Erie vs. Mercury: Which Is the Best? (2025)
Erie is a better insurance company than Mercury because it offers cheaper rates and has higher financial strength ratings.
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Erie Insurance and Mercury are two midsize car insurance companies. Both have a long-standing history and offer a wide selection of car insurance options and other insurance products, such as home insurance and renters insurance.
Erie offers cheaper rates and more insurance add-ons. Mercury, on the other hand, has a longer list of discounts and a more attractive telematics program.
Here’s what you should know about Erie and Mercury, including how to compare quotes, coverage levels, and discounts so you can choose the right insurer for your unique coverage needs.
Quick Facts
Erie offers accident forgiveness and pet injury coverage, but Mercury doesn’t.
MercuryGO is a usage-based telematics app that actually lets you save on an auto policy, whereas Erie’s YourTurn program only rewards you with gift cards.
Mercury has more discount options, such as good student and safe driving discounts.
Erie vs. Mercury: The verdict
Erie and Mercury are two reputable auto insurance companies. Erie is the better option for low rates and customizable coverage options through a number of add-ons.
While Mercury’s car insurance premiums are higher for most drivers, it might still be a good option if you can lock in affordable coverage through the insurer’s discounts or MercuryGO, the usage-based telematics program. This is particularly true if you’re a driver in one of the 11 states it operates in and want personalized service from a local Mercury insurance expert.
Here’s a look at how these car insurance companies compare.
Factor  | Erie | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
| IQ Score | 8.4 | 7.5 |
| Customer satisfaction score | 3.8 | 3.5 |
| Average quote: liability only | $80 | $95 |
| Number of discounts | 8 | 8 |
| Number of states where it operates | 12 | 11 |
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 500+ partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Our editorial team spent more than 350 hours developing the Insurify Quality (IQ) Score and scoring insurance companies. The IQ Score objectively analyzes and calculates a score for insurers using more than 15 crucial criteria. The team weighted criteria by importance to the consumer — factors such as customer reviews and affordability influence the score more than availability and third-party ratings.
We rate each company on a 1 to 10 scale based on five categories: financial ratings, customer satisfaction, affordability, customer support and transparency, and availability. Insurify updates ratings once a year or as more recent information becomes available.
- Third-party financial ratings: Insurify uses data from AM Best, S&P, Moody’s, and more to compare insurance companies’ credit and ability to pay out future claims.
- Customer satisfaction: To calculate this score, Insurify analyzed more than 55,000 customer reviews across 155 car insurance companies. We also consider third-party ratings from J.D. Power, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, and Trustpilot.
- Affordability: Our data scientists analyzed more than 90 million real-time auto insurance rates from our partners across the U.S., as well as available discounts, to calculate an affordability score.
- Customer support and transparency: This measures coverage options, ease of claims filing, and the insurer's transparency surrounding discounts, coverages, and claims process.
- Availability and reach: Insurify scores availability and reach by identifying the number of states in which insurers offer coverage and company size by market share.
Erie
Founded in 1925, Erie Insurance offers a variety of insurance services to customers in 12 states.[?] The company has high customer satisfaction ratings from J.D. Power.
Mercury
Mercury has been selling insurance since 1961 and offers car insurance, renters insurance, and business insurance through an agent network in 11 states.[?]
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Erie YourTurn vs. MercuryGO
Both Erie and Mercury offer telematics programs that can reward you for safe driving. To participate, you’ll need to download the company’s mobile app, which will track your driving behaviors, such as speeding and phone usage. You’ll then receive feedback to help you improve your driving skills.
Erie provides monetary bonuses that you can redeem for gift cards at more than 25 retailers, Visa prepaid cards, and charitable donations. Mercury offers 5% off (or up to 10% off if you’re a teen driver) just for signing up. Also, if you prove you’re a safe driver, you may secure up to 40% off your premium with Mercury.
Erie vs. Mercury: Which is the cheapest?
Erie has cheaper average rates than Mercury for different drivers and coverage options. Ultimately, your car insurance costs depend on personal factors, such as your location, ZIP code, age, driving record, credit history, and the discounts you qualify for.[?]
Erie: Cheapest for drivers with a clean driving record
Drivers with clean records can find lower rates for liability insurance with Erie.
Driver Type | Erie | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
| Clean driving record | $80 | $95 |
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 500+ partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Erie: Cheapest for drivers with a speeding ticket
Drivers with a speeding ticket will likely secure the cheapest liability car insurance rates with Erie.
Driver Type | Erie | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
| Drivers with a speeding ticket | $109 | $146 |
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 500+ partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Erie: Cheapest for teen drivers
Erie offers more affordable liability car insurance coverage than Mercury for young drivers and teen drivers with limited experience on the road.
Driver Type | Erie | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
| 18-year-old | $152 | $181 |
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 500+ partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Erie: Cheapest for senior drivers
Senior drivers can land cheaper liability car insurance rates with Erie.
Driver Type | Erie | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
| Senior drivers | $54 | $72 |
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 500+ partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Erie: Cheapest for drivers with bad credit
Erie offers cheaper liability auto insurance premiums for drivers with poor credit.
Driver Type | Erie | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
| Drivers with bad credit | $136 | $119 |
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 500+ partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Compare coverages: Erie vs. Mercury
Erie and Mercury both offer standard auto insurance coverage. These include bodily injury liability, property damage liability, medical payments, personal injury protection, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, collision insurance, comprehensive insurance, and full-coverage insurance.
The two auto insurance companies also allow drivers to choose from various add-ons for additional protection. Erie offers a few more options, including accident forgiveness and pet injury coverage.
Here’s a closer look at car insurance coverage options from Erie and Mercury.
Coverage | Erie | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
| Accident forgiveness | Yes | No |
| Roadside assistance | Yes | Yes |
| Rental car reimbursement | Yes | Yes |
| Gap insurance | Yes | Yes |
| Rideshare insurance | No | Yes |
| Pet injury coverage | Yes | No |
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Compare discounts: Erie vs. Mercury
Erie and Mercury both advertise a number of discounts to help you score a good deal and save money on an auto policy. It’s a good idea to contact both car insurance companies to find out which discounts you might qualify for.
Erie has a unique defensive driving course discount, but Mercury has a good student discount. In the table below, you’ll find various discounts from Erie and Mercury.
Discount | Erie | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
| Clean driving record | No | Yes |
| Defensive driving course | Yes | No |
| Multi-policy | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-car | Yes | Yes |
| Low mileage | No | Yes |
| Telematics (safe driving app) | Yes | Yes |
| Anti-theft device | Yes | Yes |
| New car | No | No |
| Military/affiliation | No | No |
| Good student | No | Yes |
| Loyalty | No | No |
| Auto-pay | No | Yes |
| Student away at school | Yes | No |
| Homeowner | Yes | Yes |
| Alternative fuel | No | No |
Erie vs. Mercury FAQs
The following information can help answer your remaining questions about car insurance products from Erie and Mercury.
Why is Erie insurance so cheap?
Erie offers affordable rates for Erie customers across all categories due to its discount opportunities and the YourTurn telematics program. Keep in mind that factors like your location, ZIP code, vehicle type, and driving record will determine your average annual rate.
Is Erie good at paying claims?
Erie holds an A+ (Superior) financial strength rating and high marks from AM Best, which means it’s good at paying claims and offers great customer service. This can be a huge plus if you choose an Erie car insurance policy and have to file a claim.
Is Erie the same as Progressive?
No. Progressive and Erie are two leading car insurers in the U.S. While Erie offers lower rates to auto owners, Progressive is available in more states.
What are the main differences between Erie and Mercury insurance?
Mercury has more expensive car insurance coverage than Erie. But Mercury has a better telematics program that lets you save money on your rates each year. Plus, Mercury offers more discounts.
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