Car insurance - it’s something that’s in your best interest to have, and yet something that you resent having to pay for. For many consumers having to pay top dollar for a premium is off-putting, especially when you have a good driving record. But the days of waiting in line and going from branch-to-branch to compare quotes are long gone.

If you want to make sure you’re getting the best rate possible then shop online and save. Here are some tips on how to get the best online savings and the best premium possible.

Want to save more? Then buy online
Moving away from the more traditional methods of purchasing car insurance over the phone or at a branch might not be your cup of tea. After all, many people aren’t comfortable with change, let alone when it comes to making credit card transactions online. But if you knew that you could save an extra 10% on your premium by buying online would that change your mind?

Insurance companies such as AAMI and GIO are making a transition to online sales by providing additional discounts to purchases online. As opposed to providing services that involve human resources, this is a much more cost effective exercise. Not only is this convenient for you – the consumer, but it still enables you to gain as much access to information as you could ever need. If you have a question about a products features or extras cover, product disclosure statements (PDS) are always available for you to download instantaneously. There’s no having to wait 7 days for the brochure to arrive in the mail.

Comparing quotes online
Most of the larger insurance companies like Budget Direct and NRMA all have online quotation facilities on their websites. Instead of wasting time jumping from site to site and filling in quote after quote, clever websites such as RateCity.com.au have done all the work for you.

RateCity.com.au collects data from all the major insurance providers, as well as smaller institutions and credit unions, allowing you to search and compare them all at the same time. You will only be required to complete one questionnaire, and can then refine your search and compare features and costs at your leisure at your own pace. The best thing about this is that you will not only save time, but will still be eligible for the discounted online rate if you apply from RateCity’s website – and it’s free to use.

Try a new insurer
Going back to point one, making a change or switching to something new can be slightly daunting. But you’ll never know what you may be missing out on if you never try. Open your eyes to all the other products on offer out there. If you’ve been with the same insurer for years then chances are that there’s now a lot more out there on the market than there was previously. Competition for new customers in the market is so vicious that insurers are tailoring great new products, packages and deals together to stay on-top. And even if it’s not the price that’s important to you, then switching to a new insurer and new policy for better features and extras cover can’t hurt at all.

Shopping and comparing online is the most efficient way of finding which insurer is the best for you. If you live in the UK sites such as Moneysupermarket and uSwitch have great comparison tables for you to compare quotes. If you’re based in Australia try RateCity.com.au. It is the first Australian site which has a car insurance comparison engine that combines live prices from credible data provider CANNEX.