DPD insurance vs Secursus: what's actually covered
Compare DPD cover with Secursus and see where it stops.
DPD Insurance
- £100 included (depreciated value)
- Watches & jewellery (refused over £250)
- Gold, art, antiques (refused)
- Money, securities (excluded)
- Consequential loss (not covered)
Secursus Insurance
- Maximum insured value: £90,000
- Second-hand items
- Watches, jewellery
- High-tech, phones
- Collectibles
| Parcel Value | DPD Price | Secursus Price |
|---|---|---|
| £500 | Not applicable or unknown | £5.00 |
| £1,000 | Not applicable or unknown | £10.00 |
| £2,000 | Not applicable or unknown | £20.00 |
| £3,000 | Not applicable or unknown | £30.00 |
| £5,000 | Not applicable or unknown | £50.00 |
| £10,000 | Not applicable or unknown | £100.00 |
Parcel insurance with Secursus covers the full declared value up to £90,000, from £1.50. DPD liability is £100 per parcel in the UK (£50 on DPD Online), paid at the lower of repair, replacement or resale value. Extended Cover raises it to £5,000 per consignment at most for account customers (£1,000 on DPD Online), and prohibited goods such as jewellery and watches over £250 get no cover even with it. Secursus covers the full value up to £90,000. Source: DPD UK Standard Terms and Conditions of Carriage (conditions 4, 11, 12 and 13) and DPD Online prohibited items.
Insure your DPD parcel in 3 steps
Ship your DPD parcel as usual and insure it in a few clicks on Secursus.
How much does DPD insurance cost in 2026?
DPD sells cover as a flat liability, not as a percentage of what is in the box. Two figures decide what you can claim: the standard liability that comes with the label, and Extended Cover, which you buy before the parcel moves.
Standard liability: £100 a parcel
On a business account, condition 11 of the DPD UK terms limits liability to £100 per parcel for goods carried in the United Kingdom, or the actual value if it is lower. Bookings made through DPD Online carry £50 as standard. Neither figure depends on what you declare: a £900 lens and a £40 kettle travel with the same protection.
Extended Cover: £5,000 on an account, £1,000 on DPD Online
Condition 12 lets account customers raise the ceiling to a maximum of £5,000 per consignment, and DPD Online caps its upgrade at £1,000 a parcel. Extended Cover has to be agreed before despatch, and it never applies to goods DPD does not accept, which is the detail most senders discover after a loss.
| What you pay for | Ceiling per parcel | How it is paid |
|---|---|---|
| Standard liability, business account | £100 | Lower of repair, replacement or resale value |
| Standard cover, DPD Online booking | £50 | Same basis, proof of cost required |
| Extended Cover, business account | Up to £5,000 per consignment | Actual value, prohibited goods excluded |
| Extended Cover, DPD Online | Up to £1,000 | Actual value, prohibited goods excluded |
| Secursus | Up to £90,000 | Full declared value, no depreciation |
What DPD actually pays after a loss
DPD calculates the actual value as the lower of the repair cost, the replacement cost, or the resale or market value at the time and place of collection, and it will not go above what you originally paid. In practice you send the purchase invoice, DPD applies the lowest of those three figures, then applies the ceiling. A two year old camera body bought at £1,200 and now worth £600 on the second hand market is a £600 claim before the cap, and a £100 payout after it.
Lost sales, missed deadlines and the cost of remaking an order sit outside the contract: consequential loss is excluded whatever level of cover you hold.
What DPD will not carry or compensate
Condition 4 lists the goods DPD does not accept at all, and the DPD Online prohibited items list adds a value threshold on jewellery. Shipping them anyway does not buy you cover, it removes it.
| Category | DPD position | Practical effect |
|---|---|---|
| Jewellery and watches over £250 | Prohibited on DPD Online | No compensation, even with Extended Cover |
| Gold, silver, precious metals | Not accepted | Claim refused |
| Works of art, antiques, furs | Not accepted | Claim refused |
| Glass, porcelain, earthenware | Not accepted | Damage never paid |
| Cash, vouchers, event tickets | Not accepted | No cover at any level |
| Screens larger than 37 inches | Not accepted | Refused on collection or uncovered |
The £250 jewellery line
A £240 silver chain travels as an ordinary parcel. A £300 watch is a prohibited item, so the £100 liability and any Extended Cover you paid for both fall away. There is no middle ground and no declared value option to buy your way past it.
DPD claim deadlines: 14 days, then 28
Condition 13 gives you 14 days from the date of despatch to notify a loss or damage, and 28 days from the request to supply the evidence. For damage you must keep the parcel and its packaging available for inspection in the United Kingdom and send photographs with the file. Miss either deadline and DPD is released from liability, which is why a claim opened the day the tracking stalls is worth more than a perfect file sent late.
Worked example: a £900 lens on a business account
Standard liability pays £100. Extended Cover, agreed before despatch, would pay the actual value up to £5,000, so £900 if the invoice supports it. The same lens insured with Secursus costs 1% of the declared value, so £9, and pays the £900 you declared, without depreciation and without an excess, within 3 days of the file being validated.
DPD insurance compared with Secursus
| Point of comparison | DPD | Secursus |
|---|---|---|
| Ceiling | £100 included, £5,000 with Extended Cover | £90,000 |
| Basis of payment | Lower of repair, replacement or resale value | Full declared value |
| Jewellery and watches | Refused over £250 | Insured, delivery against signature |
| Art, antiques, precious metals | Not accepted | Insured at declared value |
| Price | Flat fee agreed before despatch | 1% of value, from £1.50 |
| Claim window | 14 days from despatch | 14 days from despatch |
| Payment | After inspection and evidence | Within 3 days of validation |
When DPD's own cover is enough
For a parcel worth less than £100 with a recent invoice, the included liability already matches the goods and buying anything more is wasted money. The gap opens on three things: value above the ceiling, categories DPD refuses, and second hand or collectible items whose resale value is lower than what they would cost you to replace.
Compare other UK carriers
Every UK carrier draws its line in a different place. Royal Mail insurance stops at £2,500 on Special Delivery, Parcelforce insurance includes £150 and charges £7 to £65 for more, Evri insurance includes £20, Yodel insurance will not accept an item worth more than £500, GLS insurance sells no dedicated cover at all, UPS insurance charges about 1% with an £11.50 minimum, FedEx insurance caps valuables at about £750 and DHL insurance starts at £12 for the first £800. To read the ceilings side by side, compare parcel shipping solutions.
Why choose Secursus for your DPD insurance?
We cover the items that DPD won't, from pick-up to delivery.
Claims Paid Within 30 Days Maximum
Our dedicated claims team handles everything for you:
- Report your claim; we guide you through every step
- We assist you with the process with DPD
- Receive compensation within 30 days of confirmation of the loss or damage by DPD
Full Coverage up to £90,000
Our insurance covers most goods that are typically excluded:
- Watches and jewellery
- High-tech devices and mobile phones
- Vintage items and collectibles
- Second-hand goods
Shipping Tips & Prevention
Before shipping and insuring your parcel, you receive:
- Our shipping guidelines to protect your parcel
- Advice on packing and preparing goods for shipment
- Clear instructions to follow in the event of a problem
DPD insurance questions
Everything you need to know about insuring your DPD parcels with Secursus.
Is a DPD parcel insured by default?
It carries liability rather than insurance. On a business account that is £100 per parcel, on a DPD Online booking £50, and both are paid at the lower of repair, replacement or resale value rather than at what you declare.
How do I add Extended Cover to a DPD shipment?
You agree it with DPD before the parcel is despatched and pay the charge on top of the carriage price. On an account it raises the ceiling to £5,000 per consignment, on DPD Online to £1,000.
Can I send jewellery or a watch with DPD?
Not above £250. Jewellery, including watches, sits on the prohibited items list, so DPD does not accept it and no compensation is due if it travels anyway.
What does DPD mean by the actual value of my goods?
The lower of the repair cost, the replacement cost, or the resale or market value at collection, capped by what you originally paid. You have to evidence each figure you claim.
How long do I have to report a DPD claim?
Fourteen days from the date of despatch to notify the claim, then 28 days from DPD's request to provide the evidence. Damaged goods and their packaging must stay available for inspection in the UK.
Does DPD cover glass, ceramics or a large television?
No. Glass, porcelain and earthenware are not accepted, and screens larger than 37 inches are refused, so breakage on these items is never paid.
Will DPD compensate a missed deadline or a lost sale?
No. Consequential loss is excluded at every level of cover, so the claim is limited to the goods themselves.
Does Extended Cover protect a prohibited item?
No. Paying for Extended Cover does not change the list of goods DPD refuses, so a £300 watch stays uninsured even with the upgrade.
Can I insure a DPD parcel with Secursus instead?
Yes. Cover runs from £1.50, insures the full declared value up to £90,000, and includes the categories DPD refuses. Book the label first, then insure the parcel before 11:59pm on the day it leaves.
What does Secursus pay, and how fast?
The declared value of the goods, with no depreciation and no excess, within 3 days of your file being validated. You declare online within 14 days of shipping.
This comparison was written by Valentin Scemama, expert in insurance and logistics.
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