Allianz Direct vs InShared 2026: a certain benefit against an uncertain one
One guarantees you pay nothing on a claim. The other might refund you at year end.
The short answer
Both are fully digital, both let you cancel on any day, and both sell the standard Dutch tiers. The difference is what each gives you on top, and the two are not equivalent in kind.
Allianz Direct offers a €0 deductible option on Allrisk. Standard Dutch policies carry an eigen risico of €150 to €500 that you pay before the insurer covers anything. Removing it is a contractual certainty. It is also the only one of the two with English-language signup and policy documents.
Bottom line: take Allianz Direct if you want English documents, a guaranteed €0 excess, or simply the safer option in a country whose insurance terms you cannot yet read. Take InShared if you read Dutch, want to bundle home and liability cover under one account, and are comfortable with a cashback that depends on how much everyone else claimed.
Table of contents
The €0 deductible, and what it is worth
Dutch Allrisk policies almost always carry an eigen risico, a deductible of typically €150 to €500. When you claim, you pay that amount yourself and the insurer covers the remainder. It exists to discourage small claims, and it is the part people forget about until they are actually making one.
Allianz Direct offers a €0 deductible option on Allrisk. InShared does not offer one at all. That is a straightforward, contractual difference: with Allianz Direct on that option you pay nothing towards a covered claim.
| Scenario | Standard policy (€300 excess) | Allianz Direct €0 option |
|---|---|---|
| Kerbed a wheel, €400 damage | You pay €300, insurer pays €100 | You pay nothing |
| Parking scrape, €250 damage | You pay all of it, no point claiming | You pay nothing |
| Serious collision, €6.000 damage | You pay €300 | You pay nothing |
The second row is the one that catches people
Below your excess, a policy effectively does nothing. Minor damage of €200 or €250 is common in Dutch cities, where streets are narrow, parking is tight and cyclists are everywhere. With a €300 excess you absorb all of it and your insurance never engages. A €0 option turns those small incidents from an annoyance into a non-event.
Allianz Direct
Allianz Group · car insurance specialist
€0 excess option on Allrisk
The direct-to-consumer digital arm of Allianz Group. WA, WA+ and Allrisk, cancel on any day, and the only English-language signup of the two.
- English signup and English policy documents
- €0 deductible option, which InShared does not offer
- Rated number one car insurer by Independer for three years
- Car insurance only, so no bundling with home or liability
Affiliate link. No extra cost to you, keeps our expat guides free.
How InShared cashback really works
InShared is a fully digital Dutch insurer owned by Achmea, one of the largest insurance groups in the country. Its signature feature is a cashback model, and it is worth understanding precisely rather than as a slogan.
InShared allocates 80 percent of collected premiums to a claims fund. At the end of the year, whatever remains unclaimed is divided back among policyholders. That is a genuinely different structure from a normal insurer, where unclaimed premium is simply profit.
It is a collective pool, not your own account
This is the part most descriptions gloss over. Your cashback depends on how much everyone claimed, not on how carefully you personally drove. A blameless year of your own can still return nothing if the pool had a bad year. The amount varies annually and is not guaranteed.
That does not make it a bad product. Over several years with a low-claim pool it can work out well, and the model aligns the insurer's incentives more honestly than most. But it belongs in a different mental category from Allianz Direct's €0 excess.
| Benefit | Type | When you get it |
|---|---|---|
| Allianz Direct €0 excess | Contractual certainty | Every claim, immediately |
| InShared cashback | Variable, depends on the pool | Year end, if anything remains |
A useful way to decide: if you would be annoyed to receive nothing back after a careful year, the cashback model will frustrate you. If you treat it as an occasional bonus rather than a discount, it is fine.
English documents and why they matter
Allianz Direct provides English-language signup and English policy documents. InShared handles signup and service primarily in Dutch. Almost no Dutch car insurer offers English paperwork, which makes this a genuine differentiator rather than a marketing line.
It matters most at the two moments that count. First at purchase, where the tier you select and the excess you accept determine everything later. Second at claim time, where the exact wording decides whether damage is covered. Translating an insurance policy with a browser extension is not the same as reading it.
Your no-claim years travel with you
Worth knowing whichever you choose: claim-free years built up abroad can often be transferred to a Dutch policy, which cuts your premium substantially. You will usually need a written statement from your previous insurer. Our Dutch car insurance guide covers how to transfer them, and the licence exchange guide covers the paperwork that usually comes first.
InShared
Achmea group · fully digital, no offices
80% of premium to the claims fund
Unclaimed premium is divided back among policyholders at year end. WA, WA+ and Allrisk, cancel on any day, and bundling with home, liability and pet cover.
- Cashback when collective claims are low
- Bundle car with home, contents, liability and pet
- Achmea backing and competitive base premiums
- No €0 excess option, and service primarily in Dutch
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Which one should you take
Take Allianz Direct if
- You cannot read Dutch policy documents comfortably. This is the deciding factor for most new arrivals and it is not close.
- You want the €0 excess. A guaranteed saving of €150 to €500 per claim beats a possible refund.
- You park on the street in a Dutch city, where small damage is frequent and a standard excess makes claiming pointless.
- You want only car insurance and have no interest in bundling.
Take InShared if
- You read Dutch well enough to handle policy terms and a claim without help.
- You want one insurer for car, home, contents, liability and pet under a single account.
- You like the cashback model on principle and treat any refund as a bonus rather than a discount.
- You have off-street parking, which makes small-damage claims rarer and the €0 excess less valuable.
Whichever you pick: get quotes from both before committing, because Dutch car premiums depend heavily on your car, age, postcode and claim-free years, and no comparison page can tell you which will be cheaper for you specifically. Also sort your APK inspection, which is separate from insurance and equally mandatory.
Want a third option?
Univé is the other insurer worth quoting alongside these two. It is a member-owned cooperative rather than a digital challenger, it offers phone support and regional offices, and it bundles car, home and health. It also accepts claim-free years built up abroad, which matters in your first year here. The trade is an annual contract with a notice period rather than cancel-any-day: we work through it in Univé vs InShared.
Get a Univé car quoteAffiliate link. No extra cost to you, keeps our expat guides free.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better for an expat who does not speak Dutch?
Allianz Direct, without much argument. It offers English-language signup and English policy documents, which almost no Dutch car insurer does. InShared handles signup and service primarily in Dutch. When you are reading the terms that decide whether a claim is paid, understanding them properly matters more than a small premium difference.
What is the €0 deductible and why does it matter?
Standard Dutch Allrisk policies carry an eigen risico of €150 to €500, which you pay yourself before the insurer covers the rest of a claim. Allianz Direct offers a €0 deductible option on Allrisk, meaning you pay nothing out of pocket. InShared has no €0 option. On a single claim that is a certain saving of €150 to €500, which is worth more than most premium differences over a year.
How does InShared cashback actually work?
InShared allocates 80 percent of collected premiums to a claims fund. At the end of the year, whatever is left unclaimed is divided back among policyholders. It is a collective pool rather than a personal one, so your cashback depends on how much everyone else claimed, not just on your own driving. A careful year on your part can still produce nothing if the pool as a whole had a bad year.
Is the cashback guaranteed?
No. This is the key thing to understand. The cashback varies year to year and can be nothing at all if collective claims are high. Compare that with Allianz Direct's €0 deductible, which is a contractual certainty rather than a possibility. One is a benefit you can count on, the other is a benefit you might receive.
Can I cancel either policy at any time?
Yes, both. This is unusual and genuinely useful. Most Dutch car insurance runs on an annual cycle with roughly a month's notice required before renewal. Allianz Direct and InShared both let you cancel on any day, which means you are never locked in if your circumstances change or a better offer appears. For a new arrival unsure how long they are staying, that flexibility matters.
What are WA, WA+ and Allrisk?
WA is third-party liability only and is the legal minimum in the Netherlands, covering damage you cause to others but not your own car. WA+ adds limited own-damage cover such as theft, fire and storm. Allrisk covers your own car including your own fault. Both insurers offer all three tiers. WA is legally required for every registered vehicle and the RDW checks it, so driving uninsured is not an option.
Can I bundle other insurance with either?
InShared is the better option for bundling, since it also sells home, contents, liability and pet insurance under the same account. Allianz Direct in the Netherlands is a car insurance specialist. If you want one insurer and one login for everything, InShared has the broader range, though bundling rarely produces a large discount and makes it harder to switch a single product later.
Official sources
Premiums depend on your vehicle, age, postcode and claim history, so always quote directly. Third-party cover is a legal requirement, not a choice.
- • RDW: the vehicle authority on the mandatory WA insurance requirement and how it is enforced
- • ConsuWijzer: the consumer authority ACM on insurance contracts, cancellation and complaints
- • Rijksoverheid: government guidance on road safety and vehicle obligations
Related insurance and driving guides
Get the rest of your Dutch vehicle and cover setup sorted.
Dutch car insurance guide
WA, WA+ and Allrisk explained, with the full insurer comparison
Home insurance
Opstal, inboedel and AVP liability cover
Renters insurance
Contents and liability from €4-12 a month
APK inspection
The mandatory Dutch vehicle test and what it costs
Driving licence exchange
Converting a foreign licence to a Dutch one
Car insurance for expats
Transferring claim-free years from abroad