Online retailers’ insurance

Who needs e-commerce insurance?

Online retailer insurance protects UK-based businesses selling physical goods online to customers anywhere in the world. Occasional selling in real life at, say, an exhibition, trade fair or in a pop-up shop is covered too.

That makes e-commerce insurance a good buy for anyone whose business involves selling items via the internet. Because the risks are the same whether you’re an eBay seller, you sell through Amazon or Etsy, or if you have your own online shop.

Neither does it matter whether you make your own products or sell things you get from somewhere else.

Providing your annual turnover is below £500,000, this insurance is for you. It allows you to keep your online shop open all hours, safe in the knowledge you’re protected.

Read some of the questions people ask about online retailers’ insurance.

Why do you need insurance for e-commerce?

Because even though your business may be floating freely in the cloud, your risks are very real. And real risks can bring some hard-hitting problems with them. The kind that disrupt trading and cost you money.

For instance, something you sell might accidentally injure someone or damage their property. That could easily trigger an expensive compensation claim against you for bodily harm or rectification costs.

You may have to turn customers away because of stock issues. Maybe technical problems or supply chain failures stop you from fulfilling orders. Both can leave a big hole in your bottom line.

In the real world, complications like these can damage both your business and your reputation. Online retailer insurance helps by paying to smooth things over, deal with the problems, and keep your online store trading.

Read more about why you need online retailers’ insurance.

What insurance do online retailers need?

Running an e-commerce business means keeping track of a thousand things at once. Online retailers’ insurance helps by looking after the things you might miss. Here’s what you need to cover the basics:

• Products liability insurance protects you if something you sell harms someone or damages something. Say a plug-in device causes a house fire or a faulty stool collapses and injures a customer. Pays your legal costs and any compensation you’re liable for.
• Public liability insurance covers any accidental injury or damage said to be your fault if you go out and about on business, or people visit you. Maybe a courier trips over loose paving slabs and is hurt. Or your pop-up shop pops down on top of a customer. Covers legal expenses and compensation.
• Employers’ liability protects you if a staff member is injured or made ill by working for you. It’s a legal requirement, even if your employees are only temporary or part-time, and you can be fined for not having it when you should. Pays your legal costs and any compensation due.
• Stock and property insurance pays to repair or replace your business’s stock and equipment if it’s stolen, lost or damaged. For instance, a burst pipe leaves all your stock water-damaged and wipes out your PC and laptop. Relying on your home insurance to cover your losses won’t usually wash, as most contents policies exclude items for business use.

Read more about what e-commerce insurance you need.

Does your online retailer insurance cover the USA?

Our online retailers' insurance can cover you if you sell to the USA - as long as your business is based in the UK.

That includes if 100% of your sales are from the USA (as long as your US turnover doesn't go over £1 million).

Some platforms have specific insurance requirements. Amazon US, for example, requires you to have £1 million public liability and product liability for the USA and Canada if you make over $10,000 US sales a month.

Even if you earn less, it's still a good idea as selling in the USA can be risky. You can find out more about insurance and Amazon here.

What other e-commerce business insurance might I need?

In a perfect online world, trading is a breeze, all day every day. Goods fly off your virtual shelves quicker than you can say Jiminy Click-it, and your online shop always ranks number one in google search.

Only things don’t always go like that. And there are inevitable bumps along the way. Luckily, you can increase your business’s chances of a smoother ride by adding some other types of cover to your online retailers’ insurance shopping basket:

• Business interruption insurance rides to the rescue if you can’t trade as normal because of an unexpected event, say a fire or a flood. Pays to set you up to run your business from elsewhere temporarily and covers your lost income.
• Cyber & data insurance helps to get your business up and running again if you’ve been hacked. Pays for expert technical assistance to retrieve data and restore your systems and website. Also covers claims for compensation if your customers’ personal data is stolen and helps deal with investigations by the regulator.

Why should I buy my insurance from you?

Because we’re professional insurance experts. We know exactly what you need to protect your business - even if you don’t.

We also know business insurance can be confusing and time-consuming to buy. So we cut out all the jargon and make sure you can get a policy quickly and easily.

We do all this while treating you like a person, not a number. Call centres and phone menus aren’t part of how we do things. So, if you ring our number, you’ll get straight through to a friendly advisor who can help.

Plus, we give you stuff: like an ‘I’m insured’ badge for your website, and money each time you recommend us.

Still not convinced and need a second opinion? Then read what our thousands of customers have to say about us. At the end of the day, they’re the ones you should really listen to.