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Get the right cover for your business on and offline

Use our online tool to get flexible and personalised cover for your online retail business.

Get a quote Retrieve a quote

or call us on 0345 605 9168

call us on 0345 605 9168
  • Whether you operate solely online or sell in person too, we'll cover you.
  • 0% APR on your monthly direct debit payments in the first year and no admin fees if you need to amend your policy.

    Over 18s only, subject to eligibility.

  • We guarantee to beat your new business quote or renewal premium from any other insurer.

    Excludes van. New customers only. Cover on an equivalent basis to ours. Qualifying criteria apply. Terms & Conditions.

Cover your online business by insuring your offline activities

With online shopping becoming the norm for many customers, it's never been easier to run a thriving online retail business from home, your shop or an office. But just because you trade online doesn't mean you're not susceptible to the same risks as other more traditional enterprises.

If one of your products causes injury to a customer or a member of the public, you could find yourself in court facing some potentially high legal costs. Meanwhile, if your stock is stolen, is damaged during transit or gets damaged by a fire, you might have to put your business activities on hold. If your business is small, you won't necessarily have the funds to keep replacing goods.

Even if you don't work in a typical shop environment or communicate with your customers face-to-face, things can still go wrong. Having the right insurance in place makes it easier to keep your business running when the unexpected happens.

At Direct Line for Business, we provide flexible insurance that can cover you for the risks you face both on and offline. See what types of cover you can include in your policy below.

Insurance tailored to your business’s needs

We've insured thousands of businesses over the years, so we understand that every business is different and what works for one business might not work for another. We adopt the same approach for digital businesses like yours.

Using our online quote tool, you can create a bespoke insurance policy that reflects the specific needs of your business. So whether you sell personalised birthday cards or your own range of food products, and whether you sell them on your own website, or through a third party, such as eBay, Amazon or Etsy, you'll get the right cover for your specific business.

Cyber security

With so many transactions taking place online, and so much data being shared, cyber security has become a key consideration for businesses. Relying on technology leaves businesses open to risk. However, having the right insurance in place can help mitigate those risks.

If hackers subject your online store to a cyber attack, cyber cover would pay for the costs of investigating and rectifying damage to your systems, loss of revenue, compensation costs if there is a breach of customer information, and expenses to deal with the incident.

We know how stressful being hacked can be, so if your business is being held to ransom by online criminals, we can provide access to specialist support to help you respond to the threat.

Get a quote
or call us on 0345 605 9168
Get a quote call us on 0345 605 9168

Your cover options

Add any of the following cover options to your insurance to create a policy that fits your unique business needs. These covers are subject to policy conditions and limits.

  • 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.

    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

    With so many transactions taking place online, and so much data being shared, cyber security has become a key consideration for businesses. Relying on technology leaves businesses open to risk. However, having the right insurance in place can help mitigate those risks.

    If hackers subject your online store to a cyber attack, cyber cover would pay for the costs of investigating and rectifying damage to your systems, loss of revenue, compensation costs if there is a breach of customer information, and expenses to deal with the incident.

    We know how stressful being hacked can be, so if your business is being held to ransom by online criminals, we can provide access to specialist support to help you respond to the threat.

  • 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. We'll also cover you if your equipment is stolen or damaged, for example your laptop, and you are no longer able to trade.

    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.

Get a quote
or call us on 0345 605 9168
Get a quote call us on 0345 605 9168

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 15th July 2018 onwards, which shows the main covers and exclusions in our policies.

Legal Document Service

Included as standard when you buy or renew a policy from 1st February 2016.

Register or log in to Direct Line for Business Legal Documents Service.

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© 1999- U K Insurance Limited

Direct Line insurance policies are underwritten by U K Insurance Limited, Registered office: The Wharf, Neville Street, Leeds LS1 4AZ. Registered in England and Wales No 1179980. U K Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority, registration number 202810. The Financial Services Register can be accessed through www.fca.org.uk. Calls may be recorded.