How to Switch From Shipping Protection to Licensed Shipping Insurance
A step-by-step migration plan for your checkout, your support team and the orders you have already covered.
Back to the resource centerKey takeaways
- Start with facts: who insures the fee you charge today, and who decides claims.
- Ask your current provider for its policy and license documents in writing.
- Relaunch coverage as an unchecked, plainly named option with a link to the terms.
- Do not cut off claims for orders the old app already covered.
- Give support a script and a claims link on day one.
Why would a merchant switch?
Two reasons come up most. First, licensing: whether a checkout fee is insurance depends on state law and on what the product does, and regulators have warned consumers about unlicensed sellers. Second, presentation: many recent class actions focus on pre-selected fees and unclear labels, and several name the merchant. Our merchant licensing guide and lawsuits tracker cover both.
Switching does not have to mean your current provider is doing anything wrong. Some apps describe insurance-backed programs. Others say in their own terms that they are not insurance. The goal is to know which one you are offering and to choose deliberately.
What are the steps to switch?
- Audit your checkout. Place test orders on desktop and mobile. Screenshot the toggle, its default state, its name, the price, the receipt line and any "free shipping" banner.
- Ask your provider the 10 questions. Use our provider scorecard. At minimum, ask: Is this insurance? Who is the insurer? Who is the licensed producer, and what are the license numbers? Who keeps the fee? Who decides claims?
- Request documents. Ask for the policy or certificate, the producer license, the shopper terms and the claims procedure. Check licenses with your state insurance department or the NAIC Consumer Insurance Search.
- Turn on InsureShip. InsureShip is integrated with Checkout Champ, Shopify, WooCommerce, Next Commerce, BigCommerce, TikTok Shop, VRIO, Sticky.io (formerly Limelight), Magento / Adobe Commerce, Shopware, PrestaShop, OpenCart, Shift4Shop, Ecwid / Lightspeed, Wix, Squarespace, Square Online, Volusion, UltraCart, ClickFunnels, SamCart, NetSuite SuiteCommerce, Amazon, Walmart, eBay and Etsy, plus a custom API (integrations built with our fulfillment partner RapidFulfillment; see integrations). Konnektive, WOW Suite, Orbsa and Blacklight are also supported. Contact InsureShip, we enable the integration for your store, and you choose an opt-in checkout presentation. Test it on a test order first.
- Update checkout copy. Make coverage opt-in (unchecked), call it shipping insurance only if it is, show the price, and link the terms and claims page.
- Retire the old app carefully. Turn off its checkout widget once the new one is live, but keep its claims path open for orders it already covered. Note the cutover date and time.
- Brief your support team. Give them the cutover date, a two-sentence explanation, and which claims link applies to which orders.
What should you ask for in writing?
| Document | Why you need it |
|---|---|
| Insurer name and policy or certificate | Shows who actually pays claims. |
| Producer or agency license numbers | Lets you verify the seller with a state lookup. |
| Shopper terms | Shows what the shopper is told they are buying. |
| Claims procedure and who decides | Tells support where to send people. |
| Fee flow | Shows who keeps what share of the fee. |
| Coverage for existing orders after cancellation | Protects orders placed before the cutover. |
How do you handle orders the old app already covered?
Shoppers who paid for protection before the cutover should still be able to use it. Before you uninstall:
- Ask the old provider in writing how claims for past orders will be handled after you cancel, and for how long.
- Export a list of covered orders with dates, if the app allows it.
- Keep the old claims link in your help center, labeled "For orders placed before [date]."
- Route new orders to the new claims page.
Switching from Route, Navidium, Seel, Corso, ShipInsure or another app
The steps above work for any app. Programs differ in structure, so read each provider's own terms. Our "Is it insurance?" pages quote each provider's published words, as of October 2026:
App-agnostic steps for any provider:
- Read your merchant agreement for notice periods and cancellation terms.
- Check checkout settings you control. Some providers say the merchant controls how the offer is presented. Turn off any pre-selected default now, even before you switch.
- Remove the app's theme blocks or scripts after the new widget is live, and confirm the fee no longer appears.
- Reconcile fees and claims for the final billing period.
Migration checklist
- Screenshots of current checkout saved
- Provider answers and documents received in writing
- Licenses checked with a state lookup
- InsureShip installed and tested on a staging or test order
- Checkout option unchecked by default, named accurately, priced and linked to terms
- "Free shipping" banners and receipt lines reviewed
- Old widget disabled; old claims path kept for prior orders
- Help center updated with both claims links and the cutover date
- Support script shared
- Counsel review of the final checkout (recommended)
Frequently Asked Questions
Will switching interrupt coverage for past orders?
It should not, if you plan for it. Ask your old provider in writing how prior-order claims are handled after cancellation, and keep that claims link available.
Do I have to make shipping insurance opt-in?
Rules vary and are being litigated. Several class actions allege that pre-selected fees are deceptive, so an unchecked option is the more cautious choice. This is general information, not legal advice.
Which platforms does InsureShip support?
InsureShip is integrated with Checkout Champ, Shopify, WooCommerce, Next Commerce, BigCommerce, TikTok Shop, VRIO, Sticky.io (formerly Limelight), Magento / Adobe Commerce, Shopware, PrestaShop, OpenCart, Shift4Shop, Ecwid / Lightspeed, Wix, Squarespace, Square Online, Volusion, UltraCart, ClickFunnels, SamCart, NetSuite SuiteCommerce, Amazon, Walmart, eBay and Etsy, plus a custom API. The integrations were built with our fulfillment partner RapidFulfillment; see integrations. Konnektive, WOW Suite, Orbsa and Blacklight are also supported. On Amazon, Walmart, eBay and Etsy, the marketplace controls its own checkout, so coverage is seller-side, not a buyer add-on. Contact us to turn it on for your store.
What does InsureShip cost?
Pricing averages about $1 per order but is not fixed. See the pricing page.
Who handles claims after I switch?
For orders covered by InsureShip, shoppers file online at the claims page and InsureShip handles the claim.
Ready to switch?
InsureShip is licensed by the California Department of Insurance (license #0G55434) and licensed in all 50 states. Established in 2012. Underwritten by Navigators, a Hartford company, rated A+ by AM Best (Navigators Insurance Company, as of 2024). Coverage up to $5,000 per shipment for loss, damage and theft, including porch piracy.
Talk to InsureShipSources
Last checked October 8, 2026. General information, not legal advice. NAIC Consumer Insurance Search · NAIC consumer alert · Route terms · Route insurance · Route compliance · ShipInsure terms (merchant controls presentation) · The Hartford: Navigators fact sheet (Apr 2025)
Written by Kyle Gibson, Compliance Auditor · Updated October 9, 2026