.svg)
Budget Direct Car Insurance
Budget Direct Car Insurance
Written by
Kervin Mathew
Edited by
Ellie GarranCompare car insurance policies the easy way
Save time and effort by comparing a range of car insurance quotes with iSelect
Why consider Budget Direct car insurance?
Long story short
Coverage options for all kinds of drivers
Choose from comprehensive, third-party property, and third-party property, fire, and theft – three different levels to suit your budget and needs.
Discounts for savvy drivers
Get 15% off your first-year premium when you buy online. Plus, explore their ‘low kilometre’ and age restricted options to save more.
Comprehensive’s extra perks
Access 24/7 claims, towing, lifetime repair guarantees, and hire car when your claim for a no-fault accident is accepted – all included in comprehensive cover.
Customise your policy
Add accident hire car cover for accepted at-fault claims, choice of repairer, or lower your window glass excess. Remember to check your product disclosure statement (PDS) for details!
Why consider Budget Direct car insurance?
It’s probably no surprise – given their name – that Budget Direct’s car insurance policies are tailored to those of us who are careful spenders and mindful savers!
Here are just a few reasons why Budget Direct may be a good choice for your car insurance (conditions may apply):
- They won Money magazine’s Award for Best-Value Car Insurance from 2019 to 2025.
- They offer an online discount of 15%1Budget Direct – Online Insurance Discounts and Offers on your first year’s premium for a new car insurance policy.
- You may be able to lower your premiums by restricting your policy to drivers over a certain age.
- If you drive less than 10,000 kilometres per year, you may be eligible for a lower premium by choosing the Low Kilometres Comprehensive policy.
What types of car insurance does Budget Direct offer?
Like most insurers, Budget Direct car insurance offers three types of cover: comprehensive, third-party property, and third-party property, fire, and theft insurance.
- Comprehensive: As the name suggests, this policy gives you the widest range of cover. It includes cover for loss or damage to your vehicle due to events such as accident, theft, severe weather, malicious damage, and fire. It also covers your liability for accidental damage your car causes to another person’s property and vehicle.
- Third-party property, fire, and theft: This covers your liability for damage your car causes to other people’s property and vehicle, with extra protection against loss or damage to your own vehicle due to fire or theft.
- Third-party property: This is the lowest level of cover offered by Budget Direct. It covers your liability for damage your car causes to other people’s property and vehicles.
Helpful tip
With the cost of living hitting a lot of people hard, finding ways to lower your car insurance premium is key for many people. If you don’t drive a great deal, Budget Direct’s Low Kilometres Comprehensive policy could help keep your premiums low, without sacrificing the high cover of a comprehensive policy.
What are the benefits of Budget Direct comprehensive car insurance?
As well as offering good value and quality insurance in general, there are several features that help Budget Direct really stand out:
- Tailor-made cover: By restricting your policy to drivers over a certain age, you could save on your premium. Budget Direct offers some of the biggest range-of-age options of any major insurer, giving you more chances to save. You can choose 21+, 25+, 30+, 40+ or 50+. Getting older does have its perks, after all!
- Lifetime repair guarantee: When you’re insured with Budget Direct, any authorised repairs to your car will have a lifetime guarantee for as long as you own the car.
- 24/7 claims: This means you can lodge a claim any time, day or night, 365 days a year (that’s 366 in a leap year!). That’ll save you from waiting and worrying as you can lodge your claim straight away, and Budget Direct will take control.
- Towing costs sorted out for you: A Budget Direct comprehensive policy will cover you for towing costs if your car can’t be safely driven after an accident.
- A hire car following theft or when an accident isn’t your fault: If Budget Direct agrees to pay your claim after your car is stolen, or after an accident when you’re not at fault, they will provide you with a hire car, so you won’t be left totally car-less. Conditions apply.
That’s quite a selection! Hopefully, these benefits will make your drives a little less stressful too.
Some benefits of Budget Direct car insurance:
| Benefits | Comprehensive | Third-party property, fire and theft | Third-party property only |
| Choice of market value or agreed value |  |  | |
| ‘Low kilometres’ policy option | | | |
| Damage to other people’s property | up to $20M | up to $20M | up to $20M |
| Essential repairs | | | |
| Emergency transport and accommodation | | | |
| Hire car following a no fault accident | | | |
| Hire car following theft | | | |
| New car replacement | | | |
| Personal effects (incl. baby capsule) | | | |
| Repair guarantee | | | |
| Replacement of stolen keys | | | |
| Towing costs | | | |
| Trailer and caravan | | | |
| Uninsured motorist damage | N/A | | |
| 24/7 claims | | | |
Limits and conditions apply – please read the product disclosure statement
What other ways can I tailor my Budget Direct car insurance?
If you choose to take out a comprehensive car insurance policy, Budget Direct car insurance offers additional options (for an additional premium).
- Accident hire car: If your at-fault claim is accepted, a hire car can be covered for up to 21 days while your car is repaired.
- Reduced window glass excess: You can lower the excess for damage to your vehicle’s windscreen or window glass (excluding sunroof) to just $40.
- Choice of repairer: Adding this option means you can nominate your preferred repairer if you need to make a claim.
As with any car insurance policy, there will be certain exclusions that apply, so it’s worth reading the relevant product disclosure statement to really get a hold of every tiny detail!
How does excess work at Budget Direct?
You’ve probably heard the term ‘excess’ before.
Simply put, an excess is the amount you must pay when you make a claim.
In some cases, you may have to pay more than one excess, which could include your basic excess, plus any additional excesses that apply.
Your basic excess and the additional excesses will be shown on your Insurance Certificate. You can check exactly what those excesses will be before you take out your policy. If you make a claim, you’ll be told which excesses apply and when and how to pay them.
At Budget Direct, if the accident is deemed a no fault accident, then you may not have to pay any excess at all!
Can I change my excess with Budget Direct?
When you’re taking out a Budget Direct comprehensive car insurance policy, you may be asked if you want to increase or lower the basic excess on your policy.
If you opt for a higher basic excess, this can reduce the premium. But if you choose a lower basic excess, your premium could be higher. It’s important to choose the basic excess you’ll be comfortable to pay in the event of a claim, also taking into account any additional excesses that could apply.
What are Budget Direct’s additional excesses?
When making a claim with Budget Direct, you may need to pay an additional excess if:
- the driver is under 25
- the driver hasn’t held a full or open Australian licence for two or more years
- the driver isn’t listed on your Insurance Certificate
- you hold a Low Kilometres Comprehensive policy and your car has exceeded the kilometres per year selected, you didn’t provide an odometer reading, or you provided an invalid odometer reading, such as one that is higher or lower than the actual reading at the time.
Phew! That’s enough about excesses.
How do I pay for my Budget Direct car insurance premium?
Paying for your car insurance premium is a total breeze with Budget Direct!
You can pay via direct debit from your bank account or credit card. Your payments can be made fortnightly, monthly, or annually.
Keep in mind that if you choose to pay annually, you’ll pay a lower premium as you’ll avoid instalment processing fees!
How can I compare Budget Direct policies?
Good question! The answer is nice and easy. Just take a look at our comparison tool to compare Budget Direct policies online.
Get started on comparing car insurance policies!
Save time and effort by comparing a range of car insurance quotes with iSelect
iSelect General Pty Ltd (ABN 90 131 798 126. AFSL 334115) has partnered with Compare the Market (ABN 83 117 323 378. AFSL 422926) to compare a range of car insurers and policies. Not all providers in the market or all policies offered by the partners are compared and not all policies or special offers are available to all customers.
A number of our participating general insurance brands are arranged by Auto & General Services Pty Ltd ACN 003 617 909 on behalf of Auto & General Insurance Company Limited 111 586 353, both of which are related entities of iSelect Limited. Our relationship with those companies does not impact the integrity of our comparison service. Click here to view iSelect’s range of providers.
Any advice provided by iSelect is of a general nature and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. You need to consider the appropriateness of any information or general advice iSelect gives you, having regard to your personal situation, before acting on iSelect’s advice or purchasing any policy. You should consider iSelect’s Financial Services Guide which provides information about our services and your rights as a client of iSelect. iSelect receives commission for each policy sold that is a percentage of the premium or a flat fee. Ask us for more details before we provide you with any services.