Rideshare insurance

The three periods

• App off — your personal policy applies as normal
• Period one: app on, waiting for a request — the thinnest coverage of the three
• Period two: request accepted, driving to collect — platform coverage generally applies
• Period three: passenger in the vehicle — platform coverage generally applies

Why period one is the problem

Your personal policy typically excludes driving for hire once the app is on. Platform coverage during period one is generally more limited than in periods two and three — often contingent liability only, with no coverage for damage to your own vehicle.

So the period you spend most time in can be the period you're least covered in. Exact terms differ by platform and by state, so check your own platform's current disclosure rather than any general description, including this one.

Damage to your own car

Even during periods two and three, platform coverage for damage to your own vehicle typically applies only if you carry comprehensive and collision on your personal policy, and it commonly carries a deductible substantially higher than yours.

That's the second surprise. Check both conditions before assuming your car is covered while you're working.

How to close the gap

• A rideshare endorsement added to your personal policy, which is the usual and cheapest answer
• A commercial policy, where volume makes that appropriate
• Confirming you carry comprehensive and collision, since platform vehicle coverage often depends on it
• Checking whether your insurer writes rideshare at all — not all do

Tell your insurer

Not disclosing rideshare driving doesn't create coverage; it creates a dispute. Insurers can identify platform driving after an accident, and a claim denied for an excluded use costs far more than the endorsement would have.

Some insurers will non-renew a policy on discovering undisclosed rideshare use, which leaves you shopping with a gap on your record.