By Miles customers (or “members” as they are called) seem to rate it highly. The app has some useful features such as showing the cost of each journey, which helps you make decisions about whether taking the car is really worth it. If you drive less than 6,000 miles a year, don’t mind plugging in a tracker and want comprehensive cover, it’s worth getting a quote from By Miles.
If you have read this review and decided that By Miles car insurance is not for you, you can also compare other car insurance policies on the market.
Best for: Low mileage
Pros
24-hour claims helpline
Free no-claims discount protection
Voluntary excess option
App (and online dashboard) shows you the cost of each journey
If you only drive occasionally, standard car insurance may not give you the best value for money. By Miles is a car insurer that’s challenging the traditional model – it offers pay-as-you-go (PAYG) insurance, so instead of a flat rate, you pay based on how much you drive. If you drive less than 6,000 miles a year (around 110 a week), it’s probably worthwhile getting a quote from a PAYG insurer like By Miles.
Who is By Miles?
By Miles is a British insurance company that offers pay-as-you-go car insurance aimed at those who don’t drive regularly. It was founded in 2016 and acquired by Direct Line in 2023.
Who underwrites By Miles car insurance?
By Miles pay-as-you-go insurance policies are underwritten by a panel of experienced insurers, including UK Insurance Ltd and Covea.
By Miles is also authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
What’s covered under my policy?
Cover benefits
Comprehensive
Liability to other people
✓
Fire and theft
✓
Accidental damage
✓
By Miles only offers comprehensive insurance, so there’s no option to get basic third party or third party, fire and theft cover.
Optional extras
You can choose to add legal expenses cover and breakdown cover to your policy, but also get no-claims discount protection included.
What are By Miles’ different policies?
Unlike other providers, By Miles only offers comprehensive car insurance and does not offer policies for third party only (TPO) or third party, fire and theft (TPFT). According to By Miles, this is because third party only cover can actually increase the cost of insurance, but it also means drivers may be able to find cheaper basic insurance elsewhere.
How does By Miles pay-as-you-go insurance work?
By Miles car insurance is a comprehensive pay-per-mile policy, which means your insurance premiums are calculated based on the total number of miles you drive during the insurance period. You’ll still need to pay a fixed annual premium, which covers you against any theft or accidental damage, but this will likely be lower than a regular comprehensive insurance premium.
After you’ve bought your policy, By Miles will send you a telematics box, known as a Miles Tracker, which you’ll need to attach to your car. This device measures the number of miles you drive, which can be tracked online or via the By Miles app. You’ll then pay a premium based on how far you drive.
Unlike other types of black box insurance, By Miles does not track your overall driving performance and your premiums will not be determined by how well you drive.
If your Miles Tracker is unplugged, you’ll automatically be charged at a rate of 150 miles per day, regardless of how much you actually drive that day. Your policy may also be cancelled if you leave the Miles Tracker unplugged for 14 days.
How do I make a claim?
In order to make a claim, you’ll need to call the By Miles claims line on 0330 088 3838, which is open 24 hours a day, all year round.
You’ll need to provide details of the incident, including registration number and contact details of the other party, any witnesses or injuries, as well as photos of the incident if possible.
What is my excess?
When you make a claim, you have to pay an amount of money towards it – that is called an excess.
The exact amount varies according to a few personal factors, like the type of car that’s covered and the age of both the car and the driver.
Taking out protected or guaranteed no-claims bonus protection will also affect your excess.
All the details about your excess terms can be found in your policy schedule.
By Miles customer reviews
As of May 2024, reviews of By Miles on the platform Trustpilot – totalling almost 10,000 – are overwhelmingly positive, saying it’s “smooth”, “simple” and “excellent value for money”. The overall score is an “Excellent” 4.3 out of 5.
How to cancel By Miles car insurance
You can cancel using the live chat feature in the app or on the website. There’s a £50 cancellation fee.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. When you get a quote online, you can choose for your cover to start the same day.
Yes, you pay your premiums on a monthly basic. There is also an annual fee that you’ll need to pay upfront.
You can check your expiry date online or in the app.
The offers compared on this page are chosen from a range of products we can track; we don't cover every product on the market...yet. Unless we've indicated otherwise, products are shown in no particular order or ranking. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations), aren't product ratings, although we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it; this is subject to our terms of use. When making a big financial decision, it's wise to consider getting independent financial advice, and always consider your own financial circumstances when comparing products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables has the source: Moneyfacts Group PLC. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.
*Based on data provided by Consumer Intelligence Ltd, www.consumerintelligence.com (Mar ’24). 51% of car insurance customers could save £539.54
Tom Stelzer is a writer for Finder specialising in personal finance, including loans and credit, as well as small business and business loans. He has previously worked as a freelance writer covering entertainment, culture and football for publications like FourFourTwo and Man of Many. He has a Master of Media Arts and Production and Bachelor of Communications in Journalism from the University of Technology Sydney. See full bio
Jason is a freelance writer and editor. He worked as a senior subeditor for Finder for 5 years and in that time became familiar with a wide range of financial products and services. Before that, he worked for Australian Associated Press. He has a BA from Macquarie University in Australia. Jason loves to help other people find new ways to save money. See full bio
Find out the cost and car insurance group of a Smart car, and see how much you could pay based on age, location and model.
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