2023 Mercury Review

Mercury Insurance offers a relatively small number of insurance products and is only available in 11 states, meaning most shoppers throughout the nation shouldn’t expect to have all of their insurance needs met by Mercury. Nevertheless, the company receives few car insurance complaints and can provide coverage for a diverse array of small business owners.

If you’re looking for basic home and auto coverage to meet your state or lender’s requirements or are looking to buy personal coverage from the same company that insures your business, Mercury may be a good fit for you, especially if you live in the company’s largest market, California.

For more in-depth information about where you can obtain coverage and what discount opportunities are available, you can check out the rest of our Mercury Insurance review below.

Mercury auto insurance review summary: Mercury Insurance offers all of the basic coverage types you might expect from a full coverage policy and a small number of extra coverages such as rideshare insurance and roadside assistance. The company received a relatively low number of car insurance complaints in California in 2022, so policyholders can reasonably expect a hassle-free policy management experience. Mercury home insurance review summary: Similarly, Mercury should meet the most common home insurance needs and can also provide coverage for identity theft, cyberattacks, appliance breakdowns and damaged service lines. However, the company doesn’t sell home insurance in Florida and only sells some coverage types like home-sharing and landlord coverage in California.

Mercury Insurance Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Works with 9,400+ independent agents	Only operates in 11 states and some coverage types aren’t available outside of California
Low rate of car insurance complaints for a company with its market share according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)	Limited range of insurance products compared to other major insurance companies
Offers commercial insurance packages tailored to the needs of multiple kinds of businesses	Unimpressive customer satisfaction ratings according to J.D. Power

About Mercury Insurance

Mercury Insurance started out selling car insurance policies in 1962 and then added home insurance a decade later. While the company was founded in California, it expanded into 10 other states from 1989 to 2004.^[1] Rather than employing captive agents, Mercury Insurance currently offers various coverage types through a team of more than 9,400 independent agents.^[2]

Availability

Mercury Insurance only operates in 11 states and primarily focuses on California, where about 86% of the company’s premium revenue comes from. Nevertheless, you may also be able to buy coverage from Mercury in the following states:^[2]

• Arizona
• Florida
• Georgia
• Illinois
• Nevada
• New Jersey
• New York
• Oklahoma
• Texas
• Virginia

Furthermore, the availability of certain coverage types depends on the state you live in. For example, Mercury only offers home-sharing coverage and business owners policies (BOPs) in California. On the flip side, the company doesn’t sell homeowners insurance at all in Florida.^[2]

Coverage

While Mercury may offer a limited range of insurance products compared to other major insurance companies, it still offers multiple coverage types such as the following:^[2]

• Home
• Renters
• Condo
• Landlord
• Home-sharing
• Auto
• Rideshare
• Commercial
• Umbrella

Consumer Experience

Line of Business	J.D. Power Score (Out of 1,000)[3]	NAIC Complaint Index[4]	NAIC Share of Complaints in U.S. Market[4]
Auto*	794	0.84	0.59%

^{*California only}

Customer Service

Customers who visit the Mercury Insurance website can ask questions and receive general customer support via phone, audio chat or text chat.^[5] In addition, the website hosts resources that can help customers understand the company’s claims and payment procedures or find vehicle repair shops.^[6]

Mercury had a below-average score of 794 for overall customer satisfaction regarding auto insurance in California, the only region where it was rated in J.D. Power’s most recent car insurance study.^[3] However, its score of 866 for overall customer satisfaction regarding the auto insurance shopping experience was slightly above average compared to other midsize car insurance companies.^[7]

Despite its unspectacular customer satisfaction ratings, Mercury Insurance does stand out thanks to its low rate of complaints. The company received slightly fewer car insurance complaints than expected given its market share in California in 2022.^[4] Meanwhile, Mercury Insurance Company of Illinois received zero complaints across all lines of business in 2022.^[8]

Features

Mercury Insurance’s main app allows users to access their policy information, view identification cards and request roadside assistance, among other features. Mercury Insurance reviews are generally favorable for the mobile app on both the App Store and Google Play, although neither version of the app has received more than 1,000 reviews as of the time this article was written.^[9][10]

Platform	Number of Reviews	Star Rating
App Store	838	4.8/5
Google Play	484	4.1/5
App Store (MercuryGO)	201	3.4/5
Google Play (MercuryGO)	219	3.9/5

The company also offers a usage-based insurance (UBI) program through its MercuryGO Safe Driving App. You can get an upfront 10% discount by enrolling in MercuryGO, followed by a discount of up to 40% when you renew your policy depending on your driving habits. However, you should note that the MercuryGO app has somewhat less favorable reviews, especially on the App Store, with some users complaining about the accuracy of the app’s telematics technology.^[11][12]

Pricing

You may find starting rates for some of Mercury’s insurance products on the company’s website including less than $3 per month for identity management services and less than $1 per day for rideshare insurance.^[13][14] However, for the most part, you’ll need to contact the company directly for more accurate quotes. Keep in mind that your rates will depend on factors like your location, claims history and policy details.

Claims

Mercury customers have two main options for filing claims. They can either type their information into an automated digital portal on the Mercury Insurance website or call the company’s claims hotline at 800-503-3724. Both options are available 24/7.^[5]

Mercury Car Insurance

Mercury Insurance offers all of the coverage types that are commonly required by law or by lenders, although the company doesn’t offer many car insurance add-ons.

What’s Covered

A Mercury car insurance policy may include the following coverage types:^[6]

• Liability insurance
• Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage
• Personal injury protection (PIP)
• Medical payments coverage
• Comprehensive and collision coverage
• Rental car coverage
• Roadside assistance
• Rideshare insurance
• Mechanical protection

What Isn’t Covered

Mercury hasn’t published a list of standard exclusions among its car insurance policies, so exclusions may vary from policy to policy. In general, auto insurance policies tend to exclude coverage for the following:

• Wear and tear or poor maintenance
• Property stolen from your vehicle
• Modifications and upgrades
• Intentional losses
• Racing, off-roading and similar high-risk activities
• Excluded drivers and unlisted vehicles

Mercury Home Insurance

Mercury’s line-up of home insurance coverages includes a mix of standard coverage types and optional residential coverage types that can enhance your policy beyond the minimum amount of coverage your mortgage lender may require.

What’s Covered

You may be able to add the following coverage types to your policy whenever you buy home insurance from Mercury:^[15][16][6]

• Dwelling coverage with the option to upgrade to extended replacement cost coverage
• Other structures coverage
• Personal property coverage plus additional coverage for valuables
• Additional living expense coverage
• Personal liability coverage
• Medical payments coverage
• Identity theft protection
• Home cyber protection
• Home systems protection
• Service line protection

What Isn’t Covered

See below for a list of exclusions you are likely to find in a Mercury homeowners insurance policy. Keep in mind that this list is not exhaustive, so it’s important to pay attention to the details of your policy so you know what perils and liability risks won’t be covered.^[17]

• Flooding
• Earthquakes
• Poor maintenance or neglect
• Fraudulent losses
• Intentionally inflicted injuries or property damage

Additional Policies Mercury Offers

Mercury doesn’t offer as wide a range of insurance products as many other major insurers. For example, you won’t be able to buy motorcycle, RV, ATV or life insurance from Mercury. Nevertheless, the company does sell some additional coverage types like the ones explained below.

Commercial

Mercury offers three main categories of commercial insurance including habitational insurance for business owners who rent out residential properties, lessors risk insurance for commercial property owners and small business insurance designed to cover various types of business owners ranging from barbers to health care professionals. These insurance packages can include coverage types like the following:^[18][19][20]

• General liability insurance
• Commercial property insurance
• Business interruption insurance
• Professional liability insurance
• Commercial auto insurance
• Commercial ordinance or law coverage
• Liquor liability insurance
• Employment practices liability insurance
• Cyber and data breach coverage
• Equipment breakdown insurance
• Employee dishonesty coverage
• Commercial water backup and sump pump overflow coverage
• Bed bug liability coverage
• Bailee’s customer insurance
• Outdoor signs coverage
• Spoilage coverage

Renters

Renters insurance from Mercury primarily insures your belongings against covered perils while also providing personal liability and medical payments coverage to protect you from various liability risks. A renters policy from Mercury can even include workers’ compensation coverage if you employ any domestic workers.^[21]

Condo

Condo insurance protects both the inner structure of your condo unit and the possessions you store inside of it in case they are damaged by a peril your policy covers. This type of policy can also include coverage for additional living expenses, liability issues and, like Mercury’s renters insurance policies, workers’ compensation.^[22]

Mercury Insurance Discounts

You can view the tables below for an overview of the Mercury car insurance discounts and Mercury home insurance discounts that can lower insurance prices for eligible customers. Keep in mind that the availability of some discounts depends on the state you live in.^[23][24]

Auto Insurance Discounts

Discount Name	Description
Anti-Theft Feature	Mercury Insurance offers lower rates to drivers who install anti-theft devices to make theft-related claims less common and easier to resolve whenever they are necessary
Auto Pay	You could get a discount if you sign up for a system that automatically withdraws your premium payment each month
E-Signature	Signing your policy digitally can lower the use of unnecessary paperwork and make you eligible for a discount
Good Driver	You may qualify for a good driver discount if you go an extended period of time without getting into a car accident or receiving any speeding tickets
Good Student	The eligibility requirements for a good student discount can vary but you should be prepared to show certain documents such as your transcript
Multi-Car	Mercury rewards customers who add multiple vehicles to the same policy with a discount
Multi-Policy	This discount is available to policyholders who bundle their car insurance coverage with their home, renters or condo insurance
Pay in Full	You’ll also qualify for a discounted rate if you pay your car insurance premiums for the entire coverage period up front rather than paying in monthly installments

Home Insurance Discounts

Discount Name	Description
Fire Protective Device	If you have a fire extinguisher, smoke detector, fire alarm or sprinkler system in your home, you may be eligible for a discount on your homeowners insurance premiums
Theft Protective Device	Similarly, you can get a discount for lowering your exposure to theft by living in a gated community or installing devices like deadbolts and burglar alarms
Water Leak Detection	You can qualify for a lower rate by installing a system that automatically turns your water off or notifies a third party anytime there is a leak
New Home	If your home is less than 10 years old, you can earn a new home discount from Mercury Insurance
Homeowners Association	Homes and condos that are part of a homeowners association (HOA) are also eligible for a discount
Wildfire Mitigation - Property Level	This discount applies if your home meets certain defensible space and home-hardening requirements
Wildfire Mitigation - Community Level	Meanwhile, this discount applies if the community you live in has established annual fuel mitigation efforts or if it has been recognized by the Firewise USA Recognition Program or designated as a shelter-in-place community
Loss Free	Policyholders who go at least three years without filing a homeowners insurance claim may get to pay less for coverage
Multi-Policy	This discount is available to policyholders who bundle their home insurance coverage with their car insurance or a California Earthquake Authority policy

How Does Mercury Compare to Other Car Insurance Companies?

Mercury vs Chubb	Mercury vs Cincinnati
Mercury vs Erie	Mercury vs Esurance
Mercury vs Gainsco	Mercury vs Hanover
Mercury vs Sentry	Mercury vs Shelter