Accessing the Internet is now an essential part of daily life for nearly every adult in Kazakhstan. Today, people shop online, book tickets, pay utility bills and loans, top up their accounts, and carry out many other activities online. The insurance market in Kazakhstan is no exception: since January 1, 2019, insurance policies have also been available for purchase online in electronic form. This allows 25 insurance companies licensed to conduct insurance activities—10 of which are life insurance companies and 15 general insurance companies—to offer their services through their online platforms.

The rapid growth of modern technologies around the world demands greater mobility, responsiveness, and service quality. The advantages of receiving online services are undeniable. Accessing online services in the insurance market allows for significant time savings. A visit to an insurance company’s office can take hours, while purchasing an insurance policy online takes just a few minutes. No documents are needed; you only need to enter your personal information correctly (full name, IIN, phone number, etc.).

Accessible information on websites lets users thoroughly examine insurance terms, and the insurance calculator instantly computes the premium, including any potential discounts.

For one of the most common types of insurance—compulsory civil liability insurance for vehicle owners—people with disabilities (groups I and II), pensioners, World War II participants and their equivalents, as well as veterans of military operations abroad, automatically receive a 50% discount on the policy. 

It is worth noting that for this type of insurance, the premium is directly determined by the driver’s individual class in the “bonus-malus” system, which reflects their accident history and the number of insurance claims. Thus, drivers with a higher accident record will always pay more for their insurance policy than those with a lower accident rate.

As the insurance companies can access data from state databases and information systems via a unified insurance database, most of the information entered on their websites is automatically verified, greatly reducing the risk of errors.

Once the insurance policy is paid, the policyholder receives notifications from the insurance company and the unified insurance database via e-mail or mobile phone, confirming the insurance contract and providing its unique contract number. Later, you can check the validity of your insurance policy on the insurance company’s website or via the unified insurance database using the policy’s unique contract number.

Thus, online insurance implies that there is no paper insurance policy issued on the insurance company’s form. All the details of issued insurance policies are stored in the insurance company’s information system and the unified insurance database. For instance, drivers do not have to carry a printed insurance policy, as traffic police can verify all necessary information directly through the unified insurance database.

Through the online insurance service, users can use their registered phone number or e-mail (provided when the insurance policy was issued) to update, re-issue, or prematurely cancel an existing insurance contract. Furthermore, if an insured event occurs, users can file a claim for an insurance payout via the insurance company’s website or mobile app, attaching electronic or scanned documents.

The benefits of online insurance are undeniable. In addition to the points mentioned above, insurance policies can be issued 24/7, there is no need to use an insurance agent, and the risk of fraud from forged or invalid policy forms is greatly minimized.

It is also worth noting that insurance serves as a system to safeguard citizens’ property interests against unforeseen events and adverse circumstances. Insurance remains one of the most reliable ways to ensure socio-economic protection of citizens’ property interests, whether provided electronically or on paper.