Hiscox vs Nationwide: Business Owner’s Policy

Hiscox sells its BOP online, with cyber and crime add-ons, but not in seven states; Nationwide's page describes a BOP with business income and equipment-breakdown cover and tells buyers to contact an agent or request a quote.

Montgomery Risk Partners prepared this library from Spot.Insure comparison research and underlying public records.Research updated 2026-09-30

Hiscox says Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. underwrites its admitted BOP and lists seven states where it is unavailable; eligible buyers can quote and purchase online. Nationwide describes liability, property, business income, and equipment-breakdown coverage and directs buyers to an agent or quote request.

Sources and records

  1. 01
    About Hiscox US Insurance

    Hiscox · Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. NAIC 10200 as Chicago, IL domiciled insurer admitted or licensed in all 50 states and D.C.; Hiscox Inc. as general agent · accessed 2026-09-16

  2. 02
    Business Owner's Policy Insurance (BOP) Coverage

    Hiscox · BOP as combined general liability and commercial property; optional packages including cyber, non-owned commercial auto, commercial crime and professional liability; illustrative California IT/technology consultant pricing table; worldwide-coverage qualifications · accessed 2026-09-16

  3. 03
    Commercial crime insurance for small businesses

    Hiscox · Commercial crime as a BOP upgrade not sold separately; not available in all states · accessed 2026-09-16

  4. 04
    Hiscox US Agent Appetite Guide

    Hiscox · Hiscox NOW admitted GL, PL, cyber and BOP underwritten by Hiscox Insurance Company Inc.; state exceptions including BOP unavailable in Alaska, Florida, Kansas, Ohio, Rhode Island, Washington and West Virginia · accessed 2026-09-16

  5. 05
    Non-Owned Car Liability Insurance

    Hiscox · Hired/non-owned auto described as an upgrade to a business owner's policy and part of that policy's occurrence limit, not coverage for vehicles owned or regularly operated by the business · accessed 2026-09-16

  6. 06
    Business Interruption and Business Owner Policy

    National Association of Insurance Commissioners · Background; General liability, Commercial property and Business interruption bullets · accessed 2026-09-16

  7. 07
    Small Business

    National Association of Insurance Commissioners · FAQ: What’s a business owners policy?; What’s general liability insurance · accessed 2026-09-16

  8. 08
    Business Owners Policy (BOP Insurance)

    Nationwide · BOP page; package components and business property/liability coverage. · accessed 2026-09-30

What Are the Key Differences Between Hiscox and Nationwide Business Owner’s Policy?

State Availability and Issuer

Hiscox's 2026 appetite guide says its BOP is unavailable in Alaska, Florida, Kansas, Ohio, Rhode Island, Washington, and West Virginia, and names Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. as the underwriter of admitted Hiscox NOW BOPs. Nationwide describes a small-business package but its overview does not name the issuing insurer or list BOP-specific state exclusions. If your business is in one of the named states, confirm Nationwide's availability and ask for the insurer and admitted status of the actual quote. [4] [4] [8]

Online Buying and Optional Coverage

Hiscox says eligible buyers can quote and buy online and may select cyber, hired/non-owned auto, or commercial-crime add-ons where available. Nationwide's overview describes business income and equipment breakdown in the package and sends buyers to an agent or quote request. The described routes differ: Hiscox provides a direct online path, while Nationwide's summary is agent-led. Compare which coverage is bundled versus optional and check that any add-on appears on the issued policy. [2] [2] [8]

What Should You Confirm in Hiscox and Nationwide Business Owner’s Policy Quotes?

  • Confirm Hiscox availability in your state and ask Nationwide to identify the actual issuing insurer and admitted status. [4] [8]
  • Ask how cyber, hired/non-owned auto, commercial crime, and equipment breakdown are written, including limits and whether each costs extra. [2] [8]

Provider coverage details

Hiscox

  • role: Hiscox Inc. sells a business owner's policy directly online to small businesses, combining general liability and commercial property into one package as part of its Hiscox NOW admitted catalogue. Company-stated online small-business channel.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • insurer: Hiscox's appetite guide and About Hiscox US page name Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. (NAIC 10200) as the underwriter of admitted Hiscox NOW business owner's policies. Admitted small-business BOP coverage as described in company materials; the exact contracting entity for a particular state or channel should be confirmed on the quote.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • eligibility: Hiscox's 2026 appetite guide says its business owner's policy is unavailable in Alaska, Florida, Kansas, Ohio, Rhode Island, Washington and West Virginia, a narrower footprint than the 49-state-plus-D.C. availability Hiscox states for its overall online small-business catalogue. State-exception list as of the 2026 agent appetite guide; does not by itself establish eligibility for a specific class or business.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: Hiscox describes optional add-ons to its business owner's policy including cyber coverage, hired/non-owned commercial auto, and commercial crime; hired/non-owned auto and commercial crime are described as upgrades tied to the BOP's own occurrence limit and are not sold as standalone Hiscox policies. Product-page and upgrade-page descriptions; commercial crime is also stated as not available in all states.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗Source ↗
  • limits: The BOP page does not publish standard coverage limits; the illustrative California IT/technology consultant pricing table on the page is explicitly labeled illustrative rather than a quote. Public product page as previously reviewed.not-disclosedSource ↗
  • application: Hiscox says eligible buyers can quote and buy a business owner's policy online, and can select add-on coverages such as cyber or commercial crime during that process where available. Company-described online application; eligibility and binding conditions require confirmation on the actual application.company-reportedSource ↗

Nationwide

  • role: Nationwide describes offering business owners policy for the audience stated on the cited product page. business owners policy marketed by nationwide; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: Small businesses matching the source's BOP description; underwriting and state availability remain subject to quote. business owners policy marketed by nationwide; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: The cited product page describes a package combining business liability, commercial property, business income, and equipment-breakdown coverage as described by Nationwide. Marketing description only; actual coverage, exclusions, conditions, limits, and availability depend on the issued policy and jurisdiction. business owners policy marketed by nationwide; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement.company-reportedSource ↗
  • application: The page directs prospective customers to contact an agent or request a quote. The page does not establish a quote, bind, or coverage-effective timeline. business owners policy marketed by nationwide; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement.company-reportedSource ↗
  • limits: The cited overview does not set a universal limit or retention for this line. Ask for the proposed policy form, limits, retentions, exclusions, and conditions in the quote. Only the cited marketing page was reviewed for published limit and retention information; no policy-form entitlement is inferred.not-disclosedSource ↗

Use this comparison as a starting point for a discussion about your business and its insurance needs.

Contact Montgomery Risk Partners