Mercury and Progressive both write car insurance in Georgia, and we hold direct appointments with both. This head-to-head covers published sample prices, the add-ons and discounts each names, AM Best ratings, complaint records, J.D. Power results, and when the answer flips.
Neither company is cheaper for every Georgia driver. In MoneyGeek's August 2026 Georgia study, Progressive averaged $118 a month for full coverage and Mercury $135 for the same sample driver. Progressive holds a higher AM Best rating (A+ versus A) and a lighter complaint record. Mercury sells mainly through independent agents. Your cheaper option comes from quoting both at identical coverage.
- Price is a sample, not your rate. One study, one 40-year-old driver, a $17 monthly gap that can reverse for your profile.
- Both are financially strong. Progressive is rated A+ (Superior), Mercury A (Excellent), with Mercury's outlook revised to stable in February 2026.
- Both offer telematics: Progressive Snapshot and MercuryGO, which NerdWallet lists as available in Georgia.
- We quote both directly, so one conversation prices them against each other and against our other carriers.
Do this: set your coverage first (at least 100/300/100 with add-on UM), then have us run that exact policy through Mercury, Progressive and the rest of our 25 carriers so you see the real spread.
You got a Progressive quote online, a friend swears by Mercury, and the two numbers are $40 apart. Or your renewal with one of them just jumped. Which company is the better deal for a Georgia driver, and how would you know?
We can answer that directly, because Mercury Insurance and Progressive are both on our 25-carrier appointment list, and we don't have a favorite to protect. This guide covers what the published data says, what Georgia law requires either way, and how we line the two up in our Ringgold and Augusta offices. If you want the wider field first, start with the best car insurance companies in Georgia.
Mercury vs. Progressive in Georgia at a glance
| Item | Mercury vs. Progressive | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Full coverage, sample driver | Mercury $135/mo · Progressive $118/mo | MoneyGeek, Aug 26, 2026 |
| Minimum coverage, sample driver | Mercury $52/mo · Progressive $45/mo | MoneyGeek, Aug 26, 2026 |
| AM Best financial strength | Mercury A (Excellent) · Progressive A+ (Superior) | AM Best, Feb 24 and May 1, 2026 |
| NAIC complaints (3-year) | Mercury more than expected for its size · Progressive fewer than expected | NerdWallet analysis of NAIC data |
| Telematics | MercuryGO · Snapshot | NerdWallet; Progressive.com |
| How each sells | Mercury mainly through independent agents · Progressive direct and through agents | Mercury press materials; Progressive.com |
| Georgia minimum liability | 25/50/25 for either company | O.C.G.A. §§ 33-34-4, 40-9-37, 33-7-11(a)(1)(A) |
| Can RJG quote it? | Both, as direct appointments | RJG carrier list |
Which Is Better in Georgia, Mercury or Progressive?
The short answer: it depends on your household. Progressive tends to suit drivers who want the widest menu of add-ons and the stronger ratings profile; Mercury tends to suit drivers who want an agent-sold policy and price well on its formula. Neither wins every profile.
Mercury Insurance is a California-based insurer that writes auto in 11 states, Georgia among them, and sells through independent agents rather than its own sales force. Progressive, one of the largest auto insurers in the country, sells both directly and through independent agencies like ours. With Mercury, your agent is your main contact for changes. With Progressive, you can work through us or through Progressive's own app.
On the published numbers, Progressive comes out ahead. MoneyGeek's August 2026 Georgia ranking scored Progressive 4.51 out of 5 and Mercury 4.21, and Progressive carries the higher AM Best rating and the lighter complaint record. But a ranking is an average of averages. In our office, Mercury and Progressive trade places often enough that we don't predict a winner before we run the quote. Each weighs age, vehicle, credit, ZIP and driving history differently.
| Your situation | Where we'd look first |
|---|---|
| Want the most optional coverages on one policy | Progressive, for its longer published add-on list (loan/lease payoff, pet injury, Deductible Savings Bank) |
| Safe, low-mileage driver open to an app | Quote both with telematics: MercuryGO and Snapshot reward different habits |
| Price is the deciding factor | Quote both at identical coverage; the sample gap can reverse for you |
Those are starting points from our experience, not guarantees.
Is Mercury or Progressive Cheaper in Georgia?
The short answer: for MoneyGeek's 2026 sample driver, Progressive was cheaper by about $17 a month on full coverage and $7 on minimum coverage. For your household, either one can come in lower.
Source: MoneyGeek, Best Car Insurance in Georgia, updated August 26, 2026. Profile: 40-year-old male, good credit, clean record, no prior claims, 100/300/100 liability, $1,000 collision and comprehensive deductibles, uninsured motorist coverage excluded from the baseline. Averages, not quotes.
MoneyGeek priced the same driver at both companies: Progressive averaged $118 a month for full coverage and $45 for Georgia's minimum, Mercury $135 and $52. MoneyGeek put both below its Georgia average, Progressive by about 27 percent and Mercury by about 17 percent.
What that number leaves out: uninsured motorist coverage, which nearly every Georgia driver should carry, plus any driver who isn't a 40-year-old with good credit and a clean record. Change any of those and the order can flip. We cite one benchmark with its profile and date, then set it aside once your own quote is in hand, as described in our rate and quote data methodology.
For the wider price field, see the cheapest car insurance in Georgia; costs by age, record and region are in how much car insurance costs in Georgia.
A Columbia County driver brings in two quotes: one from Mercury at $1,560 a year and one from Progressive at $1,440. The Progressive quote looks $120 cheaper. Then we line up the coverage.
At matching coverage, the "cheaper" quote was $120 more. Figures are illustrative; real adjustments depend on the carrier, vehicle and driver.
Most of the "price difference" between two quotes people bring us turns out to be a coverage difference. Our full checklist for lining quotes up is in how to compare car insurance quotes in Georgia.
What Georgia Rules Apply No Matter Which Company You Pick?
The short answer: both companies must sell you at least 25/50/25 liability and offer uninsured motorist coverage, and in Georgia you choose between add-on and reduced-by UM. Those rules are the same at Mercury and Progressive.
The Georgia Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire regulates auto policies, and the state verifies coverage electronically, so a lapse at either company is reported automatically. Progressive's Georgia requirements page lists the same minimums.
Liability is the only coverage Georgia requires. UM must be offered but isn't required, and collision and comprehensive are lender requirements, not state law. The full walkthrough of each line is in our Georgia auto insurance guide, and the UM types get their own explainer in how UM and UIM coverage work in Georgia.
Quote flows at any carrier can start with lower UM limits or the reduced-by form to show a lower price. Before you decide, confirm both quotes carry the same UM form and limit.
How Do Mercury and Progressive Coverage Options Compare?
The short answer: both offer the core coverages plus rental, roadside, rideshare and custom equipment protection. Progressive publishes a longer add-on list, including loan/lease payoff, pet injury and a Deductible Savings Bank.
Both build Georgia policies from the same core coverages. The differences are in the optional endorsements; availability can vary by state, vehicle and how the policy is bought.
| Coverage or feature | Mercury | Progressive |
|---|---|---|
| Rental reimbursement | Offered $30 to $100 a day, up to 30 days | Offered Up to policy limits |
| Roadside assistance | Offered Through Mercury's app | Offered Towing, lockout, flat tire, fuel delivery |
| Rideshare coverage | Offered App-on, between passengers | Offered App-on, waiting for a request |
| Custom equipment | Offered | Offered Typically up to $5,000 |
| Gap or loan/lease payoff | Offered Gap coverage | Offered Loan/lease payoff, up to 25% of the car's actual cash value |
| Pet injury | Not published | Included Up to $1,000 with collision |
| Deductible reducer | Not published | Optional Deductible Savings Bank, $50 off per violation- and claim-free six-month period |
| Telematics | Optional MercuryGO | Optional Snapshot |
| Mechanical protection | Not published | Where offered Progressive Vehicle Protection |
Sources: Mercury features per NerdWallet's Mercury review (January 2026); Progressive features per Progressive's coverage page, checked October 17, 2026. "Not published" means we did not find it in the company's published list, not that it can never be added.
Rideshare coverage matters because a personal policy generally excludes the time you're logged into an app waiting for a request. Loan or lease payoff matters because a new car loses value faster than most loans pay down; Progressive's pays up to 25 percent of the car's actual cash value, and Mercury offers gap coverage. If you're financing, we compare the actual terms, not just the label. Progressive also promotes its Name Your Price tool for building a quote around a budget; we work the other way, from the coverage you need to the lowest price for it.
Which Discounts Do Mercury and Progressive Offer in Georgia?
The short answer: both offer the familiar discounts, including multi-policy, multi-car, good student, pay-in-full and telematics. Progressive's online quote discount is not available in Georgia, and Snapshot isn't offered through every agent.
| Discount type | Mercury (as named) | Progressive (as named) |
|---|---|---|
| Safe driving | Accident- and violation-free | Three-year safe driving; five-year accident-free; five-year claim-free |
| Telematics | MercuryGO (enrollment discount, possible renewal discount) | Snapshot (Progressive cites $328 average savings) |
| Bundling | Multiple policies | Multi-policy; homeowner |
| More than one car | Multiple vehicles | Multi-car (12% countrywide average, varies by state) |
| Payment | Pay in full or auto pay; 35 months without a missed payment | Pay in full; automatic payment; continuous insurance |
| Paperwork | Electronic document signing | Sign online; paperless |
| Students | Good student; student away more than 100 miles | Good student (from 5%); distant student; teen driver |
| Vehicle | Anti-theft devices; electric vehicle | Not listed as a separate discount |
| Online quote | Not listed | Not available in Georgia |
Sources: Mercury discounts per NerdWallet's Mercury review (January 2026); Progressive discounts per Progressive's discount page, checked October 17, 2026. Average savings are each company's own figures; your discount depends on eligibility.
Progressive's discount page says Snapshot is "not available in CA or from all agents." Telematics cuts both ways: MoneyGeek notes Snapshot can raise rates for hard braking or late-night driving, so we talk through your habits before recommending either program. Stacking also saves less than the percentages suggest, since most discounts apply to only part of the premium. For a line-by-line breakdown, see which Georgia auto insurance discounts you actually qualify for.
On policy reviews we often find a discount the driver qualifies for that isn't on the declarations page. Ask for the list of applied discounts on any quote, not just the total.
How Do Their Financial Strength, Complaints and J.D. Power Scores Compare?
The short answer: Progressive leads on financial strength and complaints: it holds an A+ (Superior) AM Best rating to Mercury's A (Excellent) and drew fewer complaints than expected for its size versus more for Mercury. Mercury placed higher in J.D. Power's 2025 claims study, and there's no Southeast satisfaction head-to-head.
Financial strength. AM Best affirmed Progressive's insurers at A+ (Superior), stable outlook, in May 2026, per the announcement carried by InsuranceNewsNet. It affirmed the Mercury Casualty Group companies at A (Excellent) and revised their outlook to stable from negative in its February 24, 2026 release. Both are secure ratings; A+ is one notch higher.
Complaints. The NAIC complaint index compares complaints filed with regulators against a company's market share; 1.00 is expected. On three years of NAIC data, NerdWallet reports Progressive drew fewer auto complaints than expected and Mercury more. Check any company in the NAIC Consumer Insurance Search.
Satisfaction and claims. In the latest J.D. Power regional tables we could verify (2025), Progressive scored 645 in the Southeast against a regional average of 667; Mercury appears only in the California region, at 594, so there's no Southeast head-to-head. J.D. Power's 2026 study (June 9, 2026) put national satisfaction at 644. In the 2025 claims study, Mercury ranked 12th of 20 (701) and Progressive 18th of 20 (673), against a 700 average, per NerdWallet and Insurance.com.
Sources: AM Best (Feb 24 and May 1, 2026); NerdWallet analyses of NAIC and J.D. Power data (Dec 2025, Jan 2026); J.D. Power 2025 regional figures as published by Insurance.com. Ratings are not endorsements.
Financial strength is a floor, and both pass. Complaints and claims rankings point in different directions, which is common. In our experience the claims experience depends heavily on the claim itself and how well it's documented, and an agent who can escalate helps at either company.
Can We Quote Both Mercury and Progressive?
The short answer: yes. Both are direct appointments, so we price them side by side in one conversation, alongside the rest of our 25 carriers.
Who we can quote
| Carrier | Richard Johnson Group |
|---|---|
| Mercury Insurance | Quote directly |
| Progressive | Quote directly |
| GEICO, Travelers, Liberty Mutual, National General and our other direct auto carriers | Quote directly |
| State Farm, Allstate, USAA, Georgia Farm Bureau | Through carrier and agency partners |
Mercury sells mainly through independent agents, so an appointed agency is the normal way to buy it. Progressive sells direct and through agents; through us, it's compared against Mercury and our other carriers. If a carrier we place through partners looks likely to price your profile best, we'll say so. Our complete appointment list is in our carrier access and market disclosure.
How we compared: reviewed October 17, 2026. Two companies, both direct appointments. One price benchmark (MoneyGeek, August 26, 2026; 40-year-old male, good credit, clean record, 100/300/100, $1,000 deductibles, UM excluded), AM Best releases (February and May 2026), NerdWallet's analyses of NAIC and J.D. Power data, J.D. Power's 2025 regional tables, and each company's published coverage and discount lists. We weighed price, financial strength, complaints, satisfaction and endorsements without assigning scores. Benchmarks are not quotes. Our full approach is in how Richard Johnson Group compares insurance companies.
If you're weighing Progressive against a different national name, our Progressive vs. GEICO comparison for Georgia uses the same method.
When Does This Answer Change?
The short answer: any time your household moves away from the sample driver, which is most of the time.
- You add a teen driver. Carriers disagree most about young drivers, so the cheaper company for two adults may not stay cheaper.
- You have a recent accident, ticket or lapse. Surcharge rules differ, and sometimes a non-standard carrier beats both.
- Your credit changed. Each carrier weights credit-based insurance scores differently.
- Your car is financed or leased. Collision and comprehensive become required, and payoff versus gap terms matter.
- You drive for a rideshare or delivery app. Compare both endorsements on terms and price.
- You bundle home and auto. The home side changes the math, and sometimes splitting carriers wins.
- You move to Tennessee. You'll need a Tennessee policy, and Mercury's published state list doesn't include Tennessee.
Don't pick between Mercury and Progressive by dropping liability to 25/50/25 or rejecting UM to make one of them look cheaper. Set the coverage first, then let the carriers compete for it.
The Bottom Line
Progressive and Mercury are both solid choices for Georgia car insurance, and neither is cheaper for every driver. On published data Progressive leads: $118 versus $135 a month for MoneyGeek's 2026 sample driver, a higher AM Best rating, a lighter complaint record and more add-ons. Mercury ranked higher in J.D. Power's 2025 claims study, offers the core endorsements and MercuryGO, and is built around independent agent service.
Your household isn't an average. Choose your coverage first: 100/300/100 or better, add-on UM at matching limits, and collision and comprehensive on any car you couldn't easily replace. Then let us run that exact policy through both companies and the rest of our 25 carriers. One form, a licensed Georgia agent, and you see the real spread.
Get Mercury and Progressive quoted side by side
Send us your declarations page and your ZIP. We'll match your coverage at both, plus our other carriers, and explain the difference in plain English. More on what we do for every quote on our Georgia auto insurance page.
Related questions
Yes. Mercury writes auto insurance in 11 states, including Georgia but not Tennessee, and sells mainly through independent agents. Richard Johnson Group holds a direct Mercury appointment, so we can quote it for any Georgia-garaged vehicle, side by side with Progressive.
Yes. Progressive sells both directly and through independent agencies. Buying through an agency lets you compare Progressive against other carriers at identical coverage. Progressive notes that Snapshot is not offered through every agent, so ask about telematics when you quote.
The data is mixed. Mercury ranked 12th of 20 and Progressive 18th of 20 in J.D. Power's 2025 claims study, per NerdWallet, while NAIC complaint data favors Progressive. Both are national measures. Documentation and an agent who can escalate matter at either company.
MercuryGO is Mercury's app-based telematics program. It tracks how you drive, gives a discount for enrolling and may give another at renewal for safe driving, according to NerdWallet, which lists Georgia among the states where it is offered. It suits low-mileage, smooth drivers best.
Match every limit and deductible before comparing price: liability, UM form and limit, collision and comprehensive deductibles, medical payments and rental. Our quote comparison guide walks through each line, and we'll do the matching for you if you send both quotes.
Frequently asked questions
Is Mercury or Progressive cheaper in Georgia?
For MoneyGeek's August 2026 Georgia sample driver, Progressive was cheaper: $118 a month for full coverage versus $135 at Mercury, and $45 versus $52 for minimum coverage. The profile was a 40-year-old male with good credit, a clean record, 100/300/100 liability and $1,000 deductibles, without uninsured motorist coverage. Your rate can come out the other way, because each company weighs age, vehicle, credit and ZIP differently. The only way to know is to quote both at identical coverage, which an agency appointed with both can do at once.
Is Mercury Insurance a good company in Georgia?
Mercury is a financially strong insurer that writes auto in Georgia and 10 other states. AM Best affirmed its A (Excellent) rating in February 2026 and revised its outlook to stable from negative. NerdWallet's review of three years of NAIC data found Mercury drew more complaints than expected for its size, while J.D. Power's 2025 claims study placed it 12th of 20. It sells mainly through independent agents and offers rental, roadside, rideshare and gap coverage plus MercuryGO telematics. Through an appointed agency, your agent handles changes and claims questions.
What is the AM Best rating for Mercury and Progressive?
Progressive's insurance companies are rated A+ (Superior) by AM Best, affirmed in May 2026 with a stable outlook. The Mercury Casualty Group companies, including Mercury Insurance Company, are rated A (Excellent), affirmed in February 2026, when AM Best also revised Mercury's outlook to stable from negative. Both are secure ratings, and A+ is one step above A. Financial strength is a floor, not a tiebreaker, so we weigh it alongside price, coverage, complaint records and how each company handles claims.
Do Mercury and Progressive offer rideshare coverage in Georgia?
Both companies publish a rideshare endorsement. Progressive's covers you while you are logged into a rideshare or delivery app and waiting for a request, and Progressive notes it may not be available in all states. Mercury's, per NerdWallet's review, extends protection to the time between passengers while the app is on. Without the endorsement, a personal policy generally excludes the app-on period. If you drive for Uber, Lyft or DoorDash, we compare the terms and price of both endorsements before you choose.
Can one agent quote both Mercury and Progressive?
Yes, if the agency is appointed with both. Richard Johnson Group holds direct appointments with Mercury Insurance and Progressive, along with the rest of our 25 carriers, so we can run the same coverage through both and show you the difference side by side. Mercury sells mainly through independent agents, so an appointed agency is the usual way to buy it. Progressive also sells direct, but through us it sits in a comparison instead of on its own. For State Farm or USAA, we refer through partners when they fit better.
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