table, regardless of the product's rating, price or other attributes. The location of an ad doesn’t indicate any ranking or rating by Canstar. Payment of fees for ads does not influence our Star Ratings. See How We Get Paid to find out more.

The Car Insurance Star Ratings were awarded in June 2023 and data in the table is current as at that date, updated from time to time to reflect product changes notified to us by product issuers. The results don’t include every provider in the market and we may not compare all features relevant to you. You can find a description of the initial sort order below the table. You can use the sort buttons at the top of each column to re-order the display. Learn more about our Car Insurance Star Rating Methodology. The rating shown is only one factor to take into account when considering products.

The products and Star Ratings in the table might not match your exact inputs in the selector. Sometimes the methodology uses profiles with categories or bands (e.g. income, loan amount or monthly spend), but sometimes a single methodology, without any categories or bands, is applied. The results will show the products that most closely match your selection, based on our profiles. If you are unsure about any terms used in the comparison table please refer to the glossary.

What is a Target Market Determination?

A Target Market Determination (‘TMD’) is a document that explains which people particular financial products may be suitable for (the target market) and sets out any conditions around how financial products can be distributed to consumers.

Why do product issuers provide Target Market Determinations?

From 5 October 2021, TMDs are compulsory for most financial products.

Issuers and distributors of financial products must take reasonable steps that are likely to result in financial products reaching consumers in the target market defined by the product issuer.

We recommend that you consider the TMD before making a purchase decision. Contact the product issuer directly for a copy of the TMD.

Any advice on this page is general and has not taken into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider whether this general financial advice is right for your personal circumstances. You may need financial advice from a qualified adviser. Canstar is not providing a recommendation for your individual circumstances. If you decide to apply for an insurance policy, you will deal directly with the provider, not with Canstar.   It’s important you check product information directly with the provider. Consider the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD) before making a purchase decision. Contact the product issuer directly for a copy of the PDS and TMD. For more information, read our Detailed Disclosure.

If you are seeking to replace an insurance policy, you should consider your personal circumstances, including continuing the existing cover until the replacement policy is issued and cover confirmed. Your current policy may have different features to products currently on the market. Please consider what features are right for you when comparing insurance products and refer to the provider for further details on a policy.

Companies listed in the table, or in ads, may use or be used by another company to arrange, issue, distribute or sell its insurance policies to customers. For more information on the issuer of the policy, please read the Product Disclosure Statement.