Daniel Robinson is a writer based in Greenville, N.C. with expertise in auto insurance, loans, warranty options and more. Away from the keyboard, Daniel spends time with his wife and son, plays guitar and obsesses over the Beatles and Baltimore Orioles.
Edited by RaShawn Mitchner Senior EditorRaShawn Mitchner is a MarketWatch Guides team senior editor covering personal finance topics and insurance. She’s spent over a decade writing and editing articles about how to save money on travel, entertainment, household services and more.
Our Research Process Edited by RaShawn Mitchner Senior EditorRaShawn Mitchner is a MarketWatch Guides team senior editor covering personal finance topics and insurance. She’s spent over a decade writing and editing articles about how to save money on travel, entertainment, household services and more.
Why Trust UsHere’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.
12,500 Customers SurveyedWe asked thousands of customers to describe their experience with their auto insurance provider to understand how real customers feel about their insurers.
In this article, we at the MarketWatch Guides team provide a comprehensive overview of State Farm’s payment options, including detailed information on payment methods accepted, how to make a payment and what happens if you miss a payment.
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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.
First, let’s take a look at how to pay. State Farm accepts all of the following payment options:
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: |
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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’s payment options let customers pick a method that fits their finances and personal preferences. Customers have many choices throughout the process.
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.
