Motor insurance pricing is no stranger to regulatory scrutiny, yet one important part of the proposition continues to operate largely out of sight: add-ons. While headline premiums have been shaped and reshaped by regulatory intervention, the treatment of add-ons has evolved more quietly - despite their growing importance to customer outcomes.
Legal expenses, breakdown, courtesy car, personal accident and windscreen cover play a critical role in how customers experience value - and in how insurers generate margin. Our latest analysis of price comparison website (PCW) journeys and minimum add-on prices (October 2025 vs February 2025) shows just how wide the gap has become between what customers think they are buying and what they actually receive.
Michael Dingwall, who led the analysis, explains:
“What stood out wasn’t just the level of variation in add-on pricing, but how inconsistent the experience can be depending on where and how a customer buys.”
That inconsistency is no longer just a customer experience problem. Under Consumer Duty - and increasingly under the DMCC regime - it becomes a conduct and competition issue.
Central to the journey, inconsistent in practice
Across all major PCWs, add-ons remain a prominent part of the motor quote journey. Customers are routinely presented with options for legal cover, breakdown, personal accident, courtesy car and windscreen. However, how these features are displayed varies widely.
Some sites clearly show what is included from the results page. Others require customers to click into policy detail to discover whether key features are present. One major PCW does not display add-on prices even when they are available, making meaningful cost comparison difficult.
As Catherine Carey, Head of Marketing at Consumer Intelligence, notes:
“How add-ons are displayed often matters as much as how they are priced. Small differences in presentation can have a big impact on what customers believe they have purchased.”
Central to the journey, inconsistent in practice
The most striking finding is the scale of price variation across the market:
- Legal add-ons range from a few pounds to almost £40
- Breakdown cover spans £2 to more than £80
- Windscreen cover can vary from under £5 to over £70 for the same brand on the same PCW
In many cases, there is no obvious risk-based driver behind these differences.
Tim Stout, Head of Growth & Innovation at Consumer Intelligence, comments:
“When the same type of add-on can be priced anywhere between a few pounds and several dozen pounds, it raises valid questions about how fair value is being defined and evidenced.”
If an insurer can profitably offer windscreen cover for £5, how defensible is £70? These gaps suggest add-ons may sometimes be used for margin recovery in ways that are not always clear to customers.
Why this matters now
With most motor insurance now purchased through PCWs, these platforms play an increasingly influential role in shaping customer journeys. Their design choices affect how information is presented, what customers compare and how value is understood at the point of purchase.
For insurers and brokers, add-ons should now be treated as a core part of Consumer Duty compliance - not a secondary consideration. Clarity, consistency and simplicity are increasingly competitive advantages, not just regulatory hygiene.
See where you benchmark
Add-ons are no longer a peripheral pricing decision. They are a visible test of fair value, transparency and customer understanding.
Consumer Intelligence helps insurers see exactly where their add-on pricing and structures sit in the market. Our benchmarking tools show how your add-ons compare across all major PCWs, highlighting minimums, medians, outliers and recent competitor movement.
If you want a clear, evidence-led view of how your add-ons stack up - and where pricing, presentation or value could be exposed under Consumer Duty - get in touch to see where you really benchmark.
See how your add-ons really compare
Benchmark your add-on pricing and structures across all major PCWs. Identify outliers, track competitor movement and evidence fair value with confidence.
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