Food Delivery Insurance

What is food delivery insurance?

Food delivery insurance provides financial cover if you deliver food in return for payment, typically while working for a takeaway restaurant or a food delivery app such as Uber Eats or Deliveroo.

It is a form of courier insurance. The demand for fast food delivery has grown tremendously in recent years, fuelled by apps such as Uber Eats and Deliveroo, and that growth has created a large number of delivery jobs. Anyone taking one of those jobs needs insurance that covers them while they are working.

Who needs food delivery insurance?

Anyone who delivers food for payment needs it, whether you ride for an app, work for a takeaway restaurant or deliver on behalf of several clients. Private insurance policies do not cover delivery drivers while they are at work, so relying on a standard car or bike policy leaves you uninsured on every delivery.

Uber Eats, at the time of writing, expects its drivers to show proof of their own delivery driver insurance when joining the programme, so you will need a policy in place before you can start working for that platform.

What does food delivery insurance cover?

Food delivery insurance covers a person or persons to deliver goods to multiple drop-off points on behalf of clients. Cover can also include goods in transit, protecting the food you carry against loss, damage or theft.

As with standard vehicle insurance, there are three levels of cover to choose from:

• Third Party Only
• Third Party, Fire and Theft
• Fully Comprehensive

It is a common misconception that Third Party Only is the cheapest option because it provides the least cover. That is not always the case, so compare quotes for all three levels before you decide.

Which vehicles can be insured for food delivery?

Food delivery insurance is available for couriers using mopeds, bikes, cars, scooters and vans. The vehicle you use is one of the details you give on the quote form, and the insurers who contact you will tailor their quotes to it.

How much does food delivery insurance cost?

As a food delivery driver you can expect to find insurance from as little as £50 per year, although what you pay depends on your circumstances. Insurance for delivery work can be expensive, which is why it pays to compare quotes from multiple insurance providers rather than accept the first price you are given.

The level of cover you choose affects the price, but not always in the way you might expect. Third Party Only is not guaranteed to be the cheapest option, so ask the insurers who contact you to quote for all three levels.

What is not covered by food delivery insurance?

The cover you need varies from person to person, so there is no single list of exclusions. What is covered depends on the policy you take out, which is why the quotes you receive are tailored to your requirements. If you are unsure whether a particular cover, such as goods in transit, is included, raise it with the insurance provider when they contact you.

Remember too that the exclusion works the other way: a private car or bike policy does not cover you for food delivery, so delivering on a private policy means you are not covered at all while working.

How do I compare food delivery insurance quotes?

Fill in one short form on Quote Goat and specialist food delivery insurers on a panel will contact you with quotes. There are no live prices online; the insurers get in touch directly because the cover required varies from person to person and the quotes need to be tailored to your requirements.

If you have any questions about which covers to include in your food delivery insurance policy, this is the time to discuss them with the insurance provider. Compare the quotes you receive across all three cover levels before choosing.