Two policies with the same premium can behave completely differently at your first claim
The excess is the part of each claim you pay yourself, out of pocket. The insurer covers the rest. "No excess" means the insurer pays the full repair, from the first leu.
A concrete example: you have a 3,000 RON claim. With a 500 RON excess, you pay 500 and the insurer pays 2,500. With zero excess, the insurer pays everything — but your annual premium was higher to begin with.
Zero excess — visibly higher premium; the insurer takes on all the risk, including small claims. Small excess (200–500 RON) — the balance most drivers choose. Large excess (1,000–2,000 RON) — significantly lower premium, but only sensible if you can always cover small and medium claims yourself.
Fixed — an exact amount (e.g. 500 RON or €100) per claim. Percentage — a share of the claim or of the insured sum; on expensive cars a small percentage can mean large amounts. Per-risk — e.g. zero for total theft, but €200 for partial damage. Very common in practice.
Watch out for the "no excess" headline: some policies still apply an excess to specific risks — windscreens, partial theft, damage abroad, or another driver at the wheel. Read the excess table per risk, not just the title.
1. How often do you risk small claims? Street parking in a busy city → zero or small excess pays off quickly. 2. Can you always cover 1,000–2,000 RON of a claim? If yes, a large excess cuts your premium every year. 3. How much is the car worth? At high values, compare percentage vs fixed excess.
Rule of thumb: compare the yearly premium saved against the excess itself. Saving 400 RON/year by accepting a 2,000 RON excess means five claim-free years to "recover" a single claim. Also note: many leasing contracts require zero or capped excess — check before choosing.