THE ESSENTIALS
Before you start
- Give each cover its own line.
- Distinguish absent cover from zero excess.
- Check the calculation basis and conditions.
- Separate the insured person’s excess from compensation owed to a third party.
Give each benefit its own line
Fictional example: Sofia receives two quotations and highlights the excess in each summary. Clara asks her to create separate lines for the covers actually included. Where a benefit does not appear, Sofia writes absent or unresolved rather than zero excess. The table helps her read the quotations; it does not confirm that they would respond to every loss.
Read the basis and exceptions together
Lusitania’s FAQ distinguishes a fixed amount from a percentage of the sum insured, the loss or the item’s value. Record the rule, calculation basis and special conditions for each line of the quotation. A percentage without its basis does not establish the insured person’s share. This reference explains a concept and does not recommend a product.
A compulsory liability excess is not deducted from the injured party’s compensation
Clause 24 of the uniform compulsory motor insurance terms, republished by Regulatory Standard 2/2026-R, permits an excess by express agreement but prevents it being invoked against the injured third party. The insurer pays the compensation due and may then seek reimbursement of the applicable excess from the person obliged to bear it.
This separates protection of the injured party from the relationship between the insurer and policyholder or insured person. It does not establish fault, cover or an unlimited amount: liability, compensable damage and applicable limits still require assessment. An own-damage repair example showing an excess deduction should not be transferred to the injured third party.
Compare one change at a time
Request comparable quotations identifying the version and covers retained. If one alternative changes excesses, insured amounts and benefits together, mark every difference before attributing the premium change to a single factor. Ask what personal expense an entirely illustrative scenario would leave and which assumptions were used. Do not choose an excess solely because a saving is advertised. Discuss your available budget and the scope sought with the intermediary. A hypothetical calculation does not establish what an insurer owes following an actual incident.
Bring the map to the quotation request
For future protection, select Motor in Request a quote or the initial contact request. Bring the cover-by-cover map and identify the differences you want clarified. For an incident that has already occurred, use policy support and request the reasoning behind the calculation provided. A new quotation does not change settlement of an earlier accident.
KEEP THESE QUESTIONS
Your checklist for the next conversation
- Map included and absent covers.
- Record each excess’s basis and conditions.
- Distinguish third-party compensation from the insured person’s share.
- Compare equivalent versions and discuss the expense you could bear.
FROM THE ARTICLE TO YOUR SITUATION
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Tell us what you want to protect. We review your request and help compare relevant terms. Requesting a quotation does not activate insurance.
Sources and transparency
Content updated on .
Consultation dates are stated in individual references when available.
Numerical examples are fictional and explain concepts. Editorial interpretations are identified in the text.
- Lusitania — Dúvidas Frequentes: franquia e informação antes da subscrição; secções lidas em 01/11/2026 ↗
- ASF — Norma Regulamentar n.º 2/2026-R, parte uniforme republicada, cláusulas 23.ª/24.ª, pp. 14–15; lidas em 01/11/2026 ↗
Information from RMACHADO GROUP. This is not an insurance offer or individual advice. Covers, acceptance, exclusions, sums insured and costs depend on the policy. The intermediary does not underwrite the risks.