Deductible (Self-Pay Amount) Change Premium Impact Comparison
Enter your current Japanese voluntary car insurance premium to estimate how changing the collision deductible tier (0 yen, 50,000 yen, or 100,000 yen) affects your annual premium.
Deductible tier factor guide
General factor estimates for the deductible tier, which affects the premium independently of the no-fleet grade, license color, age condition, and driver scope. Negative figures in the table are discounts.
| Deductible tier | Estimated factor |
|---|---|
| 0 yen (no deductible) | +10% |
| 50,000 yen | Baseline (no change) |
| 100,000 yen | -7% |
Deductible tier factors vary by insurer's product design and no unified public data exists. The figures in the table are general estimates based on ranges commonly described by insurers.
What the deductible is
The deductible is **the amount the policyholder pays out of pocket** when making an own-damage claim. With a deductible of zero the whole repair bill is met by the insurer; set it at ¥100,000 and only what remains after subtracting that sum is paid out. Because the insurer then carries less risk, the higher the deductible the cheaper the premium. This tool compares the three usual bands — ¥0, ¥50,000 and ¥100,000 — by their rate factors and estimates how far your annual premium moves.
**Rate factors differ from insurer to insurer, and no unified public dataset exists.** The figures in the table are indicative values drawn from the ranges insurers commonly describe in their product literature; the premium that actually applies has to be read off a quotation. The estimate assumes everything other than the deductible stays put — the no-fleet grade, licence colour, driver age condition and the scope of the driver endorsement. If those move at renewal too, the real change will part company with this guide.
How to use the comparison
- Enter your current annual premium Use the yearly figure as printed on your policy schedule or shown in your online account.
- Choose the deductible you have now Select the band currently on the policy. It becomes the baseline for the comparison.
- Choose the band to compare against Pick whichever of ¥0, ¥50,000 or ¥100,000 you are thinking of moving to.
- Read the change You get the estimated annual premium on the new band together with the change from today in both percentage and amount.
- Set it against the extra you would pay Weigh the premium saved against the larger sum you would have to find yourself after an accident.
Tips for getting more out of it
- Check your policy certificate or insurer account for your current deductible tier and annual premium before entering the values for a more accurate comparison.
- Raising the deductible lowers the premium but increases how much you pay out of pocket after an accident, so weigh your household budget against the premium savings before choosing.
- This comparison isolates only the deductible effect. Your actual premium can still move if the license color, age condition, driver scope, or no-fleet grade changes at the same renewal.
- Drivers who expect to use collision coverage rarely tend to benefit more from setting a higher deductible to keep the premium down.
Where the comparison helps
When a renewal quote comes in higher
Raising the deductible lowers the premium without cutting the cover, and you can see how much it is worth.
When you mean to claim only for serious damage
If small scrapes are something you would repair yourself anyway, a higher deductible costs you little in practice and takes the premium down.
When repairs on your car run expensive
Imported cars and those carrying a lot of driver-assistance hardware cost more to put right, which raises the value of keeping the deductible low.
When you want to test what the household can absorb
Raising the deductible presumes you could produce that sum in cash after an accident. Set it against what you actually hold.
When you want to look at the other terms too
For the effect of the grade, see the grade premium simulator; for who may drive, the driver-scope endorsement comparison; for whether to claim at all, the claim break-even calculator.
Terms about the deductible
- Deductible (excess)
- The sum the policyholder bears when making an own-damage claim. What is paid out is the repair bill less this amount.
- Own-damage cover
- The cover that meets damage to your own vehicle. The deductible is set against this cover.
- Stepped deductible
- A setting where the amount rises with the number of claims — nothing on the first, ¥100,000 on the second and later. It is generous once and asks you to share thereafter.
- Rate factor
- The coefficient applied to the baseline premium to arrive at the premium charged. The higher the deductible, the further below 1 it sits.
- Model rating class
- The premium band set by the claims record of a particular model. It bears on the premium quite apart from the deductible.
- No-fleet grade
- The grade from 1 to 20 applied to policyholders owning or using nine vehicles or fewer. It moves the premium independently of the deductible.
Frequently asked questions
Side Note — The deductible reflects a "small accidents on you, big accidents on insurance" mindset
The deductible tells your insurer in advance how much of an accident cost you are willing to cover yourself. Setting it higher means paying for minor damage out of pocket instead of filing a claim, but it also lowers the insurer's payout risk, which brings the premium down.
Some policies use a tiered deductible such as "0 yen for the first claim, 50,000 yen from the second claim," which fully covers the first accident while asking for a self-pay amount afterward — a design meant to balance premium and coverage.
Like license color, age condition, and driver scope, the deductible affects the premium as a factor independent of the no-fleet grade. Simulating the household impact of an actual accident, then weighing the premium savings against the self-pay risk, helps you choose wisely.