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Why You Can Trust the MarketWatch Guides Team
Here’s a breakdown of how we reviewed and rated the top auto insurance providers
130
Providers ReviewedOur team looked at over 100 of the top auto insurance providers in the U.S., from national providers like USAA, Travelers and State Farm to regional providers like Erie Insurance.
8,500
Data Points AnalyzedTo properly score each auto insurance provider, we looked at cost data, claims processes, customer review scores, industry standing, available discounts, coverages and add-ons.
800
Research HoursOur team put in the time so you don’t have to, evaluating cost data, reading customer reviews and researching companies to determine the most reliable options for coverage.
8,500
Customers SurveyedWe asked thousands of customers to describe their experience with their auto insurance provider to understand how real customers feel about their insurers.
Learn more about our methodology and editorial guidelines.
What Are State Farm Car Insurance Payment Options?
Insurance companies recognize that paying for car insurance is nobody’s favorite thing to do. State Farm is no exception, so it offers customers a range of convenient options, helping you control how much to pay, when to pay and the methods of paying, from credit cards to money orders.
Methods of Payment
First, let’s take a look at how to pay. State Farm accepts all of the following payment options:
- Credit card or debit card, using Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Diners Club and JCB cards
- Check or money order
- Automatic withdrawals from a checking or savings account
Where To Pay State Farm
Next, let’s cover all the different ways State Farm customers can make their car insurance payments. If you’re a State Farm policyholder, you can choose to pay:
| Digitally | This is likely the quickest and easiest way. You can use the State Farm app or visit its payment portal online to make a payment anytime, day or night. |
| In person | If you’d prefer, you can either visit or call your local State Farm agent and pay with a credit card or with a check or money order made out to State Farm. |
| By phone | Call 1-800-440-0998 24/7 and use a credit card or checking/savings account to make payment using State Farm’s automated self-service options. |
| By mail | State Farm customers can send a check or money order to: State Farm Insurance Companies |
When and How To Pay
Finally, let’s cover State Farm’s car insurance payment options for when and how to make a payment. The insurer’s payment plans provide the flexibility to:
- Choose a payment due date, between the 1st and 28th of each month.
- Choose to either pay up front in one lump sum or in monthly installments.
- Choose to make automatic payments, which the insurer can deduct from a bank account or credit or debit card.
The biggest benefit to paying your premium all at once is that you never have to remember your payment due date or worry about missing a payment, being late on a payment or having your coverage lapse
State Farms also offers several other helpful payment-related services, including email reminders, paperless billing and the ability to make a one-time payment quickly without having to log into an account.
Payment Discounts From State Farm
Some car insurance companies will offer a “paid-in-full” discount if you go pay for an entire policy period up front. While State Farm doesn’t offer a discount for this.
While State Farm does not offer a discount for paying your premium in full or for choosing its paperless billing option, it does offer a handful of other ways to save based on how you put your policy together.
- Insure more than one car on your policy to save as much as 20% on your premium.
- Bundle your policies for additional discounts. For example, if you bundle your car and home policies, you could save up to $1,073. Bundling your car and renters’ policies could save you up to $684.
How Long Does State Farm Give You To Pay Your Bill?
State Farm provides a grace period of 10 days beyond a due date to make a payment. Any payments received within that period are not subject to late fees or policy cancellation. However, it’s always in your best interest to make your car insurance payments consistently and on time to avoid having a lapse in coverage. Lapses can cost you money in the long run.
State Farm lets its customers set their payment due date between the 1st and 28th of the month. If you set up autopay, State Farm will retrieve your payment automatically on the date that you selected. Even if you don’t have autopay set up, you must pay your car insurance bill by the selected due date.
You can receive email reminders about when your payments are due. State Farm sends reminders five days before your due date or if your payment is past due or if a bank declined it.
What Are Late Payment Fees for State Farm?
If State Farm does not receive a payment within the 10-day grace period of a bill being due, it will send a cancellation notice. State Farm does not charge late fees. If you are beyond the grace period of making your payment, the insurer will cancel your insurance.
What Happens If I Miss a Car Insurance Payment?
If you miss a car insurance payment, State Farm may cancel your policy. If that’s the case, it could end up costing you a lot more money in the long term. Here’s how:
You May Have To Pay for Damages Out of Pocket
If you drive without insurance even for a day or two, the risks to your finances are great. If you’re in an accident while you’re uninsured, the financial cost could be devastating. The average cost of an accident starts at close to $6,000 and goes up from there. According to the National Safety Council, accidents involving disabling injuries can cost as much $155,000, on average. So, unless you have thousands of dollars saved up for a rainy day, driving without insurance — even for just a short period of time — is a major risk.
Your Next Car Insurance Rates Could Rise
If State Farm cancels your policy, you have a lapse in coverage. This situation could cost you more in future car insurance premiums. Insurance companies view drivers with a lapse in coverage as a greater risk and more likely to get into an accident. So, they charge them more money for insurance. A lapse in coverage of only 30 days could result in a 35% increase in car insurance rates.
You May Suffer Legal Actions
Depending on the state where you live, driving without insurance can carry a fine of up to $1,500. Some states may require jail time, even for first offenses. This is all why making on-time car insurance payments is important. You do not want to flirt with even a short lapse in coverage or, worse, no coverage.
State Farm Insurance Payment Options: The Bottom Line
State Farm’s payment options let customers pick a method that fits their finances and personal preferences. Customers have many choices throughout the process.
Car Insurance Recommendations
If you’re paying for car insurance, why not make sure that you have the best policy you can get at the best possible rate? Here are a few recommendations for getting quality coverage at affordable prices.
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Geico: Affordable for Most Drivers
When it comes to affordability, Geico remains at the top of the car insurance list. In addition to low prices, it offers quality customer service and an array of digital products intended to make every aspect of car insurance easier, from getting a quote to paying a bill. Geico customers can also make payments online 24/7, on the app and by phone.
Read more: Geico Insurance Review
Compare: State Farm vs. Geico
Progressive: Low Rates for High-Risk Drivers
The MarketWatch Guides team rated Progressive as one of the best car insurance companies of 2023. As the second-largest U.S. auto insurer, Progressive is a smart option for drivers with certain risk factors in their profiles. If you’ve missed a car insurance payment before and have had a lapse in coverage, Progressive is where to start looking for a better rate.
Read more: Progressive Insurance Review
Compare: Geico vs. Progressive or Progressive vs. State Farm
State Farm Online Payment: FAQ
Below are frequently asked questions about State Farm’s online payment options.
Yes, you can either call your agent to make a payment or can call 1-800-440-0998 at any time of day. You must use a credit card or a checking or savings account to make the payment.
If you miss a State Farm payment by more than 10 days, the insurer will send you a cancellation notice and cancel your policy.
State Farm takes payments from credit cards or debit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Diners Club and JCB), check, money order or automatic withdrawal from a checking or savings account.
Our Methodology
Because consumers rely on us to provide objective and accurate information, we created a comprehensive rating system to formulate our rankings of the best car insurance companies. We collected data on dozens of auto insurance providers to grade the companies on a wide range of ranking factors. The result was an overall rating for each provider, with the insurers that scored the most points topping the list.
Here are the factors our ratings take into account:
- Cost: Auto insurance rate estimates generated by Quadrant Information Services and discount opportunities were both taken into consideration.
- Coverage: Companies that offer a variety of choices for insurance coverage are more likely to meet consumer needs.
- Reputation and experience: Our research team considered market share, ratings from industry experts and years in business when giving this score.
- Availability: Auto insurance companies with greater state availability and few eligibility requirements scored highest in this category.
- Customer experience: This score is based on the volume of complaints reported by the NAIC and customer satisfaction ratings reported by J.D. Power. We also considered the responsiveness, friendliness and helpfulness of each insurance company’s customer service team based on our shopper analysis.
Our credentials:
- 800 hours researched
- 45 companies reviewed
- 8,500+ consumers surveyed
*Data accurate at time of publication.
If you have feedback or questions about this article, please email the MarketWatch Guides team ateditors@marketwatchguides.com.
