The accuracy of an MTPL quote depends on its input: incomplete data only gets you an indicative figure, accurate data gets you a bindable quote. This list gathers everything the calculation needs – five minutes to put together, and the quote request lands right the first time.
- The source for vehicle data is the registration document – not memory: typos are the most common source of error.
- History data (previous insurer, claims history ID) are the key to the correct class.
- Commitments (schedule, method, mileage, e-communication) are part of the premium – think through in advance what you can keep.
Vehicle details – from the registration document
- ☐ Plate number and chassis number
- ☐ Make, model, year of manufacture
- ☐ Power output (kW) and engine capacity / drivetrain
- ☐ Gross weight, number of seats (category-dependent fields)
- ☐ The registration document's ID number
Copy all of this from the registration document – mixing up letters and numbers (O and 0, I and 1) is the classic stumbling block. Take a photo of the registration and keep it next to the screen when you request the quote.
Registered keeper's details
- ☐ Name, date of birth, address (as on your address card)
- ☐ Year the driving licence was obtained (can be a rating factor)
- ☐ Contact details: email, phone – ones you actually use
- ☐ How the vehicle is used: private / company / commercial (why it matters)
History and commitments
- ☐ Previous insurer and policy number (if switching)
- ☐ Claims history ID – shown on the renewal notice and on the policy
- ☐ Reason the previous policy ended, for a new policy (purchase, change of registered keeper…)
- ☐ Commitment decisions: payment schedule and method, mileage declaration, e-communication
- ☐ List of add-ons you want (accident cover, legal protection, assistance…)
For commitments, the guiding rule comes from the common mistakes article: only promise what you can keep – a discount is only worth it if it lasts.
How to use this list
For the online calculator: get your ticks ready, and the calculator will walk you through it – the result comes to me, and we finalise it together. For a broker quote request: send over a photo of your registration and the list's data – I'll ask about anything else I need, and I'll bring back the whole market in one table. Either way, the rule is the same: accurate input, accurate quote – and at the end you're not looking at an "approximately" figure, but a bindable one.
Common question: what happens to my data?
Handling of the data you provide for a quote request is regulated: insurers and the intermediary process it for the purpose of quoting and concluding the policy, under the data-protection rules in force – for my part, the framework is set out publicly in the Privacy notice. In practical terms: I use the data for the comparison, I don't pass it on to third parties beyond the insurers, and I don't treat the contact as a "lead list" – anyone who's requested a quote doesn't get a newsletter, just an answer. Data minimalism is part of the trust: a quote needs exactly as much data as it takes to be accurate – no more, no less. That's why this list looks the way it does: every line is a rating factor.
Tip: reuse your data package
The good news: you won't only use this data package once. The same list is needed for a casco quote (plus extras and equipment), for the annual renewal re-quote (updated each year), and for essentially every vehicle-insurance matter. It's worth putting it together properly once and saving it digitally: a note or document with the vehicle details, the claims history ID and your commitment decisions – ready to pull out at renewal time. Saved alongside the photo of your registration, this "vehicle file" cuts every future quote request down to minutes – and for me too, it's the master record: you send it once, and every re-quote after that starts from it, with just a quick check for updates.
A question about your own car? Run the online calculator in minutes, or book a free 20-minute consultation →
