Do I Need an Insurance-Approved Car Tracker?
If you're looking for a car tracker, you may have come across terms such as “insurance-approved tracker”, “Thatcham S5” or “Thatcham S7” and wondered whether that's what you need.
The simple answer is:
If your insurer requires a particular approved tracking system as a condition of your insurance, you need to meet their requirements.
If your insurer doesn't require one, you don't automatically need an insurance-approved tracking system simply because you want to track your car.
A standard GPS vehicle tracker and an insurance-approved tracking system can both provide vehicle location information, but they aren't necessarily the same type of service — and the costs can be very different.
What is an insurance-approved car tracker?
The phrase “insurance-approved tracker” is commonly used for vehicle tracking systems that meet particular security standards or are accepted by insurers.
In the UK, you'll often see Thatcham-certified tracking systems referred to in this context.
Thatcham Research assesses vehicle security products and currently has categories including S5 vehicle tracking systems and S7 asset location systems.
But there's an important distinction:
Certification applies to the tracking system and service — not simply to the fact that there's a GPS device fitted to the vehicle.
And Thatcham certification itself doesn't mean that every insurer will automatically recognise a particular product. If an insurer has specified a tracker, you should always check exactly what they require.
Does my insurer require an approved tracker?
Sometimes.
An insurer may require a particular type of vehicle security or tracking system before it will provide cover for a particular vehicle or risk.
This can depend on factors such as the vehicle, its value and the insurer's own underwriting requirements.
If your insurer has told you that an approved tracker is required, ask them:
- What standard or category is required?
- Do they require a particular product or provider?
- Does installation need to be carried out by an approved installer?
- Is monitored recovery required?
- What evidence or certificate will they need?
Get those requirements before buying a tracker.
There's little value in purchasing a tracking system and discovering afterwards that it doesn't meet the condition your insurer has specified.
Are Global Trackers devices insurance approved?
Global Trackers' standard GPS tracking service is not sold as an insurance-approved tracking system.
We use professional Teltonika tracking hardware, a manufacturer whose tracking technology is used across vehicle tracking, fleet, security and insurance-telematics applications.
But the GPS hardware itself is only one part of an insurance-approved tracking solution.
Certification, installation requirements, monitoring arrangements, security processes and other elements can form part of the complete approved system.
So we don't describe a standard Global Trackers installation as “insurance approved” simply because professional tracking hardware is being used.
Is an insurance-approved tracker better than a standard GPS tracker?
It depends what you mean by better.
If your insurer requires an approved tracking system, then a standard GPS tracker that doesn't satisfy that requirement isn't a suitable substitute.
An approved system may also include services and security features that you specifically want, such as professional installation or monitored recovery.
But if your insurer doesn't require certification and your aim is simply to:
- See where your vehicle is
- Check its location from your phone
- Receive movement alerts
- View journey history
- Create geofence alerts
then you may not need to pay for an insurance-approved system to get those everyday GPS tracking features.
The right comparison is therefore not simply:
Approved tracker vs non-approved tracker.
It's:
What do I actually need the tracking system to do?
Will an insurance-approved tracker reduce my insurance premium?
Don't assume that it will.
Whether a tracker affects an insurance premium depends on the insurer, vehicle, policy and individual circumstances.
An insurer may offer a different premium when particular security is fitted, or it may require a tracker simply as a condition of providing cover.
Those aren't the same thing.
If you're considering an approved tracker specifically because you expect it to save money on insurance, ask your insurer for the actual figures first.
Find out:
What is my premium without the tracker?
What will my premium be with the required tracker fitted?
Then compare the saving against the complete cost of the tracking system.
How do I work out whether an approved tracker will actually save me money?
Look at the total cost, not just the insurance discount.
For the first year, consider:
Tracker purchase price
- installation cost
-
annual subscription/monitoring cost
− actual insurance premium saving
That tells you whether fitting the tracker for the purpose of reducing the premium genuinely saves you money.
For example, a £100 reduction in an annual insurance premium doesn't represent a £100 saving if the required tracking system costs substantially more than that to purchase, install and operate.
That doesn't mean the approved tracker has no value.
It may be required for cover or provide services you specifically want.
It simply means insurance saving and tracker cost should be compared separately rather than assuming one pays for the other.
Why can insurance-approved tracking systems cost more?
An insurance-approved tracking solution may include considerably more than the GPS hardware.
Depending on the system, the price can reflect things such as:
- Certification and compliance requirements
- Professional installation
- Monitoring services
- Recovery services
- Additional security technology
- Ongoing service infrastructure
That's why comparing the retail price of one GPS device with the total price of a certified tracking service isn't necessarily a like-for-like comparison.
What if my insurer doesn't require an approved tracker?
Then you have more freedom to decide what you actually want from vehicle tracking.
You may simply want reassurance that you can check where your car is.
You might want a movement alert if it starts moving unexpectedly.
You may want journey history or a geofence around your home.
Or perhaps you just want straightforward GPS tracking without paying for certification, monitored recovery or other services you don't need.
That's the type of customer Global Trackers was created to serve.
Why did Global Trackers take a different approach?
We wanted to make reliable GPS vehicle tracking accessible without automatically bundling customers into a more expensive specialist security service they may not need.
Global Trackers uses professional tracking hardware with a straightforward tracking service currently costing £5.99 per month including VAT.
The service includes the multi-network M2M SIM and access to the tracking platform, with UK-based support available when customers need help.
If you want to understand the complete costs, see How Much Does a Car Tracker Cost in the UK?
Can an affordable GPS tracker still help if my car is stolen?
A standard GPS tracker doesn't physically prevent theft and shouldn't replace appropriate locks, alarms, immobilisers, insurance or other vehicle security.
What it can provide is useful information about your vehicle's location and movement.
Depending on your tracking setup, you can see where the vehicle is, receive movement alerts, use geofences and review journey information.
We've explained this in How Can I Track My Car If It Gets Stolen?
If you believe your vehicle has been stolen, contact the police and follow their instructions rather than attempting to recover it yourself.
What if I just want to track my car from my phone?
You don't need an insurance-approved system simply because you want remote access to your vehicle's location.
A suitable GPS vehicle tracker and tracking service can allow you to access tracking information from your phone or computer.
Global Trackers customers can use the GPS Monitor Plus app or access their tracking account through a web browser.
See Can I Track My Car From My Phone? for a straightforward explanation of how this works.
What should I ask before buying any car tracker?
Before buying, establish what you're actually trying to achieve.
Ask yourself:
- Has my insurer specifically required an approved tracker?
- Do I want professional monitoring or recovery services?
- Do I mainly want to see my vehicle's location myself?
- Do I want movement and geofence alerts?
- Do I need journey history?
- Do I want hardwired or plug-in installation?
- What will the complete first-year and ongoing cost be?
Those answers will tell you much more than simply looking for the word “approved”.
So, do I need an insurance-approved car tracker?
If your insurer requires one, yes — follow the requirements they give you and make sure the system you purchase satisfies them.
If your insurer doesn't require an approved system, the decision comes down to what you want from vehicle tracking.
You may decide that professional monitoring, certification and additional security services are worth paying for.
Or you may simply want reliable GPS vehicle tracking, access from your phone, movement alerts, journey history and geofences at a straightforward price.
Global Trackers provides the second option.
If you're unsure, tell us what vehicle you have and whether your insurer has specified any tracking requirement. We'll tell you clearly whether our standard service is suitable — and if an insurance-approved system is what you actually need, we'll tell you that too.