A no claims bonus (NCB) is a discount applied to your UK van insurance premium for every year you hold a policy without making a claim. Over time, NCB typically becomes the single biggest lever on van insurance cost — claim-free drivers with five or more years of NCB typically pay significantly less than drivers with no NCB at all.
Building and protecting your NCB is one of the most effective ways to keep van insurance affordable, whether you're a tradesperson running a business van, a self-employed courier, or insuring a van for personal use. Here's how it works.
What is a no claims bonus?
A no claims bonus (NCB), also known as a no claims discount (NCD), is a discount applied to your van insurance premium based on the number of years you've held a policy without making a claim. The longer you go without claiming, the bigger the discount typically gets. For a deeper walk-through of the underlying mechanics, our guide on what a no claims bonus is and how it works covers the rules for car and van policies.
How do you earn a no claims bonus?
You earn one year of NCB for every 12 months you hold a van insurance policy without making a claim. If you cancel mid-policy or switch insurers before the 12 months is up, you typically won't earn NCB for that partial year.
The rule of thumb is simple: you need to complete the full policy year with no claims filed for the year to count towards your NCB.
How much can a no claims bonus save on van insurance?
NCB discounts typically compound sharply in the first five years of claim-free driving, then flatten out at higher year counts. While the exact percentages vary by insurer, the typical UK pattern looks roughly like this:
- 1 year of NCB: around 30% off the base premium
- 2 years: around 40% off
- 3 years: around 50% off
- 4 years: around 60% off
- 5+ years: around 65–70% off (typically the maximum)
Most UK insurers cap NCB at five or nine years, depending on the policy. Once you're at the cap, additional claim-free years don't typically increase the discount further, but they reinforce your risk profile at renewal. For broader context on how NCB operates across UK motor insurance, our full guide to no claims discount walks through the rules in detail.
Can you transfer your no claims bonus between vehicles?
Yes, in most cases you can transfer your NCB between vehicles, including from a car to a van. The main restrictions:
- Most insurers only allow you to apply NCB to one active policy at a time. If you're insuring a car and a van, you typically can't claim the same NCB on both.
- The NCB needs to be held in your name as the main policyholder.
- Some insurers apply conversion rules when moving NCB between vehicle types (e.g. converting car NCB to van NCB).
Always check with your insurer before taking out a new policy or switching providers — conversion rules vary.
What happens to your no claims bonus if you make a claim?
If you make a claim on your van insurance, your NCB may be reduced or lost entirely depending on the circumstances of the claim and the insurer's rules.
In most cases, if you're at fault for an accident, you'll typically lose two years of NCB per claim. Non-fault claims where the third party's insurer fully covers the costs sometimes don't affect your NCB at all, but this varies by insurer, so always check your policy wording.
Driver communities frequently report cases of non-fault claims still affecting NCB if the third party can't be identified (hit-and-run) or if the third-party insurer disputes liability. If that happens, you can sometimes recover your NCB retrospectively once fault is established — worth chasing your insurer on.
Can you protect your no claims bonus?
Yes. Most UK insurers offer NCB protection for an additional fee. NCB protection typically allows you to make a set number of at-fault claims (usually up to 2 within a defined period) without losing the NCB you've built up.
Zego's business van insurance typically offers optional no-claims discount protection for an additional cost of around 6% on the base premium — confirmed in the product specification for tradespeople carrying their own goods.
Important caveat: protecting your NCB preserves the DISCOUNT, but it doesn't guarantee your base premium won't rise at renewal after a claim. The claim itself still gets factored into your risk profile.
Can I use my no claims bonus from a personal van on a courier van policy?
In many cases, yes. You can usually transfer NCB from a personal van insurance policy to a courier van insurance for self-employed van drivers, as long as:
- The NCB is held in your name as the main policyholder.
- You meet the courier insurance eligibility requirements (age, claims history, vehicle value).
- The new insurer accepts the transferred NCB.
Always raise this with your insurer during the quote process — some insurers apply lower NCB values when moving between personal and commercial use because the risk profiles are different.
How long does a no claims bonus last without renewing?
Your NCB typically stays valid as long as you hold continuous van insurance cover. If you have a break in cover of two years or more, or you switch from being the main policyholder to a named driver, your NCB may expire and you'll need to start building it up from zero.
This matters especially for drivers who park up a van for a period (e.g. between contracts, during long illness, or when retiring a vehicle). If you're planning a break longer than 24 months, speak to your insurer about whether SORN-and-no-cover will affect your NCB.
Can a named driver earn a no claims bonus?
In most cases, only the main policyholder earns and uses the NCB. Named drivers on someone else's policy don't typically accrue their own NCB, even across many years of claim-free driving.
Some insurers offer a "named driver no claims discount" — a smaller discount that recognises the driver's claim-free record when they later take out their own policy. If you've been named on a partner or parent's van policy for years, it's worth asking whether the insurer offers this credit when you apply for your own cover.
How do I find out how many years of no claims bonus I have?
Your most recent van insurance renewal notice (or cancellation letter) should show the number of NCB years you've earned. Most UK insurers also include this figure on your policy certificate.
If you can't find the paperwork, contact your previous insurer and request written proof of NCB. Most insurers will send a letter or email confirming your years within a few working days. Without proof, a new insurer typically won't accept transferred NCB at renewal.
Get van insurance with Zego
If you use your van for trade work, business van insurance built for tradespeople is fully comprehensive cover designed around carrying your own goods with telematics-based renewal pricing for safer drivers and optional NCB protection on top of your base policy. For delivery and hire and reward work, a courier van policy is the right fit instead.
Get a quick quote with Zego, it only takes a minute.
