Insuring a Vehicle > Payment Options
Take your choice! You can pay your Autopac with cash, cheque, money order, debit card, Visa or MasterCard wherever Autopac is sold. You can pay the whole amount up front or pay in smaller portions.
Full Payment
Paying the full amount of your Autopac premium when you renew at your Autopac agent
is the most economical option. There are no interest or service charges, and
you can pay by cash, cheque, debit card or credit card.
12 Pre-Authorized Payments (from your Bank Account or Credit Card)
To apply for pre-authorized payments, please see your Autopac agent. You’ll need to bring one of these three things with you:
- your credit card
- an encoded, void cheque
- a statement or passbook for your account (or a photocopy of either)
If your withdrawal date and your anniversary date differ, we’ll withdraw two payments from your account in the first month. If they’re the same, we’ll withdraw one payment in the first month. After the first month, you’ll have one monthly withdrawal.
You can also change your withdrawal date during your policy term. But, if you change your date, you may have two withdrawals within the first month after the change. Withdrawal dates cannot be more than 30 days apart. Ask your Autopac agent for details before you make this change.
Please remember, if you cancel a policy on the same day as one of your withdrawals, the full withdrawal will still occur. Cancelling your policy at least one day before your withdrawal date ensures any future withdrawals are either cancelled or adjusted. And remember, you may still owe money on the financing agreement after cancelling your policy.
You’ll get a payment schedule of your withdrawal dates and amounts. It’s your responsibility to ensure your account has enough money to cover each withdrawal. Also, if your banking or credit card information changes, please report this to your Autopac agent immediately to avoid dishonoured payments.
Costs
Interest charges and an administrative fee are built into your payments.
The interest depends on current rates and the total amount being financed,
which is your insurance premium plus your vehicle registration fee. The total
interest and the $4 annual administration fee (per policy, per year) are divided evenly
over all your payments. For more details, see Payment
Options, or talk to your Autopac
agent. Some restrictions apply.
Also, if your banking or credit card information changes, please
report this to your Autopac agent immediately to avoid dishonoured payments.
4 Payments
(Not available for motorcycles, off-road vehicles or trailers)
With this plan, you can pay each instalment by VISA or MasterCard, although
your payments are not pre-authorized as they would be on the 12-payment plan.
But after making your first payment through your Autopac agent, you can choose to pay your remaining instalments electronically, by computer or by telephone. To pay electronically, ask your financial institution to set up this service for you. Please use your customer number as your account number for your electronic payments. Your customer number appears on your insurance documents. If you can’t find it on your documents, your Autopac agent can help you.
Please remember: a delay may occur from when you make your electronic payment to when we receive it. You’ll need to make your electronic payment early enough to ensure we get it on time.
The annual administrative fee for this plan is $4 (per policy, per year), included in your first payment. You can use this option if:
- You're buying coverage five months or more before your anniversary day
- You're insuring a vehicle other than an off-road vehicle or trailer worth $2,500 or less
- You haven't lost financing privileges because of missed or dishonoured payments.
You're responsible for paying on time. To help you remember when your payments are due, see "2-5-8: Don't Be Late", below.
Paying for motorcycle and ORV coverage
You can pay for your motorcycle and ORV coverage in full, when you
apply, or defer payment until the start of the riding season. You can use
your Visa, MasterCard or Interac. You can also finance your premiums by paying
monthly during the season of use.
Note: Only the insurance portion is deferred.
Here are the riding seasons for snowmobiles, motorcycles, ORV motorcycles and ATVs:
Snowmobiles: December 1 to March 31
Motorcycles and ORV motorcycles: May 1 to September 30
ATVs: January 1 to December 31
See Electronic Payment Option for information on making your payment electronically.
2-5-8: Don't Be Late!
When you choose the 4-payment plan, your application form for registration
and insurance shows when your payments are due. The payments follow a 2-5-8
pattern.
| First payment: | on your anniversary day |
| Second payment: | 2 months after your anniversary day |
| Third payment: | 5 months after your anniversary day |
| Fourth
and final payment for the year: |
8 months after your anniversary day |
If you buy or renew your Autopac mid-term, you may have fewer than four payments. If your policy will run for less than 5 months before your next anniversary day, you can't choose the 4-payment plan.
We'll send you a statement reminding you that a payment is due. If you’ve moved, change your address through your Autopac agent immediately. That will help ensure you receive your reminders about your payments. But even if you don't receive your statement, it's up to you to keep track of your due dates and to pay on time.
If you decide to mail your payment, please make sure that you send it a few weeks ahead of time. We must receive the cheque on or before the date it's due. You're responsible if it arrives late or doesn't arrive at all.
Once you've renewed your Autopac, remember that convenient electronic payments are available for your remaining instalments. Just ask your bank or credit union to set up this service for you. Please remember a delay may occur from when you make your electronic payment to when we actually receive it. Your financial institution can tell you when to complete your payment so that we receive it on time.
Guidelines for making electronic payments (e-payments)
It's recommended that you make your e-payment two to three days in advance of your
e-payment deadline to ensure it processes in a timely manner. If you wait to pay just before midnight on your e-payment due date you run the risk of late fees being applied. This may occur because the payment is processed after the due date. Manitoba Public Insurance will reverse the $20 late fee if you bring a copy of your receipt that includes a reference number and time of remittance, or proof of payment from your bank (with a time stamp indicating payment was made before midnight on the due date) to any Autopac agent or Service Centre.
Use internet or phone banking – you can't make e-payments through an ATM.
Please remember: cancel your policy in writing if you don’t want your Autopac coverage anymore—DON’T JUST STOP MAKING YOUR PAYMENTS!
Late Payments
Under the four-payment plan, a penalty of $20 applies for each late payment, on each insured vehicle. Under the 12-payment plan a $20 penalty applies on each defaulted instalment. Payments due on a Sunday or a statutory holiday under the four-payment plan can be paid on the next business day without penalty. Any later, and the penalty applies without exception.
Cheques We Can't Cash
We’ll charge you $20 if you pay us with a cheque we can’t cash.
This includes NSF cheques, unsigned cheques, and incorrectly dated cheques.
Missing Your Payment/Suspensions
Missing a payment may lead to your registration and insurance being suspended.
Serious consequences can result from driving a vehicle with suspended registration
and insurance.
You're responsible for making all your instalments on time--whether you're on the 12- or 4-payment plan. Under the 12-payment plan, all policies in your financing agreement are affected, if you miss one or more payments. Remember, we charge interest on late payments.
We act immediately when we don't receive a payment from you on time or when we can't cash your cheque. We'll send you a notice warning you that we'll suspend your insurance coverage if we don't receive your payment by a specific day. Even if you haven't received a notice from us, section 269 of The Highway Traffic Act gives us the right to suspend your insurance when you haven't paid on time.
If you drive uninsured, you can be charged with an offence and required to pay a fine, the police can seize your vehicle, and you’ll have demerits assessed on your driver’s licence. If you’re at fault for an accident, you’ll have to compensate people and pay for damages to their vehicles from your own pocket.
If we suspend your insurance because you’ve missed a payment, you won’t be able to pay by instalments until your next anniversary day. If you’re suspended for a second miss payment within three years, you can’t pay by instalments until one year after your next anniversary day.
“Earlybird Renewals” Some Manitobans travel outside Manitoba for extended periods and may be away when it’s time to renew. Your Autopac agent can help you make special arrangements to be sure that your Autopac coverage continues while you’re away.
Write your customer number or driver’s licence number on your cheque. When paying by cheque or money order, please write your customer number or driver’s licence number on the cheque or money order. If you have more than one policy, please write the policy number to which you’re directing the payment, on your cheque or money order.
