Return to Invoice Gap Insurance

Return to Invoice Gap Insurance offers priceless peace of mind in the event of your vehicle being stolen or written off in an accident. Should your car be declared a total loss, this policy covers the difference between the settlement you receive from your motor insurer and the price you paid to buy your vehicle in the first place.

The value of your car at the time of being written off will be different to when you first bought it. Your motor insurance company will offer you a settlement in line with its current worth, rather than its value when you made the purchase.

If you purchased your vehicle under a finance agreement (except where the policy is transferred) and the outstanding balance at the point of total loss is greater than the original purchase price, RTI Gap Insurance can help you. It will pay the difference between the current market value of the vehicle and the finance balance still due to be paid.

Cover will include up to a maximum of £1,000 motor insurance excess.

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Let’s say that you paid £20,000 for your car. However, at the point where it was declared a total loss, its value had depreciated over time to £12,000. That is the sum that you will receive from your motor insurance company, leaving you £8,000 short of your original investment – a substantial amount by most people’s standards. But by taking out a Back to Invoice Gap Insurance policy with Direct Gap, you’ll have ensured your finances remain protected, as we’ll cover the £8,000 deficit.

Alternatively, let’s say that you bought your car for £10,000 under a finance agreement, and the details of that deal meant you were going to be paying back a total of £12,000 once interest payments have been taken into account. Now let’s say that the value of your vehicle when it was declared a total loss was £7,000. That leaves you with a £5,000 shortfall to make up, which will be covered by your RTI Gap Insurance.

You are not obligated to take out Return to Invoice Gap Insurance. It’s not a legal requirement like standard motor insurance. But as you can see from the examples above, it could prove a sensible financial decision if the worst were to happen to your car.

If your vehicle was stolen or written off and you had no cover in the form of an RTI policy, you could be left significantly out of pocket, or with a large amount left to pay on your finance agreement.

As with any policy, it’s always worth carefully reading through the terms and conditions of your motor insurance documents. If your car is new, some insurers may offer you a replacement vehicle within the first 12 months of ownership. In that situation, you could opt to defer the start of your RTI Gap Insurance policy until your vehicle is one year old.

Return to Invoice Gap Insurance can prove especially worthwhile if you’ve bought a brand new car that may lose value quickly over time. Studies show that cars can depreciate by as much as 60% within the first three years, which could leave you significantly out of pocket if your vehicle were to be declared a total loss.

If that were to happen, your motor insurer’s settlement will be paid in line with the car’s value at that time, rather than in relation to its purchase price. That difference could run into many thousands of pounds, leaving you to pay off a vehicle that you can no longer drive.

Yes, Return to Invoice Gap Insurance is available to those who purchase their cars by way of a finance agreement. If your vehicle is written off and the outstanding balance is greater than the initial purchase price, your policy will cover that difference and release you from the finance contract. This excludes negative equity carried forward from any previous finance agreement and arrears on the contract.

Yes, you can defer the start date for up to a maximum of 12 months but the cover must be taken within 180 days of purchasing the vehicle. The policy start date must not exceed the anniversary of the vehicle’s first registration. It is entirely your responsibility to ensure that you have the appropriate cover provided by your motor insurer during the first 12 months.

Yes, you can make one transfer during the period of insurance.

If you sell your vehicle, provided that no claim has been made under the policy, you may transfer the remaining cover to the replacement vehicle, subject to our agreement and that your new vehicle is within the same risk pricing bracket (you can contact us to confirm this). If there is no change in risk pricing bracket, then no fee will apply for this transfer. Otherwise, you may be required to cancel your existing policy, obtain a pro-rata refund and take out a new policy.

A new schedule will be issued confirming the replacement vehicle details. Where the new vehicle is deemed to be of a higher value, an additional premium may be required. Cover will not include any refinancing.

In the event of bereavement, the remaining benefits of the RTI Gap Insurance may be transferred to the policyholder's spouse or partner.

Yes, Back to Invoice Gap Insurance will still cover you even if the incident that caused your vehicle to be declared a total loss was your fault. However, exclusions apply if the driver is under the influence of alcohol or non-prescription drugs or involved in illegal activity, fraud or an act of wilful negligence. Please carefully read through the terms and conditions of your policy wording for a full listing.

Taking out Return to Invoice Gap Insurance is not an obligation, but it could prove to be a shrewd financial decision in the event of your vehicle being declared a total loss. That’s because the settlement you receive from your motor insurance company will be in line with the car’s value at that time. Therefore, you would only regain a proportion of the original purchase price.

Our RTI Gap Insurance means you’ll be covered for up to the initial value of the vehicle, so it may be worth considering as an additional option to your standard car insurance.

We want to make your life as easy as possible. That’s why getting an RTI Gap Insurance quote is perfectly straightforward. All you have to do is enter your vehicle’s registration number, purchase price and the desired length of policy. We will provide you with a quotation almost instantly.

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Our Return to Invoice Gap Insurance can be purchased as long as you have owned the vehicle for less than 180 days.

Yes, up to £1,000 in the event of a valid total loss claim.

The purchase price is the price of your vehicle, as confirmed in the sales invoice, which includes factory-fitted accessories and dealer-fitted options up to £1,500 and paintwork protection systems up to £250.

You should exclude all deposit allowances, discounts, rebates, concessions, cashbacks, incentives and contributions. Also exclude new vehicle registration fees, road fund licence fee, number plates, warranty costs, insurance premiums, fuel and other extras, arrears or negative equity.

Helvetia Global Solutions Ltd (UK Branch). An A-rated insurer.

Helvetia Global Solutions Ltd’s UK Branch is registered in England & Wales under UK Establishment number: BR024650.

Helvetia Global Solutions is incorporated in Liechtenstein, registration number 0002191766. Helvetia Global Solutions is authorised and regulated by the Liechtenstein Financial Market Authority, Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Subject to regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and limited regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority.

Registered on the Financial Services Register under the firm reference number 454140.

The claim limit is the difference between your motor insurer’s settlement at the point of total loss and the original purchase price OR the amount needed to settle the finance shortfall, whichever is greater.

On vehicles costing up to £50,000, Return to Invoice policies also have an overall claim limit of the original purchase price of your vehicle. On vehicles costing over £50,000, a £50,000 claim limit is in place.

Yes, Return to Invoice Gap Insurance will include all drivers provided that they are covered on your comprehensive motor insurance policy to drive the vehicle as a named driver.

You can pay for your policy in full using a credit or debit card, with no additional card charges.

Alternatively, you may have the option to spread the cost over 10 monthly payments. This facility is provided by an independent finance provider, and a service fee will apply. If this option is not available online, please contact our team who may be able to assist.

We can provide cover on vehicles up to 10 years old.

Yes! We pride ourselves on our expert customer service and satisfaction, which is why we're consistently highly rated by independent review websites.

To view our recent reviews, please check out our 12,500+ Feefo Reviews online.

Before getting your gap insurance quote, it’s important to understand the different products available and the benefits they offer you, to ensure you’re choosing the right policy. At Direct Gap, we pride ourselves on our transparency and honesty, which is why we’re 5* rated and FCA regulated; so if you need help, get in touch! We’re always here to help.

To help get you started, here’s a comparison of the features and benefits of each type of Gap Insurance we offer:

Lease Gap Insurance

Our Lease Car Gap Insurance pays the difference between your car insurance settlement figure and the amount outstanding on your finance.

• Available for new cars
• Available for lease cars (personal contract hire)
• Available for drivers over 18

RTI (Return To Invoice Insurance)

Our Return To Invoice Insurance pays the difference between your car insurance settlement figure and the car invoice price or the amount outstanding on your finance; whichever is higher.

• Available for new & used cars (purchased within 180 days)
• Available for PCP & HP Available for cars purchased from a dealership
• Available for drivers over 18

Vehicle Replacement Cover

Vehicle Replacement Cover pays the difference between the motor insurer's settlement and the cost of a replacement vehicle matching the original specification, age, mileage or the amount outstanding on finance whichever is highest.

• Available for new & used cars (purchased within 180 days)
• Available for PCP & HP
• Available for cars purchased from a dealership
• Available for drivers over 18

A total loss (often referred to as a write-off) is when your motor insurer determines that your vehicle is either beyond economic repair or has been stolen and not recovered.

In these situations, the cost of repairing the vehicle is considered uneconomical compared to its market value, or the vehicle cannot be returned. Your insurer will then offer a settlement based on the vehicle’s value at the time of the incident.

You need to wait until your motor insurer has declared your vehicle a total loss before you can make a claim. Once they have done that, the process is perfectly straightforward:

1. Check your policy wording for claims contact details (if you're unsure, give our team a call on 01422 756 100).
2. Fill out the claims form and send requested evidence.
3. Your paperwork will be checked.
4. If all is approved, your money will be sent to you via bank transfer.

For more information, head over to our guide on how the claims process works.

Never accept an offer from your motor insurance provider without approval from our claims team, as this may invalidate your policy, and in most cases, we can secure a better offer for you.

Yes, if you wish to discontinue your policy, then you can cancel.

Usually, to be entitled to a full refund, you need to do this within 14 days of the cover’s start date. However, we offer you an extended grace period of 30 days. Beyond that period, you'll be refunded on a pro-rata basis, excluding any arrangement fees that may be applicable.

The policy should always be in the name of the owner/hirer or registered keeper of the vehicle.

Yes; you are covered when keys are stolen from your home or office which results in vehicle theft. However you must exercise due diligence and take appropriate steps to safeguard both the keys and the vehicle.

No insurer, including your motor insurer, will provide cover for wilful negligence. For example if you leave the keys in the vehicle and you go off to pay for fuel which results in the vehicle being stolen.

Please see your policy wording for full details. However, the main exclusions of Gap Insurance are when the vehicle becomes a total loss as a result of:

• The driver being under the influence of non-prescription drugs or alcohol
• Being involved in illegal activity
• Fraud or an act of wilful negligence, e.g., leaving keys in the ignition whilst the vehicle is unattended.

Yes, subject to your comprehensive motor insurance being extended to the relevant country, you are covered in Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, Switzerland, and the countries of the European Economic Area.

We are an internet-based provider, and as such, we have lower overheads than motor dealers. As a result of the high volume of Gap Insurance that we sell annually, we can provide quality policies at the keenest prices.

You can be confident that our prices are lower than those quoted by dealers and many other websites. Paying less than you have been quoted elsewhere in no way means that you are buying an inferior product; it just means that they are making more profit from your purchase!

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Once your payment has been processed, your policy documents will be issued to you, usually within 2 hours.

You will also receive confirmation of your payment. Both documents should be retained for your records.

If you do not receive your policy documents or payment confirmation within this timeframe, please contact our team on 01422 756 100.

Most of our policies are fixed-term, with a one-off payment.

Alternatively, we may be able to arrange payments over 10 months. Please note that the payments are collected by a third-party agency and a small administration fee applies.