Blog » About Metromile Insurance

Welcome to Metromile! Within 2 weeks of your policy start date, you’ll receive a small, secure device in the mail called the Metromile Pulse device. You’ll receive a Pulse device for each vehicle you’re insuring with Metromile. The Pulse device counts your miles, helps you find your car, and enables you to understand your car’s health. It’s one of the most important parts of your Metromile insurance.

Here you’ll be able to find instructions on how to plug in your Pulse device and some frequently asked questions people have when they’re first getting set up. We want to make sure plugging in your device is easy! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us by visiting our Help Center. 

How do I change my shipping address?

You can change your shipping address from your online account under Policy. We can also update your shipping address if you contact us.

How can I track the shipping of my Pulse device?

Once we ship your Pulse device, we’ll send you an email and text with a tracking number. You should receive the device within 7 days of shipment.

What if I didn’t receive my Pulse device in the mail?

If you haven’t received your Pulse device within 7 days of it being shipped, contact us. You can also review the tracking number from your shipping notification email for more information.

How do I connect my Pulse device?

1. Locate your OBD-II port 

Find the port near your dashboard, pedals, or center console.

2. Plug in your Pulse device

If the device’s red light is on when it arrives, it may have woken up in transit, but still needs to be connected to your vehicle to count your miles. Wiggle the device into your OBD-II port, making sure it’s plugged all the way in. 

Note: if you have multiple Pulse devices, each device is labeled with the year, make, and model of the vehicle it needs to be plugged in to.

3. Go for a drive

Take at least a 5 minute drive within 24 hours of plugging in your Pulse device. 

4. Check for the light

A red light should now be illuminated on your Pulse device, indicating it’s powered up.  

Note: Even if you see the red light before taking a drive, it’s important you still drive your vehicle to make sure it sends us a signal.

5. You’ll hear from us

We’ll let you know by email and text when we get a signal from your device—this can take up to 1 day.

What if my car doesn’t have an OBD-II port?

We may be able to support some electric cars, such as Tesla vehicles, with an adapter. If you didn’t receive an adapter with your Pulse device and have an electric car or car older than 1996, contact us.

What should I do if I can’t see the light on the Pulse device?

If you don’t see the light on your Pulse device, it may be loose. Try plugging it into your OBD-II port again.

If the device is connected and you don’t see a red light, plug the device into a different car (it’s ok if it’s not yours). If the red light turns on in the new car, the problem is likely your OBD-II port. We recommend checking the fuse or having a mechanic take a look. If you don’t see a red light in the second car, or if your mechanic says your OBD-II port is healthy, contact us.

Is there a deadline for plugging in my Pulse device?

Yes — we’ll let you know when you need to plug in your Pulse device once we ship your device to you. Our devices should arrive within 7 days of shipment, so you’ll have plenty of time to plug yours in. On the day your Pulse device arrives in the mail, look out for an email or text message. This email will have details about how to plug in your device as well as the exact date and time we need to receive a signal from your device.

What if I’m away and can’t plug in the Pulse device when it arrives?

You should receive your Pulse device in the mail within 7 days. If you need more time to plug in your device, contact us, and we can set a grace period for you.

What is a grace period?

A grace period lets us know you’ll be away from your car and won’t be able to plug in your device right away. During your grace period, you won’t be charged fees if we aren’t able to receive a signal from your car’s Pulse device.

What happens if I don’t plug in my Pulse device by the required date and time and don’t have a grace period set?

We want to make sure this doesn’t happen—you can always contact us for help. If you don’t have a grace period set up, each vehicle without a functioning Pulse device will receive a No Signal charge.

What is a No Signal charge?

If we don’t receive a signal from your Metromile Pulse device, we may charge a No Signal fee to cover any miles you may have driven. We’ll send an email to remind you to plug in or troubleshoot your device before we charge the fee. The device must be plugged into your car at all times so that we can accurately measure and bill the miles you drive.

We understand that there are times when you may need to unplug the device, like when you get your car serviced. Don’t worry; it’s ok to remove the device so that the mechanic can access the port. Just be sure to plug the device back in after service is complete.

So the teenager in your household is driving. Congrats! And condolences — perhaps this exciting new development has made you aware of the fact that insurance for teen drivers can be pretty pricey. Adding a single teenager to your policy may cause your annual premium to rise by an average of 78%. It turns out there’s a good reason for this sticker shock — and plenty of good ways to work around that issue to save money on your bill.

Why is insurance for teen drivers so expensive?

When it comes to insurance costs, it’s all about risk, and teen drivers are considered some of the riskiest behind the wheel. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers in the United States and In 2017, 2,364 teens in the U.S. between the ages of 16-19 were killed, and about 300,000 were treated in emergency departments for injuries suffered in motor vehicle crashes. 

The CDC considers a few subgroups particularly at high risk when it comes to car crashes: male drivers, teens driving with teen passengers, and newly licensed teens. A combination of factors, including inexperience, speeding, lack of seat belt use, and alcohol use may make teens more dangerous behind the wheel, and that danger is heightened at night and on the weekends.

Even if your teen has a squeaky clean driving record, a perfect grade on their driver’s test, and no inclination toward any bad behavior, you’ll likely be paying steep rates for their coverage. The rates typically tend to decline around age 25, but for high school and college kids, prices will probably remain high. 

How can you save money on teen driver coverage?

There are some strategies to lessen the pain here. Ask your insurer if they offer discounts for a high GPA or consider enrolling your teen in a safe driving course. If your teen driver is away at college without a vehicle, they may be eligible for a discount. Remember, too, that your teen driver’s car matters; a brand new or luxury vehicle is decidedly not the way to save.

One super simple way to save money on your teen’s insurance coverage is by making the switch to pay-per-mile insurance. Most teens aren’t making major commutes everyday or in need of a vehicle 24/7. If your teen’s driving mostly consists of short trips to school and back, pay-per-mile may be a good fit — and could lead to significant savings.

A novice driver is never going to be cheap to insure, but there are ways to manage the cost without skimping on quality. Is pay-per-mile right for your teen?

– – –

Michelle Konstantinovsky is a San Francisco-based freelance journalist, UC Berkeley alumna, and Metromile customer.

We’ve received thousands of questions about car insurance coverage, billing, and more over the years. Today, an answer to one of the most common: “How does Metromile measure miles, and what does it mean for my privacy?”

How do you measure miles?

Metromile customers’ miles are calculated by a device called the Pulse. We believe the most significant risk factor for getting into an accident is mileage — if you aren’t on the road, your risk is quite low — and the Pulse device is the key to measuring this factor accurately. It connects to your car’s computer to keep an eye on mileage and act as a GPS device. Besides calculating miles, the Pulse device can decode a maintenance light in your car, alert you when you’re parked in a street sweeping zone, remind you where you parked, help you optimize fuel use, and more.

When you become a Metromile customer, you are covered as of the effective date of your policy, regardless of whether or not your Pulse device is plugged in. As you near your policy effective date, we will ship your Pulse device to you, and your job is to plug it into what’s called the OBD-II port in your vehicle — the same port your mechanic uses to diagnose issues.

If my driving is being tracked, how do you ensure my privacy?

The Pulse securely transmits data through a cell modem to update your account with trip information. No smartphone or Bluetooth pairing is needed. Metromile takes electronic, physical and procedural steps to help protect your personal information and has security personnel on-site that investigate and respond to issues. Your information is not sold or rented to third parties for marketing purposes.

Metromile also offers you some degree of control; customers can opt to disable the GPS function on their Pulse through the Metromile online dashboard, which means we won’t store your location data long term. Your miles will still be calculated accurately in this case, but it will mean that some of the bonus features that use your location, like street sweeping alerts, won’t work.

There you have it: no tricks, no games, no violations of your privacy. Just a way to offer you the fairest car insurance rates possible — and a few bonus features on top of that.

– – –

Julianne Sawyer is a freelance writer, app producer, and real-life Metromile customer living in the San Francisco Bay Area.

One of the most common questions we hear from car insurance shoppers is a pretty simple one: “are you guys for real?” To be honest, it’s the question I first had when I was considering making the switch. My monthly premium with another car insurance company had recently skyrocketed and I couldn’t fathom forking over a significant chunk of my salary considering I was only driving a few miles each week. I saw a Metromile ad but figured the prospect of pay-per-mile insurance was too good to be true.

How could one company charge me an arm and a leg while another was promising fair prices and only charging me for the miles I drove? 

Is Metromile legit?

I couldn’t make the decision alone, so I posed the question to my social media circle. Within minutes of my Facebook post, I received all kinds of feedback from friends and acquaintances who’d either already switched to Metromile or were seriously considering it and wanted the same info I did. After doing a bit more digging and talking to some of the early employees, I uncovered the truth: Metromile isn’t just legit; it’s the ideal solution for occasional drivers like me.

Here’s the deal: unlike most other car insurance companies, Metromile operates on a pay-per-mile structure. Not sure how that’s possible? Neither was I. The not-so-secret sauce of Metromile is pricing based on one very prominent risk factor that other insurers either ignore or are not so explicit about — time behind the wheel.

I’m worried about a low-cost carrier

Using the model above, Metromile is able to charge customers completely reasonable rates that make sense for lots of different types of drivers. In my case, I pay a monthly base rate of about $40, plus about 7 cents for every mile I drive (usually less than 20). Unlike the $100-plus bill I was seeing every month from my previous insurer, my Metromile monthly bill is about half that. 

I pay less, but the price is more fair and more closely represents risk. In this case, inexpensive doesn’t mean low quality.

What if I have a claim?

To put it simply — Metromile has your back. Savings are a focus, yes, but not at the expense of quality. Many satisfied pay-per-mile customers can attest to that.

If you have a loss, it’s turned over to a team of service-focused experts, led by insurance industry veterans, to take excellent care of you. And the proprietary, AI-driven claims technology speeds the process along; it’s not uncommon for claims to be paid out on the same day they’re reported.

The bottom line is this: Metromile is aiming to make car insurance better, not worse. That means savings, it means great features and white glove service, it means an app you actually like to use, and it means you can breathe easy in case of an accident. 

– – –

Julianne Sawyer is a freelance writer, app producer, and real-life Metromile customer living in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Our customer JP, a military vet and data scientist, lives in Monterey on the Central Coast of California — not exactly the first place you’d expect to find a low mileage driver. JP doesn’t mind bucking a trend, though; he only puts a few miles on his car every month and mostly relies on an electric scooter to get to work and around town. But what really drew JP to Metromile was the opportunity to view all his driving data in one place — or as he says, to see the “actual patterns of life.”

How long have you been a Metromile customer?

More than two years. I used to have another insurer focused on veterans, with full coverage for a 2015 Camaro. But I didn’t like paying a fixed amount because I basically don’t drive.

When you say you don’t drive…how many miles in a month?

Probably about 20, just around town on the weekends. I don’t drive far. I got a scooter for $300, and I can ride that to work now. It’s great once you get over the nerd factor.

I don’t drive my Camaro that much because it’s a V8 — it’s inefficient. But when it rains I’ll drive to work and it’s nice to be covered for those few miles. And the price was so competitive with Metromile I could get higher coverage for the same amount.

You’ve mentioned that it wasn’t just the savings that attracted you.

I’m also quite interested in the OBD-II sensor [Metromile Pulse]. I’m a data scientist. Recording data has always been a source of curiosity for me. If I didn’t have Metromile and I were to buy my own OBD-II sensor, it wouldn’t do the things I want it to do — like capture where I go, when, and how long the trips are. But with Metromile I can collect diagnostics and do a lot of this stuff myself. I have all my trip data saved in a file — this allows me to use my car as a data collector.

And Metromile takes that same data and enables customers to pay only for what they drive. It appeals to the scientist in me. For me, riding a scooter for 15 mins into work is obviously a better deal when I can see exactly what driving is costing me in time and dollars per mile.

What are you using the data for?

My degree is in geospatial information science. My career is mapping for the military. With my driving data, I’m hoping to find trends in the actual patterns of life. If I can collect my own data I can sort of validate the work of, say, Google Maps or traffic cameras.

But also, imagine this: if I can match up my driving data with my fitness tracker and social media updates and all the other personal data we have, I could get an actual view of what the human experience is like, that’s not filtered or sanitized.

Anything else you’d like to share?

I like the app; I’ve used it to find my car. And when I travel for work I can tell whether my girlfriend has borrowed my car!

There are plenty of reasons pay-per-mile makes sense for low-mileage drivers. But one unique feature that many potential customers — and even current customers! — don’t know about is our game-changing trip tracking feature. By tapping into the wealth of useful info provided by the Metromile Pulse device, you can actually keep track of how many miles you’re traveling, how much gas you’re using, your driving speed (or the speed of anyone else — like a teen driver), and more. 

First thing’s first: let’s get to know the Metromile Pulse device. This little tech tool packs a powerful punch, relying on something called telematics to send, receive, and store information related to your car. By combining GPS navigation and onboard diagnostics, your Pulse device can show you where your car is, the trips it’s taken, and your fuel use, as well as send traffic alerts, help you get roadside assistance, and more. But it’s that trip tracking feature (found on the second tab at the bottom of your Metromile app screen) that’s a true hidden gem. Here are some ways to make the most of your Metromile trip tracker:

Make better commuting choices

Whether you use your car for occasional work meetings or you’re driving to your parents’ house to do laundry on a weekly basis (guilty), your Metromile trip tracker will show you where you’ve been, how many miles you drove, the time you spent in the car, and the fuel cost.

If you check your trip tracker and notice that you’re making a lot of unnecessary trips that are impacting your fuel budget, you can start making informed changes that help support your financial goals. And if you take stock of your trips and notice that you’re spending more time in the driver’s seat than you’d like, you might try swapping in a walk, bike, rideshare, or public transportation ride to find more minutes in for work and/or play (and less time behind the wheel) throughout the week.

Keep tabs on speed

The trip tracker lets you know how many miles you drove during a single trip and how long it took to drive those miles. If you have a teen or other driver on your plan who you’d like to keep an eye on, the trip tracker can give you insight into their behaviors so you can have important conversations about safety if necessary.

Or you might notice that your own lead foot is a bit heavier than you thought!

Compare your habits week to week

The trip tracker does a great job of record keeping. Using the navigation arrows at the top of the screen, you can swipe through previous weeks and see how your fuel costs and miles driven are trending.

Perhaps your gas spending has been increasing, but you can’t put your finger on why. Or perhaps you just needed a reminder that you used to walk to the store, and are still capable of doing that. Every person’s story is a little different; the main thing is having clear visibility into your habits when you haven’t previously.

Our pay-per-mile billing gives you control over the cost of your car insurance, and our trip tracker aims to give you a measure of control over your time, your spending, and your life stuck behind the steering wheel.

– – –

Michelle Konstantinovsky is a San Francisco-based freelance journalist, UC Berkeley alumna, and Metromile customer.

Meet Jennifer: a city-dwelling marketing professional and bonafide weekend warrior. Jennifer doesn’t drive to work, and loves using the bus to get around — but jumps at the chance to get away on the weekends to explore California’s nooks and crannies. For that, she keeps a car, and her low-mileage habits make her a perfect fit for Metromile’s pay-per-mile car insurance model.

How long have you been a Metromile customer?

It’s been about 3 years now.

Must be a good fit.

I work in downtown Oakland, and I live not too far away. It’s an easy bus ride to work, so I just don’t drive that many miles during the week.

Do you know offhand how many miles you drive a month?

Let’s put it this way: I’ve gotten that notification in the past that asks “Have you driven your car?” I joke that I can check my mileage and tell whether I’ve gone to the gym or not, because that’s the one place I always drive. If I haven’t driven anywhere I know I’ve been skipping my workout.

What do you use your car for?

I do sometimes use my car for everyday errands, grocery shopping and things like that. But what I really like to do is take advantage of where we live in California. You can get to the mountains and the beach and the country in thirty minutes. I do a lot of weekend trips, and use my car for that.

I drove to Los Angeles last weekend. I also go to the Russian River sometimes — that’s only an hour and a half away and a completely different world from the city.

It sounds like driving is about freedom for you rather than the everyday.

I really like the option to be able to get up and go when I want to. I love walking and taking the bus. (And I enjoy telling people I use public transportation, too. It’s my tax dollars at work!)

And I don’t like driving a long way to work. I’ve changed jobs many times, and every time I have a whole system: if I can’t get there within thirty minutes of driving or one hour on transit I won’t do it. I don’t care how much they pay me.

At the same time I like having the option to say, “You know what, it’s a Saturday afternoon. Let’s pick up some sandwiches, get in the car, and just go.

I go with my boyfriend, my sister, friends. I like coming up with something new: “There’s a new speakeasy, let’s go there.” Or “There’s a taqueria in a town we’ve never been to.” I like being able to just explore a new place.

Have you considered selling your car?

I’m very much a city person. But the thing is, it’s hard to get away without that car. With something like Metromile it’s more affordable to own a car and keep it in decent shape than it is to rent a car for a weekend trip.

I’d rather have it conveniently there when I need it rather than have to think about it. My car is a little Scion, a 2014 model with super low mileage. Every time I take it into the shop people are amazed at the low mileage. I probably won’t need to replace it for a while.

Do you use any of the Metromile app features?

Definitely! There’s a running joke with a friend. We go to the movies and I will sometimes drive there if the movie goes past when transit runs. They sweep the streets at night near that theater and my friend will ask if I got the street-sweeping notification.

I’ve also used the app to find my car. I’ll forget about that feature until I lose my car and then remember it’s built in with my insurance. It’s very handy.

It makes life easier?

Yes! Because of the work I do, I’m hyper aware of products I use — I always ask myself, is this is a good customer experience? That’s what I really like about Metromile. Everything’s really easy. Insurance isn’t my first language but it’s broken down so easily; all the info I need is right there in front of me.

Actually trying to please your customers should not be above and beyond, but it’s shocking how many companies don’t do that.

Hey, we get it — it can be hard to know if pay-per-mile insurance is right for you. Maybe you’ve seen one of our commercials and thought, “Sounds interesting, but I’m not a low mileage driver.” But have you ever stopped to figure it out for sure?

Drivers come in all shapes, sizes, and styles, and today we’re exploring some of the different types of low mileage drivers. Whether you’re curious if you meet the criteria or haven’t given it much thought at all, we have some telltale signs that you might be a low mileage driver, without ever having to stop and study your odometer. 

You can’t remember the last time you filled your gas tank. Filling the gas tank is an expensive chore that most of us dread, but you don’t seem to have that issue. If you find that your trips to the gas station are few and far between, you may be a low mileage driver.

You’re in the car often, but your trips are quick. Quick trips don’t add up to very many miles. In fact, your neighbors are used to seeing you cruising around the neighborhood a few miles at a time. If you find yourself shuttling the kids to and from school with short trips to run errands in between, you may be a low mileage driver.

You don’t drive to work. Even with long road trips on the weekends and drives to visit friends, you’re not clocking many monthly miles. Whether you work from home, take transit, or ride a bike, opting out a daily car commute to the office likely makes you a low mileage driver. 

You’re a wild card — no two days are the same for you. Some days, you may find yourself running endless errands around town. On other days, leaving the house is a rarity. Whatever your schedule may be, it’s unpredictable, which may make you a low mileage driver.

You’re not stuck to one form of transportation. You’ve been known to take the bus, ride a bike, use ride-sharing apps, take the train, and drive a car––all within the same week. Multi-talented transportation gurus like you are often subsidizing heavy drivers in the insurance risk pool. Want to quit that? Pay-per-mile was made for drivers like you.

You’re a car aficionado who owns multiple whips. If cars are your passion and you consider yourself a collector in-the-making, you’re probably a low mileage driver. Metromile makes a lot of sense to cover the vehicles that don’t get as much drive time. 

You dig walking. If your two legs are your main form of transportation, we feel confident that you’re a low mileage driver. Despite being great for your health, walking everywhere is great for your wallet, too. If you find yourself logging miles on your pedometer instead of your odometer, you’re probably a low mileage driver. 

* * *

Whatever your lifestyle, if you found yourself nodding along while reading you may be a low mileage driver. Armed with new knowledge, be sure to grab a free quote from us to find out how much you could save by switching to Metromile. See you on the road!

– – –

Julianne Sawyer is a freelance writer, app producer, and real-life Metromile customer living in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

Metromile recently attended InsureTech Connect 2019, the largest conference dedicated to insurance-technology, and met some of the more than 7,000 insurance leaders in attendance. As “the world’s largest gathering of insurance leaders and innovators,” many insurance companies and insurance-technology startups announced their latest partnership and product improvements. We asked Xavier Keil and Jason Thom from the Metromile Enterprise team to share some highlights.

What was everyone the most excited about at InsureTech Connect this year?

Traditional insurance companies are quite interested in using artificial intelligence and automation to stave off new, tech-first competitors. Major insurance providers are worried an upstart will be able to overcome the regulatory challenges and meet the capital requirements necessary to disrupt the industry drastically.

People were also fascinated by the growth of InsureTech Connect since 2015. They saw the ever-growing number of attendees as a signal that insurance-technology is getting bigger and bigger. There are a lot of new opportunities for insurers and startups to collaborate and thrive together.

What is your top takeaway from InsureTech Connect?

Sincerely, this is probably the most exciting time to work in insurance since the invention of the automobile. Conferences like InsureTech Connect have informed insurers about trending technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the Internet-of-things, especially in the last three to five years. And insurers now have sharper eyes to distinguish between hype and reality and are laser-focused on which technologies offer the best solutions to their problems. New technology is beginning to open new lines of business, which comes with significant risk, but also an enormous opportunity for the whole industry.

Did anything surprise you at InsureTech Connect?

We were surprised to find a significant focus on technologies that are rather far from implementation, such as drone-based accident-site surveying or self-driving vehicle products. We worry the industry may be missing out on benefits that can be realized right now from proven, existing technology like artificial intelligence and automation, which can drive real customer experience improvements.

From your meetings at InsureTech Connect, what excited people the most about Metromile?

Most InsureTech Connect attendees, especially those from the U.S., recognize Metromile as the pioneer in insurance-technology and were excited to learn that we’re licensing our technology. Traditional insurers are worried about disruption, so naturally, they were very excited to hear that we work with other insurers. Different types of insurance carriers also came to the conference looking to improve their operational efficiency and customer experience and wanted to learn from our success. 

Auto insurers or not, they’re looking for our help future-proofing their businesses.

Based on what you saw at InsureTech Connect, what are the biggest opportunities for insurance companies?

People accept a customer experience from insurance companies that they do not accept anywhere else in life. If Google asked you to fax them a form to open a Gmail account, they would probably have next to zero customers, but insurers routinely require people to send them faxes.

Traditional insurance companies have a great opportunity to improve their customer experience from the initial quote through to the claims process. Companies with the best experience bring new customers faster and keep them for longer. The insurer who improves their user experience will have the best customer-retention and enjoy a compounding advantage over time.

What is the future of insurance and the insurance industry?

The future of insurance will be highly personalized products, delivered with more modern customer experiences, powered by artificial intelligence.

If someone wants three days of motorcycle insurance and increased health coverage while visiting a friend, they should be able to buy it immediately and through a mobile app. If someone is about to fly a drone, they should be able to purchase coverage for just that flight.

Artificial intelligence will also be used by insurance companies to accurately price these products and reduce the workload for their employees. It will do this by collecting and processing massive amounts of data. 

The best insurance carriers will also use automation to empower their customers. People are proactive and want to take action, so insurance companies should create processes to give their customers a sense of ownership. Each business interaction should benefit the customer.

The Bottom Line

Look out for insurance companies to provide highly personalized products and better customer experience, ideally on par with the service of companies like Amazon and Apple. Insurers will need to offer an online experience that is seamless and user-friendly, just as we have come to expect from our consumer-technology.

– – –

Xavier Keil is Director of Product Consulting, Enterprise and Jason Thom is Senior Manager, Strategy and Operations.

Note: We recently upgraded the Pulse device for some Metromile customers. This article is for customers who received this specific notification. Learn how to install your Pulse device for the first time or resolve an error on our blog or Help Center.

Welcome to your upgraded Pulse device! Here’s how you can replace your old device and get started with your new device.

How to plug in your new Pulse device

1. Unplug your old Pulse device

Locate your onboard diagnostic (OBD-II) port near your dashboard, pedals, or center console. Next, dispose or recycle your old Pulse device.

2. Plug in your new Pulse device

Connect your device, and give it a wiggle to make sure it’s plugged all the way in. A flashing light will confirm your device is connected successfully.

3. You’ll hear from us

We’ll email and text you when we get a signal from your device. This can take up to 1 day.

Didn’t hear from us?

Drive around for about 5 minutes. Then, look for a flashing light to confirm your device is connected successfully.

FAQs

Why do I need to replace my Pulse device? How does this upgrade help me?

As is the case with most technology, sometimes the hardware can use an upgrade. 

While your current device might work fine now, we want to reduce the likelihood of any connectivity issues down the road. For example, your current device may no longer be able to connect to our network soon.

What if I’m away from my vehicle and need more time to replace my old device?

If you are away from your car and unable to install your Pulse in the time given, you may set a grace period. A grace period will give you some extra time to install your new device. If you need to set a grace period, contact us through the Help Center.

What if I didn’t get my upgraded device?

You should receive your new device in a week. We will send you an email to let you know when it should arrive. If it’s been several days since you received the email, we may need to send you another device. Contact us through the Help Center, and we can look into the status of your delivery.

What if I received multiple devices?

If you only have one vehicle insured with Metromile and received multiple devices, please hold onto them and contact us through the Help Center.

If you have multiple vehicles insured with Metromile, you might receive multiple devices: 

• Each new device includes a sticker with the year, make, model, and the last 4 digits of the VIN number to indicate which vehicle they should be connected to. 
• Don’t worry if you have multiple vehicles insured but only received one device. You may only need to replace one device. Remember to replace the right one by checking your emails.

Where can I find the OBD-II port?

The location of your car’s onboard diagnostic (OBD-II) port depends on which car your have. Generally, it could be in one of several locations:

I’m having trouble installing my new Pulse

We’ll walk you through the process. First, you should know that a properly installed Pulse has a red light on it, and your driving data will be reflected in your app or dashboard. If that’s not happening, please follow these steps:

1. Make sure you’re in an area with cell service.
2. Check to see that your Pulse is completely plugged into your vehicle. Try taking the Pulse out completely for a few minutes and reinserting it back into the port by gently pushing the Pulse in further or wiggling it into place.
3. If you still can’t see a light or the light doesn’t appear red, have a mechanic look at your OBD-II port to see if it’s working properly. 
4. Once the red light appears on your Pulse, go for a drive (for longer than 5 minutes). After your trip, make sure you’re in an area that has cell service and check your app or dashboard to see if the trip details show up. (Note that this may take up to 48 hours to display.)
5. At this point, you should get an email from us confirming that we got a signal from your new device. If you’re still experiencing issues, please reach out to our Customer Service team at 1.888.244.1702 8am-5pm PT Monday – Friday and request a new device.

I’m about to be charged penalty miles, but I need more time.

If you know you won’t be able to install your new device in time, give us a call and we’ll help you set a grace period. Call 1.888.244.1702 8am-5pm PT Monday – Friday and speak to a Customer Service representative.

Why am I getting penalty miles?

• As part of your contract with Metromile, your Pulse needs to be plugged into your car at all times in order for us to bill your actual miles driven. When we haven’t received a signal from your new device and your old device has been deactivated, we apply penalty miles to your account. 
• Please note that if penalty miles are applied to your account during this process, those are the only miles that will be added to your account from this vehicle.

Where do I recycle my Pulse? How do I find a recycling center?

Unlike other types of recycling you may be used to seeing (think: big blue bins) that hold your standard paper, aluminum, or glass, electronic devices have complicated parts and need to be recycled in separate facilities. Fortunately, they’re pretty easy to find. Just type in “recycling centers near me” in your search bar and find a place near you. You could even recycle your device at stores you’re more familiar with, like Best Buy or Staples.