Choosing the right class of use for your car can be confusing, especially if you use your car for lots of different reasons.
Whichever class of use you choose, it's important to ensure that the class of use you decide on is the right one.
This guide explains some of the different classes of use for car insurance, but these differ from insurer to insurer, so it’s important you check carefully when you’re buying car insurance to make sure you have the cover you need.
Social Domestic and Pleasure
The class of use described as Social, Domestic and Pleasure covers the drivers named on the policy for normal day to day driving.
Shopping, visiting friends or family and pleasure driving such as going to the park or on holiday.
For Admiral, this doesn't include commuting to work, but some insurers only offer a combined class of use called Social, Domestic, Pleasure and Commuting.
It’s best to check when you’re getting a quote to be sure of the cover you’re getting.
Commuting
Commuting is the next class up, and covers everything included in Social, Domestic and Pleasure, plus driving to and from one place of work in a day.
Driving your car to the train station and leaving it there while you go to work counts as commuting for some insurers, including us.
Business use
If you use your car as part of your job, or to drive to multiple sites in one day, this counts as Business use.
Admiral’s business use allows door-to-door selling and merchandise delivery but doesn’t allow deliveries for hire and reward.
That means if you’re moving your own stock or that of your employer, you’re fine with this class of use, but if you’re a courier delivering parcels, you won’t be covered.
Your spouse won’t automatically be covered either, as we break Business use down into two categories:
- Policyholder only
- All drivers – that is, the policyholder and any named drivers
Different underwriters have their own rules about what Business use covers, so again, check when you get a quote.
Carriage of goods for hire and reward
If you’re one of the growing number of people who have started making deliveries in their car for couriers and online retailers, you should choose our category of use called ‘carriage of goods for hire and reward’.
Your employer may already provide this cover so please check before you buy, but choosing this means you’re covered to use your car to deliver third party goods like parcels or food.
Bear in mind you’ll need extra cover for the goods or merchandise you’re carrying.
This doesn’t cover the carriage of passengers for hire and reward, so giving lifts to paying passengers through Uber or a similar service won’t be covered.
Why do I need to choose the right class of use?
Choosing the right class of use is vital to make sure you have the right cover if you need to make a claim.
For example, if you're really using your car for a purpose that's classed as Business use, don't be tempted to try and get away with putting down Social, Domestic and Pleasure instead.
If you choose the wrong class of use, your car could be left uninsured and there can be severe penalties for driving without insurance.
Any claims you make may also be rejected because your vehicle isn’t insured properly.
Find out if your car is insured with our guide.
One other thing to bear in mind is van insurance has different classes of use to car insurance. If you're driving a van and using it for business, you need Admiral Van Insurance.
