What Is Excess in Car Insurance? 2027 Guide

Introduction

What is excess in car insurance? It is the amount you must pay toward a covered claim before your insurer pays the remaining cost. In Switzerland, you may also see it called a deductible, franchise in French, or Selbstbehalt in German.

Your excess can affect both your annual premium and what an accident costs you. A higher excess may make the policy cheaper, but it leaves you with a larger bill when you claim. It may also differ between liability, partial casco, and collision cover.

This guide explains how car insurance excess works in Switzerland and how to choose an amount that suits your budget.

What Is Excess in Car Insurance?

A car insurance excess is your agreed share of an insured loss. The amount appears in your policy schedule or insurance offer.

If a covered repair costs more than your excess, you pay the excess and the insurer covers the eligible balance. If the damage costs less than the excess, you pay the full repair bill yourself.

Excess and deductible mean the same thing in car insurance. However, a car insurance deductible is not like the annual deductible used in Swiss health insurance. It normally applies to each separate damage event rather than accumulating across the year.

For more context on liability, partial casco, and full casco, read how car insurance works in Switzerland.

How Car Insurance Excess Works

Suppose you reverse into a wall and the repair costs CHF 2,800. Your full casco policy has a CHF 500 collision excess:

You pay CHF 500.
Your insurer pays CHF 2,300.

If the repair costs only CHF 350, your insurer pays nothing because the cost is below the excess.

The excess generally applies per incident. If you damage the car in July and have another accident in October, you may pay it twice. This differs from Swiss health insurance, where the deductible works across a calendar year.

For theft or a total loss, the insurer may subtract the excess directly from the settlement rather than ask you to pay it separately.

When Car Insurance Excess Applies

Your excess depends on the part of the policy handling the claim. One policy can contain several excess amounts.

Coverage	When an excess may apply	Key point
Third-party liability	Damage you cause to another person	Young or new drivers may face an excess
Partial casco	Theft, hail, glass, fire, or animal damage	The amount depends on the insured event
Collision cover	Damage you cause to your own car	Usually has a separate excess
Parking damage	Damage caused by an unknown person	Limits and excesses vary by policy

Third-party liability

When an excess may apply

Damage you cause to another person

Key point

Young or new drivers may face an excess

Partial casco

When an excess may apply

Theft, hail, glass, fire, or animal damage

Key point

The amount depends on the insured event

Collision cover

When an excess may apply

Damage you cause to your own car

Key point

Usually has a separate excess

Parking damage

When an excess may apply

Damage caused by an unknown person

Key point

Limits and excesses vary by policy

Car insurance excess

Third-Party Liability Excess

Third-party liability covers injuries and property damage you cause to others. Experienced drivers often have no standard liability excess, but the policy may impose one based on age or driving experience.

Partial Casco Excess

Partial casco covers events such as theft, fire, hail, glass breakage, and animal collisions. Your policy may apply different excesses to different risks. Glass cover, for example, may have a lower or zero excess.

Full Casco and Collision Excess

Full casco combines partial casco with collision protection for your own vehicle. Collision claims usually carry a separate excess, even if another part of the same policy has no excess.

Typical Car Insurance Excess Amounts in Switzerland

There is no single excess fixed for every Swiss driver. Insurers set their own amounts, and many allow you to choose between several options.

Typical market examples include:

Third-party liability: often CHF 0 for experienced drivers
Partial casco: from CHF 0 to CHF 2,000
Collision cover: commonly CHF 500 or CHF 1,000
Glass or parking damage: sometimes CHF 0 or a lower amount

These are indicative figures, not legal rates. AutoMotoplus notes that Swiss car insurance deductibles vary by insurer, product, driver, and type of claim. Always check each coverage module rather than relying on the headline premium.

Higher Excesses for Young and New Drivers

Many Swiss insurers charge young and inexperienced drivers an additional excess because they present a higher accident risk.

A young driver is usually under 25, while a new driver has often held a licence for less than two years. However, insurers may use different definitions.

An additional excess can reach CHF 1,000 for a young driver. New drivers may face an extra CHF 500, although some providers charge less or remove the surcharge.

For example:

Standard collision excess: CHF 500
Additional young-driver excess: CHF 1,000
Possible total contribution: CHF 1,500

These amounts are not universal. ELVIA confirms that young-driver deductibles vary between Swiss insurers, so comparing the full terms can produce meaningful savings.

The Effect of a Higher Excess on Your Premium

A higher excess transfers more risk to you. In return, the insurer may offer a lower annual premium.

The cheapest premium is not always the cheapest policy overall. Saving CHF 100 per year may not justify increasing your excess by CHF 1,000, especially if you drive often or have limited emergency savings.

Compare the annual saving with the extra amount you would need to pay after one claim. The excess should remain affordable even if an accident happens tomorrow.

What Car Insurance Excess Should You Choose?

The right excess depends on your finances, driving habits, vehicle, and appetite for risk.

When a Lower Excess Makes Sense

Consider a lower excess if:

You drive every day or cover high mileage.
You often park in busy urban areas.
You are new to Swiss roads or winter conditions.
Your car is new, expensive, financed, or leased.
A sudden CHF 1,000 repair bill would strain your budget.

When a Higher Excess Makes Sense

A higher excess may suit you if:

You have a strong claims-free record.
You drive infrequently.
You have enough savings to fund minor repairs.
The premium reduction is meaningful.
You would avoid claiming for small cosmetic damage.

Simple Rule of Thumb

Choose the highest excess you could pay immediately without borrowing money or missing an essential expense.

Choosing Between a Claim and Paying for Repairs

Making a claim may not be worthwhile when the repair cost is below or only slightly above your excess.

A claim can also affect your bonus-malus level and future premiums unless you have bonus protection. Before claiming, compare:

The repair estimate
Your excess
The insurer’s expected contribution
A possible future premium increase

You should still report an accident when required by your policy, especially if another vehicle, another person, or bodily injury is involved.

Comparing Excesses Between Swiss Insurers

Do not compare policies on premium alone. Check:

The excess for each coverage module
Additional charges for young or new drivers
Separate glass and parking damage terms
Whether using an approved garage reduces the excess
The effect of claims on your no-claims bonus
Coverage limits and exclusions

A policy with a slightly higher premium may offer much better value if it reduces your out-of-pocket costs after an accident.

FAQ

It normally applies to every covered damage event. Two unrelated accidents can therefore result in two excess payments.

Conclusion

Understanding what excess in car insurance means helps you compare the real cost of a policy. A higher excess can lower your premium, but it should never exceed what you can comfortably pay after an accident.

AutoMotoPlus helps you compare car insurance options in Switzerland based on your vehicle, driver profile, coverage needs, and preferred excess.

AutoMotoplus

21 August 2026

2026-08-21

What Is Excess in Car Insurance? 2027 Guide

Introduction

What Is Excess in Car Insurance?

How Car Insurance Excess Works