Written by Dan Marticio
Dan Marticio is the content manager at SmartFinancial and has written 150+ articles across multiple insurance verticals.
Edited by Fran Majidi
Fran Majidi manages content on SmartFinancial's website. She's had nearly a decade's worth of experience writing about i.
Updated March 14, 2022Expert Reviewed
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Metromile is a pay-per-mile auto insurer that charges drivers a base monthly price plus a cost-per-mile rate. Mileage is counted with Metromile Pulse, a telematics technology device that plugs into your vehicle. Your monthly base rate is determined by various factors, including your driving history, vehicle model and personal information.
Metromile insurance is available only in eight states and may be a worthwhile insurance option if you're a low-mileage driver. To help you decide if you should switch, our Metromile insurance review will cover coverage options, pricing and more.
Availability
Arizona, California, Illinois, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington
Pricing
Starting at $29 per month plus a per-mile rate
Coverages
Roadside assistance
Rideshare coverage
Gap insurance
Discounts
Customer support
Metromile's pitch is that traditional car insurance companies may be overcharging low-mileage drivers. Metromile claims to offer a better insurance product with car insurance that is based on the actual number of miles you drive as well as safe driving habits.
While Metromile considers many of the factors that traditional car insurance companies use to determine rates (age, car model and zip code) they place extra weight on your mileage. How much you drive strongly affects your likelihood of filing a car insurance claim. If you're not on the road, then you're not getting into accidents. Therefore, low-mileage drivers may enjoy more affordable auto insurance rates with Metromile.
The Metromile Pulse device uses your vehicle's GPS features to collect information about your daily mileage. The telematics device plugs into your car's OBD-II port, which exists on most cars with a gasoline engine built after 1996. The Pulse must be plugged into your vehicle at all times — although, you may unplug it if your mechanic needs to access the OBD-II port.
While Metromile considers many of the factors that traditional car insurance companies use to determine rates, they place extra weight on your mileage.
Pulse can do more than measure your mileage to provide more accurate premiums. It may even decode your check engine light and send you street sweeping alerts to help you avoid getting a ticket.
Metromile car insurance is available in only eight states: Arizona, California, Illinois, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington.
Metromile auto insurance policies start at $29 per month plus a per-mile rate.
Metromile quoted our sample California driver that drives 3,000 miles annually for a policy with minimum coverage requirements for liability insurance plus collision and comprehensive coverage at $100 per month plus 20.7¢ per mile. This pricing is still comparable to average rates in California — although pricing can still vary based on your actual driving data, discounts and more.
We also played around with different coverage levels and annual mileage to bring you more sample rates.
Liability Coverage Limits
$100 monthly base plus 20.7¢ per mile
$102 monthly base plus 21.8¢ per mile
$105 monthly base plus 22.8¢ per mile
Here is the California driver sample profile we used to collect the above rates:
The Metromile Pulse device uses your vehicle’s GPS features to collect information about your daily mileage.
Type of Coverage
Pays for the medical expenses that the other drivers face when you are the at-fault driver in a car accident.
Pays to repair or replace the other driver's car or personal property when you are the at-fault driver in a car accident.
Pays for repairs or replacements to your car for non-car-collision incidents (e.g., fire, theft, vandalization, weather, animal collision).
Pays to repair or replace your car if it hits another vehicle, regardless of who is the at-fault driver in the car accident.
Collision deductible waiver
Waives your collision coverage deductible if the other driver is at fault for causing the accident but is an uninsured driver.
Pays for your medical expenses (e.g., x-rays, surgeries) for injuries sustained during a car accident, regardless of who is at fault.
Pays for your medical expenses (e.g., x-rays, surgeries), lost wages and funeral fees as a result of a car accident, regardless of who is at fault.
Required in New Jersey and Pennsylvania
Pays for medical expenses, medical bills, lost wages and repair bills when the other driver is at fault but has no insurance or has insufficient coverage.
Required in Illinois, New Jersey, Oregon and Virginia
Pays for a rental car if your vehicle is unavailable due to a covered car claim.
Includes tows, flat tire replacement, locksmith services, jumpstarts and more.
*Only in Arizona, California, Illinois, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington. Coverages may be required in other states.
Policyholders who purchase collision coverage automatically receive up to $1,000 of pet injury coverage. This coverage is available only for dog and cat owners. Coverage would activate in a couple of different scenarios:
Keep in mind that Metromile's pet injury coverage only applies when your pet is involved in a covered vehicle incident. You would need to purchase pet insurance separately to cover your pet in all other cases.
Metromile posts that they do not insure vehicles when used for commercial purposes, which includes food delivery and rideshare services. Although, you may be covered if you host your vehicle on Turo, a carsharing company. Speak with your insurance agent about whether or not coverage is available to you.
Drivers can obtain a free online quote from the Metromile website. You will be asked multiple questions, including:
Metromile easily allows you to adjust your coverage levels and add on additional coverage to generate new insurance quotes on the spot.
For a more accurate quote based on your driving behaviors, you can download the Metromile app for free and drive with it for 17 days. During this time, the app will analyze how many miles you drive. Metromile claims that your rate may be up to 15% less than what you would be quoted without the app data.
Find Cheaper Car Insurance Rates
Customers can file claims online, through Metromile's mobile app or by calling 1 (888) 595-5485. Metromile's claims team is available 24/7.
Customers are encouraged to use the mobile app to file claims, since their AI claims system, AVA, helps streamline the process. AVA will instruct you on what photos to take and how to upload them. It will also pull data from Pulse to provide some context on the car incident.
AVA takes it a step further by connecting you with local repair shops and reserving a vehicle if you have rental car coverage.
Streamlined claims process.
Available only to eight states.
Free pet injury coverage with collision coverage.
Expensive for moderate- to high-mileage drivers.
Free 17-day trial to estimate your monthly rate.
Per-mile insurance is not ideal for drivers who spend a lot of time on the road.
Yes, full coverage insurance is available through Metromile. Metromile offers collision and comprehensive insurance coverage on top of liability coverage. Drivers have the option to increase their limits, if desired and add other types of car insurance coverage, including roadside assistance and Medpay.
Metromile announced in Nov. 2021 that Metromile will be acquired by Lemonade. The acquisition is expected to complete during Q2 2022.
Yes, Metromile is a pay-per-mile insurance company that is BBB accredited and has been in business for 11 years. The pay-per-mile auto insurance company is expected to be acquired by insurance company Lemonade in 2022.
Our analysis using a 25-year-old driver in California that drives just 3,000 miles annually showed that rates were still comparable to the national average cost of insurance. However, this is only an estimate and other factors, such as the application of discounts and your driving behavior data, will adjust your final rate.
Metromile claims that drivers pay up to $947 on car insurance if they drive 2,500 miles annually, up to $741 if they drive 6,000 miles annually and up to $541 if they drive 10,000 miles annually.
The rise of remote working has shifted the insurance industry. Shouldn't you get to enjoy affordable rates if you're spending less time on the road? Less driving means less risk, after all.
If you're seeking a new car insurance policy that reflects your "new normal" or you're buying car insurance for the first time, SmartFinancial can help you get the best rates in car insurance. We analyze hundreds of auto insurance companies in your area to match you with the best rates. Just enter your zip code below to get started on your free quotes.
Dan Marticio is the content manager at SmartFinancial and has written 150+ articles across multiple insurance verticals. His past experience writing in small business and personal finance verticals has earned him bylines on prominent fintech brands, including LendingTree, ValuePenguin, Fundera, The Balance and NerdWallet. His guides always aim to assist everyday consumers and entrepreneurs make informed decisions about their finances and business.
