What is an excess, and how does it change your price?
An excess (also called a deductible) is the amount you pay yourself toward a claim before your insurer pays the rest. A higher excess usually means a lower premium, because you’re taking on more of the small, everyday risk yourself.
A worked example
Say your excess is QAR 500, and a repair after an accident costs QAR 3,000. You pay the first QAR 500, and your insurer covers the remaining QAR 2,500. If the same repair only cost QAR 400, you’d pay the full amount yourself, since it’s under your excess.
Why a higher excess usually means a lower price
Insurers price a policy partly on how much risk they’re carrying. When you agree to a higher excess, you’re absorbing more of the cost of small, everyday claims yourself — so the insurer’s expected payout goes down, and that’s usually reflected in a lower premium.
This is why you’ll often see two price options for the same car and the same cover — one with a set excess (lower premium) and one with a nil or zero excess (higher premium, nothing to pay if you claim).
How to pick the right amount
A simple way to think about it: pick an excess you could comfortably pay out of pocket without it being a real problem, if you had to claim tomorrow. If a QAR 500 or QAR 1,000 surprise expense would be genuinely difficult, a lower excess (even at a higher premium) is usually the safer choice.
If you rarely claim and would rather pay less every year in exchange for carrying a bit more risk yourself, a higher excess can save real money over time.
Frequently asked questions
Is excess the same thing as a deductible?
Yes — "excess" and "deductible" refer to the same thing: the amount you pay yourself toward a claim before your insurer covers the rest.
Do I pay the excess every time I make a claim?
Yes, the excess applies per claim, not once per policy year. Each separate claim has the excess deducted from what the insurer pays out.
Can I choose a zero/nil excess?
Many insurers in Qatar offer a nil-excess option — you pay nothing toward a claim, but the premium is higher than the same policy with a set excess.
Compare prices at different excess levels for your car
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