QBE North America has announced a new program partnership with Assureful to roll out Pay-As-You-Sell Commercial General Liability (CGL) insurance for e-commerce merchants.
The product reflects a broader shift in the insurance sector toward usage-based coverage models that align premiums with actual business activity, rather than fixed annual policies.
Usage-based protection for online sellers
The program is designed for merchants trading on major online marketplaces. It provides coverage for bodily injury, property damage, and personal injury, with pricing linked to real-time sales volumes.
For smaller or seasonal sellers, the model offers an opportunity to scale coverage in line with business growth and avoid paying for protection they may not need year-round.
“Selling products online comes with challenges and this insurance solution offers customized coverage to meet the unique needs of merchants," said Jim Haggerty, head of commercial programs at QBE North America.
QBE has also introduced a Pay-As-You-Sell Product Liability insurance program in Hong Kong through the same partnership with Assureful. The move highlights the insurer’s global strategy to adapt offerings to fast-growing e-commerce markets, where risk profiles differ from traditional retail or wholesale operations.
The program adds to QBE North America's Commercial Programs portfolio, which includes Property and Workers' Compensation. By broadening its solutions for niche industries, the insurer is positioning itself as a partner for businesses facing emerging risks in a rapidly digitizing economy.
Assureful's GenAI advantage
According to Assureful, the collaboration underscores the growing role of tech in reshaping underwriting models. Rohit Nair, founder and CEO of Assureful, noted that traditional insurers have struggled to deliver comparable levels of flexibility and compliance in this space.
"By uniting QBE’s scale and underwriting expertise with our GenAI-driven approach, we are bringing to market a unique insurance product purpose-built for e-commerce first merchants," Nair added.
The partnership signals how insurers are responding to structural changes in commerce. As more businesses operate across digital platforms, insurers are under pressure to innovate beyond standard liability and property offerings. Usage-based and AI-enabled products not only create pricing efficiency but also address compliance issues for sellers navigating multiple jurisdictions.
