GENERAL


Who is Shipsurance and how can they save my company time and money?
Shipsurance is a shipping insurance provider. We offer shipping insurance at great discounts compared to the carrier rates. We also offer a fully electronic online claims management system and expedite all claim payments. Our coverage is integrated with most shipping software solutions. If you do not use a software program for your shipping, we allow for your shipments to be entered onto our online manifesting system.

How can Shipsurance help me or my company?
As an active shipper, you face an increased amount of liability with the increase in your shipments. The carriers do offer their own form of declared value coverage, but why pay their inordinate fees and deal with their tiresome claims process? Also, some carriers have restrictions on insuring fragile goods, fine arts, antiques, and electronics. Shipsurance offers insurance coverage at greatly reduced rates and your claims are usually settled within five business days. There are no long term commitments.

How can we offer this coverage?

• Shipping insurance is our specialty; We do not ship or package goods. As this is our only focus, we are able to offer low rates, great service, and quality support when you need it.
• As a Shipsurance policy holder, you are part of a collective of shippers that have experience and expertise in packing and shipping. This 'group buying power' allows us to offer you lower insurance rates

What is shipping insurance?
Shipping insurance is a variation of an ocean marine policy. Basically, it is insurance that covers the value of the package(s) you are shipping. If your package is lost, damaged, or stolen in transit, shipping insurance will ensure that your package is covered. It does not matter whom you ship with, as Shipsurance covers all the major carriers including: USPS (United States Postal Service), UPS, FedEx, DHL, Canada Post, and most common freight carriers (land/ocean/air).


How do your rates work?
Shipsurance’s rates are based on $100 units. For example: If your parcel has a declared value of $500, it contains five (5) $100 units. Since the first $100 of insurance coverage is provided by most carriers at no cost (Not USPS), Shipsurance would be responsible for four (4) $100 units. If our rate for a particular shipment is $0.20 per $100 unit, your premium for this specific parcel would be only $0.80.


What are the carrier rates and how do your rates compare?

Our rates are based on your shipping volume, valuation, commodity, and claims history. Click here to request a custom quote.

Typical Rates
Carrier	Rate per $100	Shipsurance Rates per $100
USPS	$2.25	Up to 90% Off
FedEx	$0.70 with $2.10 min.	Up to 90% Off
UPS	$0.70 with $2.10 min.	Up to 90% Off

How do I stop insuring with the carrier?
When you ship with a carrier, just stop recording 'declared' or 'insured value'.
The carriers do not need to know that you have secured insurance for the package. To them it is a transparent process.


Is coverage provided worldwide?
Coverage is provided worldwide for our open coverage customers when shipments originate from the United States or Canada, except to the following destinations.
If you are purchasing coverage for a single shipment via our website, click here to view the APPROVED COUNTRY LIST.

The following countries are excluded from coverage for our open certificate holders. If you have a policy with us, WE DO NOT COVER SHIPMENTS SENT TO THESE LOCATIONS:

Abkhazia Afghanistan Algeria Angola (including Cabinda) Bangladesh Barbados Benin Bolivia Brazil Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Chechnia Congo Cuba Djibouti

Dominican Republic Ecuador Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon Ghana Guinea - Bissau Indonesia Iran Iraq Ivory Coast Jordan Kenya Liberia Libya Mali Mauritania Morocco Niger Nigeria North Korea Oman

Pakistan Papua/New Guinea Paraguay Qatar Rwanda Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia Sudan Sri Lanka Sudan Syria Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Venezuela Yemen

In addition, truck/rail shipments to and within Mexico other than as a connecting conveyance and any location that would be in violation of any U.S. economic or trade sanctions including OFAC Restricted Countries. For shipments to Russian and other Commonwealth of Independent States countries (includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan) coverage ceases upon touchdown of the aircraft at the airport of destination or upon discharge from the overseas vessel at the destination discharge port.

Request a quote for open coverage now!

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Online Approved Country List

The following countries outside of the United States ARE COVERED when insuring via our website on a package by package basis (non - Shipsurance open certificate holders):

Argentina Australia Austria Bahamas Belgium Bermuda Canada Chile China Costa Rica Croatia Czech Republic Denmark Egypt El Salvador England

Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Guatemala Holland Hong Kong Hungary Iceland Ireland Israel Italy Japan Luxembourg Netherlands

New Zealand Norway Portugal Samoa Scotland South Africa South Korea Spain Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Turkey United Kingdom Uruguay Wales

If the country you are shipping to is not on the list above and you do not have an open policy with Shipsurance we cannot cover your shipment.

Note: Our open coverage customers enjoy broader coverage to additional countries. Request a quote for open coverage now!


Do I have to do anything different with the customs form?
You do not need to do anything different with your customs form. One of our exclusions reads "Loss, damage, shortage, or non-arrival of any parcel and its contents when it bears a descriptive label or packaging which describes, or alludes to, the nature of the contents." We DO NOT exclude shipments with the proper customs declarations.

What items can I insure?
Shipsurance offers coverage for most commodities but we do have a few exclusions and conditions. If the item your are shipping is on our excluded list, please contact us. We may be able to cover it.
We commonly insure items such as: jewelry, watches, electronics, computer equipment, fine arts, collectibles, and more.
Whether you need a $5.00 baseball card covered or you want to insure a $10,000 antique statue, Shipsurance may have an option for you.


What shipping carriers can I use?
Coverage is available for almost all shipping carriers. Some examples are: FedEx, UPS, DHL, USPS, Canada Post, Australian Post, Yellow, SAIA, and most common carriers. Please contact us to find out if Shipsurance covers the carrier that you use.


Can I mark the outside of my packages as insured if I am a certificate holder?
Do not mark your packages as insured as this brings unwanted attention to it. We provide you with free package inserts to place inside of your outbound shipments. These inserts explain to the recipient that you are insuring their package with a trusted company and if anything happened to it while in transit their claim would be handled promptly. Also, make sure you abide by the packaging rules of the specific shipping carrier that you are using.


Are there any packaging requirements?
Shipments must be packaged to withstand the normal rigors of transit and must meet (or exceed) the shipping carrier packaging standards. Please refer to your coverage certificate for specific conditions.


Do I need a policy certificate to insure with Shipsurance?
No, but as a Shipsurance insured client you receive complete coverage and lower rates. If you occasionally ship small packages, you can purchase instant coverage from our website here. View our instant coverage rates here.


Is purchasing insurance online at Shipsurance secure?
Definitely! The single package orders are encrypted with a 128 bit Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate. This ensures the highest level of security and privacy.


Is there a minimum requirement to sign up with Shipsurance?
Not at all! We have programs available for every type of shipper, small and large.


How do I pay for Shipsurance coverage?
Invoices are issued at the beginning of each month. Premium payment is collected on the month following the insured period (except flat rate). If you keep track of your packages by manifest or by a hand tally report, you can calculate what you owe Shipsurance by multiplying the number of $100 units by our rate. If you have a shipping manifest system or custom reporting system, you can email, fax or mail us the shipping file each month. If you do not have a shipping system, simply provide us with a weekly spreadsheet or hand tallied total (Shipsurance provided form) of your shipments. We will invoice you the calculated amount. Payments can be made via check, credit card, or, PayPal®. PayPal payments can be made here.



What is "Flat Rate" coverage?
Shipsurance offers Flat Rate coverage as an alternative to our typical report based policies. All inbound and outbound shipments are insured for a fixed monthly rate without the need for reporting your shipments to us. Some of the benefits to the flat rate program include:

1. No reporting
2. Discounted flat rate
3. Monthly fixed cost
4. Cover ALL of your shipments; Domestic and International; Inbound and Outbound
5. Claims processed even faster! We do not require you to submit a shipping report for a claim to be processed
   

Please contact us if you are interested in a flat rate or fill out our Request for Quote form.



What is considered "used household goods" or "used personal effects"?
Household goods and personal effects are items that are used in a dwelling. These include furniture, appliances, clothing, linens and other household items that are not involved in a recent sale or under commercial invoice. Items sold on eBay or via online store are not considered household goods or personal effects as they are under commercial invoice.


Can I insure the shipping & handling costs associated with a shipment?
You can insure your shipping & handling costs, as long as you declare that amount for coverage when insuring the shipment with us. If you do not include the S&H amount in your initial insurance declaration, it is not covered. Note: You will need to provide documentation of this cost, as well.


What does the following statement mean for residents of California? The insurance policy that you are applying to purchase is being issued by an insurer that is not licensed by the state of California. These companies are called “non-admitted” or “surplus line” insurers.
This insurance policy is issued by Lloyds of London, which is a NONADMITTED Insurance company. Shipsurance Insurance Services is the administering insurance company and is licensed in the state of California. The "Notice" is a Non Admitted Insurer Acknowledgement. If you are not based in California this does not apply to you.

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Reporting


How does Shipsurance know what shipments I want to insure?
Our insured's submit their shipment manifest logs on either a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. These logs can be a simple hand tallied report or a computer generated shipping report. This report contains information such as date of shipment, shipping carrier, tracking number, and declared value.
If you cannot generate reports, please let us know and we can customize a coverage plan for you.


How do I report my shipments?
If you are not on a flat rate program, there are many ways you can report your shipments to Shipsurance. Two of these methods are:

1. Electronic Shipping Report
   You can submit reports to Shipsurance that are generated from a shipping manifest system, custom shipping software, or a simple spreadsheet. Some examples of shipping software systems that generate Shipsurance compatible reports are:
• DHL Webship®
• DHL EasyShip®
• eBay®
• Endicia Dazzle®
• FedEx Ship Manager®
• Harveysoft CPS®
• iShip®
• Kewill Clippership®
• Malvern Systems, Inc.
• MOS MCM®
• Pitney Bowes Ascent®
• Pitney Bowes Shipstream Manager®
• Pitney Bowes TMS®
• PostalMate®
• Resource Software®
• ShipRite®
• SpeedShip®
• Stamps.com®
• Tanner Technologies Eagle®
• TrueShip
• UPS Worldship®
• USPS Click-N-Ship®
• V-Technologies StarShip®
• Windowbook Postal Package Partner®
• and many others
Our coverage can be included in both the shipping manifest and shipping software - notated as either 3rd party insurance or by using one of the allotted reference fields. This allows you to take advantage of our insurance system with very little effort in your everyday business routines. Your premium can be calculated by using the insurance report information.


2. Online Manifest
   We offer a special password protected website for our customers know as the Shipsurance Management Center. Shipsurance is the first to offer an online manifesting system. Through this website, all your shipments can be reported and tallied via a very easy-to-use interface. Contact us for more details.

All reports can be sent to us via email, fax, or regular mail. Most reports are required on a monthly basis.

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eReport Software


What is the Shipsurance eReport software?
We created a suite of software solutions to make the reporting process easier. It can now take as little as NO TIME to report your insured shipments to Shipsurance.
Click here for more details.

I need technical support regarding the eReport software. Where do I go?
Support is provided via Internet discussion forum. Please visit http://forum.shipsurance.com.

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Claims


How do I file a claim and receive payment?
Claims can be filed online here. Complete instructions are available here. If you choose to file a claim via fax or snail mail, the forms can be found here. If your claim is for a lost package, you would start by filing a tracer with the carrier to see if they can locate the shipment. Once all the required paperwork is completed and submitted to Shipsurance, we will process your claim in an expedited fashion. The entire process can be managed online. Please note: Damaged items and packaging must be held until the the claims process is complete.


How do I file a tracer with the USPS?
A tracer is the formal way to request a package investigation with the USPS. The USPS will usually provide you with written documentation of their findings. You can call the USPS at (800) 275-8777. Specifically, call (800) 275-8777, Press "6", Press "4", Say "More Information", then once you reach someone request documentation of your issue. More details can be found here.

How is a claim paid and to whom?
Claims payments are mailed to the insured via check. The insured is typically the person or company who purchased the insurance coverage.

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Large Freight/Cargo Shippers

Do you cover household goods?
Yes. Household goods are covered, but with a reduced limit compared with other covered commodities. Our rates and deductibles vary.


How do I request coverage for a specific shipment?
If you currently have a Shipsurance Cargo Certificate, or are insuring shipments for your customers, you can login to your account at the Shipsurance Management Center website and report your shipment(s) there.

If you do not have a Shipsurance Cargo Certificate and need to cover a specific shipment valued at $1,500.00 or less, you can purchase an instant trip certificate here.

If you do not have a Shipsurance Cargo Certificate and need to cover a specific shipment valued at $1,500.00 or more, fill out our Request for Cargo Insurance Coverage form located here. A Shipsurance representative will contact you within 24 hours.

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Auction Users


I am an auction seller. How can I explain '3rd Party Insurance' to my buyers?
This is a very common question we are asked by auction sellers. The first step is to communicate to your buyers via your auction listing. We provide logo images to add to your online auctions as well as package inserts (order more here) or (download and print here) to place in your outgoing parcels. We also suggest adding the following verbiage to your 'shipping' or 'policies' section of your listing:
Professional 3rd Party Shipping Insurance provided by Shipsurance.
We also suggest including the above verbiage on your invoice and/or packing slips. This way your buyers will feel comfortable with the fact that their purchase is insured while it is in transit.


I am an auction seller. Can my buyers contact you?
Definitely! If your buyers want to verify coverage, they can feel free to call us.


I am an auction buyer. I just bought an item from an auction service. Can I insure the shipment?
You can insure the shipment if the declared value is under $1,000.00 (policy holders have higher limits). All you need to do is purchase a one time trip certificate from our website here.


I do not have an appraisal for my auction sale. What value do I insure my shipment for?
Appraisals are not needed to show the value of your auction sale! Your "sales receipt" is you End of Auction (EOA) page/receipt. This shows the sales price of the item(s).

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Partnerships


Does Shipsurance offer partnership programs?
We do offer partnership programs. Most programs are based on integrating our shipping insurance into other systems. We work closely with our partners to make sure our relationships last. Contact us for partnership opportunities.


Do you have a referral program?
Yes! If you are a licensed insurance agent you can earn commissions from offering our all-risk insurance coverage. If you are not a licensed agent, ask about our revenue share program. Contact us about referral and revenue share opportunities.











Have more questions? Contact us here.