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.
our comparison of carriers' parcel insurance 2025 and the entire 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.
The two BPost insurance options: Face to face
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Option 1: Basic warranty
💰 Fixed cost
1.50 per shipment
📉 Limit
Compensation up to €500 (only €15 for documents)
🇧🇪 Territoriality
Only for national shipments within Belgium
🛡️
Option 2: Customized insurance
💸 Progressive cost
Basic €15 + €1 for each additional €25
📈 Limit
Compensation up to €7,500
🌍 Territoriality
For national and international mailings (linked to registered mail)
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.
Value of package shipped :
2 000 €
-
Base cost :
(for the first €250)
15,00 €
-
Remaining value to be insured :
(1750€ / 25€)
70 slices
-
Additional cost :
(70 slices x €1)
70,00 €
Value of package shipped :
2 000 €
BPost Exclusions: The Black List of Modern E-commerce
Categories Systematically Refused by BPost 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 60+ days).
Le Parcours du Combattant
Le Parcours du Combattant
- Mandatory paper form
- Multiple photos required
- Third-party testimonials required
- Verification by BPost inspector
- Second opinion (at your expense)
- Deadlines not guaranteed
- Refusal or partial compensation
- Recourse possible but costly
- Plus 15-day payment
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.
The True Cost of Protection: BPost vs. Claisy
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BPost Insurance
💸 The Price Problem
A real rate of 4% on the value for "customized" insurance. A cost that destroys your margins.
📉 The Limit Problem
Strict limit of €7,500. Unsuitable for valuable goods, luxury items or professional equipment.
⏳ The Delay Problem
More than 30 days of waiting, conditional on an internal investigation. Your cash flow is being held hostage.
🛡️
Claisy Solution
✅ The Rate Solution
A simple, transparent rate that's on average 7 times less expensive, preserving your profitability.
📈 The Limit Solution
Coverage of up to €100,000 and more, to protect all your shipments without exception.
⚡ The Delay Solution
An independent decision and compensation in seven days. You're in control.
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.
Our Solutions for Belgian Markets of Excellence
- Stakes: Antwerp = 80% of the world's rough diamond trade
- Problem BPost : Total exclusion of precious stones
- Claisy opportunity: The only viable solution for this €42 billion sector
- 180 Belgian breweries, worldwide exports
- BPost problem: Exclusion of alcohols >15°, fragility not covered
- Opportunity Claisy: Specialized coverage of exceptional beers
- Issues: Brussels Fashion Week, emerging designers
- BPost problem: Limit €7,500 insufficient for haute couture
- Opportunité Claisy: Protection up to €100,000
- Enjeu: Godiva, Leonidas, Pierre Marcolini...
- BPost problem: Temperature exclusions, specialized packaging
- Opportunity Claisy: End-to-end coverage including cold chain
Expansion Claisy in Belgium: Strategy and Opportunities
SWOT analysis of the Belgian market
Le Parcours du Combattant
- Mandatory paper form
- Multiple photos required
- Third-party testimonials required
D-Day
- Verification by BPost inspector
- Second opinion (at your expense)
- Deadlines not guaranteed
D+7 to D+21
- Refusal or partial compensation
- Recourse possible but costly
- Plus 15-day payment
D+30 "at best
❓ FAQ : Everything you need to know about the BPost alternative
🔁 Can Claisy really replace BPost for my shipments?
Absolutely. Claisy covers all the carriers used in Belgium: BPost of course, but also DPD, UPS, FedEx, DHL, GLS... Our platform integrates into your existing processes without changing your logistics habits. You keep your carriers, you gain real protection.
⚖️ How to justify 0.75% Claisy vs 4% BPost ?
Claisy is not a Carrier , but a pure technology insurer. No heavy infrastructure, no trucks, no post offices. Our 100% digital model enables us to offer rates 5x lower while maintaining superior coverage. It's the Uber effect applied to transport insurance.
🇧🇪 What about Belgian specificities (customs, VAT, etc.)?
Our platform automatically manages local specificities. For Belgium: declarations in French/Dutch, European RGPD compliance, invoicing in euros, multilingual customer support. We adapt to your market, not the other way around.
💎 BPost refuses my sector (luxury/art/wines), Claisy accepts everything?
Exactly. Our pricing algorithm analyzes actual risk, not pre-established categories. We cover Antwerp diamonds, Godiva chocolates, Trappist beers, Swiss watches... If it's valuable and can be shipped, we protect it.
🚀 In practical terms, how do you migrate from BPost to Claisy?
Express migration in 3 steps :
- Free audit of your current shipments (volume, value, claims)
- Platform integration (5 minutes with your existing CMS)
- Gradual switchover (you test 10% of your parcels, then ramp up)
Zero service disruption, immediate savings from day one.
🌍 What about international calls from Belgium?
That's our specialty! BPost is limited to Europe with draconian conditions. Claisy covers 190+ countries with the same conditions. Perfect for Belgian e-tailers exporting to French-speaking Africa or Asia.
⚡ Compensation times: really 48-72h?
This is our contractual commitment for 94% of standard files. Against 30-60 days BPost, you get your cash back 20x faster. That's the difference between healthy growth and financing difficulties.
📊 What concrete ROI for a typical Belgian e-tailer?
Example - Fashion boutique €30,000 sales/month :
- Direct savings: €975/month (3% BPost vs. 0.75% Claisy)
- Cash savings: 2 claims/year × 45 days = €4,500 × 4% = €180/year
- Total ROI: €11,880/year saved, i.e. 40% additional margin
A single BPost claim denied and you've reimbursed Claisy over 3 years.
👥 Customer support: who answers if you have a problem?
Dedicated multilingual team (FR/NL/EN) based in Europe, available 9am-6pm. No outsourced call center, but insurance experts who know your business issues. Guaranteed response within 2 hours in case of emergency.
📈 Can Claisy grow with my business?
Our Limits (€100,000/package) and cloud infrastructure are designed to support your growth. From Brussels start-ups to international groups, the same platform, the same simplicity. Several customers have increased their volume by 50 times with Claisy.
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?
Ship from Belgium with BPost and your usual carriers in complete safety thanks to Claisy
Stop wasting time and money on complex offers. Discover how Claisy integrates with your logistics to make it simpler and more profitable.
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Collaborative tool
Declare your parcels manually or import a simple CSV file.
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Free connectors
Integrate Claisy into your CMS in 1 click for 100% automated insurance.
⚙️
API & EDI
For customized needs and deep integration with your WMS or ERP.
