Food Delivery Insurance
Updated on Thursday 19 May 2022
Getting the right level of insurance is important, especially if you use your vehicle for reasons that fall outside 'social, domestic, pleasure and commuting' (SDPC), such as business, courier, takeaway and fast food delivery services.
With the food delivery business growing massively, particularly since restrictions have been placed on restaurants, cafes and pubs due to the Covid-19 outbreak, there are more and more drivers delivering takeaways in the UK, whether by car, motorbike or scooter, and making sure you do it right is important - if you have the wrong level of insurance when delivering food then not only is this illegal, but even a small bump to your car, bike or van can be ridiculously costly and you're likely to lose your job.
Do you need insurance to deliver food?
Yes. In the UK you must have the right level of car insurance in order to be on the road, and you will need additional insurance to deliver takeaway food.
If you want to get paid for delivering food, you are no longer just making 'social' journeys covered by your standard insurance policy, so you'll need to get more specialist cover for food delivery before you even begin your job. Most food delivery companies like Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eat will not let you start work until you have the correct cover in place.
What is food delivery insurance in the UK?
A subset of hire and reward insurance, fast food delivery driver insurance makes sure you are covered for the trips between the restaurant and each customer’s door.
In the eyes of UK law, your basic car insurance policy won’t cut it, and any accidents you have on your bike or another vehicle while you are working are going to count as uninsured, meaning you'll have to cover any costs relating to injuries and damage (which can be extortionate).
Not only could this mean huge costs coming out of your pocket, but you could potentially get points on your licence, a fine and even (in some extreme repeat cases) prison time.
It will also have a substantial effect on your insurance costs for the future, possibly doubling your future car insurance premiums.
With a proper car insurance policy for food delivery couriers, drivers are covered for the majority of possible eventualities while working, such as nighttime driving and journeys where you’re under slightly more pressure than usual (as you need to get to customers’ houses while the food is still hot).
You may even want to take a look at our moped and scooter-specific insurance guide, if you use them for daily commuting or delivery purposes.
Will I be covered by regular business use cover? What kind of insurance do I need for a job as a delivery driver?
No. A basic level of business insurance is called “Class A(1) Business Use” or simply class 1 business use insurance and this type of cover is intended to allow you to make short business journeys in your vehicle between client sites - not to deliver food takeaways. It is generally used by people in office-type jobs to allow them to travel to meetings and other infrequent, ad-hoc journeys.
While better for businesses than social and domestic car insurance, it is still insufficient for use as a delivery driver.
Class C(3) business use car insurance (or just class 3 business car insurance) is a far greater level of insurance and forms the basis for fast food delivery insurance.
It is also sometimes called “commercial car insurance” and allows you to use your vehicle, whether bike, car or van, fully for work purposes, but it does not cover you for delivering food, so you'll need to get additional food delivery driver car insurance.
Read more: What insurance do I need to deliver takeaways?
Is hot food delivery insurance different? Do I need specialist takeaway delivery insurance?
Being as detailed as you can be will help keep the cost of your premiums down.
Though your insurance company isn’t going to make much of a differentiation between delivering a pizza or Chinese food, it will offer a different food delivery insurance cost to that of a taxi driver or package courier – all of which still requires a form of hire and reward insurance.
So, while there’s no difference between hot food and cold, or kebab and curry, it is still beneficial to be as clear as you can be when describing your work needs to your insurance provider during the application process.
Do I need public liability insurance?
The business itself will need to have public liability insurance (which protects you from any damages that may occur if someone is hurt through your business) but as a delivery driver you generally won’t need to get it – you are merely making sure that you are covered for the journey while delivering the food, not for the food itself or the building it was prepared in.
However, if you are not employed directly by the restaurant or shop making the food and are a self-employed driver, you may want to look into the terms of your contract and check if you are covered under their insurance policy.
It is a good idea to look into public liability insurance yourself in case any of your actions (outside of a car crash) cause personal injury to another or damage to their property.
This could be as minor-seeming as stepping on someone’s toe when delivering the food goods, or accidentally tripping and damaging plants in a customer’s garden.
Any reputable food delivery company should cover their drivers through their own insurance, but it is still worthwhile to check this with them before starting.
Which insurance provider should I choose if I work for someone like Uber Eats, Deliveroo or Just Eat?
It really doesn’t matter which food delivery insurance company you choose to get specialist cover with. As long as you have a Certificate of Motor Insurance that covers food delivery or is a hire and reward policy that includes food delivery cover, you will be able to start your job without any problems; the sooner you get covered, the sooner you can start earning.
Remember, one of the best ways to save on cover is to compare car insurance quotes online. You might also want to check out reviews to compare the services offered by different insurers.
How much does food delivery insurance cost?
Like most forms of insurance, your personal circumstances, including the area in which you live, your driving history, the type of vehicle you drive and the time of day you deliver food takeaways all have a huge impact on the final insurance quote and cost. Sadly, this means we cannot give you an exact indication of your final food courier insurance costs.
Getting cheap fast food delivery insurance in the UK is going to be helped by the same techniques we suggest when getting personal, domestic car insurance, but food delivery insurance is going to work out more expensive than standard car insurance as you present a larger risk to insurance companies.
As a food courier, you are driving your vehicle more often, during the night, frequently around urban areas where there are many parked cars and other hazards exist. You will often be under time pressure and other factors which may impede your concentration, and more. All of this will be taken into account by the insurer and will, in turn, lead to higher premiums due to the added risk.
Delivery drivers are often younger too – food delivery insurance for drivers under 21 could be quite expensive. Typically, we recommend black box insurance for younger drivers as it can save a significant amount of money on premiums, but do consider your driving habits while on the job because poor driving with telematics insurance could raise your premiums over time rather than lowering them!
Pay-as-you-go food delivery insurance
One silver lining to the car insurance cloud is the introduction of pay as you go insurance for food delivery drivers.
This form of insurance only covers you while you are actually at work during a shift, converting to standard social, domestic and pleasure insurance at other times when you are not delivering takeaways.
It can save you considerably as you are not paying for the extra insurance when you don’t need it – look to specialist food and courier insurance companies to get a great quote on this beneficial deal.
Car insurance help with Compare UK Quotes
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To make sure you are delivering takeaway goods legally, get your food courier insurance quote now by tapping the green button below.