Everything About Shipping Insurance, Answered

ShipSimple is a Canadian online platform for all-risk shipping insurance. Businesses and private sellers insure parcels up to $250,000 per parcel and freight and marine cargo up to $500,000 per shipment, quote and buy online, and get a certificate in under two minutes. Coverage is underwritten by an A-rated insurer and brokered by Marsh Canada.

All-Risk Shipper’s Interest insurance covers your goods warehouse to warehouse, when declared at booking, against loss or damage from any external cause, regardless of which carrier is at fault. Unlike carrier liability, capped by weight and paid only when the carrier is proven negligent, all-risk pays the invoice value, up to your declared value, directly to you as the cargo owner.

You need a free ShipSimple account, which takes about a minute. You don’t need a broker. Private sellers can insure a single parcel with no business account.

Carrier liability is capped, usually by weight, and you have to prove fault. ShipSimple pays the declared value for covered physical loss or damage whether or not the carrier was negligent.

No. You use your own courier or carrier. The policy covers the goods, not the booking.

Seconds. Enter the shipment and the premium shows before you buy. The whole flow, quote to certificate, takes under two minutes.

If what you ship is worth more than the carrier’s liability, yes. Couriers often stop at $100, and freight carriers pay $4.41 per kilogram on a standard bill of lading, only when they’re at fault. Everything above that is your loss.

Parcels: coverage up to $250,000 per parcel. Freight: coverage up to $500,000 per shipment. Parcel shipments over $100,000 need additional approval, and higher limits are underwritten case by case.

Yes, when declared at booking and subject to country restrictions, across truck, rail, ocean and air legs of the same journey.

From the moment you take on the risk until final delivery. Warehouse-to-warehouse cover applies when declared at booking, subject to country restrictions.

Delay; wear and tear; insufficient packing; inherent vice; rust, scratching or denting, and mechanical or electrical breakdown, unless caused by an insured event like a drop or collision; temperature variation; and excluded goods, including firearms and ammunition, cash and securities, raw precious metals and coins, perishables, pharmaceuticals and live animals. Heavy machinery is covered on freight, not parcel. Coverage ends at delivery.

All major carriers. Canada Post, UPS, FedEx and DHL for parcels, plus LTL and FTL trucking, ocean and air for freight. We insure the shipment, not the platform, so where you buy your label does not matter.

Your premium depends on the value and type of goods. Parcel shipments have no deductible. You see the exact premium before you buy, with a Get an Instant Quote button.

The insured value. By default that’s the invoice cost of the goods. We recommend insuring at CIF + 10%, which you elect when you book.

Invoice price rarely equals what a loss costs you. Duties and brokerage are already paid, the freight isn’t coming back, and replacing goods quickly costs extra. CIF + 10% covers the cost of the goods, insurance and freight, plus 10% for those costs.

Parcel claims have no deductible, so a $300 claim pays $300. Any deductible that applies to a freight policy is shown clearly on your certificate before you buy.

Report the loss with the documents we ask for. You do not have to win a carrier dispute before the policy responds.

File online in minutes. Claims are paid directly to you as the cargo owner, with no need to prove the carrier was at fault.

No. All-risk coverage pays regardless of fault. Your claim is assessed on the loss itself, not on who is to blame.

Your invoice or proof of value, photos of the damage and packaging for damage claims, and the tracking number or bill of lading. For damage claims, also a repair estimate or written confirmation that the item can’t be repaired. Keep the item and packing until the claim is settled.

Freight coverage extends to LTL and FTL trucking, ocean containers and air cargo, and includes General Average contributions on ocean freight. It covers higher values, up to $500,000 per shipment.

On ocean freight, if cargo is deliberately sacrificed to save the vessel, every shipper aboard shares the cost, even if their goods were untouched. ShipSimple marine cover on Institute Cargo Clauses (A) covers your General Average and salvage contributions.

Parcel shipments have no deductible. A freight deductible may apply, depending on the goods, and is shown on your certificate.