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Hey, we get it — it can be hard to know if pay-per-mile insurance is right for you. Maybe you’ve seen one of our commercials and thought, “Sounds interesting, but I’m not a low mileage driver.” But have you ever stopped to figure it out for sure?

Drivers come in all shapes, sizes, and styles, and today we’re exploring some of the different types of low mileage drivers. Whether you’re curious if you meet the criteria or haven’t given it much thought at all, we have some telltale signs that you might be a low mileage driver, without ever having to stop and study your odometer. 

You can’t remember the last time you filled your gas tank. Filling the gas tank is an expensive chore that most of us dread, but you don’t seem to have that issue. If you find that your trips to the gas station are few and far between, you may be a low mileage driver.

You’re in the car often, but your trips are quick. Quick trips don’t add up to very many miles. In fact, your neighbors are used to seeing you cruising around the neighborhood a few miles at a time. If you find yourself shuttling the kids to and from school with short trips to run errands in between, you may be a low mileage driver.

You don’t drive to work. Even with long road trips on the weekends and drives to visit friends, you’re not clocking many monthly miles. Whether you work from home, take transit, or ride a bike, opting out a daily car commute to the office likely makes you a low mileage driver. 

You’re a wild card — no two days are the same for you. Some days, you may find yourself running endless errands around town. On other days, leaving the house is a rarity. Whatever your schedule may be, it’s unpredictable, which may make you a low mileage driver.

You’re not stuck to one form of transportation. You’ve been known to take the bus, ride a bike, use ride-sharing apps, take the train, and drive a car––all within the same week. Multi-talented transportation gurus like you are often subsidizing heavy drivers in the insurance risk pool. Want to quit that? Pay-per-mile was made for drivers like you.

You’re a car aficionado who owns multiple whips. If cars are your passion and you consider yourself a collector in-the-making, you’re probably a low mileage driver. Metromile makes a lot of sense to cover the vehicles that don’t get as much drive time. 

You dig walking. If your two legs are your main form of transportation, we feel confident that you’re a low mileage driver. Despite being great for your health, walking everywhere is great for your wallet, too. If you find yourself logging miles on your pedometer instead of your odometer, you’re probably a low mileage driver. 

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Whatever your lifestyle, if you found yourself nodding along while reading you may be a low mileage driver. Armed with new knowledge, be sure to grab a free quote from us to find out how much you could save by switching to Metromile. See you on the road!

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Julianne Sawyer is a freelance writer, app producer, and real-life Metromile customer living in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

Confession: I like rainy weather. But the thing is, it’s really only fun when you’re safe and dry indoors. Trying to change lanes, merge, and maneuver on wet, slippery roads? Usually not so fun.

And it can also be dangerous; according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the vast majority of most weather-related crashes happen on wet pavement and during rainfall. But since most of us will eventually have to leave the house during the rainy season, it’s worth reviewing some of the must-know safety tips before getting behind the wheel in a storm. 

1. Take it slow. This may sound exceedingly simplistic, but speed can be a major issue during and after rainfall. Because wet roads can cause your tires to lose traction, your car can become a lot more difficult to handle, even if you’re a pro. And if it doesn’t feel safe, don’t feel compelled to stick to the posted speed limits as your max — if it’s not safe to go that fast, don’t.
2. Hold the steering wheel with both hands. Yes, we’re all guilty of occasionally steering with one hand while the other twirls hair/reaches for snacks/searches for gum in the bottom of your backpack. But one-handed steering is never a good idea — especially when the roads are wet and unpredictable.
3. Keep your windows frost-free. Precipitation from the rain can hinder visibility, so always use your front and rear defrosters to keep your windshield and windows clear.
4. Keep your distance. Breathing room is always a good idea when it comes to driving behind other vehicles, but it’s particularly important to increase your following distance in the rain where braking might take longer.
5. Use your headlights. No matter where you live, state law requires headlights in low visibility conditions, and some states also require headlight use any time the windshield wipers are turned on.
6. Now’s not the time for cruise control. When the roads are covered in rain or snow, there’s a risk for hydroplaning — your tires losing traction on the water topping the road. It doesn’t take much water for hydroplaning to occur, and if it does, it causes your vehicle to slide uncontrollably. Cruise control while hydroplaning is a recipe for a faster, more chaotic slide.
7. Consider…not driving. Look, there are other ways to get around. Grab your raincoat and jump on a bike, on the bus, or just walk. It’s refreshing, healthy, and when you get where you’re going people will probably find you impressive. (Need we also mention you’ll save money on insurance if you’re a pay-per-mile customer?)

Rain or shine, you’ll need an insurer who’s got your back. Grab a quote today.

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Michelle Konstantinovsky is a San Francisco-based freelance journalist, UC Berkeley alumna, and Metromile customer.

A few months ago, the 1995 Lexus ES I’ve had for 15 years finally let me know that she’s pretty much done with this driving thing. Despite her major scratches and significant dents, Lexi (yes, of course that’s her name) has continued to serve me well since the early 2000s. She came at an unbelievably good price with next to no mileage; her previous owner had (literally!) been a little old lady who only drove her to and from the supermarket. As far as used cars go, I hit the jackpot with Lexi. But when a number of things started to break down, my mechanic gently broke it to me that my beloved Lexi might be on her last legs. 

While I’ve started making peace with her impending departure, I haven’t been able to bring myself to start car shopping. The main reason? I don’t know where to start. I’ve never owned a new car — is now the time in my life to get one? Or based on my incredible track record with Lexi, is a used car the best bet? I figured the only surefire way to jumpstart my search is to turn it into an article that will hopefully help others in their car buying quest. So here are the pros and cons to new and used vehicles:

The Pros of Buying New

• It’s a new car! New feels pretty good. Enough said.
• That warranty though. One of the major perks of buying new is the fact that if anything malfunctions early on, you’ve got paperwork to cover you for a certain amount of time. 
• The tech is next-level. My poor Lexi was manufactured so long ago, she managed to live through both the introduction and obsolescence of CD players. Her sophisticated tape deck has been defunct since 2011. By comparison, some new car models can parallel park for you!

The Cons of Buying New

• Depreciation is real and it’s rough. Vehicles are automatically worth less once they’ve been owned and most cars depreciate by about 40 percent during the first three years of ownership — a huge chunk!
• Insurance costs may be higher. Generally, a more expensive vehicle will mean more expensive premiums.
• The newness factor wears off fast. It doesn’t take much for that pristine new vehicle to look less than stellar; the initial thrill may not last long. 

The Pros of Buying Used

• Here’s your chance to be a super saver. For bargain hunters, used car shopping can be exciting. And depreciation takes far less of a bite out of a used car.
• You’ll know its reputation. You’ll know which models have a history of reliability.
• You can still get a great warranty. You may be able to find a ride with a warranty still in effect, or buy from a used dealer that includes one.

The Cons of Buying Used

• The great unknown. You just can’t know how the previous owner treated the vehicle. There’s always a risk of discovering something unpleasant about your car’s history down the line when you buy used. 
• You can’t always get what you want. When you buy used, you don’t get 100% control over the bells and whistles.
• You may spend more in other areas. A used car might need attention from a mechanic sooner than a new one will, and used cars are, on average, less fuel efficient than newer models.

The Bottom Line

At the end of the day, the decision is yours. There are potential risks and benefits to buying both new and used cars, so take some time to figure out what matters most to you in your purchase. (Maybe you don’t want that car at all and should switch to a scooter!) No matter what you decide, make sure to choose an insurer who has your back.

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Michelle Konstantinovsky is a San Francisco-based freelance journalist, UC Berkeley alumna, and Metromile customer. 

A few weeks ago we looked into the main factors that impact car insurance rates. Some factors are personal — say, an accident, traffic ticket, or policy change. But insurance is ultimately about pooled risk, and other factors are common to an entire ZIP code, region, or state — things like crime, natural disasters, or a tendency toward riskier driving.

So what might that look like in real life? To speak very broadly, your risk falls into three categories: your driving, your car, your surroundings. Today we’re diving in again to explore some specific circumstances that could prompt a change to your insurance bill.

Same safe driver, different roads

Imagine you’re a safe driver, without a ticket or accident in recent memory. You move from a small town to a larger city, bringing your safe driving habits along with you. Here’s the trouble: there are a lot more cars in that larger city, a lot more traffic, and probably a higher likelihood of an accident. Even though you haven’t changed, the roads you’re driving on have. That affects risk, and thus rates.

Same driver, new car

Life is good, and you’ve treated yo’ self to a new ride. This might not affect the likelihood of an accident, but it could affect the cost of an accident were you to have one. New cars come with fussy on-board technology, expensive parts, and fancy safety features, all of which has recently tended to make car repair more expensive. In insurance jargon, this is known as “severity”; even if the frequency of crashes stays the same, they’re more expensive (severe) when they happen.

Same driver, same roads, different neighbors

Remember how we said insurance is about pooled risk? Well, just like moving to a new area can impact the risk around you, so too can changes to your area. Maybe your area is popular, and more people have moved there. Maybe it’s experienced a rash of car thefts. Maybe your mild-mannered neighbors moved away, and drivers with riskier habits moved in. You might notice this moving the needle come renewal time.

Same roads, new driver

You haven’t moved, you haven’t changed cars, and your neighborhood is just as safe as always. One big change, though: your teenager started driving and was added to your policy. A new driver can be risky — especially when that driver has a teenage brain. You’ll almost certainly see a new driver reflected in your rate.

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Note that in many of these and similar circumstances, the reverse might also hold true; you could find yourself with a lower car insurance bill after moving out of a crowded city, shifting to a less expensive car, or if your neighbors start having fewer accidents.

Of course, pay-per-mile insurance gives you more personal control of your bill. Had a life change and need a competitive rate? Give us a shout.

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Jeff Rutledge is Sr. Manager of Communications at Metromile.

As a seasoned driver with nearly two decades of experience behind the wheel, I have a horrifying confession to make: I don’t know what I’m doing. Yes, I can merge onto the freeway (but I hate it) and I can even parallel park (most of the time). But when it comes to basic car maintenance skills, I’ve got nothing.

So, in an attempt to bring myself up to speed on the topics I wasn’t taught in Driver’s Ed, I did some digging and identified three (very) basic things every driver should know how to do. Whether you already have these mastered, need a refresher, or, like me, are a complete noob, here’s a quick guide:

How to Check Tire Pressure

1. Start with “cold” tires — that is, tires that haven’t recently been driven.
2. Check your manufacturer’s recommended PSI (i.e. pounds per square inch of pressure). 
3. Remove the valve cap from one of your tires and insert the pressure gauge into the valve stem — if you’re using a digital gauge, it should start reading the pressure immediately; if you’re using a “pencil-style” gauge, the gauge will pop out and display a measured number. 
4. If the reading you got was too high, release some air from the tire, and if it was too low…fill it up! This may mean a trip to a gas station if you don’t own an air compressor.

How to Check Tire Tread

1. Insert a penny into the groove of the tire with Lincoln’s head pointing down.
2. If the top of his head isn’t covered, it’s time to replace your tires.
3. (Alternatively, do the same test with a quarter; when you can see the top of Washington’s head it’s time to start thinking about new tires, even if the situation isn’t quite as urgent as with a penny.)

How to Jump Start a Car

1. Be sure to travel with a set of jumper cables in your trunk at all times. 
2. Make sure neither car is running.
3. Attach one of the red clips of the jumper cables to the positive terminal of your battery and the other red clip to the positive terminal of the second car’s battery. 
4. Attach one of the black clips to the negative terminal of the other car’s battery. 
5. Attach the second black clip to an unpainted metal surface on your car that’s not close to the battery (i.e. one of the metal struts holding the hood open). 
6. Have the other person start their car and let the engine run for a few minutes. 
7. Try to start your car. If it starts, awesome! Drive around for at least 15 minutes to let your battery recharge. If it doesn’t start, you may need to call a tow truck and get that battery replaced. 

Even low mileage drivers need to keep an eye on their cars. Need more helpful driving tips — or just need an insurance company that gets you? We’re here.

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Michelle Konstantinovsky is a San Francisco-based freelance journalist, UC Berkeley alumna, and Metromile customer. 

If, like me, you were raised by bargain hunters, coming across a dirt cheap car might just be your dream come true. But a deal can come with downsides.

As it turns out, we hear from plenty of drivers who don’t know that the super low-cost vehicle they’ve just bought has a salvage title — or who don’t know what a salvage title is at all. Perhaps worse, some drivers who are familiar with salvage titles are surprised to find out while insurance shopping that they own one.

What is a salvage title and how can you figure out whether your car has one? Let’s dig in.

What is a salvage title?

A salvage title vehicle has a history — typically a pretty unhappy one. Salvage title vehicles have sustained serious damage (usually in the form of a gnarly accident) and have been deemed “total losses” by their respective owners’ insurance companies. When a vehicle is considered a total loss, it means the extent of the damage is so bad that: (a) the cost of repairs exceeds the car’s actual cash value prior to the accident; (b) the cost to repair the car exceeds a certain threshold percentage, determined by state regulation, or c) it’s unsafe to repair.

You can end up with a salvage title if you buy a used car that has one or if your car was seriously damaged in an accident.

The pros and cons

If you see the words “salvage title” on a used car listing, you’ll ultimately be taking a risk. Here are a few cons to consider — along with one significant pro.

Con: You just can’t be sure. In many cases, a vehicle can look perfectly fine on the outside and have jaw-dropping damage under the hood and beyond.

Con: You’ll have a salvage title for the long haul. A salvage title is essentially a salvage title forever, even though it’s technically rebranded as “rebuilt” once the DMV approves all repairs and deems it safe to drive. Selling can be a challenge.

Con: Insurance coverage could be an issue. Insurers just can’t tell what’s going on under the hood of your car. Insurance companies are generally cautious. Some just don’t cover salvage titles; others charge extra for the risk.

Pro: That price tag — enough said. You can get a serious deal if you’re okay with taking a gamble, so for die hard bargain hunters, this pro might be worth all the possible cons. 

So, How Can I Tell?

Believe it or not, we regularly hear from drivers who incorrectly believe their title is clean. Any chance you’re not 100% sure of your car’s status? A few quick ways to check:

• Get a vehicle history report. Take your VIN to Carfax, AutoCheck, or another provider and pull the vehicle’s history. This costs a few bucks, but might be worth it for the peace of mind. If you don’t want to pay, it’s possible your state’s DMV can check the status for you, too.
• Find an independent mechanic. It’s a good idea to do this before buying any used car, but better late than never when it comes to having your car inspected. A mechanic can safety check your car, and may have access to information you don’t about its history.
• Look at the physical title. Most of us don’t often look at our physical titles, but finding the status of yours might be as simple as pulling it out of that closet or drawer that holds important documents.

Still car shopping? If you could use some expert guidance on insurance during the process, feel free to get in touch.

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Michelle Konstantinovsky is a San Francisco-based freelance journalist, UC Berkeley alumna, and Metromile customer. 

We’re obviously big fans of car insurance — and so is your state government, which requires you to carry at least some level of liability coverage. But while the decision to carry car insurance is fairly straightforward (do you own a car or not?) there are plenty of other types of insurance where the waters of decision become murky.

Renters insurance, life insurance, disability insurance — and what the heck is umbrella insurance anyway? If you’ve got car insurance taken care of, here’s a primer on a few other common types of insurance.

What is renters insurance?

Renters insurance typically covers your items in the apartment or house you rent. If a pipe bursts inside your apartment and water ruins everything inside, renters insurance can help cover your damaged items. Thief breaks in and steals your laptop? Renters insurance can save the day. 

Though home-ownership occupies a central space in the American mythos, being a renter has many perks — no property taxes or homeowners association fees, minimal responsibility for upkeep, and more. 

Renters insurance can be incredibly affordable; sometimes just a few dollars a month.

What is life insurance?

Life insurance provides some money to your loved ones in the event of your death. Those with shared debt, those whose loved ones depend on their income, or those with future plans that would get bungled by their untimely death are all people who might consider life insurance.

Life insurance is designed for you if, for example, you and a spouse co-signed a mortgage but they would have trouble making the payments alone; if you have a child whose education you’d like to provide for when they’re grown; or if you’re a business owner who wants to ensure your business partners can keep the business afloat.

Certain types of life insurance (namely, term life) can be fairly affordable if purchased in your 20s or 30s.

What is disability insurance?

Disability insurance replaces all or a portion of your income if you’re unable to work due to illness or an accident.

There are two types of disability insurance: short term and long term. Short term, just like it sounds, is designed for shorter periods of income loss — generally 90 days — while long term kicks in after that and can last for years, sometimes until Social Security kicks in.

It’s not uncommon for employers to provide disability insurance that covers a fraction of income (in fact, this is required by law in five states); consumers have the opportunity to buy up to 100% of income on their own, either through a payroll deduction or on the private market.

What is umbrella insurance?

Umbrella insurance is a form of liability insurance that sits on top of your existing car, renters, or homeowners insurance policies. An umbrella insurance policy goes above and beyond claims directly relating to your home or auto insurance, and kicks in if those policies ever hit their cap.

Umbrella insurance usually protects your assets in the event of a lawsuit, and is usually designed for people with significant assets.

The Bottom Line

Insurers offer different policy packages and coverage options, and we can’t speak to your precise needs; be sure to speak to a licensed insurance agent about which policy is right for you, if any.

Knowledge is power, and we hope you’re feeling empowered to make insurance decisions that are right for you. And when it comes time to shop for car insurance, we’ll be here with great rates and premium features.

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Julianne Sawyer is a freelance writer, app producer, and real-life Metromile customer living in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

Have you seen those little motorized scooters zipping around your city yet? Maybe you’ve dreamt of buying or renting one to obliterate your traffic woes. But not everyone’s a fan; many have attempted to have the scooters banned from major cities. 

Don’t drink the haterade, folks.

It won’t surprise you that we’re big fans of alternate modes of transportation — including scooters. Here’s why you should be, too.

Insurance costs

If you’re already a Metromile customer, you know that keeping your monthly mileage low is the way to keep your car insurance bill down. The fewer miles you drive, the more money you save. See where we’re going with this? In fact, people who switched and saved with Metromile saved $741 on average last year.

You could save some serious cash by switching to a scooter for your daily commute instead of driving. 

Gas costs

What has two wheels, handlebars, and is powered by electricity? An electric scooter, of course! You could majorly cut down on the cost to fill your gas tank by commuting to work with an electric scooter. They’re better for the environment, and for your wallet, too.

For example: if you switched to an electric scooter for your 8-mile round trip commute to and from the office, you’d be saving 40 miles per week — or about a gallon and a half of gas. If you have a longer commute or you idle in traffic during your commute, your savings could be even greater.

Parking costs

The beauty of electric scooters is that you can park them pretty much anywhere. How many scooter trips does it take to equal the cost of one day of city parking? Let’s crunch the numbers using our home city of San Francisco as an example

One day of San Francisco city parking ranges from about $25 to $40. An unlimited monthly pass for a Bird scooter currently goes for $25 in San Francisco. That’s a month of commuting costs for less than one day of city parking, a no brainer. Of course, not everyone lives in San Francisco, but most car commuters are familiar with parking headaches of one sort or another.

Environmental costs

Motorized scooters are 100% powered by electricity, which makes them clean(er) and green(er) than a gas-powered machine.

Take our 8-mile round trip commuter, for example. Their commute emits something like 130 lbs of CO2 every month, which is not to mention non-tailpipe emissions like brake dust. Imagine the environmental impact if lots of commuters chose scooters!

Car depreciation

Depreciation can be an overlooked expense of car ownership. On average, each mile driven costs 8 cents — not a ton on an individual level, but a large expense over the course of a year. Just look to your odometer to estimate the depreciation expense you’ve incurred during the last year.

The unquantifiable

Saving money is great, but it’s hard to put a price tag on the feeling of the wind whipping through your hair, the satisfaction of zooming past a traffic jam on a zippy little scooter, or the mental health benefits of feeling like a kid again during your otherwise grown-up day. We wouldn’t be surprised if swapping car time for scooter time just feels good!

Is zipping through traffic on your little motorized scooter looking pretty good right about now? We think scooters (and their close friends, bikes) are a key tool in the low-mileage driver’s toolkit. And of course, we’re around to insure the driving you can’t replace with a scooter.

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Julianne Sawyer is a freelance writer, app producer, and real-life Metromile customer living in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

Metromile recently attended InsureTech Connect 2019, the largest conference dedicated to insurance-technology, and met some of the more than 7,000 insurance leaders in attendance. As “the world’s largest gathering of insurance leaders and innovators,” many insurance companies and insurance-technology startups announced their latest partnership and product improvements. We asked Xavier Keil and Jason Thom from the Metromile Enterprise team to share some highlights.

What was everyone the most excited about at InsureTech Connect this year?

Traditional insurance companies are quite interested in using artificial intelligence and automation to stave off new, tech-first competitors. Major insurance providers are worried an upstart will be able to overcome the regulatory challenges and meet the capital requirements necessary to disrupt the industry drastically.

People were also fascinated by the growth of InsureTech Connect since 2015. They saw the ever-growing number of attendees as a signal that insurance-technology is getting bigger and bigger. There are a lot of new opportunities for insurers and startups to collaborate and thrive together.

What is your top takeaway from InsureTech Connect?

Sincerely, this is probably the most exciting time to work in insurance since the invention of the automobile. Conferences like InsureTech Connect have informed insurers about trending technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the Internet-of-things, especially in the last three to five years. And insurers now have sharper eyes to distinguish between hype and reality and are laser-focused on which technologies offer the best solutions to their problems. New technology is beginning to open new lines of business, which comes with significant risk, but also an enormous opportunity for the whole industry.

Did anything surprise you at InsureTech Connect?

We were surprised to find a significant focus on technologies that are rather far from implementation, such as drone-based accident-site surveying or self-driving vehicle products. We worry the industry may be missing out on benefits that can be realized right now from proven, existing technology like artificial intelligence and automation, which can drive real customer experience improvements.

From your meetings at InsureTech Connect, what excited people the most about Metromile?

Most InsureTech Connect attendees, especially those from the U.S., recognize Metromile as the pioneer in insurance-technology and were excited to learn that we’re licensing our technology. Traditional insurers are worried about disruption, so naturally, they were very excited to hear that we work with other insurers. Different types of insurance carriers also came to the conference looking to improve their operational efficiency and customer experience and wanted to learn from our success. 

Auto insurers or not, they’re looking for our help future-proofing their businesses.

Based on what you saw at InsureTech Connect, what are the biggest opportunities for insurance companies?

People accept a customer experience from insurance companies that they do not accept anywhere else in life. If Google asked you to fax them a form to open a Gmail account, they would probably have next to zero customers, but insurers routinely require people to send them faxes.

Traditional insurance companies have a great opportunity to improve their customer experience from the initial quote through to the claims process. Companies with the best experience bring new customers faster and keep them for longer. The insurer who improves their user experience will have the best customer-retention and enjoy a compounding advantage over time.

What is the future of insurance and the insurance industry?

The future of insurance will be highly personalized products, delivered with more modern customer experiences, powered by artificial intelligence.

If someone wants three days of motorcycle insurance and increased health coverage while visiting a friend, they should be able to buy it immediately and through a mobile app. If someone is about to fly a drone, they should be able to purchase coverage for just that flight.

Artificial intelligence will also be used by insurance companies to accurately price these products and reduce the workload for their employees. It will do this by collecting and processing massive amounts of data. 

The best insurance carriers will also use automation to empower their customers. People are proactive and want to take action, so insurance companies should create processes to give their customers a sense of ownership. Each business interaction should benefit the customer.

The Bottom Line

Look out for insurance companies to provide highly personalized products and better customer experience, ideally on par with the service of companies like Amazon and Apple. Insurers will need to offer an online experience that is seamless and user-friendly, just as we have come to expect from our consumer-technology.

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Xavier Keil is Director of Product Consulting, Enterprise and Jason Thom is Senior Manager, Strategy and Operations.

Note: We recently upgraded the Pulse device for some Metromile customers. This article is for customers who received this specific notification. Learn how to install your Pulse device for the first time or resolve an error on our blog or Help Center.

Welcome to your upgraded Pulse device! Here’s how you can replace your old device and get started with your new device.

How to plug in your new Pulse device

1. Unplug your old Pulse device

Locate your onboard diagnostic (OBD-II) port near your dashboard, pedals, or center console. Next, dispose or recycle your old Pulse device.

2. Plug in your new Pulse device

Connect your device, and give it a wiggle to make sure it’s plugged all the way in. A flashing light will confirm your device is connected successfully.

3. You’ll hear from us

We’ll email and text you when we get a signal from your device. This can take up to 1 day.

Didn’t hear from us?

Drive around for about 5 minutes. Then, look for a flashing light to confirm your device is connected successfully.

FAQs

Why do I need to replace my Pulse device? How does this upgrade help me?

As is the case with most technology, sometimes the hardware can use an upgrade. 

While your current device might work fine now, we want to reduce the likelihood of any connectivity issues down the road. For example, your current device may no longer be able to connect to our network soon.

What if I’m away from my vehicle and need more time to replace my old device?

If you are away from your car and unable to install your Pulse in the time given, you may set a grace period. A grace period will give you some extra time to install your new device. If you need to set a grace period, contact us through the Help Center.

What if I didn’t get my upgraded device?

You should receive your new device in a week. We will send you an email to let you know when it should arrive. If it’s been several days since you received the email, we may need to send you another device. Contact us through the Help Center, and we can look into the status of your delivery.

What if I received multiple devices?

If you only have one vehicle insured with Metromile and received multiple devices, please hold onto them and contact us through the Help Center.

If you have multiple vehicles insured with Metromile, you might receive multiple devices: 

• Each new device includes a sticker with the year, make, model, and the last 4 digits of the VIN number to indicate which vehicle they should be connected to. 
• Don’t worry if you have multiple vehicles insured but only received one device. You may only need to replace one device. Remember to replace the right one by checking your emails.

Where can I find the OBD-II port?

The location of your car’s onboard diagnostic (OBD-II) port depends on which car your have. Generally, it could be in one of several locations:

I’m having trouble installing my new Pulse

We’ll walk you through the process. First, you should know that a properly installed Pulse has a red light on it, and your driving data will be reflected in your app or dashboard. If that’s not happening, please follow these steps:

1. Make sure you’re in an area with cell service.
2. Check to see that your Pulse is completely plugged into your vehicle. Try taking the Pulse out completely for a few minutes and reinserting it back into the port by gently pushing the Pulse in further or wiggling it into place.
3. If you still can’t see a light or the light doesn’t appear red, have a mechanic look at your OBD-II port to see if it’s working properly. 
4. Once the red light appears on your Pulse, go for a drive (for longer than 5 minutes). After your trip, make sure you’re in an area that has cell service and check your app or dashboard to see if the trip details show up. (Note that this may take up to 48 hours to display.)
5. At this point, you should get an email from us confirming that we got a signal from your new device. If you’re still experiencing issues, please reach out to our Customer Service team at 1.888.244.1702 8am-5pm PT Monday – Friday and request a new device.

I’m about to be charged penalty miles, but I need more time.

If you know you won’t be able to install your new device in time, give us a call and we’ll help you set a grace period. Call 1.888.244.1702 8am-5pm PT Monday – Friday and speak to a Customer Service representative.

Why am I getting penalty miles?

• As part of your contract with Metromile, your Pulse needs to be plugged into your car at all times in order for us to bill your actual miles driven. When we haven’t received a signal from your new device and your old device has been deactivated, we apply penalty miles to your account. 
• Please note that if penalty miles are applied to your account during this process, those are the only miles that will be added to your account from this vehicle.

Where do I recycle my Pulse? How do I find a recycling center?

Unlike other types of recycling you may be used to seeing (think: big blue bins) that hold your standard paper, aluminum, or glass, electronic devices have complicated parts and need to be recycled in separate facilities. Fortunately, they’re pretty easy to find. Just type in “recycling centers near me” in your search bar and find a place near you. You could even recycle your device at stores you’re more familiar with, like Best Buy or Staples.