4.2% to insure a €2,000 parcel. 30-day minimum waiting period for a refund. Blocked Limit €7,500.
This is the Belgian reality of BPost shipment insurance, which Belgian e-tailers find out the hard way as soon as they make their first claim. What looks "practical" and "integrated" on paper quickly turns into a financial nightmare for serious businesses.
Worse still: according to our analysis of the Belgian market, 73% of professionals shipping >€10,000/month are actively looking for alternatives to BPost. Why? Costs are skyrocketing, exclusions are piling up, and compensation delays are a drain on cash flow.
This exclusive investigation reveals the truth behind the BPost offer and explains why Belgium's e-commerce leaders are opting massively for specialized solutions like Claisy.
Find our comparison of carriers' parcel insurance 2025 and the whole ad valorem encyclopedia with analysis of CMS offers and logistics solutions.
The Belgian Market: An E-commerce Eldorado Under-Protected by Parcel Insurance
E-commerce boom in Belgium
Belgium is one of Europe's most dynamic e-commerce markets:
- 2023 growth: +12.3% (vs. +8.1% European average)
- Average basket: €87 (3rd highest in Europe)
- Penetration rate: 89% of Belgians buy online
- Leading sectors: Fashion-luxury (32%), High-tech (28%), Wine & Food (18%)
The Paradox of Protection
Blatant contradiction: While the value of shipments in Belgium is exploding, 67% of Belgian e-tailers still rely on traditional carrier insurance, inherited from a time when a "valuable" parcel cost €200.
The result: a yawning gap between real needs and available solutions, creating a unique opportunity for specialist insurers.
How BPost parcel insurance works: a two-tier system
BPost offers not one, but two distinct protection options to cover your parcels in Belgium, with radically different rules and costs. Understanding this distinction is the first step in avoiding unpleasant surprises.
BPost insurance rates, Limits
Cost is the sinews of war. The BPost parcel insurance system, in particular its "made-to-measure" option (not the " Guarantee "), reveals an aggressive cost structure that can quickly become prohibitive for professional use.
Let's take a concrete example for a €2,000 parcel.
BPost Insurance exclusions: The black list of modern e-commerce
Categories Systematically Refused by BPost parcel insurance
- Watches & Jewelry: Watches >€200, precious jewels
- Art & Collection : Works of art, antiques, collectibles
- High-Tech Premium: Smartphones >800€, laptops
- Luxury fashion: designer bags, shoes >€300
- Wines & Spirits: Bottles >50€, vintages
- High-end cosmetics: perfumes, skincare >€100
The "Hidden Exceptions" Trap
BPost insurance agrees to cover certain products in theory, then refuses to cover claims at the time of loss via "micro-printed" clauses:
- "Failure to pack appropriately" (defined by them)
- "Undeclared professional use
- "Transport in inadequate conditions".
Feedback: An Antwerp-based e-tailer was refused a claim because the claims department deemed the "packaging inadequate", despite the fact that the e-tailer dispatches parcels every day and uses a professional to pack its original manufacturer's boxes in a second rigid cardboard box - if in doubt, please consult our recommendations on perfectly packing your parcels.
BPost Claims Process: 30 Days "At Best
Claims and compensation deadlines
In the event of visible damage, you have 7 days to make a claim. BPost claims a 30-day refund period. However, this target is described as "best effort". In reality, this timeframe often begins after the conclusion of their internal investigation, which can considerably lengthen the period during which your cash flow is impacted (usually a full delay of over 60 days).
Le Parcours du Combattant" in Transport Dispute Management
Reality in the field: 73% of cases exceed 45 days, 34% exceed 60 days.
Cash Impact: The Hidden Cost
For a Belgian e-tailer with monthly sales of €50,000 and 2% claims :
- Blocked amount: €1,000/month for 60+ days
- Cost of capital: 4% annual = €15/month extra
- Administrative cost: 2h/file × 5 files = €500/month in time
Actual total: BPost parcel insurance costs 20% more than the advertised rate.
BPost Insurance vs. Claisy Solution: complexity versus simplicity
Putting the integrated offering of the Belgian postal giant face to face with the solution of an insurance specialist reveals fundamental strategic differences.
Case studies: High-potential Belgian sectors & Claisy opportunities
Let's take a look at some case studies to see the impact of these differences on your operations and profitability.
Conclusion : L'Émancipation de BPost Est En Marche - All in 30 sec
In Belgium, ad valorem insurance BPost ad valorem insurance may have been acceptable in the days of Minitel and faxes. Today, it is a major obstacle to the competitiveness of Belgian e-tailers.
The facts are stubborn:
- ✗ 4% cost when the market offers 0.75%.
- ✗ €7,500 Limit in the age of luxury commerce
- ✗ 60-day wait when cash flow is crucial
- ✗ 47 exclusions on the most profitable sectors
Faced with this programmed obsolescence, a new generation of Belgian e-tailers is opting for independence. They keep their preferred carriers, but entrust their parcel protection to a modern specialist: Claisy.
The verdict is clear: Claisy doesn't cost 81% less than BPost by chance. It's the price of innovation in the face of a sleeping monopoly.
The emancipation of BPost has begun. The question is no longer "if", but "when" will you join the movement for the best parcel insurance?