Complete guide on e-insurance account 23^rd January 2023

Insurance is undoubtedly a saviour in unfortunate times. It is a guarded mechanism that allows you to prepare for financial losses arising from accidents, damages, or death against which you are insured. Insurance penetration, a ratio of insurance premium payments to the country's GDP, rose to 4.2% in FY21, still lagging behind the global average of 7.2%.

The slow but steady rise of awareness regarding insurance products amid the pandemic is the reason behind such progress. Picking up on increasing demand, insurance companies have refined processes to make their services more reliable and accessible. One such move is the launch of an e-insurance account which makes it easier for policyholders to keep track of and renew online general insurance and other crucial policies.

Read on to learn about e-insurance accounts and how to set one up.

E-insurance account.

An e-insurance account, also known as e-IA, is a step towards the digitalisation of the insurance industry. It serves as a repository that stores all your insurance policies- including life, health, motor, insurance, etc. In 2013, the IRDAI introduced the digitised policy to allow insurance to go paperless and give policyholders access to their insurance portfolio in a few clicks.

Fundamental features of an e-IA.

Hereafter referred to as e-IA, an e-insurance account provides the following features:

● Every individual can only open one e-IA in their name.

● Once linked, each insurance policy under the e-IA is known as an e-insurance policy.

● Data safety is ensured with each account holder being provided unique login credentials and account numbers for their e-IA.

Benefits of an e-IA.

1. Digitally secure insurance:
Preserving records online eliminates the possibility of theft or misplacement of policies. Additionally, the documents stay secure perpetually, making them easy to access for the nominee in case of the policyholder's death to initiate a claim at the earliest.

2. Simplified payment platform:
Visiting various websites to renew policies with multiple insurers is a hassle. E-IA simplifies the process by making it possible to pay your online general insurance premiums to various insurance companies from the insurance repository's online portal.

3. One time KYC:
KYC compliance has been a lax part of the process until recently. With constant changes to the insurance purchasing process to reduce fraud claims and loopholes, KYC compliance has become compulsory for buying any insurance policy. Instead of submitting the details multiple times while purchasing a policy, by stating your e-IA number, your policy will automatically be linked to your account, eliminating the need for providing KYC details.

4. Zero charges set-up:
You can open e-insurance accounts with your preferred insurance repository authorised by the IRDAI. This includes the Central Insurance Repository Limited, NSDL Database Management Limited, CAMS Repository Services Limited, and Karvy Insurance Repository Limited. These accounts are set up free of cost to incentivise customers to shift to digitalised platforms.

5. Convenient management:
There is no greater benefit of e-IAs than the ease of compilation. It makes it easy to view all your policies- general and non-general together and, keep track of the policy period, renewal date, and process premium payments. This overview is an excellent way to minimise the chances of a lapse in online general insurance and life insurance policies.

Opening an e-IA account.

Now that you're aware of the benefits of an e-IA, here are four simple steps to open your account:

1. Pick your preferred insurance repository from the four eligible repositories mentioned above.

2. Download the e-IA opening form available on their website.

3. Carefully fill out the form and attach self-attested KYC documents along with personal, bank, and contact details. You may not require KYC documents if opening your account through an insurance company, in which case, the company sends the details collected before.

4. Submit the documents and filled form to the insurance repository.

E-insurance accounts are set to transform the perception of the insurance sector and its products. With introductions like online general insurance, automated premium payments, and one-stop repositories, we anticipate Indian insurance penetration to catch up with global figures soon!

Click HERE to buy online general insurance.

Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.