Mercury Insurance Review: Auto and Home Insurance
Mercury Insurance boasts some of the best rates for auto and homeowners insurance, but its poor customer service could cause many to look elsewhere for coverage.
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Editor's Rating
Mercury has some of the most affordable car and home insurance rates in the states where it's available , making it a great choice for price-conscious customers. Those who qualify for Mercury's discounts could lower their premiums slightly, too.
However, drivers and property owners who value well-regarded customer service may be dissatisfied with Mercury, which has a high rate of complaints about home insurance and a reputation for delays.
Pros and cons
Pros
Affordable rates
Many car and home insurance discounts
Lots of home insurance coverage upgrades
Cons
Lots of complaints from homeowners
Only available in 11 states
Mercury auto insurance review
Mercury auto insurance quotes
Mercury Insurance has rates that are cheaper than average for minimum and full coverage, even for drivers with a prior accident.
Drivers who want full coverage could find some of the cheapest quotes from Mercury car insurance, as well as cheap rates after an accident. Drivers who qualify for any of the discounts offered by Mercury could likely reduce their rates even more. Mercury's customer service is around average, making it a good but not exceptional option for most drivers.
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Mercury auto insurance rates vs. competitors
Company | Minimum coverage | Full coverage | Full coverage with one accident |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geico | $396 | $1,380 | $3,523 |
| AAA SoCal | $454 | $1,750 | $3,541 |
| Progressive | $463 | $1,609 | $3,319 |
| Mercury | $527 | $1,487 | $2,235 |
| AAA NorCal | $579 | $1,712 | $2,732 |
| State Farm | $651 | $1,865 | $3,693 |
| Allstate | $734 | $1,892 | $5,080 |
| Farmers | $905 | $2,368 | $4,163 |
Mercury auto insurance discounts
Mercury doesn’t have the longest list of discounts, and like its optional coverages, availability varies by location. While the discounts are typical of what other insurance companies offer, Mercury does offer ways to save on its already-cheap car insurance.
Drivers could lower the cost of a Mercury car insurance policy by:
- Finalizing an auto policy with a digital signature.
- Insuring multiple vehicles.
- Getting multiple types of coverage, like auto and home.
- Equipping the insured vehicle with an anti-theft device.
- Signing up for auto pay.
- Maintaining a high grade point average.
- Avoiding an accident or ticket for a certain period of time.
- Paying your bill in full.
Policyholders can also save up to 5% by signing up for Mercury's RealDrive program. RealDrive tracks the number of miles driven, with fewer miles leading to cheaper rates. This may be of particular interest to drivers that work from home or don't drive to commute.
MercuryGO
Mercury offers a discount program for good drivers called MercuryGO. Customers can get 5% off for participating in the usage-based insurance program (10% for teens), and up to 40% off for safe driving behaviors, which include:
- Smooth driving.
- Avoiding speeding.
- Using your phone while driving.
Your discount is based on a three-month average score. Driving is tracked through a mobile app. Customer reviews on the Apple App Store cite issues with transparency about how the rating system works.
Mercury auto insurance coverage
Compared to other insurance companies, there are only a few optional coverages available with Mercury that customers can add to a standard, legally required policy. Furthermore, coverage options depend on the state of the insured, which ultimately restricts the number of add-ons offered. However, the Mercury mechanical protection endorsement is a feature not many other companies carry.
Drivers with Mercury auto insurance can get:
Mercury mechanical protection
Includes coverage for major failures that can occur to your vehicle, like transmission problems. Mercury mechanical protection offers several coverage levels for new and used vehicles. Mercury mechanical protection also includes these additional benefits at no extra cost:
- 24-hour roadside assistance
- Rental vehicle assistance
- Road hazard tire protection
- Trip interruption coverage
Rental car coverage
Reimburses drivers for the cost of a rental vehicle if their car is involved in a covered accident. Mercury offers several coverage limits, with the lower end beginning at $30 per day and the higher end at $100 per day, for a maximum of 30 days.
Roadside assistance
Provides stranded drivers with towing, a battery recharge, tire changes and help with locked doors. Mercury’s roadside assistance gives customers the option to select coverage ranging from $75 to $1,000 per occurrence.
Mercury Insurance reviews and complaints
The reputation for customer service from Mercury Insurance is slightly better than average for auto coverage and worse than average for home coverage. Measured by customer complaints, it performs decently. The insurer's largest auto subsidiary receives fewer complaints than the median insurer, with policyholders citing service delays as the source of their dissatisfaction with Mercury.
Mercury car insurance placed just above average in J.D. Power's industry satisfaction survey in California, where the insurer occupies a large market share. It was rated as the eighth-best insurer of 14.
Measurement | Auto | Home |
|---|---|---|
| NAIC Complaint Index | Fewer than expected | More than expected |
| J.D. Power | Above average | Not rated |
| A.M. Best Financial Strength Rating | Excellent | Excellent |
| Google Play | 4.3/5 | 4.3/5 |
| App Store | 4.6/5 | 4.6/5 |
Mercury home insurance review
Mercury home insurance rates
In a comparison of rates in one of Mercury's largest markets, we found that it offered some of the cheapest homeowners insurance for most people.
Mercury’s expanded set of discounts means you'll have opportunities to lower your rates further. Since the insurer's prices are already low, budget-conscious property owners could find Mercury to be an affordable option for home insurance.
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Mercury home insurance rates vs competitors
Insurance provider | Annual premium |
|---|---|
| Allstate | $1,115 |
| Travelers | $1,116 |
| Mercury | $1,327 |
| AAA NorCal | $1,576 |
| State Farm | $1,681 |
| AAA SoCal | $1,831 |
| Farmers | $2,204 |
Rates are for a home insured for $505,000 in California.
Mercury homeowners insurance coverage
Mercury offers customers access to a number of home insurance add-ons. The extra protections available from Mercury may be useful for many homeowners, and a few are rather unique, like hidden water leak coverage and green home coverage.
Homeowners insurance from Mercury Insurance can include:
Extended replacement cost
Provides policyholders with an additional 50% of coverage in excess of their dwelling coverage. The endorsement is meant to protect homeowners against the sudden rise in the cost of materials or labor that may occur when many homes in the same area are damaged.
Service line protection
Provides homeowners with $10,000 of coverage for damage to exterior and underground service lines. Service line protection is an uncommon add-on, and it provides coverage for the following:
- Pipes connected to a public water supply
- Sewage piping that's linked to a public sewer
- Ground loop piping
- Piping that provides heating in the form of natural gas, propane
- Piping that supplies compressed air
- Power lines
Identity theft protection
Grants policyholders up to $25,000 in coverage for expenses that they incur as a result of identity theft. This endorsement, partnering with CyberScout, allows you to seek reimbursement for any of the following:
- Lost income
- Notaries
- Attorney fees
- Mailing costs
- Loan application fees
Additional coverage for valuables
Increases the protection allotted to high-value items, such as jewelry, firearms, art and furs, which are typically only partially covered by a standard policy.
Hidden water leak coverage
Protects against damage from leaks hidden from view. A leak hidden within a wall, ceiling or crawl space can cause significant damage over time, and oftentimes homeowners won't notice that there's a problem right away. That can lead to a very expensive repair bill.
Most other insurers consider hidden water leaks to be normal wear and tear and place a time limit on leak claims. So if you don't notice a hidden water leak for a few months, they won't cover any damage it caused.
Green home coverage
Covers an extra 10% of replacement costs for homeowners who choose to replace damaged materials with environmentally friendly options or construction methods. For example, if you make a claim to fix a broken single-pane window, but choose to replace it with an energy-saving double- or triple-pane window, Mercury will pay 10% above the cost of a single-pane window to help cover the upgrade.
Unlike many other insurers, this coverage also extends to personal property, including appliances.
Matching of siding and roofing
Provides coverage for replacing undamaged roofing or siding to match new materials after a covered repair.
Refrigerated products
Covers up to $1,000 of food if a power outage or refrigerator mechanical failure causes spoilage.
Mercury home insurance discounts
Mercury offers a range of discounts to its policyholders. Local agents may be able to find shoppers discounts depending on their state.
- Bundling home and auto policies
- Owning a home constructed with fireproof materials
- Living in a home that's located in a gated community
- Having a home with safety features, like alarms, deadbolts or sprinklers
- Purchasing coverage for a new home
- Building with green materials can earn a discount of up to 5%
- Updating an older home can earn a discount of up to 10% on wind and water coverage
- Paying on time can earn a discount of up to 2%
Frequently asked questions
Is Mercury Insurance a good company?
Mercury is, overall, a good insurance company, offering cheaper-than-average rates and a wide range of home coverage options.
What states is Mercury insurance in?
Mercury Insurance is licensed to do business in 39 states: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
How do you cancel my Mercury Insurance policy?
Reach out to your agent or call Mercury customer service at (800) 503-3724 to cancel your policy. The company does not offer the option to cancel online. You may have to pay a cancellation fee.
Methodology
We obtained rates for varying levels of coverage using the profile of a 30-year-old man who drives a 2015 Honda Civic EX. We tested how the cost of car insurance changed by getting quotes for minimum and full coverage, as well as full coverage for someone with one prior accident. Our rates came from California, where Mercury comprises a significant portion of in-force policies.
For our homeowners review, we gathered rates from California for a home insured for $509,400 — the median value of a home in the state. This home measured 2,100 square feet and was constructed in 1979.
ValuePenguin's analysis used insurance rate data from Quadrant Information Services. These rates were publicly sourced from insurer filings and should be used for comparative purposes only — your own quotes may be different.
Editorial Note: The content of this article is based on the author's opinions and recommendations alone. It has not been previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed by any of our network partners.