AAA vs. Travelers: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, Travelers offers significantly cheaper prices than AAA
• AAA may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than Travelers
• Travelers has more affordable premiums for single people who will be the only person on the insurance policy

AAA or Travelers: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're considering switching to a new insurance policy. After all, you've seen ads from all sorts of companies offering sizable savings. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You've maybe even narrowed your search down to AAA or Travelers, but between the two, which carrier will offer you less expensive prices?

As you can see, Travelers is quite a bit cheaper than AAA, with rates averaging $167 a month compared to $314 with AAA when looking at the national average rates for car insurance.

That being said, Travelers may not be the lowest or best option for each driver out there. Insurance carriers vary their premiums depending on things like where you live, how old you are, how good your credit score is, how clean your driving record is, and a ton of other factors, so rates could change drastically from person to person.

Luckily, we've broken down average prices from both AAA and Travelers by a variety of different rate factors, so read on to find out which company is the best for you.

AAA vs. Travelers: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

AAA and Travelers compete against each other in seven states, with Travelers offering more affordable premiums to the average driver in all of them. Missouri has the most noticable difference, where Travelers prices are $246 cheaper than auto insurance rates at AAA.

There's a lot more that goes into your car insurance payment than just your home state. Keep reading to learn more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers generally pay a lot more for auto insurance than any group on the road. That's usually because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into an accident that results in an auto insurance claim, making them much riskier to insure.

Even so, that doesn't mean teen drivers can't still save money on their insurance. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of almost 50% less per month by choosing Travelers over AAA.

But with both companies, you'll see your premiums drop significantly once you turn 25. For example, average prices for AAA policyholders decrease nearly 60% and Travelers's rates reduce over 60% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

When it comes to auto insurance, patience and experience pay off, with drivers around retirement age paying some of the cheapest premiums out there.

When looking at AAA and Travelers specifically, which carrier is best for retired drivers? Travelers gets the edge, with rates for drivers 65 and older $106 less expensive than the national average for AAA.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that car insurance prices are normally more expensive for those who are single than they are for married couples? That's typically because married drivers tend to own and insure several vehicles, which can often earn you a discount.

For single policyholders, the difference in average premiums between these two carriers is significant, with Travelers rates coming in at around half of AAA's. The advantage is also clear for married policyholders - Travelers offers the most affordable average prices.

AAA or Travelers: Average Rates by Gender

Men usually pay more for insurance than women. This is because men are statistically more likely than women to get tickets and get into collisions, which leads to increased risk for insurers and, therefore, higher rates.

With AAA, women typically pay more than 10% a month less than men, and about 6% less with Travelers.

Looking at the data for each company specifically, Travelers offers the lowest average prices for both men and women, with average premiums $159 less for men and $136 cheaper for women.

AAA vs. Travelers: Compare State Minimum vs. Full Coverage Rates

*State minimum value indicates liability-only policies at each state's minimum bodily injury and property damage (BI/PD) limits

**Full coverage indicates state minimum BI/PD limits with collision and comprehensive coverages added to policy.

Auto insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. There are so many different terms and limits that it can make it pretty confusing to find the right policy for you.

However, most policies that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (that covers bodily injury and property damage for other drivers and passengers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which generally refers to having collision and comprehensive coverages alongside liability).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability insurance, Travelers has the significant edge, with average monthly rates coming in at $108. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Travelers again has the edge, with policies averaging around $225 per month to AAA's $459.

Is AAA or Travelers Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

You've probably seen plenty of commercials from insurance companies offering great premiums for good drivers, but that doesn't mean people with less-than-perfect driving records can't save money, too.

It's no secret secret that speeding tickets and collisions lead to higher prices, but which carrier -- AAA or Travelers -- has the most affordable premiums for drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use AAA for their car insurance can normally expect their monthly bill to go up about 29% after getting a speeding ticket. Travelers policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of around 20%.

That being said, Travelers tends to offer the best prices for drivers both with clean records and with a ticket. With Travelers, drivers with a clean record can save about $85 a month and drivers with a speeding ticket can save around $139 per month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

AAA drivers who get in an accident can expect to see their rates rise by over 35%, while those who have insurance through Travelers will see about a 25% increase.

At the end of the day, drivers who use Travelers end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with average prices coming in at $173 compared to AAA Insurance's $339.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

On average, a DUI offense is going to cost you much more than a single collision or ticket when it comes to your auto insurance bill. For example, AAA increases average premiums by nearly $200 a month -- that's more than a 45% increase.

How does Credit Score Impact AAA and Travelers Rates?

Often times, your credit score can come into play when carriers determine your monthly bill. This isn't true for everyone (for example, Michigan and Massachusetts are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it does affect several policyholders out there.

Car insurance companies argue that someone with bad credit is less likely to pay their bills on time, which makes them riskier to insure. Because of that, drivers with bad credit will often be forced to pay more.

So, which company offers the cheapest prices for policyholders with poor, average, or good credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Is AAA or Travelers Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a substantial impact on how much insurance carriers will charge for coverage. Usually, the more milage you put on your car each year, the more you can expect to pay for auto insurance.

For both remote workers and those taking short commutes, Travelers tends to be the more affordable option. Travelers's average rates for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in around 47% less expensive than AAA. Those who drive 12,000 miles every year can expect to pay about 47% less with Travelers over AAA.

AAA or Travelers: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you call home can play a large role in how much you pay for insurance. Normally, drivers who live in less densely populated rural areas will pay quite a bit less than urban policyholders due to the small number of vehicles that are on the roads where they live.

Travelers boasts the lowest average premiums for drivers in all types of areas, no matter if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

In urban areas, Travelers's average rates are around $204 while AAA offers prices about $384. People in suburban areas pay a monthly premium of around $160 with Travelers compared to $301 with AAA. If you live in a rural area, you can expect to pay about $136 a month with Travelers and $256 with AAA.

AAA vs. Travelers Discounts

No matter why you might be in the market for a new car insurance policy, you're always going to want to save as much money as you can, and the best way to do that is by taking advantage of as many auto insurance discounts as possible.

The difficult part is finding all of the discounts you qualify for, since it can feel sometimes like every carrier has different discounts and each one is advertised differently.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and broke down all of the different discounts offered by both AAA and Travelers so that you can see which company offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

AAA blows Travelers away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 33 different discounts to Travelers's 25.

Both companies offer a lot of the same discounts -- like anti-theft discounts, discounts for being a defensive driver, distant student discounts, and discounts for being a good driver -- but AAA also offers discounts for AAA, academic, drivesharp, and more.

On the other hand, Travelers has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like ABS discounts, alternative fuel discounts, continuous insurance discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is AAA or Travelers Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average premiums for many of the variables insurance carriers look at, and we've shown you all the discounts each company offers. That's all well and good, but when it comes down to it, is AAA or Travelers the best fit for you?

Travelers might be best for you if....

• You are considering moving to another state -- undefined is only available in.
• You already have a great credit score.
• You're of retirement age and want to take advantage of lower prices.

AAA might be best for you if...

• You want to save extra money with discounts.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between AAA and Travelers and that it aids in making a more informed decision about your car insurance.

At the end of the day, the best way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your auto insurance policy is to compare quotes from several companies, not just AAA and Travelers. Luckily, sites like Compare.com do all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code below and get multiple quotes from some of the best car insurance carriers in your area, all for free.

AAA vs. Travelers FAQs

Is AAA or Travelers cheaper?

Travelers is the cheaper of the two companies when looking at national average rates, with policies averaging $167 per month with Travelers and $314 for AAA. However, that doesn't mean Travelers will be the most affordable carrier for each driver, since there are a range of different factors (things like driving record, age, gender, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, AAA or Travelers?

Unfortunately, the answer truly is "it depends.". No one company is necessarily "better" for every policyholder -- it all depends on the makeup of your unique insurance profile.

Why do AAA and Travelers offer me different rates?

Auto insurance carriers use quite a few different variables when determining the premiums they charge. Things such as age, where you park your car, your driving record, gender, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both AAA and Travelers calculate prices differently, so it's likely they'll offer different rates. The best way to determine which carrier is the cheapest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from multiple different companies.

How do I know if AAA or Travelers is right for me?

The only way to find the car insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from a handful of carriers and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top insurance companies for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the best rate. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't AAA or Travelers at all, but another you hadn't even thought of!

Methodology

All of the data referenced in this article has been gathered in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. We analyzed more than 2.5 million rows of carrier-reported data to calculate the average rates referenced above. All rates are based on an insurance profile of a single-vehicle policy for a driver that owns a 2016 Honda Accord. For more information on how we calculate rates, please reference our data methodology.