Aon vs Cowbell: Commercial Crime Insurance

What Are the Key Differences Between Aon and Cowbell Crime Insurance?

Different buyer boundaries

Aon names law, accounting and consulting firms as the audience for its global Professional Services Practice, without a numerical eligibility rule. Cowbell sets out a narrower profile for its crime module: private companies with fewer than 250 employees and under $50 million in assets, within Select Plus target industries. Those thresholds give a buyer a concrete initial screen for Cowbell; Aon’s practice audience is a sector signal, not proof that a specific firm qualifies. [1] [4]

Placement advice versus a platform module

Aon describes advisors using industry knowledge, insights, data and tools for risk-management decisions. Cowbell says the crime module is accessed only by appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers through Cowbell’s platform API. Buyers therefore need an appointed wholesale intermediary for Cowbell, while an Aon conversation is framed around professional-services advice and arranging or advising on crime coverage. [1] [4]

What Should You Confirm in Aon and Cowbell Crime Insurance Quotes?

Ask Aon which carrier, policy form and eligibility rules would apply to your firm; ask the Cowbell wholesaler to verify employee, asset and industry fit. [1] [4]
Ask Cowbell’s wholesaler whether the crime module can be combined with other Select Plus modules and what terms the Zurich-issued policy contains. [1] [4]

Aon’s global practice names law, accounting and consulting firms as its audience. Cowbell describes Crime as a Zurich Select Plus module for private companies with fewer than 250 employees and under $50 million in assets, distributed through appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers.

Sources consulted

01
Professional Services Practice
Aon · Named professional-services audiences and global advisory role, lines 125–128; line offerings and explanations lines 131–190; contact link lines 120–122. Global practice page; no U.S. state or account-specific placement schedule. · accessed 2026-09-30
02
Commercial Insurance Guide
California Department of Insurance · Crime · accessed 2026-09-16
03
Social Engineering Fraud Insurance
Chubb · Opening; coverage highlights · accessed 2026-09-16
04
Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises
Cowbell · FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?' (Crime Coverage definition); Target industries list; FAQ on access and account size · accessed 2026-09-23
05
Crime Terms and Conditions
The Travelers Companies, Inc. · I.A–G, printed/PDF pages 1–4; III.RR, printed/PDF p.13; V.B.1–2, printed/PDF pp.18–20; Consideration, printed/PDF p.1; III.P p.8; V.A.3 pp.16–17; V.A.4 p.17; V.B.3 p.20; I.A.3 p.1; III.C p.7; III.S pp.8–9; III.II and III.KK p.12; III.QQ p.13; V.A.5 pp.17–18 (printed/PDF pages); IV.J–O, printed/PDF pages 14–15 · accessed 2026-09-16
06
Crime Non-Financial Applications and Forms
Travelers · Opening paragraph; Sample Policy Forms · accessed 2026-09-16
07
Commercial Crime Coverage Application
Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America · I–III pages 1–2; IX–XI pages 3–4; V–VII, printed/PDF pages 2–3 · accessed 2026-09-16
08
Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus
Zurich North America · Intro on the Zurich/Cowbell collaboration; module name 'Crime Insurance'; FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?' (identical to Cowbell's page); Targeted industries list; footer copyright · accessed 2026-09-23

Crime coverage

Aon

role: Aon presents Crime as a line its Professional Services Practice helps arrange or advise on for professional-service firms. Aon is describing a global brokerage and advisory service, not issuing the underlying policy. The producing legal entity and carrier for any particular placement are not named on this page. Aon’s global professional-services practice page. This establishes a marketed brokerage/advisory offering, not policy issuance or account-specific placement.company-reportedSource ↗
eligibility: Aon identifies law, accounting and consulting firms as the audience for its global Professional Services Practice. That audience scope does not establish eligibility for every firm or other business. Audience described for Aon’s global professional-services practice. It does not establish U.S. state availability or underwriting eligibility for a placement.company-reportedSource ↗
coverage: Aon lists Crime as a coverage area within its professional-services practice. The page does not describe covered dishonest acts, insured property, policy conditions or bond forms. Aon’s marketing description of the brokerage/coverage area. The page is not the insurer’s policy form and does not establish an insured's entitlement to coverage.company-reportedSource ↗
services: Aon says its professional-services advisors use industry knowledge, insights, data and tools to support risk-management and human-capital decisions. This is a company-described advisory service, not a claim outcome or policy benefit. Company-reported advisory services on Aon’s global practice page; account-specific service scope is not stated.company-reportedSource ↗
insurer: The reviewed practice page does not name the insurer or producing legal entity for a specific placement. Ask for both on the quote and binder. Aon’s global practice page as reviewed 2026-09-30; no state-specific placement schedule or buyer quote was reviewed. This does not establish that Aon cannot arrange a placement.not-foundSource ↗
limits: The reviewed page does not state a buyer-specific limit, retention, deductible or other placement terms. Confirm these in the quote, bond or issued policy. Aon’s global practice page as reviewed 2026-09-30; no quote, bond form or issued policy was reviewed.not-disclosedSource ↗

Cowbell

role: Crime coverage is one module within Cowbell's distribution of Zurich's Select Plus management liability product; Cowbell operates the platform, Zurich underwrites the module. Zurich's own page lists 'Crime Insurance' as one of the four modules a buyer can combine. Management liability page intro and module list; Zurich page module-name section.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
insurer: Cowbell and Zurich both say the Select Plus modules, including crime, are written on Zurich admitted paper. Zurich's site footer names 'Zurich American Insurance Company' in its copyright notice, but neither page states that entity is the specific policy issuer for this module. Management liability page intro; Zurich page intro and footer.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
eligibility: Cowbell targets this crime module at private companies with under 250 employees and under $50M in assets, across the same target industries listed for the broader Select Plus product. FAQ 'What size accounts are targeted?' and Target industries list.company-reportedSource ↗
coverage: Cowbell describes crime coverage as protecting against losses resulting from criminal acts such as theft, fraud, and embezzlement committed by employees or third parties. FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?'.company-reportedSource ↗
limits: Neither the Cowbell page nor Zurich's own Select Plus page, both read in full, publishes crime-coverage limit or retention amounts. Cowbell page and Zurich page, both read on 2026-09-23.not-disclosedSource ↗Source ↗
services: Neither reviewed page describes crime-specific risk-control services such as employee-dishonesty prevention programs; both describe the Select Plus product's claims backing only at the whole-product level. Management liability page and Zurich page, both read on 2026-09-23.not-disclosedSource ↗Source ↗
application: This crime module is accessed only by appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers through the Cowbell platform's API; it is not sold directly to businesses. FAQ 'How can I access the Zurich Select Plus management liability product through Cowbell?'.company-reportedSource ↗