Introduction: Why Delivery Assurance is Essential
French e-commerce reached a decisive milestone in 2024: according to Fevad, more than 2.3 billion online transactions were carried out, generating sales of 160 billion euros. Behind these impressive figures lies a complex operational reality for e-tailers: managing the risks associated with delivery.
Every parcel shipped represents both a promise to your customer and a financial risk for your company. Between 1.2% and 1.8% of shipments suffer damage (loss, theft, breakage), depending on the period and the carrier. For an e-merchant making 500 shipments a month, with an average shopping basket of €120, this represents an annual risk exposure of €8,600 to €12,900.
Beyond the direct financial impact, delivery disputes have become the leading cause of customer dissatisfaction in e-commerce. An industry study reveals that more than one consumer in three no longer recommends a merchant after a poorly managed dispute. At a time when customer acquisition costs (CAC) are soaring and customer loyalty is becoming critical, each unresolved claim quickly destroys months of marketing efforts.
The health crisis of 2020-2021 has accelerated this awareness. The explosion in volumes (+42% of parcels shipped in two years) has saturated logistics networks, mechanically increasing claims rates. At the same time, consumer expectations in terms of transparency and responsiveness have changed radically. Customers now expect a response and a solution to any problem within 48 hours.
Faced with these challenges, delivery insurance is no longer an option reserved for luxury merchants or international shipments. It has become a strategic pillar of risk management for any professional e-merchant, on a par with conversion optimization or acquisition cost control.
This comprehensive guide reveals everything you need to know to secure your shipments, protect your cash flow and turn litigation management from a cost center into a competitive advantage.
What is E-commerce delivery insurance? Definition and framework
E-commerce delivery insurance is a contract that covers the financial risks involved in transporting goods between your warehouse (or that of your logistics provider) and your end customer. It protects the value of your products in the event of loss, theft, damage or even late delivery.
The different types of delivery insurance
Ad valorem insurance is the most comprehensive form of insurance, and the one best suited to professional e-commerce. The Latin term "ad valorem" means "according to value". Unlike flat-rate insurance based on weight, ad valorem insurance covers your goods up to their actual declared value. If you're shipping a €1,200 laptop, you'll be compensated on this basis, rather than on a derisory per-kilogram calculation.
Basic Carrier insurance is automatically included in your transport contract. But beware: this "insurance" is actually a limitation of the Carrier's liability, capped at very low amounts (typically €23/kg with Colissimo, €250 with Chronopost excluding telephony). For valuable products, this coverage is largely insufficient.
Optional Carrier insurance allows you to purchase superior coverage directly from the carrierChronopost, DHL, UPS). It's practical, as it's integrated into the shipping process, but has significant limitations, which we'll detail in the comparison below: Limits are still limited (€7,600 with Chronopost, €50,000 with DHL), long lists of exclusions (reconditioned products, jewelry, high-tech, depending on the carrier), and above all indemnity periods of 60 to 90 days, which have a heavy impact on your cash flow.
Independent insurance solutions like Claisy have developed to fill the gaps left by carriers' offers. They offer high levels of cover (up to €100,000 per parcel), few exclusions, express claims settlement times (48-72 hours) and an independence from carriers that drastically speeds up dispute resolution.
Legal framework and obligations in France and Europe
In France and the European Union, there is no legal obligation for you to take out delivery insurance beyond the Carrier's basic liability. However, as a professional seller, you have contractual obligations towards your customers.
According to the French Consumer Code, you are responsible for the correct delivery of the product until it is actually handed over to the customer. If the parcel is lost or damaged in transit, it's up to you to manage the dispute with the Carrier and offer your customer a rapid solution (return or refund). Waiting 90 days for the Carrier to complete its investigation before compensating your customer is legally possible, but commercially suicidal.
Carriers, for their part, are governed by different international conventions, depending on the mode of transport. For road transport in Europe, the CMR Convention applies, capping compensation at 8.33 Special Drawing Rights (SDR) per kilogram, or around €10-11/kg. For air transport, the Montreal Convention sets similar Limits . These conventions protect carriers more than they protect shippers.
The main thing to remember: you don't have to insure your parcels beyond the legal minimum, but not doing so is tantamount to self-insuring your risks, i.e. absorbing all losses yourself. For products of medium to high value, this strategy quickly becomes more expensive than proper insurance.
Dispute Management: Old World vs New World
The way you manage your delivery disputes has a direct impact on three critical aspects of your business: your cash flow, your customer satisfaction and your teams' working time. The difference between traditional management and a modern automated approach is striking.
The Old World: Manual Management and Endless Delays
In the classic model still widely used today, this is the obstacle course that thousands of e-tailers face every day.
Day 1 - Customer report: Your customer contacts you to report that his parcel has not arrived or has arrived damaged. Your customer service department opens a ticket and begins the investigation.
Days 2-5 - Research and documentation: Your team checks the tracking, gathers supporting documents (invoice, proof of shipment, photos if damaged), fills in the Carrier s specific claim form. Each carrier has its own process and documentation requirements. If you use three different carriers, you manage three separate processes.
Days 6-15 - Waiting for Carrier response: The Carrier acknowledges receipt of your complaint and launches an internal investigation. In the meantime, your customer regularly contacts your customer service department, which can only reply "we're waiting for the Carrier to get back to us".
Days 16-30 - Investigation and counter-investigation: The Carrier carries out his investigation: questioning the last known point of passage, checking with the delivery person, analyzing the packaging conditions if damaged. This phase is opaque for you: you have no visibility of the actual progress.
Days 31-60 - Negotiation and validation: The Carrier informs you of his findings. In the best-case scenario, he accepts his responsibility and offers you compensation. But this compensation is often contested: application of a deductible that you had not anticipated, reduction for "insufficient packaging", calculation by weight rather than declared value. In these cases, you have to negotiate, provide additional proof and sometimes call in your Carrier sales representative.
Days 61-90 - Actual compensation: If all goes well, you will receive compensation by bank transfer around three months after the initial loss. During this time, you have probably already reimbursed or reshipped a product to your customer to preserve the business relationship. Your cash flow has therefore borne the loss for 90 days.
Real cost of this process: Beyond the temporary financial loss, the hidden cost is considerable. Your after-sales teams spent between 45 minutes and 2 hours on this file (multiple emails, reminders, managing customer frustration). At €35 per hour, this represents €25 to €70 per claim, on top of the value of the parcel. What if the Carrier refuses compensation? You've lost the product, the management time and the customer relationship.
The New World: Automation and Express Compensation
Modern insurance solutions like Claisy have been designed to eliminate this complexity and drastically reduce lead times.
Day 1 - Reporting and automatic declaration: Your customer reports the problem. You log on to your insurance dashboard (or the system automatically detects the anomaly via tracking) and create a claim declaration in 2 to 5 minutes. You upload the necessary supporting documents (invoice, tracking, photos) directly into the interface. No paper forms, no endless emails.
Days 2-3 - Independent investigation: The independent insurer analyzes your file independently, without waiting for the Carrier's investigation. The verification focuses on contractual compliance: was the parcel properly insured? Are the supporting documents complete? Is the declaration made on time? This process takes a maximum of 24 to 48 hours.
Days 3-4 - Express compensation: As soon as the file has been validated, you receive compensation by bank transfer within 48 to 72 hours of the declaration. You can immediately reimburse or re-ship the claim to your customer, thereby preserving your business relationship and cash flow.
Days 5-90 - Subrogation in the background: The insurer then takes charge of recovering compensation from the responsible Carrier via a legal mechanism called subrogation. This phase is totally transparent for you: you are not involved. Whether the Carrier accepts or refuses, you have already been compensated.
Real cost of this process: Processing time divided by 10 (5-minute declaration vs. 45-120 minutes in the old model). Cash flow impacted for 3 days instead of 90 days. Customer satisfaction preserved thanks to immediate resolution. And above all: your after-sales team is freed up to focus on proactive customer relations rather than administrative paperwork.
Comparative table: Old World vs New World
This chart illustrates the radical transformation of the claims management experience. For an e-retailer handling 10 to 15 claims a month, the annual time saved amounts to dozens or even hundreds of hours, the equivalent of a part-time person who can be reallocated to higher value-added tasks.
Sector Focus: Jewelry, Watches and Electronics
Some e-commerce sectors have special features that make delivery insurance even more critical. Jewelry, watches and electronics are the three categories where coverage must be particularly closely scrutinized.
Jewelry and Watches: Exclusions to watch out for
The online market for luxury watches and jewelry is experiencing explosive growth. Platforms such as Chrono24, Wristcheck and second-hand marketplaces like Vestiaire Collective handle millions of transactions a year. The average shopping basket frequently exceeds €2,000, with pieces priced at €10,000, €50,000 or even more.
The problem? Almost all standard carrier insurances simply exclude jewelry, precious stones, precious metals and often high-value watches. Chronopost, for example, explicitly excludes "jewelry and precious stones" from its optional coverage. DHL applies severe restrictions and requires specific certified packaging. Colissimo drastically limits coverage in these categories.
This exclusion is not insignificant. It means that even if you pay the Carrier an ad valorem insurance option, your €8,000 Rolex watch or gold necklace will not be covered in the event of theft or loss. You discover this exclusion at the worst possible moment: when you report the loss and the Carrier confronts you with its general conditions.
Specialized insurance solutions such as Claisy explicitly cover these products, provided proof of value (purchase invoice, certificate of authenticity, appraisal) is provided. For professionals in the sector, this is a sine qua non for doing business with peace of mind. Some even opt for specialized value carriers (Malca-Amit, Brink's) for exceptional pieces, but the cost becomes prohibitive for volume e-commerce.
Electronics and Refurbished: The Battle of the Limits
The electronics sector, and refurbished electronics in particular, represents a major challenge. According to ADEME, the French refurbished electronics market will be worth €1.8 billion by 2024, driven by players such as Back Market, Recommerce and CertiDeal. Average shopping baskets range from €300 to €800 (smartphones, tablets, laptops).
Two problems come together here. Firstly, many carriers classify electronics as "sensitive goods" and apply insurance rates that are 2 to 5 times higher than for "ordinary goods". A €600 smartphone can cost €15 to €30 in Carrier insurance, compared with €4 to €6 with an independent insurer.
Secondly, "reconditioned" or "used" status is often excluded or severely penalized. Some carriers categorically refuse to cover non-new products. Others apply obsolescence discounts of up to 50% of the value, making compensation derisory. Boxtal, for example, applies a discount of 10% for all non-new items, and up to 50% for items over 5 years old.
For e-tailers specializing in refurbished products, this discrimination is untenable. The solution lies with insurers who explicitly accept second-hand products and cover them at their real market value, as evidenced by the sales invoice. Claisy is one of these players, which makes no distinction between new and reconditioned products, considering that the insured value is that which you invoice your customer for, regardless of the product's history.
Technological Integrations: The Automation Revolution
For professional e-tailers shipping dozens or hundreds of parcels a day, manual insurance management quickly becomes an operational bottleneck. Modern insurance platforms understand this challenge, and offer advanced technical integrations that transform insurance from a recurring administrative task into an invisible, automated process.
CMS Native Connectors: Insurance in a Click
The majority of e-tailers use CMS (Content Management System) solutions to manage their online store: Shopify for its simplicity and scalability, WooCommerce for its open-source flexibility, PrestaShop for its functional richness or Magento (Adobe Commerce) for enterprise architectures.
Modern insurers offer native modules for these platforms, which can be installed in just a few clicks without any technical expertise. Once the Claisy module is installed on your Shopify, for example, you define your business rules in an intuitive interface: "Automatically insure all parcels over €100" or "Insure only Electronics and Jewelry categories" or "Insure all international shipments".
As soon as an order matching your criteria is validated and a shipping label is generated, the module automatically creates the insurance cover in the background. No manual action on your part. No risk of forgetting. You can even choose whether or not to display this insurance in the order summary visible to your customer, reinforcing the perception of security.
For high volumes, this level of automation transforms the insurance business. If you ship 200 parcels a day, you save 200 daily manual manipulations that would have represented several hours of repetitive, low-value-added work.
APIs and Webhooks: Deep Integration for Advanced Architectures
Organizations with more complex IT architectures (proprietary ERP, WMS, OMS or solutions such as Manhattan, SAP EWM, Generix WMS, Reflex) can integrate insurance via modern REST APIs.
The principle is simple: when your system generates a shipment (creation of a delivery note, generation of a Carrier label), an API call is sent to the insurance platform with the necessary information (parcel value, description, destination address, Carrier used, tracking number). The API instantly returns an insurance policy number, which you can store in your system and even communicate to your customer.
Webhooks work the other way round: they enable the insurance platform to notify your system in real time of any important event (confirmation of coverage, opening of a claim, change in indemnity status). In this way, your CRM tool or customer service solution can automatically display the insurance status of an order, without your teams having to switch between several interfaces.
This two-way integration creates a totally seamless experience. Your operational staff work with their usual tools, while insurance operates invisibly in the background. For 3PLs and 4PLs managing the logistics of multiple brands, this architecture even makes it possible to offer insurance as a value-added service to their end customers, in white label mode.
Multi-carrier centralization: the decisive advantage
One of the major obstacles to carrier insurance is its fragmentation. If you use Chronopost for France express, Colissimo for France economy, DHL for Europe and UPS for international, you're juggling four different insurance contracts, four different Limits , four different claims processes and four different delivery times.
Independent solutions eliminate this complexity by offering unified coverage regardless of Carrier. You define your level of protection once and for all (e.g. all parcels insured at actual value up to €100,000), and this level is automatically applied to all your flows, regardless of carrier.
This centralization offers three major strategic advantages. Firstly, you gain the agility to optimize your transport costs by changing Carrier according to periods, destinations or performance, without ever impacting your insurance coverage. Secondly, your teams have just one process to master, just one interface, just one contact person, drastically reducing the risk of error and training time. Thirdly, you finally get a consolidated view of your real risks, with unified KPIs: what is my overall loss ratio? Which products are most at risk? Which destinations generate the most disputes? These data become levers for logistics and product optimization.
Comparing market solutions: making the right choice
The e-commerce delivery insurance market has grown considerably in recent years. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each type of solution will enable you to make an informed choice tailored to your profile and ambitions.
Comparison Chart: E-commerce Delivery Insurance Solutions 2025
Analysis by merchant profile
Pour les débutants (< 50 colis/mois, panier moyen < 50€) : L'assurance transporteur de base peut suffire dans un premier temps. Le coût des sinistres reste absorbable et la complexité administrative d'une solution plus élaborée n'est pas encore justifiée. Cependant, dès que votre panier moyen augmente, prévoyez la transition.
For growing e-tailers (50-500 parcels/month, average basket €80-200): Now's the time to switch to an independent solution. Your risk exposure becomes significant (several thousand euros per month) and your volume justifies investment in automation. CMS modules and express compensation become direct competitive advantages.
For specialized sectors (jewelry, watches, electronics, luxury goods): Whatever your size, specialized insurance is essential from the very first sale. Carrier exclusions expose you to total losses. Choose insurers who explicitly accept your product categories, and who don't discriminate against reconditioned goods.
For large volumes (> 1000 parcels/month): Deep API integration with your WMS or ERP becomes a prerequisite. Multi-carrier centralization gives you the agility to optimize your logistics costs without insurance constraints. If you exceed 100,000 parcels/month, a traditional broker can negotiate tailor-made conditions, but at the cost of increased administrative complexity.
Calculating return on investment : Is insurance profitable?
Many e-tailers see insurance as an additional cost to their already tight margins. This view is misguided, as it overlooks the hidden costs of not insuring and the indirect benefits of having the right coverage.
Case in point: Cosmetics and beauty appliances e-tailer
Let's take the case of an e-tailer specializing in premium cosmetics and beauty appliances (Dyson hair dryers, LED appliances, luxury serums). Average basket: €180. Volume: 400 parcels per month. Loss ratio: 1.5%.
Situation BEFORE Claisy ( Carrier Chronopost + Colissimo insurance):
Direct costs :
- Monthly claims: 400 × 1.5% = 6 lost/damaged parcels
- Claim value: 6 × €180 = €1,080
- Average Carrier indemnityLimits, exclusions): €420 (39% of the amount)
- Net monthly loss: €660
Indirect costs :
- After-sales service management time: 6 claims × 60 min = 6 hours/month
- Charge per hour: €35/h × 6h = €210
- Reshipments to maintain customer relations: 4 out of 6 = €720 (average cash outlay of 75 days)
- Cash opportunity cost (2% p.a.): €720 × 2% × (75/365) = €3
Total actual monthly cost: €660 + €210 + €3 = €873Total annual cost: €10,476
Situation AFTER Claisy:
Direct costs :
- Insurance premium: 400 parcels × €180 × 0.75% = €540/month
- Monthly claims: still 6 parcels (claims ratio unchanged)
- Claisy compensation: 6 × €180 = €1,080 (100% of value, within 72 hours)
- Net monthly loss: €0 (fully offset)
Indirect costs :
- After-sales service management time: 6 claims × 5 min = 30 min/month (express digital declaration)
- Charge per hour: €35/h × 0.5h = €17.50
- Reshipments: 6 out of 6 possible immediately (rapid compensation)
- Cash opportunity cost (2% p.a.): €1,080 × 2% × (3/365) = €0.18
Total actual monthly cost: €540 + €17.50 + €0.18 = €557.68Total annual cost: €6,692
Net annual savings: €10,476 - €6,692 = €3,784
Beyond the direct savings, the e-merchant has transformed an unpredictable variable cost (claims fluctuate from month to month) into a controlled fixed cost (the insurance premium is proportional to volume). This predictability facilitates budget management and cash flow projections. And above all: the 5.5 hours a month recovered by the after-sales team (66 hours a year) can be reallocated to higher value-added missions such as proactive customer loyalty or processing customer reviews.
ROI chart: Before/After Modern Insurance
This table shows that modern insurance is not a cost but a profitable investment from the very first month for any e-merchant exceeding a certain threshold of basket volume and value.
Conclusion: Secure Your Shipments, Protect Your Growth
E-commerce delivery insurance is no longer a luxury reserved for merchants of exceptional products. It has become a fundamental pillar of risk management for any e-commerce professional wishing to protect cash flow, preserve customer relationships and focus on business growth.
The figures speak for themselves: with an average loss ratio of 1.2% to 1.8%, and claims processing times of 60 to 90 days, the real cost of non-insurance or poor insurance is in the thousands or even tens of thousands of euros a year for a medium-sized e-tailer. These financial losses are accompanied by an even greater hidden cost: the time spent by your teams on the administrative management of disputes, the frustration of your customers faced with interminable resolution times, and the impossibility of differentiating yourself on a decisive competitive advantage.
The technological revolution brought about by modern solutions like Claisy radically changes the equation. Automation via API and CMS connectors eliminates repetitive tasks. Express compensation within 48-72 hours preserves your cash flow and customer relations. Multi-carrier centralization gives you the agility to optimize your logistics costs without insurance constraints. And extended coverage for high value-added products (jewelry, watches, reconditioned electronics) enables you to address markets that carrier insurance limitations previously prevented you from addressing.
Whether you're just starting out in e-commerce or manage a catalog of several thousand items with substantial volumes, delivery insurance tailored to your profile is now available. Our no-obligation "pay-as-you-go" models allow you to test solutions without risk. Comparison tables and ROI simulations give you the tools to make an informed decision. And technical integration in just a few clicks makes deployment immediate.
Your next step? Calculate your actual risk exposure by multiplying your monthly volume by your average basket and by a loss ratio of 1.5%. This amount represents your potential monthly loss. Compare it to the cost of modern insurance (around 0.75% of your insured shipments). The decision becomes obvious.
Don't let the vagaries of transport threaten your business. Secure your shipments, protect your cash flow and turn the management of disputes from a cost center into a competitive advantage that reassures your customers and frees up your teams.
Sources and Key Data :
- Fevad - Key e-commerce figures for France 2024: 2.3 billion transactions, sales of €160 billion
- E-commerce loss ratio France: 1.2-1.8% depending on period (logistics sector sources)
- More than one consumer in three no longer recommends a product after a poorly managed dispute (e-commerce sector studies)
- ADEME - Refurbished electronics market France 2024: 1.8 billion euros
- Average carrier compensation lead times: 60-90 days (CGV Chronopost, Colissimo, DHL, UPS 2025)
- CMR road transport agreement: 8.33 SDR/kg (~10-11€/kg)
- Claisy: compensation 48-72h, Limit €100,000, rate ~0.75%, extended coverage (data November 2025)