Digital trading Standards for UK & Ireland general insurance

Used by over 100 insurers, brokers, software houses, price comparison sites, data providers and other industry organisations, to create consistent digital communication between trading partners.

Used by over 100 Organisations

Designed to make digital trading easier

Polaris Standards are widely used throughout the industry by companies of all sizes.

They are designed to help participants build and distribute insurance products efficiently and effectively, by providing them with all the elements and information needed for a faster build and consistent trading between multiple systems.

These elements include:

  • Business process models
  • Data Standards
  • Code lists (and supplementary data requirements)
  • Messaging standards
  • Other supporting documentation

Get access to Polaris Standards for faster build and consistent trading between industry systems

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Providing the foundation for efficient and effective digital trading

Improved speed to market

Build compatible business propositions and system solutions based on industry agreed principles

Reduced Build Cost

Build once and distribute insurance products across multiple channels

Reduce risk and margin for error

Industry agreement over the meaning of data items removes uncertainty and ambiguity

Allows you to innovate

Standards simplify the common part of digital trading, so you can focus on your core activities

Over 20 product Standards available

We cover all major general insurance products, providing you with all the elements you need to build and distribute products to the agreed industry standard.

Products covered
Personal lines
Private Motor (car, van, bike) Pet
Household Private Motor (for multiple vehicles)
Motor home Travel
Commercial lines
Commercial Combined Office
Cyber Personal Accident Business Travel
D&O Pubs, Restaurants & Hotels
Engineering (computer & specified) Professional Combined
Excess Liability Property Owners
Marine Cargo Shop
Fleet (mini & large risks) Tradespeople

What Standards includes

Below are the five elements that make up the Standards. Members can choose to implement all or parts of the Standards depending on business needs.

1. Business Process Models

Covers the full transactional lifecycle and shows the recommended steps and flow of information (and associated requirements) for effectively building and distributing insurance products.

2. Data Standards

This product specific information supports the business process model. It includes all items needed to build question sets, generate quotes, place business and other transactions.

3. Code Lists (formerly ABI lists)

Whether you’re building a product or providing a front end system for brokers or consumers, our code lists provide industry agreed sets of values for use in insurance transactions and form part of the data standards.

We have over 350 lists covering all major products.

4. Messaging Standards

Provides a mechanism to send and receive all items in the data Standard so they can be read and understood by other industry systems, reducing risk and margin of error.

Standards include messaging in EDI (Personal Lines only), XML and JSON formats for:

  • New Business
  • Mid-Term Adjustments
  • Renewals
  • Cancellations
  • Referrals

5. Implementation Support

Members will receive;

  • Support from the Polaris Standards team implementing and using the Standards
  • Access to best practice guides and supplementary information
  • Documentation considering the impacts of regulatory and industry initiatives on digital trading practices
  • Guidance on supporting industry solutions

Regular updates agreed in collaboration with the industry

All Standards members have the opportunity to help shape future enhancements and developments. Suggested changes can be raised via email or at the regular Electronic Trading Practice Group (ETPG) meetings we hold.

These ETPG meetings take place for both Personal and Commercial Lines, with representatives from all parts of the market attending.

The meetings allow Polaris to review the Standards to reflect legal, regulatory and product changes, as well as changes in technology and consumer habits. This helps ensure our members are always provided with efficient and cost-effective solutions that reflect the markets in which they are trading.

ETPG Member Feedback

  • The benefit from being an ETPG member is the ability to share knowledge, experience and expertise to help support industry wide strategic changes.

    With representatives from Insurers, Aggregators, Software Houses and Broker Partners being involved, this enables the overall customer journey to be considered.

    Vicky Whitehead

    Markerstudy Insurance Services Limited

    Head of Broker Services

  • Having attended Commercial & Personal Lines ETPGs for years, I find them an invaluable forum for discussing, understanding and shaping the industry’s response to market changes and upcoming regulation.

    Phil Richards

    Applied Systems

    Product Owner

  • I personally find it invaluable being able to draw on the expertise from the people in the room, especially when dealing with legislative or regulatory matters. The ETPG also act as a conduit between the ‘boots on the ground’ and the ABI and MIB.

    Rhian Farley

    Sabre Insurance

    Product Development & Key Partner Manager

Examples of Industry Agreed Changes to the Standards

  • Motor insurance data captures and messages were updated to allow for transmission of driver specific information to the MyLicence database and for responses to be returned.

  • In the wake of the Grenfell fire, insurers required more information concerning property construction, in particular external cladding, and code lists and messaging were updated to reflect this.

  • A Flood Re specific business process model was produced for the industry and changes were made to the Standards to collect and provide data required by Flood Re if a risk was being ceded to them

Become a Standards Member

Standards are accessed via our website or API with a Personal or Commercial Lines license.

Get in touch to purchase a licence or to find out more