Credit insurance

Credit insurance is a term used to describe both business credit insurance (a.k.a. trade credit insurance) and consumer credit insurance, e.g., credit life insurance, credit disability insurance (a.k.a. credit accident and health insurance), and credit unemployment insurance,

The easy way to differentiate between these two types of insurance is:

• Business credit insurance is credit insurance that businesses purchase to insure payment of credit extended by the business (their accounts receivable).
• Consumer credit insurance is credit insurance that consumers purchase to insure payment of credit extended to the consumer (insurance pays lender or finance company).

Consumer credit insurance is a way for consumers to insure repayment of loans even if the borrower dies, becomes disabled, or loses a job. Consumer credit insurance can be purchased to insure all kinds of consumer loans including auto loans, credit card debt, loans from finance companies, and home mortgage borrowing. Although purchased by the consumer/borrower, the benefit payment goes to the company financing the purchase for extending the credit to the consumer.

Credit insurance or trade credit insurance (also known as business credit insurance) is an insurance policy and risk management product that covers the payment risk resulting from the delivery of goods or services. Trade credit insurance usually covers a portfolio of buyers and pays an agreed percentage of an invoice or receivable that remains unpaid as a result of protracted default, insolvency or bankruptcy. Trade credit insurance is purchased by business entities to insure their accounts receivable from loss due to the insolvency of the debtors. This product is not available to individuals.

The costs (called a "premium") for this are usually charged monthly, and are calculated as a percentage of sales of that month or as a percentage of all outstanding receivables.

Trade credit insurance insures the payment risk of companies, not of individuals. Policy holders require a credit limit on each of their buyers for the sales to that buyer to be insured. The premium rate is usually low and reflects the average credit risk of the insured portfolio of buyers.

In addition, credit insurance can also cover single transactions or trade with only one buyer.