Last updated: April 15, 2020
The rules and issues around the COVID-19 pandemic continue to evolve and information changes consistently. Please take note of when our content was written and always goâŻtoâŻthe sources weâve provided for the most current guidance.
ICBC is doing some things to help as part of the BC Government COVID-19 Action Plan. If you are a customer on a monthly Autoplan payment plan and facing financial challenges due to COVID-19, you can defer your payment for up to 90 days with no penalty.
Here’s how to do that:
To request a deferral, try using their online resource tool.
You must send in your request before 6 p.m. at least one business day before your next payment is due. Saturday, Sunday and Statutory Holiday are not considered a business day. You will need to input your current payment withdrawal date, so have that information handy, and the date that you are deferring to.
If you can also call them at 1-800-665-6442 to talk about your payment options.
What happens at the end of the deferral?
ICBC’s website states that the total sum of the deferred payments will be withdrawn on your requested date of deferral.
If you’re nearing that date and you do not want the payment withdrawn on that date, you should contact ICBC to discuss your payment options. Here are the two numbers they provide:
- 604-661-2723
- 1-800-665-6442
A few other things to know:
- Insurance renewals can be done by phone or email for now. If your insurance is about to expire, call your Autoplan broker. This is a temporary measure to avoid in-person contact.
- The following services are now offered only online:
- Road tests and other assessments have been postponed until further notice. Watch the ICBC website for updates.
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Where do we fit in?
Yes, we are a provincial regulator. We are responsible for some very specific transactions in BC. We arenât experts on COVID-19. We wonât â and shouldnât â ever give medical or legal advice. But we are in a unique circumstance right now and we want to help people navigate the current reality. We donât have all the answers, but we will do our best to share information from reliable sources, put it in ways that are easy to digest and understand, provide referrals and help you navigate this situation.
About Consumer Protection BC
We are responsible for regulating specific industries and certain consumer transactions in British Columbia. If your concern is captured under the laws we enforce, we will use the tools at our disposal to assist you. If weâŻcanâtâŻhelp you directly, we will be happy to provideâŻyou with as much informationâŻasâŻpossible. Depending on your concern, another organization may be the ones to speak to; other times, court or legal assistance may be the best option. Explore our website at www.consumerprotectionbc.ca.
Is there any relief for those of us, like myself, who paid the premium in full $1,700.00 just last month.
Which, by the way went up instead of the promise of a decrease for safe drivers. I as Iâm sure others would appreciate some sort of gesture during this turmoil.
Especially since the lack of drivers and driving on the roads will minimize the claims coming in…..
Hi Debbie, great question! Unfortunately, the deferrals offered by ICBC are for future payments only. The request will need to be sent in before 6 p.m. at least one business day before your next payment is due.
Hi..If u defer payment for two months..do you have to pay the whole two months of miss payments whrn the next payment is due or they will extend the months at the end of your term?
Hi Desi, according to ICBC, the total sum of deferred payments will be withdrawn on your requested date of deferral. If you are approaching your deferral payment due date and you do not want this payment withdrawn on that date, you will need to call ICBC at 604-661-2723 or 1-800-665-6442 to discuss payment options.
How does the reinstate my of deferred payments work? Does an insurer have to make up the deferred amount on the 4th month along with that months payment? Does the policy extend 3 months? Itâs not exactly clear how thatâs going to work.
Hi Les, great question! For more information on the deferred payments, please reach out to the ICBC customer service team at 604-661-2723 or 1-800-665-6442.
how can i transfer trailer and get plate
Hi Robert, for more information on vehicle registration, please visit the ICBC website.
I pay my premium on annual basis. Does this means that I can also apply for defferal if next month my annual payment is due?
Hi Amjid, currently the deferrals are only provided for customers on a monthly Autoplan payment plan.
Thank you for this information! I noticed this is for fleet insurance is there something for individual insurance?
Hi Penny, ICBCâs deferral offer applies to individuals who are on a monthly Autoplan payment plan as well
Does it mean we’ll pay for those deffered months and the current month when we resume payment?
Hi Daniela, for more information on the deferred payments, please reach out to the ICBC customer service team at 604-661-2723 or 1-800-665-6442.
Can I reinsure my motorbike online?
Hi Lance, insurance renewals and purchases will need to be done over the phone with your Autoplan broker. You can find a list of all Autoplan brokers on ICBC’s “Find a Service” map.
Hi,
Just a couple suggestions, since I can see a lot o questions about it here.
1. Why don’t explain how will be reinstated the payments, in a page, linked to application form? I am pretty sure will reduce the calls and help the community,
2. Add some tips on application form, to explain what means each field. For example, the first question (“Is this request for a fleet policy?”), which is not clear to me.
Regards
Hi Eduardo, thank you for the suggestions! For more information on the application form and payment deferral, please reach out to the ICBC customer service team at 604-661-2723 or 1-800-665-6442.
Can we cancel our request for the deferral? Thinking itâs going to more of a financial burden to pay a large lump sum and will be more challenging to have to pay this at the end of the 90 days, rather then just deal with the monthly payment I currently have.
Hi Shelley, for more information on the deferred payments, please reach out to the ICBC customer service team at 604-661-2723 or 1-800-665-6442.
what a joke this page is…you don’t answer any REAL questions
Hi John, please let us know what questions you have and we’d be happy to assist!
You are right , just phone the customer line.
We can all work out , of course you will pay the full 4 months after the deferral, no help to customers at all at this time
If you are eligible for 90 day deferral. Do you have to pay for the 3 months along with the next payment?
Hi Crystal, great question! For more information on the deferred payments, please reach out to the ICBC customer service team at 604-661-2723 or 1-800-665-6442.
Hi,
I am trying to apply for 90 day deferral plan, and I get this response in my email:
“The requested deferral date for the policy you submitted is before your next payment date.”
As far as I know my next renewal is on Apr 19. Is there anything I am doing wrong?
Hi Masoud, for more information on the deferred payments, please reach out to the ICBC customer service team at 604-661-2723 or 1-800-665-6442.
Kevin are you a bot or human
Human!
please just answer when the 3 deferred payments are paid. simple question many keep asking. icbc doesnt answer their phones.
Hi Phil, according to ICBC, total sum of deferred payments will be withdrawn on your requested date of deferral. If you are approaching your deferral payment due date and you do not want this payment withdrawn on that date, please call ICBC at 604-661-2723 or 1-800-665-6442 to discuss payment options. Call volumes are high during this time, but I hope it works for you soon!
Your website is Not Clear on how deferring payments work!
Many people have asked you what happens on the 4th month when payments start back up, and you keep telling them to go to your website (which is very unclear) or to call you and end up having to wait forever on hold…
Can you Please just make your website alot more clearer and tell us exactly what happens after the 3 months of deferring payments is over, whether we will have to make All of the payments up at Once on month 4 or What???
Hi KC, please note that we are not ICBC and we do not monitor their customer service line. According to ICBC, the total sum of deferred payments will be withdrawn on your requested date of deferral. If you are approaching your deferral payment due date and you do not want this payment withdrawn on that date, please call ICBC at 604-661-2723 or 1-800-665-6442 to discuss payment options.
People, Don’t get sucked in by ICBC’S pretending to care Deferral Relief Offer!
In reality, ICBC isn’t really helping the people 1 little bit!
Unlike Mortgages or Auto Loans where Banks are being kind and letting people Defer their payments by just adding these payments to the End of their Loans Term, ICBC is making people Pay the 3 months of Deferred Payments back all at once in Month 4!!!
Or so I’ve been told via email from icbc!
That’s NO HELP at all, infact you’ll cause people to go into FINANCIAL RUIN!
Seems you only offered this up to 3 months of deterring payments to look good in the eyes of our Prime Minister and our Gov’t!
You might as well just keep your Deferral Offer to yourself and Stop pretending you Care or that you’re trying to Help!
It’s the kind of FAKE caring and help that people just don’t need right now, especially during this Horrific CoVid-19 Pandemic time!
Reading all the comments here, I understand people are stressed out due to Covid-19 , ICBC is just trying to help since not everyone has received their EI’s or CERB’s yet, that’s why this offer is being suggested. It would be a good idea to cancel your monthly payments thru ICBC, since we are all staying home anyways and if you need to really be out there, Public Transit is free of charge. This way, there is no financial hardship in the long run. or after 90 days in this case.
Hi there, I have sent the deferral request online yesterday for the payment on the 20th, how do I confirm that ICBC had received it?
thanks
Hi Tak, I would recommend calling ICBC’s customer service line at 604-661-2723 or 1-800-665-6442.
ICBC is a cold and ruthless government machine only trying to score political correct points. How much infinitival relief will you get during 90 days? 0!
Because you will repay everything.
ICBC cares NOTHING about you. If they did they would offer rebates on insurance to reflect the drop of traffic on the roads and related accidents and claim pay outs.
ICBC is only raising and raising its costs as much as it can get away with. It is an cold and uncaring ruthless machine. There is a special place in hell for ICBC
Hi
So, I had two payments differed. Bank did not reinstate payments to continue to pay loan once third payment was due…. waited a few months with no communication, came and repossessed vehicle with a price of well over 10,000 due.. payments missed, repo fees, storage fees, per firm fees….
Bank says my loan is not associated with any accounts… BTW.. I have two loans with same bank… one deferral and payments continue to be withdrawn on second vehicle..
Wow… legit?
Please advise
Hi Shawyne, thanks for posting your question here. We would like to get a bit more information about your situation. Would you be able to submit a formal complaint to us through an online form? You can access the link here. If your bank is a federally regulated financial institution (not a credit union), you can also check out the complaint resolution guidance provided by the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC). Their website is here.
ICBC approved my request for 90 day Deferral of Pre-authorized Debit payments.
I would like to know if During this period of 90 days $0 payments, is it possible to make any payment to my Autoplan via Online Banking by setting up ICBC/Autoplan as a Bill Payment PAYEE ? Would like to make small payments towards the total lump sum amount that will become due at end of 90 day Deferral to slightly decrease that total sum BEFORE monthly preauthorized payments resume.
Can I set up ICBC/Autoplan as a PAYEE
Or would I have to Go Into an Autoplan Broker to make a payment by debit ?
Today is FEB.25 2022. Please Advise.
Hi Cynthia, we were simply sharing ICBC’s information and we do not have any details of the deferral program. We would definitely recommend that you contact ICBC directly. You can access their contact information page on their website here. I hope you will be able to get the answer you are looking for.
Hi.
Shortly after our deferral was paid in full in 2020, all of a sudden ICBC just suddenly stopped taking any scheduled payments from our account. I had life-threatening lung surgery and so I simply ensured we had enough in the bank on the date and didn’t think anything else. In my state of health I’d skim for unusual names or amounts and NSF’s but it’s not like I checked to see if every single auto-payment I have setup has gone through, otherwise I’d just pay online myself. So I had no idea of this.
Our insurance then expired so I went to our broker and renewed no problem. So obviously I think no problem…except big problem: We get a letter halfway through the year telling us we have defaulted and so our payment plan has been annulled (when in reality, we NEVER defaulted, they failed to take the money out each month as agreed to, and it’s not like the amount was setting red flags for us, there were no NSF’s plus on top of that I was literally fighting for my life and not even healed yet).
To top it off, the letter somehow ended-up in my 3yr old’s book shelf, which if I didn’t look into today…Now ICBC is saying we have to pay like $4000+ in order to get insurance and ours expires next month.
Hi there, I would suggest contacting ICBC and explaining the situation. From there you should be able to work with them to create a solution or work on a payment plan. If you canât come to a resolution with them, you may wish to make a claim with the Civil Resolution Tribunal through their website here: https://civilresolutionbc.ca/ for amounts under $5000, or with Small Claims Court for amounts over $5000, which you can learn about here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/courthouse-services/small-claims . Hope this helps!
If you only defer one payment for the 90 days are you still able to defer another 2 payments? Or must you defer 3 payments all at once?
Hey Jay, thanks for the question. The deferment of an autoplan payment plan was a measure taken by ICBC to help consumers during the height of COVID-19 in 2020. I would suggest reaching out to ICBC directly for help with this question, as this topic is not under our authority. I hope this helps.