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Online retailers’ insurance

Essential, off-the-shelf protection for selling online. One policy can cover stock theft and damage, things going wrong with what you sell, and the health and safety of the people you work with.

Our policy can also cover selling on platforms like Amazon USA.

Quote online in less than 2 minutes

Public liability
Products liability
from £14.70 a month
£1,000,000
£100,000

Public liability insurance covers third-party property damage and injury caused by you or your business. It’s useful if you go out and about to meetings or events, or if people come and see you.

Products liability insurance covers damage to people and property caused by the products you sell, and that you’re liable for.

Stock and property
£4.90 a month
£5,000 to replace business equipment you use and items you sell
Employers’ liability
£2.94 a month
£10,000,000 legally required cover for employers
Based on an annual income of up to £100,000. All prices include IPT at 12%. Quote online for turnovers up to £2,000,000, or call and talk to an expert.
E-commerce insurance for savvy sellers

‘Out of sight, out of mind’ doesn’t really cut it for online retailers. Your responsibilities (and problems) don’t disappear just because you’re not on the high street.

Your shopfront might be virtual but you’re still liable for the things you sell. And if a fire or a break-in wipes out your stock, or your store is out of action, the selling stops.

Online retailers’ insurance protects your business by covering your defence costs and any compensation due if there’s a claim against you. It also pays to keep you up and running should certain events conspire against you.

That way you get support and security when you need it most. Two for the price of one, you might say.

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.

What our customers say...
★★★★★
Fast efficient and easy to use. Wold recommend using this site to other online businesses
Online Retailer
4 November 2023
★★★★★
Great fast and easy process. Thank you for making it stress free!
Online Retailer
27 October 2023
★★★★★
Fast service , easy to create policy
Online Retailer
25 August 2023

What insurance do online retailers need?

Public liability

Covers third-party property damage and injury, caused by you or your business. It’s useful if you go out and about to meetings or if people come and see you.

See some examples

Public liability: some claim stories

1
You’re visiting a potential supplier and accidentally spill tea over their new MacBook Pro. They hand you the bill to replace it.
2
A courier picks up a delivery from your house and trips on your loose step, injuring themselves. They subscribe to ‘where there’s blame there’s a claim’ and you’re asked for compensation.
Products liability

Products liability

Covers damage caused by the products you sell. Damage could be to a person or to property.


See some examples

Products liability: some claim stories

1
You bake and sell cupcakes; someone alleges their order contained unwanted foreign objects that made them ill (and we’re not talking chocolate chips).
2
You make clothes. A customer claims a garment’s buttons came off in their washing machine, blocking the drain pipe and flooding their kitchen.
3
You sell mobile phones. A manufacturing fault in one of them means the battery overloads and catches fire, destroying the phone and damaging your customer's property. Even though it's not your design, the customer comes to you for compensation.
Public liability
Employers’ liability

Employers’ liability

This is a legal requirement if you have staff. It covers you if an employee gets injured or ill as a result of working for you, and sues you. ‘Employees’ include temps, summer staff, volunteers and work experience students, as well as full-time permanent people.
Subcontractors and freelancers might also be included – if you provide their working environment and equipment.

See some examples

Employers’ liability: some claim stories

1
A helper in your kitchen slips on your wet floor and breaks a wrist. They allege an unsafe working environment and claim compensation.
2
One of your warehouse guys puts his back out lifting a heavy box. He alleges a lack of proper training and sues you for damages.
Products liability
Personal accident

Personal accident

Protects your business if you or an employee are killed or injured in an accident. The insurance pays a lump sum to help keep your business going, as well as covering, for example, recruitment costs if you need new people. It also covers associated medical expenses.



See some examples

Personal accident: some claim stories

1
You’re putting up a shelf at home and fall off a stepladder, breaking your arm in several places. Owing to complications in hospital, your arm has to be amputated. Your job involves a lot of typing so you have to pay for a virtual assistant to help out.
2
A car crash means a long hospital stay. Unfortunately, after 12 months of recovery and rehabilitation, there’s no prospect of improvement. In that time, you need someone else to run your business, racking up training costs, additional day-to-day expenses and a sizeable medical bill.
Employers’ liability
Business interruption

Business interruption

Helps keep your business going if an unexpected event makes it difficult to trade. It does this by covering profit you lose during the time you’re out of action.


See some examples

Business interruption: some claim stories

1
Your stock is damaged in a flood. Your property damage insurance covers its replacement, but it’s a good three weeks before you’ve got something to sell. Your profits nose dive as a result.
2
Clumsy workmen accidentally cut a power cable in your street. You’re offline for several days while they sort it out, leading to lost sales.
Personal accident
Property (stock)

Property damage (stock)

Covers your stock and business equipment against loss, theft and accidental damage. If you work from home, it’s unlikely your home insurance covers business stuff.
Make sure you check.

See some examples

Property damage (stock): some claim stories

1
The storage place you use burns down, destroying your stock and the various promotional bits and pieces you use for events.
2
You go to an event and sell lots of stuff. Great! Except your takings are stolen from your stand when your back’s turned.
Business interruption

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Call us and a real person answers. No call centre, no phone menu, no scripts. Just friendly, helpful advice from a business insurance professional.

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0345 222 5399
Catherine Roberts
Account Executive
Sarah Adams
Sales Team Leader
Yasin Akdemir
Senior Account Executive
Sian Adams
Medical Malpractice Team Leader
Zoe Langford
Account Executive