Help & FAQ

Your cover note is emailed to you as soon as your purchase completes. That document is your proof of insurance and you are covered from the start date shown on it.

Your full policy documents – your Certificate of Motor Insurance and Policy Schedule – are issued by the insurer and appear on your customer dashboard, normally within 24 to 48 hours.

If the email hasn't arrived, please check your spam or junk folder before contacting us – that is where it usually is.

Yes. A cover note is a legally valid document proving you hold motor insurance, and it is accepted as proof of cover. You are insured to drive from the start date and time shown on it.

It is a temporary document that is replaced by your full certificate once the insurer issues it.

The date on your cover note is the expiry of the cover note itself, not of your policy. It is a short-term document that bridges the gap while the insurer issues your full paperwork.

Your policy runs for a full 12 months from your start date. Your annual dates are confirmed on the Certificate of Motor Insurance and Policy Schedule on your dashboard.

The full policy number is issued by the insurer rather than at the point of sale, and this normally takes 1 to 2 working days. Until then your cover note and its reference are your proof of insurance.

You do not need to do anything – the number appears on your documents on the dashboard once it's issued.

This is normal in the first few days and does not mean you are uninsured.

The Motor Insurance Database (MID) is updated by the insurer once your full policy number is issued – usually 1 to 2 working days after you buy. Some third-party checking websites lag further behind and can take up to 7 days to catch up.

Your cover note remains valid proof of insurance throughout. If your vehicle still shows as uninsured after 7 days, email us and we'll chase it with the insurer.

Please check your spam or junk folder first – in most cases our emails are there. It's worth adding support@vectordrive.co.uk to your contacts so future messages come through.

If they aren't there, the address on your policy may contain a typo. See “I entered the wrong email address when I bought my policy” below.

You aren't asked to create a password during checkout, so almost everyone needs to set one the first time:

1. Go to the Dashboard.
2. Click “Forgotten your password”.
3. Enter the email address on your policy and follow the link we send you.

You'll then be able to log in and see your documents, policy details and mileage.

Email us from the address you'd like to use, telling us your vehicle registration and policy or quote reference, and we'll correct it on your policy.

Once we've updated it, go to the Dashboard, click “Forgotten your password” and use the corrected address to set a password. Your documents will be waiting for you there.

Your cover is not affected by an email typo – you remain insured throughout.

Your mileage count should begin at zero on your start date. If your dashboard shows mileage used before then, it's an error on our side rather than anything you've done.

Email us with your policy reference and we'll reset your mileage consumption to zero and confirm once it's corrected.

We monitor your allowance for you and will get in touch if you approach it – you don't need to report mileage yourself.

If you've paid your premium in full, that's the end of it – no further payments will be taken.

The Direct Debit is a mandate, not a payment schedule. We hold it so that if you renew with us next year, or make a change to your policy mid-term, we don't have to ask you for your card or bank details all over again. We will never take a payment you have not authorised.

If you'd rather not leave the mandate in place, you can cancel it at any time with your bank. Cancelling it does not affect your cover.

Vector Drive is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and you have the protection of the Direct Debit Guarantee and the Financial Ombudsman Service.

The Direct Debit mandate is only used if you decide to renew with us. We'll contact you before your renewal date so you can decide whether to stay, and nothing is collected without your authorisation.

Yes – you are covered. If your deposit was taken, your policy is live even where the credit agreement didn't complete on screen.

Email us and we'll look up the attempt and either activate the agreement from our end or send you a fresh link to finish it. In many cases no further action is needed from you at all.

If we do send you a link and it won't work on your phone, please try it on a desktop or laptop browser – that resolves most cases. A screenshot of any error message helps us a great deal.

Monthly payments are provided through a credit agreement with Premium Credit, paid by Direct Debit as a deposit followed by monthly instalments.

If you cancel your policy, you don't need to contact Premium Credit yourself – we cancel the credit agreement for you as part of cancelling the policy.

Email support@vectordrive.co.uk with your vehicle registration and policy number, and tell us the date you want cover to end. We'll confirm the cancellation by email.

If you pay monthly, we cancel the Premium Credit agreement on your behalf – no separate action is needed from you.

Refunds are processed within 4 to 5 working days, and we send you a full breakdown of how the refund was calculated.

The amount depends on how long you were on cover and the cancellation terms in your policy documents and our Terms of Business. Any deposit you have paid is included in that calculation – it is not automatically forfeited.

Email us with your policy reference and the date you need, and we'll amend the policy and reissue your documents. Please don't drive until you've had our confirmation of the new start date.

Email us describing what's incorrect, along with your policy reference or vehicle registration. We'll update the policy and send you corrected documents.

Please tell us about any error as soon as you spot it. Insurance relies on the details we hold being accurate, so it's important they match your circumstances.

Email us and we'll add them for you. Please include, for the driver you're adding:

• Full name
• Date of birth
• Gender
• Driving licence number
• Occupation

Please double-check the date of birth and licence details before sending – every driver on the policy is checked against DVLA records after purchase.

Yes. Any policy that runs its full term without a claim earns a no-claims bonus at the end of the policy year.

Your current declared no-claims years, and whether your bonus is protected, are shown on your policy schedule on your dashboard.

After purchase we verify the details every driver declared, because your premium and your cover depend on them being accurate. We check:

• Driving licence records for each driver, against DVLA records
• No-claims bonus entitlement
• Identity and vehicle ownership, where needed

Most policies pass automatically and you'll hear nothing further. If a check doesn't clear, we email you and ask for the specific document we need – please reply within the deadline in that email, as we can't complete the check without it.

It's a code from the DVLA that lets us confirm your licence details manually when the automatic check hasn't been able to.

1. Go to gov.uk/view-driving-licence.
2. Sign in with your driving licence number, National Insurance number and postcode.
3. Choose the option to share your licence information and generate a check code.
4. Email the code to us – it's valid for 21 days.

Please send it within the deadline given in our email. If we can't confirm your licence details, your policy will be cancelled.

Any one of the following from your previous insurer, showing your no-claims years:

1. A renewal notice or renewal invitation
2. A cancellation letter or email
3. Your policy schedule or certificate
4. A dedicated proof of no-claims bonus letter

A clear photo or screenshot is fine. Please send it within the deadline in our email – if your no-claims bonus can't be verified, your policy may be cancelled.

Occasionally we need to confirm your identity and that you own the insured vehicle. When that happens we ask for:

• A photo of the front and back of your driving licence
• A photo of the V5C (logbook) showing your ownership of the vehicle

Please reply within the deadline stated in our email. If we don't hear from you, we have to assume identity can't be verified and the policy will be cancelled.

This happens when our post-purchase checks find that the details declared for you or an additional driver don't match the official records – most often driving licence or claims history. Because your premium and the insurer's decision to offer cover both rest on those details, we can't continue the policy.

If this applies to you:

• You are no longer insured to drive and must arrange alternative cover before driving again.
• You will need to declare this cancellation to future insurers when they ask.
• Any refund due is calculated under our terms and processed within 4 to 5 working days.

If you believe the records are wrong, reply to our cancellation email with evidence and we will review it. If you're unhappy with how we've handled things, our complaints process is open to you.

To avoid this: when you get a quote, declare all convictions, claims and accidents for every driver, and check dates of birth and licence numbers carefully.

No. We're unable to offer cover to any driver under 25, whether as the main driver or as an additional driver on someone else's policy.

No. We don't treat a removable child car seat as a vehicle modification, including multi-seat units that add harnessed seats to the rear, and cover is offered as normal.

Permanent changes to the vehicle – engine, bodywork, suspension, wheels or seating that is bolted in – do need to be declared when you get your quote.

Quotes are priced on the exact details entered, so changing something significant – a driver's date of birth, for example – can mean we're no longer able to offer a price.

Email us with the details you want quoted and we'll tell you whether we can cover you. Please don't be tempted to leave the original, incorrect details in place: everything is verified against official records after purchase, and a mismatch leads to cancellation.

Email support@vectordrive.co.uk or use our contact form. We aim to reply within 4 hours during business hours, Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm.

To help us answer first time, please include your vehicle registration and your policy or quote reference.

If your question is about documents, cover notes, the Motor Insurance Database or Direct Debits, you'll usually find a faster answer on this page.