Online Retailer Insurance Quotes | Direct Line for Business

Personalised insurance for your online retail business

Even if you don't work in a typical shop environment, things can still go wrong. If one of your products causes injury to a member of the public, they could file a claim against you. If your stock gets stolen, or hackers subject your website to a cyber attack, you might have to put your business activities on hold. Having the right insurance in place makes it easier to keep your business running when the unexpected happens.

We've insured thousands of businesses over the years, so we understand that what works for one business might not work for another. We let you choose what cover goes into your policy, so whether you sell personalised birthday cards through third party websites or your own range of food products at fairs and online, you'll get insurance that’s just right for your business.

Public and product liability

You may not know whether you need public and product liability if you don't physically interact with the public. In reality, your biggest risk is the products you sell. You need public and product liability cover in the event someone becomes sick or injured because of your product. This cover will pay for your legal and compensation costs if a claim is made against you. We can offer cover from £1 million to £10 million, subject to criteria.

If you also sell in person at fairs, pop-ups or even your own shop, you'll need public liability in the event that you cause injury to customers or the public, or cause damage to property due to your business activities.

We can insure online retailers who import and export their goods to and from some overseas countries. Submit your details to get a quote via our online tool — we'll let you know if we can cover you.
Employers' liability

Employers' liability insurance covers the costs if an employee becomes ill or gets injured as a consequence of the work they do for you, and decides to make a claim. In most cases, employers' liability cover is a legal requirement for employers. This includes those who employ casual staff. We cover you for £10 million, as standard.
Cyber cover
If you hold sensitive customer data, process payments online or just want peace of mind, Cyber cover should be considered. Because cyber criminals can be clever. Catching you off-guard and tricking you in to doing something you shouldn't, like opening an attachment in a fake email, or finding a way through your cyber-security. If this happens and they get their hands on your data or access to your bank account, the impact on your business could be devastating.

But, with our Cyber cover, you can call the experts, 24/7. They'll be on it, helping you to stay in business and recover in three ways:

Recover financially
- Covering loss of business income if your systems are attacked
- Covering recovery costs, like fixing damage to your computer systems or data restoration
- Covering fines (where insurable by law) and compensation costs.
Recover your reputation
- You get access to public relations and crisis management experts to minimise damage to your brand and business.
Recover your systems and help prevent future incidents
- Technical experts will help fix your IT issues and provide advice on how to prevent future cyber incidents.
Read more on Cyber cover here.

Available on new and renewal policies only. For Retail and Office & Professional customers only.
Buildings cover

If there is an insured event, for example flood or fire in your workspace, our buildings cover will pay for the damage; this includes debris removal and architect fees.

This cover is applicable if you own a shop, work from home or an office, as well as if you rent and have installed fixed shelving, a kitchen or bathroom.

We include equipment breakdown cover (for items that form part of your building), as standard. So if your boiler or fire/burglar alarm breaks down, we can cover the costs of repairing or replacing the item, as long as the damage is not due to wear and tear.
Contents and stock

If you run your online shop from home, it's likely that you will store your stock there too. But this won't necessarily be covered by your personal home insurance. Our stock insurance covers all your products or raw materials at your home, shop or office, as well as an extra 25% included as standard for two months of your choosing, for those busy periods. You can also choose to insure your stock in transit so you know you're covered when it's being delivered.

Our contents insurance will cover your business equipment against damage or theft, including electrical items, business furniture, artwork and documents.

We also offer a cover option that allows you to have important items, like your laptop or smart phone, insured on the go, which is especially useful if you travel a lot for work. Being connected is crucial when you run an online business. If your laptop is destroyed by an insured event while you're out and about, we can cover the cost of replacing it, so you can get a replacement laptop and keep fulfilling orders with minor interruption.
Business interruption

Whether you're in your home office or in a shared space, if your working premises became unusable due to an insured event such as a fire or flood, business interruption would cover the costs of relocating until you can return to your original premises. It can also cover you for loss of turnover during this time.

If your main supplier's premises are damaged and they can't trade, your business will be affected. We'll cover you for the loss of turnover for that time, up to a limit of £50,000.

Our business interruption cover can insure you if you or one of your key employees becomes seriously disabled and is unable to continue work. We will cover the incurred costs, up to £25,000, to minimise any interruption to the business.
Legal expenses

This pays the legal costs of providing specialist lawyers and taking action against many common legal problems, for instance disputes with suppliers or clients.

Policy documents

If you have an existing quote or policy with us, you can view and download your policy documents from the My Account page.

We tailor all our policies, so your documents only show what you’ve chosen to cover.

Below is a summary of a generic policy, from 25 October 2020 onwards, which shows the main covers and exclusions in our policies.

Online retailers' insurance

or call us on 0345 605 9168

Personalised insurance for your online retail business

Your cover options

Public and product liability

Employers' liability

Cyber cover

Recover financially

Recover your reputation

Recover your systems and help prevent future incidents

Buildings cover

Contents and stock

Business interruption

Legal expenses

Policy documents