Do you regularly ship valuable parcels and find that the insurance offered by your Carrier no longer suits you? High rates, insufficient Limits , lengthy reimbursement times or problematic exclusions: there are many reasons for e-tailers and professionals to look for an alternative to Carrier insurance.
This guide analyzes the limitations of traditional insurance (Colissimo, Chronopost, DHL, UPS, FedEx) and presents modern solutions that will transform logistics risk management in 2025.
Why look for an alternative to Carrier Ad Valorem Insurance?
The Structural Limits of Traditional Parcel Insurance
Carriers all offer optional Ad Valorem insurance, but these solutions present significant constraints for professionals:
1. Tariffs that impact profitability
Carriers' pricing structures are based on minimum charges, which penalize medium-value shipments. With minimums of between €12 and €15 per parcel, systematic insurance quickly becomes costly. For an e-merchant shipping 200 parcels of €400 per month, the monthly cost can reach €2,400 to €3,000.
2. Limits not adapted to high-value goods
Coverage Limits vary between €40,000 and €50,000, depending on the carrier, which may seem sufficient. However, some sectors (watchmaking, jewelry, art) regularly handle higher-value items, creating a significant financial overdraft. See our guide to insuring high-value parcels for more details.
3. Repayment times incompatible with cash flow
The average claims processing time for most carriers is between 60 and 90 days. During this period, the company has to deal with customer dissatisfaction, potentially reship a product, and sustain a dry loss in cash flow. For an SME, several simultaneous claims can create significant financial strain.
4. Exclusions that create risk zones
Jewelry, luxury watches, objets d'art, certain electronic products: the list of exclusions or conditional coverages is long. Many companies discover these limitations at the time of a claim, when it's too late to take action.
The Special Case of the Colissimo Insurance Alternative
La Poste's Colissimo service remains the preferred Carrier for many French e-tailers in the domestic market. However, its insurance offer has some specific constraints:
- Rate: €1 per €100 of declared value
- Limit 5,000 for shipments to France and Europe
- Deductible: 10% of the declared amount with a minimum of €26
- Numerous exclusions: luxury, high-tech, jewelry often excluded
This 10% deductible is a major obstacle: on a €2,000 parcel, the professional systematically loses €200, even in the event of reimbursement. Our complete analysis of Colissimo insurance details these mechanisms.
Panorama of Ad Valorem insurance in 2025
Colissimo and Chronopost : La Poste solutions
La Poste offers two services with separate insurance policies tailored to different needs.
Colissimo targets standard shipments, with insurance capped at €5,000 and a 10% deductible. This solution is suitable for products of moderate value, but becomes problematic as soon as amounts increase or volumes require protection without a deductible.
Chronopost offers coverage up to €30,000, with rates varying according to the service chosen. Although superior to Colissimo, this offer still falls short of the needs of specialized sectors that regularly handle exceptional goods.
DHL: International Premium Option
DHL structures its insurance with a rate of 1% of the declared value and a minimum collection of €12. The Limit reaches €50,000, which places DHL among the best carrier offers. However, average reimbursement times of 60 to 90 days and restrictions on certain luxury categories limit its appeal. Our comprehensive DHL guide analyzes these constraints in detail.
UPS: The Accessible Intermediary
UPS applies a rate of 1.05% with a minimum charge of €12.05 and a maximum charge of €40,000. The average refund period is 77 days after validation of the claim. Like DHL, UPS can technically cover certain luxury products, but this coverage is subject to restrictive conditions that significantly complicate procedures. Consult our detailed UPS analysis to understand these mechanisms.
FedEx: The Contrasted Solution
FedEx offers a system of $1.50 per $100 of value, with a mandatory $100 deductible. While the general Limit is €45,000, the classic offer drastically limits coverage for jewelry and watches to just €920 ($1,000). This limitation makes FedEx unsuitable for many premium e-commerce sectors. Our full FedEx guide details these specificities.
Comparison table: Delivery Insurance vs. Modern Alternative
Source : Comparative parcel insurance 2025
The Modern Alternative : Automated Parcel Insurance
A Paradigm Shift
Faced with the limitations of carrier insurance, a new generation of solutions has emerged: automated parcel insurance. This approach doesn't just improve rates or Limits, it completely rethinks the model.
Operating principle
Automated insurance integrates directly with your e-commerce platform (Shopify, PrestaShop, WooCommerce) and is activated according to your predefined parameters. Each shipment is automatically covered according to the declared value, without manual intervention.
Structural advantages
- Transparent pricing: single rate of 0.75% with no minimum charge
- SuitableLimits : coverage up to €100,000 per parcel
- Zero deductible: full reimbursement of declared value
- Fast turnaround: processing in 48 hours vs. 60-90 days
- Universal coverage: no exclusions on luxury or high-tech products
Financial Impact: Case Studies
Example 1: E-commerce fashion (average basket €350)
Volume: 300 parcels/month
- DHL: 300 × €12 (minimum) = €3,600/month
- Automated alternative: 300 × 350€ × 0.75% = 787.50€/month
- Annual savings: €33,750
Example 2: Jewellery (average value €8,000)
Volume: 50 pieces/month
- UPS: 50 × €8,000 × 1.05% = €4,200/month
- Automated alternative: 50 × €8,000 × 0.75% = €3,000/month
- Annual savings: €14,400 + full coverage guaranteed
How to choose the best Ad Valorem insurance alternative?
Decisive criteria
1. Analyze your shipping profile
Calculate your average basket and monthly volumes. If you ship a lot of medium-value packages (€300-€1,500), carrier minimums will weigh heavily on your profitability.
2. Identify your high-risk products
If you sell high-end jewelry, watches, objets d'art or electronics, check that your solution really does cover these categories, without impossible conditions.
3. Evaluate the cash impact
A reimbursement delay of 77 days for several simultaneous claims can create significant financial tensions. Speed of processing becomes a strategic criterion.
4. Measure the administrative burden
The time spent compiling claims files, tracking disputes and recontacting carriers represents a significant hidden cost. Automation eliminates this burden.
Questions to ask your future insurer
- What is the real cost of my average basket (including minimum collections)?
- Are my specific products covered without restriction?
- What is the average payback period?
- What is the administrative burden involved in filing a claim?
- Is technical integration compatible with my current stack?
- Can I change the settings as I grow?
Managing the Transition Period
During the migration phase, some shipments may be covered by the old systemCarrier) and others by the new solution. This temporary coexistence poses no technical problems, and enables a gradual transition without service disruption.
Conclusion: Taking Control of Your Parcel Insurance
Parcel insurance is no longer an unavoidable constraint, but a lever for optimization for e-tailers and informed professionals. The limitations of traditional carrier insurance - high rates, insufficient Limits , prohibitive delays, problematic exclusions - have created a need that modern alternatives effectively fill.
In 2025, the choice of a Carrier insurance alternative becomes strategic: it directly impacts your profitability, your cash flow and your ability to offer an impeccable customer experience, even in the event of a logistical incident.
To take your thinking one step further, take a look at our comprehensive parcel insurance atlas, which provides an in-depth analysis of all the solutions on the market, from traditional carriers to innovative alternatives.
Discover the Automated Alternative
Claisy helps e-merchants and professionals protect their shipments with a modern solution: 0.75% flat rate, €100,000 Limit, 48-hour refund and universal coverage with no exclusions.
Migration: From Carrier Insurance to the Automated Alternative
Transition process
Migration to a modern alternative generally follows four simple steps:
1. Audit of existing systems
Analyze your current insurance costs over the past 12 months, identify claims and their resolution times, and list products that are excluded or difficult to insure.
2. Technical configuration
Integration with your e-commerce platform generally takes less than 15 minutes via native plugins. You define your trigger thresholds and business rules.
3. Test phase
Start with a partial activation (e.g. only parcels over €500) to validate the operation before generalizing.
4. Generalization and optimization
Once the solution has been validated, extend the coverage to all your shipments and adjust the parameters according to your feedback.