What Is Route Package Protection? Benefits, Cons & Best Alternatives

Route Package Protection is optional shipping insurance that customers can add at checkout. When packages are lost, stolen, or damaged, Route handles the claims on your behalf.

In this article, we’ll talk about how Route Package Protection works and the limitations you have to be aware of. We’ll also discuss when you should consider alternative solutions.

What Is Route Package Protection?

Route Package Protection (also called Route Protect) is an AI-powered shipping insurance solution made for ecommerce brands. 

It’s an optional feature that protects customers from the financial burden and stress that lost, stolen, or damaged packages bring. If activated, Route will allow customers to request a refund or replacement from their portal. And you won’t need to do (or pay) anything.

Some brands use Route Protect to improve customer experience. It gives customers the “peace of mind.” Since they know what to do if something goes wrong with their package, they can purchase with confidence (especially if this is their first time ordering from your store).

How Route Package Protection Works

Route works through a simple process: customers opt for it at checkout, then they can file claims through a portal when issues happen, and get quick resolutions. But there are important coverage rules and merchant responsibilities you should understand.

The Checkout Experience and Opting In

In the checkout page, customers will see a toggle switch that they can turn on for shipping protection. It comes with a small fee based on their order’s subtotal, item type, and shipping method. Orders under $100 get a flat rate, while higher-priced orders pay a small percentage.

Let’s say you sold yoga wear for $115. Route might charge around 2% of that order value, which comes out to about $2.30 for protection coverage (which isn’t bad). 

Once the customer opts for shipping protection in the checkout, they’ll receive an instant confirmation email for verification. It’ll include the Route’s insurance charges and coverage.

Claims Process for Route Package Protection

Now, if your customers really need to file a claim, they can do it directly through Route’s portal or mobile app. They just have to type in their email and order number and choose the issue type (was it lost or damaged?).

Route also encourages adding proof, only if possible, like photos of the damaged item or a short explanation of what happened with the package.

After giving enough info, customers will then select their resolution preference. They can either go for a refund or a replacement. Then the process moves forward depending on what they choose. If they want a refund, Route processes the payment directly. If they want a replacement, Route notifies you to send another item and covers the cost.

What’s great about Route is that they handle claims quickly. Most claims get reviewed and resolved in less than 48 hours. That’s way faster than shipping carriers (which take weeks and even months because of “investigation”).

Coverage Details for Route Protection

Like any other shipping insurance, Route also has specific limitations and time windows that merchants and customers need to be aware of. You can check the table below for that:

Issue Type	What Route Covers	When to File
Damaged	Packages that arrive broken, crushed, or unusable	Within 30 days of delivery
Lost	Orders with no delivery updates for 7+ days (domestic) or 20+ days (international)	Customers can file within 7-30 days (domestic) or 20-30 days (international) from the last tracking status update
Stolen	Packages that were marked “delivered” but never received	5-30 days after delivery date

Route also provided a clear list of excluded situations. For example, it won’t cover packages that had issues before shipping (i.e., wrong item sent or manufacturing defect). It also doesn’t accept claims from orders with incorrect customer addresses or failed deliveries.

If the customer filed outside the time window above or is suspected of doing dishonest acts (like manipulating tracking information), they’ll be denied as well.

The Merchant’s Role and Responsibilities

Since Route will be the one to cover lost, stolen, or damaged packages, ecommerce store owners like you are not responsible for reimbursing customers anymore. That’s the main reason this solution exists.

The platform will be the one to handle all the claim requests, so your customer service team can expect fewer tickets from shipping issues.

But they can still help and use Route’s Merchant portal to file claims… on behalf of the customers. You can also check all the claims from here and download them as reports. You’ll see a list of protected orders, claim details, and current processing status. 

Benefits of Using Route Package Protection

Here are some of the benefits that Route Package Protection can provide: 

Reduce Shipping Risk and Financial Loss

Route will be responsible for the replacement and refund costs of the affected packages. Your customers also pay for the “protection fee,” so your revenue stays intact.

Support Ticket Minimization

Route Protect can automate the processing of questions, approvals, refunds, and reorders with AI. So, your team spends less time on routine package problems… and more time on complex tickets.

Automated Revenue Recovery

For eligible shipping issues, Route automatically processes refunds or pays you for replacement orders. You won’t have to worry about complete sales loss on covered claims.

Eliminate Carrier Disputes

One issue with carrier disputes is that they take too long to be resolved (even with major carriers like USPS and UPS). That’s not good for customer satisfaction. Route processes claims faster, so you can save your brand reputation and keep your customers happy.

Conversion Rate Optimization

Plus, shipping protection adds that feeling of security when shopping online. You can use this “confidence boost” to reduce cart abandonment rate and also encourage future purchases. 

Cons and Potential Drawbacks for Merchants

We’re done with the pros of using Route Protect. Now, here are some cons you should consider:

• Complex Billing: Route offers a free plan for basic package protection. But weekly billing is required to access more features (which many merchants find more difficult to manage). 
• Limited Brand Control: When your customers file claims, they interact with Route’s platform or app instead of yours. You don’t have the freedom to change the brand colors or the logo that is shown. 
• Strict Claim Filing Windows: Route has tight deadlines for filing claims (like 5-30 days for stolen packages). If your customers miss these windows, their claims get denied.
• Specific Policy Exclusions: Route won’t cover issues like customers entering the wrong address, customs seizures, or problems that happened before shipping. You’ll need to handle these situations manually. 

Is Route the Right Package Protection Solution for Your Store?

Route can be the “right” tool depending on what you need from a shipping protection service. 

It works well if you want something simple that handles the basic shipping protection. Let’s say you process only about 100 orders a month. Then this will be a good option. 

But if you are a growing brand, you’d need more control over how claims get handled and how customers interact with your support process. Some merchants also want more “customization” features on their part.

In this case, we suggest looking at other platforms that offer more flexibility and white-label options.  

It’ll also help if you know what other users (or customers) say about Route Protect’s actual performance.

Route Package Protection Reviews

We’ve seen mixed reviews from users and customers who had first-hand experience with Route Package Protection.

Let’s start with the positive one. We’ve seen customers praise how quickly they receive their claims and how helpful Route’s customer service is.

Here’s one review from a satisfied online shopper: 

But while there are good ones like this. Some disappointed customers also provided their feedback. 

This customer mentioned their claim was closed without proper resolution and couldn’t get help through Route’s system.

Some merchants also shared their opinion about the Route package protection. One of them talked about “good” claim approval rates and quick processing. But their major complaint is how fast Route ended their partnership. Route offboarded them without any notice… or transition period.

That’s not a great move as they can lose customer trust and damage their brand reputation.

While this review is directed at Route (since they process the claims), it can still affect merchants using the platform. Customers might put the blame on them as they’re the ones who chose Route for the shipping protection. 

Top Alternatives to Route Shipping Insurance

Route Package Protection works well for many businesses, but it might not match every brand’s pricing needs or branding goals. ParcelWILL is a great alternative to try in that case. 

What makes it different from Route? You get better rates, and the on-site widget customization is great for keeping your brand consistent. Your customers won’t feel like they’re using a third-party app to file claims because everything stays within your store’s experience.

We wrote a detailed comparison between ParcelWILL vs. Route. Check it out if you want to learn more about how they stack up. 

There are also some good options like Extend and Navidium. You can learn more about them from our Route alternatives article.

Conclusion

Route is great for basic package protection. But if you want a customizable protection widget, a clear 48-hour claims promise, and claim links right from the order email or tracking page, you can check platforms like ParcelWILL. 

Install it for free and see how convenient its shipping protection app is. 

FAQs About Route Package Protection