Counterpart vs Cowbell: Commercial Crime Insurance

Cowbell's Zurich-underwritten crime module targets companies under 250 employees and $50M in assets via appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers and an API; Counterpart presents its insurance for small businesses, reached through a wholesale broker.

Van Ness Partners presents a practical comparison of source materials relevant to financial crime exposures.Research updated 2026-10-01

Counterpart says buyers access its program through a wholesale broker; Cowbell places crime within Zurich Select Plus and makes the module available through appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers.

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

Standalone Product Page and Management-Liability Module

Counterpart publishes a Commercial Crime page and says businesses reach the program through wholesale brokers. Cowbell describes crime as one module within Zurich’s Select Plus management-liability product, with Zurich underwriting and Cowbell operating the platform. A business buyer should clarify whether its broker can access that module and how crime fits with the other package parts; both routes as described involve an intermediary. [4] [3] [6]

Published Scenario Breadth and Size Target

Counterpart lists employee theft, forgery, computer or system fraud, funds-transfer fraud, and social engineering. Cowbell describes employee or third-party theft, fraud, and embezzlement, while targeting private companies under 250 employees and under $50 million in assets. Counterpart’s record gives no crime-specific size threshold. Applicants should match their headcount and assets to Cowbell’s stated target and ask both providers for the actual covered-event wording. [4] [6]

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

  • What other Select Plus modules are required or share limits with Cowbell’s crime coverage? [6]
  • Which Counterpart carrier and crime-specific eligibility rules apply to your business? [4]

Crime coverage

Counterpart

  • role: Counterpart says its insurance is offered through Counterpart Insurance Services, Inc., which it describes as a producer and surplus-lines broker; its help center says businesses reach the program through a wholesale broker. Company-published distribution description; it does not identify the insurer for this crime placement.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • coverage: Counterpart’s crime page lists employee theft, forgery, computer or system fraud, funds-transfer fraud and social-engineering scenarios. These are marketing examples, not a complete insuring agreement; the actual policy defines covered loss and conditions.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: Counterpart presents its insurance products and risk-management services for small businesses. The general audience statement is not a crime-specific underwriting rule.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • coverage: Counterpart separately lists funds-transfer fraud and social-engineering as crime examples. The examples do not define authentication conditions, sublimits, exclusions or how a claim would be adjusted.company-reportedSource ↗

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 ↗

Sources consulted

  1. 01
    Commercial Insurance Guide

    California Department of Insurance · Crime · accessed 2026-09-16

  2. 02
    Social Engineering Fraud Insurance

    Chubb · Opening; coverage highlights · accessed 2026-09-16

  3. 03
    How can I get insurance through Counterpart?

    Counterpart Knowledge Center · Retained source: article describes wholesale-broker referral route; prior access 2026-09-28. · accessed 2026-09-28

  4. 04
    Commercial Crime Insurance

    Counterpart, Inc. · Retained provider source: product page lists employee theft, forgery, computer/system fraud, funds-transfer and social-engineering examples; prior access 2026-09-28. Direct reopen failed in this session. · accessed 2026-09-28

  5. 05
    Counterpart | Agentic Insurance™

    Counterpart, Inc. · Retained provider source: footer states insurance products are offered by Counterpart Insurance Services, Inc., described as a licensed producer and surplus-lines broker; product/state availability varies, issuer not mapped by product/state. Prior access 2026-09-29. · accessed 2026-09-29

  6. 06
    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

  7. 07
    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

  8. 08
    Crime Non-Financial Applications and Forms

    Travelers · Opening paragraph; Sample Policy Forms · accessed 2026-09-16

  9. 09
    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

  10. 10
    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

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