Budget Direct Car Insurance Background

Budget Direct Car Insurance

The table below shows Budget Direct comprehensive car insurance policies on our database.

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About Budget Direct Car Insurance

Budget Direct is a large Australian general insurance provider, which says it has insured more than 3 million Aussies since it was founded in 2000. As well as car insurance, Budget Direct also offers a range of general insurance products including home and contents insurance, pet insurance, and travel insurance.

Budget Direct car insurance is underwritten by Auto & General Insurance Company Limited, which is part of the international BHL group.

Frequently Asked Questions about Budget Direct Car Insurance

Budget Direct has an online discount on premiums when a new car insurance product is purchased online. This online discount does not apply to renewal offers.

Budget Direct also has a no-claim discount that can be applied to policyholders with a good driving record and no claims the previous years.

For more on available discounts and its terms and conditions, see the Budget Direct product page.

→ Explore: Car Insurance Deals & Offers

There are a variety of factors that may affect your car insurance premiums. According to Budget Direct, some of the factors they take into account include:

  • Your level of cover: the overall insurance costs will depend on which level of cover you chose, with the highest being comprehensive car insurance, followed by third-party fire and theft, and then third-party property damage.
  • Insurance excess: the higher the excess (the amount of money you have to contribute towards the costs of repairs), the lower your premiums will be, and vice versa.
  • Type of car: for example, your premiums will likely be higher if you have a newer or high-performance car.
  • Where you keep your car: the safety of where your vehicle is stored will determine the risk and likelihood of accidents and theft. Your premiums will likely be higher if your car is parked on the street overnight, compared to a garage.
  • Value for which your car is covered: The more expensive your car is to replace, the higher your premiums will be. Another factor is whether you choose to insure your vehicle for its market value or agreed value should it be written off or stolen.
  • Your age: how old and how long you’ve driven on the road is typically used to determine the risk and likelihood of an accident. Younger drivers typically tend to pay higher premiums.
  • Vehicle use: whether you’re using your car for personal or business purposes will also change your premium costs.
  • Claim history: the fewer claims on your record and any other listed drivers, the less you’re likely to pay (and vice versa). Most car insurance providers will also have a ‘good driver’ or ‘no claims discount’, including Budget Direct.

Budget Direct offers a 24/7 nationwide roadside assistance service you can purchase as a standalone cover or as an add-on cost to your car insurance. Budget Direct claims it has a network of more than 2,500 contractors across Australia. See Budget Direct’s website for more detail on its roadside assistance services.

Budget Direct does include a hire car as a standard feature in its comprehensive car insurance policy, but only in the case of a no-fault accident or theft. But Budget Direct will only cover the costs of the hire car up to a certain amount and number of days. For more detail, see your insurance product disclosure statement.

Budget Direct also offers accident hire car cover for at-fault accidents as an additional premium you can include in its comprehensive car insurance.

→ Explore: Insurance with car hire after an accident

Budget Direct does allow you to nominate for a higher or lower excess when you first purchase a car insurance policy.

According to Budget Direct, you can also change your basic excess if you’re a comprehensive policyholder. But you cannot change any additional excesses you may be required to pay.

Additional excesses may be charged if:

  • the driver is under 21 years of age,
  • the driver is between 21 and 24 years of age,
  • the driver has not held a full Australian licence for two or more years,
  • the driver is not listed on your insurance certificate,
  • the car has exceeded the kilometres per year selected.

Whether it is better to nominate a higher or lower excess for your car insurance policy will depend on your personal circumstances and preferences. If you have a higher excess, your premium costs will typically be lower, but if your excess is low, your premiums will usually be higher.

For example, if you don’t think you’ll be able to pay out the excess when you do have to make a claim, it might be better to reduce your excess and pay for higher premiums instead.

But with a comprehensive car insurance policy, Budget Direct does allow you to increase or decrease your basic excess, so if your situation changes, you may be able to change your premium costs by changing your excess.

You can lodge a claim with Budget Direct either online or over the phone.

Budget Direct advises the process can be quicker if you have the following information on hand:

  • Your policy number
  • Details of the incident, including time and place
  • Other drivers’ names, addresses, vehicle registration numbers, and insurance details
  • Any witnesses’ names and contact details
  • Details of any tow-truck company used
  • Police report number, if applicable

Budget Direct car insurance policies are normally set to renew automatically, unless you’ve requested otherwise and opted out of this. Budget Direct advises that it will notify you at least 14 days before your policy is due for renewal. If you have opted out of automatic renewal, you will be prompted to manually renew your policy online through Budget Direct’s Policy Manager website. You can log in with your phone number and date of birth and name of the main policyholder.

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About the authors

Karen Yang, Content Producer

Karen Yang
Karen is a Content Producer at Canstar, working to help the company produce informative yet easy-to-digest financial content for Australian consumers. Karen has a background in allied health, having completed a Bachelor of Podiatry from the Queensland University of Technology. Karen recently embarked on a second career to rekindle her childhood passion for writing, while still maintaining her earnest intentions from her health professional background — to help the general public. In 2023, she completed a Graduate Certificate in Writing, Editing and Publishing at the University of Queensland. Karen strives to bring a fresh perspective and accurately represent the average consumer. When she’s not honing her writing skills or catching up on the latest world news, you may find Karen obsessing over her next potential mechanical keyboard build. You can connect with Karen via Linkedin.

Joshua Sale, Group Manager, Research & Ratings

Joshua Sale

As Canstar’s Ratings Manager, Josh Sale is responsible for the methodology and delivery of Canstar’s Car Insurance Star Ratings and Awards. With tertiary qualifications in economics and finance, Josh has worked behind the scenes for the last five years to develop Star Ratings and Awards that help connect consumers with the right product for them.

Josh is passionate about helping consumers get hands-on with their finances. Josh has been interviewed by media outlets such as the Australian Financial Review, news.com.au and Money Magazine.

You can follow Josh on LinkedIn, and Canstar on Twitter and Facebook.


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