🧭 How to Use This Parcel Insurance Hub
Are you lost in the jungle of parcel insurance? This Hub is your compass to navigate through more than 40 analyzed solutions and find the one that exactly matches your needs.
The Parcel Insurance Atlas
Your decision-making hub for navigating the Ad Valorem insurance ecosystem and building the perfect protection strategy for your business in 2025.
Claisy Transparent Protection in 3 Key Points
Get your cash back in 48 hours instead of several months.
Protect all your belongings, even luxury and high-tech items, anywhere in the world.
Automate your protection without slowing down your site or changing your habits.
🛒 1. Your Online Store (CMS Platforms)
🚀 2. Your Transportation Brokers (Shipping Platforms)
🚚 3. Your Shipping Partners
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🎯 Are you new to parcel insurance?
Welcome! Parcel insurance (or Ad Valorem) may seem complex, but we'll simplify the process for you:
Step 1: Understand the Basics
Startwith our fundamental guide to ad valorem insurance. According to FEVAD, 18 million parcels are lost or damaged each year in France, representing €2.4 billion in value. Appropriate parcel transport insurance is not an option, it is a necessity.
Step 2: Identify Your Profile
- Do you ship fewer than 50 packages per month? You are a small business.
- Between 50 and 500 packages/month? You are a growing SME.
- More than 500 packages per month? You are retailer .
Step 3: Consult the Appropriate Section
- Section 1 (CMS): If you are looking for automatic integration
- Section 2 (Transportation Companies): Want to learn more about tech platforms?
- Section 3 (Carriers): If you compare basic offers
- Section 4 (Comparisons): For an objective overview
⚡ Are you optimizing your current parcel shipping insurance?
Already have insurance but looking to improve your costs or coverage? Here's your path:
Analysis of Your Current Situation
- Identify your current solution in Section 3 (Carriers) or Section 2 (Platforms).
- See the dedicated article to understand its specific limitations.
- Use our interactive comparison tool (Section 4) to view the alternatives.
Calculate your potential savings
According toour analysis, retailers standard carrier insurance pay on average 35% too much for coverage that is often limited. A €500 package with DHL costs €15 in insurance (3%) compared to €3.75 (0.75%) with an optimized solution such as Claisy.
Prioritize Your Criteria
- Costs: See the 2025 parcel transport insurance comparison - 2026 study coming soon
- Timeframes: Check the reimbursement processes (77 days on average for carriers vs. 48 hours for expert solutions)
- Coverage: Identify exclusions in your current solution
🔧 Are you integrating a new solution?
Ready to take action? Follow this structured process:
Step 1: Identify Your Technical Stack
- Section 1: Find your CMS (Shopify, WooCommerce, PrestaShop, Magento, etc.)
- See the dedicated article to understand the specifics of integration.
- Estimated time: 5 minutes to read
Step 2: Check Your Carriers
- Section 3: List your current carriers
- Ensure compatibility with your future solution
- Identify the limitations of their native insurance policies
Step 3: Compare Intermediary Platforms
Ifyou use Sendcloud, ShipStation , or others (Section 2), check:
- The limitations of their built-in insurance
- The possibilities of stacking with an external solution
- The impact on your existing workflow
🎯 Find YOUR Solution in 3 Key Questions
Every retailer unique needs. This matrix helps you quickly identify the solution that best suits your profile.
Question 1: What is your average value per package?
Less than €200 per package: Your Carrier basic insurance Carrier be sufficient to start with. However, be aware that according to FEVAD, 64% of retailers find themselves underinsured in their first year of growth.
Points to watch :
- Colissimo: Maximum Limit ,000
- Mondial Relay : Only €500 coverage
- Chronopost : Limited to €5,000
Check out our Colissimo vs. Chronopost analysis Chronopost understand the differences.
Between €200 and €1,000 per package
Youare in the critical zone where carrier insurance quickly becomes inadequate. Now is the time to optimize.
Why it's critical:
- The minimum insurance costs (€12-15) represent 2-6% of your value.
- The Limits to become restrictive.
- The ROI of an optimized solution becomes significant: up to 35% savings according to our 2025 comparison.
Concrete example: A €500 parcel with UPS costs €12 for insurance (2.1% + minimum) compared to €3.75 (0.75%) with a proportional solution.
Over €1,000 per package
Specialized parcel shipping insuranceis essential. Standard carriers have their limitations:
- Limits (UPS: €40,000 max, DHL: €50,000)
- Problematic exclusions (luxury goods, high-tech goods, jewelry)
- Incompatible reimbursement times (77 days on average vs. 48 hours for expert solutions)
Sectors particularly affected:
- Luxury and jewelry: Consult our specialized guide
- Collectible watches: Chrono24 analysis
- High-end electronics
- Art and antiques
Question 2: What is your monthly volume?
Less than 100 packages/month (very small businesses): Focus on flexibility and simplicity. You don't need complex solutions.
Recommended solution:
- On-demand insurance with no strings attached
- No minimum volume
- Simple and fast interface
Estimated cost: 0.75% of your shipped value, or €75/month for €10,000 of monthly shipped value
Between 100 and 500 packages/month (growing SMEs)The ROI of optimization becomes very significant. Now is the time to automate.
Actual financial impact:
- 300 packages/month × €400 average = €120,000 monthly value
- With carriers: ~€1,440/month (1.2%)
- With optimized solution: ~$900/month (0.75%)
- Annual savings: $7,400
Additional benefit: Automation via CMS integration saves you 10-15 hours/month in administrative management, according to our customer survey.
Over 500 packages/month (retailer )
Automationis becoming essential. Manual management is no longer viable.
Specific issues:
- Cash flow: Repayment terms impact your cash flow
- Reporting: Need for consolidated dashboards
- Compliance: Automated documentation for audits
Typical solution: Full API integration with your ERP/WMS. Check out our guide to parcel shipping insurance automation.
Question 3: Which sectors of activity?
Fashion and Accessories
Be awareof exclusions! Many carriers limit coverage on:
- Luxury goods (>€500)
- Designer leather goods
- Premium shoes
Recommendation: Always check the terms and conditions, especially the exclusions.
Electronics and High-Tech
High-risk sectorrequiring enhanced coverage - Specific issues:
- High unit values (smartphones, laptops, components)
- Rapid obsolescence (depreciation in case of delay)
- Frequent exclusions by carriers on used electronics
Good to know: DHL and UPS often exclude refurbished smartphones. Check our carrier comparison for details.
Luxury Goods, Jewelry, and Watches
Specialized Ad Valorem solutionsare required. Standard carriers systematically refuse these products - Alternatives:
- Specialized high-value insurance (Claisy: up to €100,000)
- Premium secure transport (Malca-Amit, Brink's)
- Hybrid solutions based on value
Check out our guide to shipping watches and luxury items safely
Food and Cosmetics
Categorieswith regulatory and logistical constraints - Specific features:
- Perishables: Often excluded from standard insurance policies
- Liquids: Air transport restrictions
- Cosmetics: REACH regulations to consider
Please note: Mondial Relay and Relais Colis exclude perishable goods from their coverage.
Professional and Industrial Equipment
High valuesand specific needs - Challenges:
- Medical equipment: Strict regulations, values €20-100K
- Industrial machinery: Specialized transport required
- Spare parts: Critical urgency and availability
Solution: Consult our industrial and medical equipment delivery insurance guide dedicated to these issues.
📊 State of the Parcel Insurance Market 2026
Understand the current challenges facing parcel insurance in France and Europe to better position yourself.
Key Figures for the Sector
Volume and Losses
According tothe Federation of E-commerce and Distance Selling (FEVAD), in 2024 the French market experienced:
- 18 million lost, stolen, or damaged packages
- €2.4 billion in merchandise value in claims
- Average loss ratio: 0.9% of shipments
Processing Times
Ouranalysis of the 15 leading European carriers reveals:
- Average repayment period: 77 days
- Colissimo/USPS: 45-60 days
- UPS/FedEx: 60-90 days
- DHL: 60-75 days
Comparison: Specialized Ad Valorem solutions such as Claisy process files within 48 hours, which is 95% faster.
Actual Costs
Financial impactof underinsurance according to our 2024 study of 1,500 retailers
- 64% of small and medium-sized businesses are underinsured on at least 30% of their shipments.
- Average cost of an uninsured dispute: 15 times the value of the package (including reshipment, after-sales service, and customer loss)
- Average additional cost of carrier insurance vs. optimized solution: 35%
Regulatory changes coming in 2025
Enhanced Seller Liability: Since European Directive 2019/771 came into effect, the seller remains liable until actual delivery, even if the Carrier at fault.
Practical impact:
- You must immediately reship or refund the customer.
- You then turn against the Carrier your insurance company.
- Average recovery time: 77 days (see above)
Cash flow impact: A claim of €1,000 ties up this amount for an average of 2.5 months with carriers.
DSA (Digital Services Act)
Marketplacesare now jointly responsible for consumer protection, including transport guarantees.
For marketplace sellers:
- Amazon, Cdiscount, eBay, andChrono24 may require proof of delivery insurance.
- Risk of suspension in the event of recurring transport disputes not covered
- Mandatory documentation of coverage
Market Trends for 2026
Growing automation: 78% of retailers have integrated or plan to integrate an automated insurance solution by 2025, according to the Fevad/CSA barometer.
Reported profits:
- Time saved: 10-15 hours/month on average
- Error reduction: 92% fewer coverage oversights
- Improved customer satisfaction: +23% thanks to fast refunds
Cross-Border and International
Thegrowth of cross-border e-commerce is creating new needs:
- 64% of Swedes shop cross-border (PostNord 2024)
- 43% of French people regularly buy outside the EU
- Increasing customs and regulatory complexity
Product Upgrading
Average e-commerce basketsize on the rise:
- 2020: €61 average in France
- 2024: €87 average in France
- 2025: €94 estimated (Fevad)
- 2026: How much do you think?
Consequence: Standard Limits (€500-1000) quickly become insufficient.
Solution Comparison: Parcel Transport Insurance Summary
Insurance Carriers (DHL, UPS, FedEx, etc.)
- Rates: 0.95-1.10% + minimum €6-15
- Limits €40-50K maximum
- Lead times: 60-90 days
- Exclusions: Numerous (luxury, used high-tech items)
Shipping platforms (Sendcloud, ShipStation, etc.)
- Rates: Fixed landings or Carrier dependency
- Limits generally €2-5K
- Deadlines: Vary depending on partner
- Exclusions: Significant (jewelry, phones)