Jerry SummaryGeico offers a brief safety net — or grace period — if you miss an auto insurance payment, allowing your insurance coverage to remain active. If you receive a cancellation notice, you’ll typically have two weeks to get your payments back on track before your coverage will lapse.
Geico’s grace period for missed payments depends on your payment method. According to the insurer’s customer service:
- If you are enrolled in autopay, you can postpone your payments by nine days.
- If you miss a payment, Geico will send you a cancellation notice with about 14 days to pay before the policy lapses.
While Geico doesn’t typically refer to it as a such, these policies function as grace periods because you are still covered for a period of time after your payment is missed.
What happens during Geico’s grace period?
If you fail to make a car insurance premium payment by your due date, Geico does not cancel your coverage immediately. Instead, the insurer will send a cancellation notice with a final date to make the payment. In most cases, this gives you an additional two weeks to bring your account back to current.
During this time, your coverage remains in force and the same. You can still file a claim if you get into an accident, and any additional coverages or services attached to your policy — like roadside assistance or rental car insurance — can still be utilized.
If you pay before the cancellation date, your coverage will continue. However, you may incur a late fee.
If you’re having trouble making payments
If you missed your Geico insurance payment or are struggling to pay your premium on time, take steps now to prevent a coverage lapse in the future.
Autopay: Postpone your payments
Geico allows policyholders to postpone automatic monthly payments. This must be done 11 or more days before the due date. To postpone a payment, open the Billing tab in the Geico mobile app and choose Postpone Payment to make a one-time change to your payment schedule.
Autopay: Updating banking status
If you’re enrolled in autopay and missed a payment due to a change in your billing information or a low bank balance, update your information online or in the mobile app. You can also authorize a new payment in your Geico account.
Shop for a lower rate
The rate you’re paying with Geico might not be the lowest rate currently available to you. Compare car insurance quotes from at least three other insurers to see if you can find cheap car insurance elsewhere.
How to pay Geico after a missed payment
There are a few options to make a late payment before your policy is cancelled.
- Use your cancellation notice. Mail payments to the address shown on your cancellation notice. For most drivers, this is Geico Remittance Center, P.O. Box 70775 Philadelphia, PA 19176-0775.
- Pay online. If you know your Geico user ID or policy number, you can pay your bill online.
- Use the Geico app. If you have the Geico mobile app on your phone, you can pay your bill directly in the app.
- Pay by phone. Call 800-932-8872 to make a phone payment to Geico and store your billing information for future use.
Check the date
To avoid a coverage lapse, make sure any payments are received on or before the cancellation date listed on your notice.
What to do if Geico cancels your policy
If you do not pay Geico before the final cancellation date, your policy will usually be cancelled due to nonpayment. Lapsed coverage is a problem for a few reasons:
- You will likely no longer meet your state’s minimum auto insurance coverage requirements.
- If you’re in an at-fault accident, your now-inactive policy won’t provide you with bodily injury or property damage liability protection.
- If your vehicle is damaged or stolen, you’ll pay out-of-pocket to repair or replace it, versus tapping any comprehensive or collision insurance coverage.
- Drivers with coverage gaps may pay higher premiums on future policies.
It’s important to act fast to restore your coverage, especially if you need to continue driving.
Option 1: Call Geico and ask about reinstatement
If you’re able to make a payment, Geico may agree to reinstate your coverage even after cancellation. This isn’t guaranteed and you may pay a higher rate upon reinstatement due to your coverage lapse, but it’s worth asking. Even a lapse of a few days can cause your premium to rise significantly.
Option 2: Shop for same-day coverage
If you’re not able to reinstate your Geico policy or your rates are too high upon reinstatement, the best option is to shop for same-day coverage from a new insurer. Compare quotes from as many insurers as possible to find the best car insurance rates for your profile. Be sure to also consider smaller insurers and companies that specialize in coverage for high-risk drivers.
Xuyun Zeng is a writer and editor with a wide-ranging content background including tech, journalism, cars and health care. After graduating with highest honors in journalism, Xuyun led a newspaper to win eight awards, helped start an award-winning film industry podcast and has written over a hundred articles about cars repair, state laws and insurance. Prior to joining Jerry, Xuyun worked as a freelance SEO consultant with a mission to create the best content that will help readers and grow organic traffic.
Kevin Berry is the Senior Director of Content at Jerry and has been working in the digital content space since 2011 across the car insurance/repair, personal finance, travel and sports industries. Prior to Jerry, Kevin was a content team lead at NerdWallet overseeing the Multimedia Production and Travel Rewards teams. Previously, he worked for NBC Sports, Comcast Cable and Nike. He has a Master`s Degree from Arkansas State and a Bachelor`s from Oregon State University.
