Young driver car insurance FAQs
Frequently asked SMART WHEELS car insurance questions
Yes, if you’ve just passed your driving test, or have sent your licence off to the DVLA, you can send us your driving test pass certificate instead when you send us your other documents such as your DVLA summary.
We've calculated your price to take your driving experience into account. SMART WHEELS is all about giving you feedback to help you become safer and more confident on the road. Check your app and dashboard to see how you're getting on.
You can view, print and save your Policy wording, charges and fees, Essential information and Insurance Product Information Document in your online dashboard.
To get your Certificate of Motor Insurance or proof of your no claim bonus please contact us.
When you first log in to the dashboard or app you'll be prompted to upload your documents. After this you can upload documents using the documents page in your dashboard. Simply click on the relevant document in the app or dashboard and upload a clear picture. Using the app you can upload a picture directly from your mobile phone camera. Please upload or send us the following within the first 14 days of your policy to avoid cancellation.
- Proof of your NCD (if you declared any when taking out your policy). This must be in the policy holder's name, less than two years old and not currently in use on another car insurance policy.
- A clear copy of the front and back of the photo card driving licence for any drivers aged 25 and under (if you have sent your licence off, please send in your driving test pass certificate instead).
- The DVLA information for any drivers aged 25 and under. Here's how you can get this:
- Have your licence number, National Insurance number and postcode to hand
- Go to www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence, select start now and enter your details
- Select share your licence information on the top tab and click 'get a code'
- Choose 'print or save a licence summary' to download the information we need, take a screenshot or save this as a PDF to upload/send to us.
We know that everyday life means that you may need to drive at unsociable times, so we don't impose a set curfew. However, we do give you feedback about whether you're driving at safe times in your usage score. We know it's more dangerous to drive at certain times of day such as early morning or during the night and whilst the odd journey during these hours won't affect your usage score, doing lots of journeys at these times will.
Your usage score also gives you feedback based on the length of journeys and number of journeys driven within 24 hours. You'll find this feedback, along with tips on how to improve your score, in the app and dashboard.
If your car isn’t parked 50% of the time at the overnight location you declared when you took your car insurance policy out with us, please contact us to amend your policy by filling in the online form on the help and support page.
Failure to do so may result in cancellation. A change of overnight postcode may result in a refund, an additional premium, or if the overnight location postcode is ineligible then your policy may be cancelled.
We hope not to have to cancel your policy but you should be aware that there are a number of reasons why this could happen. They include, but are not limited to:
- Failure to have the telematics box installed within 14 days of your policy purchase date
- Failure to send in all required document within 14 days of your policy purchase date
- Exceeding your mileage allowance (remember you can top up at any time)
- Repeated or excessive speeding
- Not parking at your declared overnight location postcode
For further information about the cancellation of your policy, please read the policy wording thoroughly.
You can track the miles you have driven, and your remaining mileage, in your app or dashboard. You'll also find an estimate of how many miles you are likely to drive in your policy year. Don't worry if you run out of miles, you can top up at any time.
The cost of top up miles is based on your driving score – the safer you drive, the cheaper your miles will be. However, remember to estimate your miles as accurately as you can from the start as topping up can be a more expensive option.
You can download your MORE THAN SMART WHEELS app or log into your online dashboard as soon as you have purchased your policy. We recommend that you check your score through your app or dashboard at least twice per week.
You must tell us if any of the information shown on your statement of fact changes, for example:
- Changes to your personal details such as name or address changes
- Any claims, convictions, or points on your licence that you didn’t have when you bought the policy
- Changes to your car, such as a new car, or any modifications you make to it
- Any changes to your long-term health which may affect your driving
If you wish to cancel your policy at any time or make any other changes, please contact us.
If you're thinking of changing your car please contact us to discuss how it might affect your policy. Please have the registration number or the exact make and model of the car you'd like us to quote for.
Postal paperwork usually takes between 7 to 10 working days, depending on the Royal Mail.
The credit or debit card payment is taken between 24 to 48 hours later and will appear as RSA on your bank statement.
Depending on your situation and what you need from your insurance, there may be ways we can help you manage your payments to make sure you don’t end up uninsured.
How to get in touch
To talk to us about the options that might be available to you, you can view our phone numbers and opening hours or join a live chat with one of our team by visiting our contact us page.
Please don’t cancel your payments without speaking to us first as we may be able to help.
If you’d like some free, independent advice
There are a number of places that offer free independent advice. For example, the National Debtline offers free and impartial debt advice for people living in England, Wales or Scotland. These independent organisations offer tools and resources to support you if you are in financial difficulty. These include online budget planners, affordability calculators and information on support such as the Breathing Space scheme, which gives a 60 day period where debt cannot be pursued. This scheme can be used once in a 12 month period.
A black box is a telematics device that is fitted to your car somewhere out of sight and is a little larger than a smartphone. Your black box will be professionally fitted to your car once you've purchased your MORE THAN SMART WHEELS policy. Once fitted it records information about your driving style; such as speed, smoothness (acceleration, braking, and cornering), and usage (the time of day you drive, the length of your journey, and the number of journeys completed in a day). The information generates a driving score, which you'll be able to view by logging in to your app or online dashboard. Our best drivers are those that check their scores regularly. We recommend checking it at least twice a week. The better your driving score is, the bigger the renewal discount you can earn.
Your black box measures bits of your driving that we know are dangerous such as speed, how sharply you accelerate, brake and corner, and when you drive (the time of day, the length of journeys and how often in 24 hours). Our experts turn this data into a driving score based on what we know leads to accidents.
We look at how often, or not, these things happen and calculate your feedback based on that. This means your feedback shows how you drive most of the time; occasional mishaps don't hurt too much, but repeatedly driving dangerously will hurt your score.
Yes, you can drive your car as soon as your policy has started.
However, its important to get your black box fitted straight away as your policy may be cancelled if it is not fitted within the first 14 days of buying your insurance cover.
RS Connect fit the boxes for us - they'll send you a text message after you've purchased your policy with a link to an online booking service so that you can choose a day which is suitable for you. It takes no longer than an hour to fit your black box and we can fit the box at a place convenient for you whether that is at your home, work, or place of study. Please note that we will ask for someone over 18 years of age to be present to sign for the pre- and post-checks conducted by the black box engineer. You don't need to be present whilst the engineer is installing the black box - they'll contact you when the fit is complete so the post-checks can be conducted.
You get a score that reflects how you've driven in the last seven days, in the last three months, and in your policy year to date (this determines your renewal discount). You can check your scores using your app or dashboard. Our best drivers are those who check their scores often, so aim for twice a week!
High scores mean you're driving well, and you can earn a bigger renewal discount just for driving safely. Remind anyone who drives your car that they need to drive safely as the box will be recording their driving style too.
We love celebrating safe driving! Keep your score high and you’ll earn a discount at your renewal. A good driving score at the end of your policy year will earn you a discount included in your renewal premium. A bad driving score will result in a loading being included in your renewal premium.
We’ve made this change because we want to make sure that all of our good drivers are seeing the benefits of SMART WHEELS and not missing out, and we noticed that a large majority of our customers weren’t making the most of their quarterly rewards. However, although you’ll no longer receive a quarterly bonus, you’ll still be rewarded with a discount off your renewal for safe driving – the higher your score, the bigger your discount.
If applicable to your policy, you’ll receive quarterly bonus rewards. Your bonus rewards are calculated based on your score at the end of each quarter; the higher your driving score, the bigger reward you'll earn. Your rewards will be loaded onto a pre-paid Mastercard® which is sent to your home address. This usually takes about 28 days from your quarter ending. Once activated, you’ll be able to use your card to spend your rewards at most places that display the Mastercard sign. Read these terms and conditions to understand how to activate your card.
Applies only to customers whose policies started on or before 14 May 2022.
To activate your reward card please visit https://www.myedenredcards.co.uk/iac/smartwheels and select ‘Activate your card’. You will need to enter some personal details like your name and email address and the serial number on your card. Then your reward card will be activated.
The reward card is valid for 12 months and the expiry date will be printed on the card. All funds MUST be used by the expiry date. Read our full terms and conditions.
Applies only to customers whose policies started on or before 14 May 2022.
Rewards are calculated at the end of every quarter (every 3 months). If your quarterly score is +5 or above; great news you’ll have earned a reward.
Your reward is pre-loaded onto Mastercard and is sent in the post to your home address, this usually takes 28 days from your quarter ending.
Although your reward will already be loaded you will need to activate the card to start spending. Read these Terms and conditions to understand how to activate your card.
Applies only to customers whose policies started on or before 14 May 2022.
You can check the balance of your reward card by creating or logging in to your Rewards Account hosted by our partners Edenred or downloading the ‘My Cards’ App from the App Store. Alternatively, you can call the Reward Card team at Edenred on 0333 400 0018.
If you have hearing or speech difficulties you can use Relay UK via textphone by adding 18001 before dialling; or simply download the Relay UK App on your mobile or tablet.
You will need to verify yourself using your personal data such as name and address etc. The Reward Card team at Edenred are available 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday (excluding public bank holidays).
Applies only to customers whose policies started on or before 14 May 2022.
To request a new PIN number for your reward card, please visit www.incentiveawardcard.co.uk. Here you can create or log in to your Rewards account hosted by our partner Edenred and obtain a PIN reminder code. Alternatively, you can call the Reward Card team at Edenred on 0333 400 0018.
If you have hearing or speech difficulties you can use Relay UK via textphone by adding 18001 before dialling; or simply Download the Relay UK App on your mobile or tablet.
You will need to verify yourself using your personal data such as name and address etc. The Reward Card team at Edenred are available 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday (excluding public bank holidays).
Applies only to customers whose policies started on or before 14 May 2022.
Don’t worry, we all lose things from time to time. To report your reward card lost or stolen and set up a replacement reward card with our partners Edenred please visit https://www.edenred.co.uk/Lost-Stolen-or-Damaged-Cards/Lost-and-Stolen-Cards/lost-card/ and complete the online form. Alternatively, you can call the Reward Card team at Edenred on 0333 400 0018.
If you have hearing or speech difficulties you can use Relay UK via textphone by adding 18001 before dialling; or simply Download the Relay UK App on your mobile or tablet.
You will need to verify yourself using your personal data such as name and address etc. The Reward Card team at Edenred are available 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday (excluding public bank holidays).
Applies only to customers whose policies started on or before 14 May 2022.
We are supporting our customers who are most In need by prioritising their calls. Please only call us:
- Where contacting us by telephone is your only option
- To submit a claim
- To renew your policy
- If you have been unable to contact us to pay your renewal due to illness and are worried you may now be uninsured.
Please note that you may have to wait longer than normal, but our team will aim to answer your call as soon as they can.
Or, you may be able to ask a family member, friend, or carer to help complete our online form.
If you are:
- Impacted by coronavirus
- In self-isolation or caring for someone who is
- Suffering a health issue that prevents you from managing it yourself
Then you can nominate someone to manage your policy on your behalf. If a friend, family member or carer has your consent, they can pay your premium and make some changes to your policy.
To find out more, they can contact us using our online form and we will do our best to support them. Please ask them to specify on the online form that they have your permission to talk to us on your behalf.
If you need specialist help for a loved one, please see below a list of organisations that can offer further support:
- Age UK:
- NHS Responders: for those in need of support from an NHS volunteer
- Alzheimer's UK: Alzheimer’s Society coronavirus advice
We will do what we can to help. If you are worried that your policy has been cancelled and you are now uninsured, or to see our opening hours, please visit our contact us page.
If you change your address permanently, you must let us know to ensure that your car is fully covered.
We monitor your overnight location and need to know where your car will be parked the majority of the time throughout the policy year, if this location has now changed then please contact us to update your policy. For our opening hours, please visit our contact us page.
It is essential that we have your most up to date address as we do from time to time send important letters by post as well as email.
If you don’t have your driving licence yet then please feel free to send us your pass test certificate. You can access your DVLA summary easily online by following the below steps. You will need your National Insurance number to hand:
- Select Start Now under 'View or share your driving licence data'
- Enter all drivers details including Driving Licence Number, National Insurance Number and Postcode, and tick the 'I agree' check box
- Click the Share Your Licence Information tab along the top of the browser, then select 'Get a code'
- Your licence check code is provided, please then click the link title 'View, print or save your licence information'
- (PC/Laptop only) PDF will load at the bottom, left hand side of your screen. Please click the drop down arrow and press 'open'. Right click on your Driving Licence Summary and select 'Save As' and send this to us
- (Mobile Device) PDF will display automatically, please screenshot your Driving Licence Summary and send this to us
- Please make sure that your name, check code, status, endorsements and 'Can Drive' sections are in shot.
If you are unable to obtain your proof of No Claim Bonus, please let us know by filling in our online contact form and one our team can look into this for you.
Yes, they will be insured with third-party cover only under the following circumstances:
- They have their own car insurance that includes a 'Driving Other Cars' section
- They use your car with your permission.
If you have comprehensive insurance and want to ensure that damage to your own car is covered when someone else uses it, you should add the other driver as a named driver to your own policy. Please contact us to update your policy. For our opening hours please visit our contact us page.
If you are using your car for voluntary purposes to transport medicines or groceries to support others who are impacted by coronavirus, your cover will not be affected and you don't need to tell us.
This includes if you are volunteering for the NHS during this period.
If you are planning to make deliveries as part of your business, please check your policy terms, as you may not be covered.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for helping others in your community.
No, if you work for the NHS or are a key worker and need to use your own car to drive to different places of work because of the impact of coronavirus, your cover will not be affected and you do not need to contact us.
Thank you for the great work that you and your colleagues are doing in these challenging times, we all appreciate it.
Your UK car insurance covers you to drive in the EU, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, Serbia, Andorra, and Liechtenstein.
From 2 August 2021, UK drivers did not need to apply for a Green Card when travelling in or between the UK and EU and in the countries listed above. This includes driving in Northern Ireland and across the border to the Republic of Ireland. UK Motorists driving in these countries have access to the Green Card Free Circulation Area to enable driving across these European borders without producing a Green Card.
There are some countries that still require a Green Card to be produced when driving there, please visit Driving abroad - GOV.UK for the latest information. You will need to call us at least three weeks before your departure date to request a Green Card to ensure it arrives in time.
Please note, the car insurance we provide as standard is the minimum cover you need by law. If you want to extend your cover to what you get in the UK, please contact us before you travel to add the foreign use extension.
A Green Card is issued by your motor insurance company and has information about your vehicle such as its licence plate number and demonstrates that you have the necessary minimum motor insurance cover in place to be on the roads. If required in the country you are travelling to, or through, drivers must physically carry the green card with them whilst driving.
No, your breakdown cover will still work as usual across the EU if you have purchased the European breakdown option.
You can read the Government’s most up-to-date guidance on international driving permits, including checking which Post Offices offer this service and the Government’s guide to visiting Europe.
Contact us for further information. Our team is here to help.