How the comparison works
CountryPilot.net is an educational insurance tools site for US shoppers. We are not a licensed insurance agency or broker, we do not sell policies, and we do not set prices. This page explains the comparison in four steps — what happens, what you are asked, and what the figures you see actually are.
The four steps
- Enter your ZIP code. Your ZIP tells us which insurers and state rules apply. We ask for nothing else yet. If the ZIP is not a 5-digit US ZIP code, the form says so: “Enter a 5-digit US ZIP code.” If it is well-formed but has no comparison for that line yet, the page says so and links to the guide for your line and state, or suggests trying a nearby ZIP.
- Answer a few questions about the driver and vehicle (for auto; other lines ask about the home, household, or pet instead). Every question carries a one-sentence note saying why we ask it. You can go back and edit any answer; editing an earlier answer keeps all your later answers that are still valid.
- See your comparison on one page. Published averages for your state sit beside quote-only carrier entries, each with its label, on the same cover level and deductible — so a cheaper headline can never quietly mean less cover. You can change the cover rung or deductible and re-run the comparison without starting over.
- Finish with the insurer or partner you choose. We do not sell the policy. A quote-only entry takes you to the carrier's own site, where you enter your details to get your own price. A published average links to how it was calculated.
What you are asked — and what you are not
For auto, the flow asks for: ZIP code; vehicle year, make, model, ownership, annual mileage band, and primary use; age band; tickets and accidents in the last 3 years; whether you have current insurance; additional drivers (count only); a coverage rung; a deductible ($500 or $1,000); and optional add-ons, none pre-ticked.
It does not ask for: your full name, full address beyond ZIP, date of birth, driver's license number, VIN, phone number, or payment details. Your full date of birth is not needed for a published-average comparison, and the VIN is not asked in this phase at all. If a future partner integration requires any of these, that step will say which partner requires it and why, at the moment it is asked — not in a footer.
Contact is never the price of seeing results. We do not ask for contact details at all in the comparison — no email gate, no phone gate. Nothing you enter is sent to an insurer: the comparison is built on the page from published averages.
How to read a price on this site
Every price carries exactly one label, on the same card, row, or table as the figure:
- Published average — An average from a published source, for a stated profile, not for your own answers. The statistic, source, date, and profile sit with the figure.
- Quote-only — No price is shown for this provider. You will need to enter your details on the carrier's own site to get a price. No price figure appears on a quote-only entry at all.
A third label, Real integration result, is defined for the future: a price that came back live from a partner integration for your own answers in the session. It is not available in this phase — there is no partner integration yet — so it never appears as a price anywhere on the site. Full detail, including what verification can still change a live result, is on the methodology page.
Why might the final price differ? The insurer sets the final price after checking your details. If your driving or claims record, address, or cover details do not match what was entered, the final price can change. A published average is for all insured vehicles or households in a state — not for you.
Which lines have a flow
Auto first. The step-by-step flow is built for auto now; home, life, health, pet, and travel follow the same template after auto has been reviewed. A line page with no flow yet shows its company comparison and its published averages, and says plainly that the flow comes later — never a dead form.
Start here: Compare auto insurance · Comparison hub · How we calculate averages · How we make money
Questions
Is this a quote for me?
No. Nothing on this site is a personalized price. Published averages are averages for a stated profile from a regulator or public source. A final price for you comes only from the carrier or a licensed agent, after underwriting.
Do I have to give my phone number or email?
No. The comparison asks for no contact details at all. If a future partner integration ever asks for an email — only to send you the comparison, if you want it — that step will say so, and the phone number will still never be required to see results.
Can I go back and change an answer?
Yes. Every step after the first has a Back link, completed steps in the progress indicator are clickable, and the review screen before results lets you edit any line. Editing an earlier answer keeps later answers that are still valid.
What if no results match my ZIP?
The page says so plainly — “No results match this profile yet” — shows the profile you entered, and offers the two most useful next steps: widen the deductible or rung, or read the guide for your line and state. Never a blank list.