What is a cover note in insurance (With simple examples)

In certain rare situations, getting delivery of your policy documents may take some time, but that does not mean your coverage has not started. What can you do if you haven’t received your policy document in time? This is where a cover note comes into play.

let us find out what is a cover note in insurance.

What is a cover note?

A cover note is a document that is provided by the insurance company to the policyholder as proof that the insured has bought the specified policy from them. It acts as evidence of the insurance until the final policy document is made and sent to the policyholder.

In today’s day and age where insurance policies are generated online instantly, The concept of a cover note may be redundant. However, if you choose to buy a policy offline and you feel that the delivery of the policy document may be delayed, you may always request your insurance company to provide you with a cover note.

Example

Mr. Roy has bought an offline health insurance policy from HDFC ERGO. It may take some time for the insurance company to produce his final policy documents, so the company provides a cover note to Mr. Roy. In case a claim is made, Mr. Roy can use the cover note as proof to avail his coverage.

Cover note in motor insurance

There are many instances that a person has bought motor insurance and has not received the final policy copy on time. During this situation, the policyholder may be stopped by a traffic police officer and be demanded to hand over his insurance policy, as the policyholder does not have the final copy, he may choose to hand over the cover note thereby saving him any trouble.

Details mentioned in a cover note

• Details such as the full name and address of the policyholder
• Sum insured and premium amount
• Coverage period
• The risks covered in the policy
• Stamp and signature of the insurance company