Loyalty additions are extra sums of money, similar to bonuses, that an insurance company adds to your policy for staying invested over a certain period. They aren’t fixed or guaranteed from the start. Instead, they are declared by the insurer based on its performance and profit. These additions can boost your maturity benefit or death benefit, helping you get more value from your policy.
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Think of loyalty additions as a little bonus for being patient. In traditional life insurance, once you’ve kept your plan active for 10 or 15 years, the insurer adds extra value to your policy. This addition is usually expressed as a percentage of the sum assured or as a fixed amount per ₹1,000 of sum assured.
For example, if your sum assured is ₹10 lakhs and the insurer declares a loyalty addition of ₹50 per ₹1,000 sum assured, you’d get an extra ₹50,000 added to your policy benefits.
Let’s say, for example, Rohan bought a life insurance policy with a sum assured of ₹5 lakhs. He stayed invested for 15 years without cancelling the policy or letting it lapse.
At the end of the 15th year, his insurance company declared a loyalty addition of 5% of the sum assured.
If Rohan had surrendered the policy earlier, he would not have received this ₹25,000 addition. Note: The rate and eligibility for loyalty additions vary by insurer and product.
While loyalty additions may sound similar to bonuses or guaranteed additions, they work quite differently. Here’s a side-by-side comparison to help you understand the distinctions more clearly.
Feature | Loyalty Additions | Regular Bonuses | Guaranteed Additions |
Definition | Extra rewards for staying invested long-term | Profits shared by insurer that are declared annually | Fixed additions promised at the start |
Guarantee | Not guaranteed upfront | Not guaranteed since it depends on insurer’s surplus | Fully guaranteed and clearly mentioned in policy |
When declared | After completing a certain period, for example, 10-15 years | Usually every year during the policy period | At fixed intervals as per policy terms |
Based on | Insurer’s performance + policyholder’s long-term commitment | Insurer’s financial performance | Pre-defined in the policy document |
Impact on benefit payment | Boosts maturity/death benefit at specific milestones | Gradually increases maturity/death benefit over time | Consistently increases maturity/death benefit from the start |
Predictability | Uncertain as it varies by insurer and policy type | Uncertain, but often declared annually | Completely predictable and fixed |
Loyalty additions reward policyholders who stay invested for the full duration of the policy, motivating them not to surrender the policy early. This makes sure that you get continued protection and helps build a stronger financial safety net.
Loyalty additions are added to your maturity or death benefit, which means the final amount you or your family get becomes higher. Even a small extra percentage can make a big difference in the total payout.
Just like customer loyalty programs in other industries, these additions recognise and reward policyholders for their consistency and trust in the insurance company.
When declared, loyalty additions work as bonuses on top of other benefits like regular bonuses or guaranteed additions. This can considerably improve a policy's effective returns over the long run.
When insurers give extra rewards for staying committed long-term, it gives policyholders more confidence to keep their policy active.
Loyalty additions are not promised. They depend on the insurer’s decision, unlike guaranteed additions, which are assured from the start.
These additions are usually credited only after you complete a certain number of years, such as 10 or 15. If you surrender your policy early, you lose out on the reward.
The rules for loyalty additions, like who qualifies, how much you get, and when it’s paid, can vary from one insurer to another.
These additions are linked to insurers’ profits, financial performance, and business conditions, so they are not certain.
Some policyholders might assume these additions are guaranteed and overestimate their maturity value. This can lead to disappointment if actual additions are lower or absent.
Loyalty additions in life insurance act as incentives for long-term commitment. While not guaranteed, they can meaningfully enhance the value of your policy when declared. If you’re considering a life insurance plan, check if loyalty additions are included; they could be a valuable bonus for your financial future.