Cowbell vs Usi: Commercial Crime Insurance

USI Insurance Services brokers crime standalone or within its ExecuSafe management liability review; Cowbell's Zurich-underwritten crime module is for private companies under 250 employees and $50 million in assets, via appointed wholesalers.

Van Ness Partners presents a practical comparison of source materials relevant to financial crime exposures.Research updated 2026-09-25

What Are the Key Differences Between Cowbell and USI Insurance Services Crime Insurance?

If you operate a building, janitorial or staffing business, USI explicitly names those trades and offers an ExecuSafe review of existing crime terms. Cowbell’s published target is a private company under 250 employees and $50 million in assets, with wholesale access required. [7] [8] [3]

Zurich Module Versus Brokered Placement

Crime on Cowbell is a Select Plus module Zurich underwrites while Cowbell runs the platform. USI brokers crime covering employee theft and related fraud, either as a standalone placement or inside an ExecuSafe management-liability review. [3] [9] [7] [8]

How You Buy

Appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers access Cowbell through the API; businesses cannot buy the module directly. USI directs business-services inquiries to a named inbox or a local office, and ExecuSafe inquiries to a separate Select Business inbox. [3] [7] [8]

What Should You Confirm in Cowbell and USI Insurance Services Crime Insurance Quotes?

  • Confirm Cowbell wholesaler appointment. [3]
  • Ask USI whether crime is a standalone placement or part of ExecuSafe. [8]
  • Check Cowbell’s employee and asset targets and USI’s named trades against your company. [3] [7]
  • Ask how USI’s claim advocacy, described across Business Services lines, would apply to a crime loss. [7]

Cowbell fits smaller private companies within its employee and asset caps that can work through an appointed wholesaler; USI names building, janitorial, staffing and similar trades and can review existing crime through ExecuSafe.

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
    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

  4. 04
    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

  5. 05
    Crime Non-Financial Applications and Forms

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

  6. 06
    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

  7. 07
    Business Services

    USI Insurance Services · USI advises clients...and provides solutions for...Crime... · accessed 2026-09-23

  8. 08
    Protect Your Company and Personal Assets From Management Liability Risks

    USI Insurance Services · Review existing management liability policies (if any) to uncover gaps in coverage...(including employment practices liability, fiduciary liability, and crime). · accessed 2026-09-23

  9. 09
    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

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 ↗

USI Insurance Services

  • role: USI brokers crime insurance, which covers losses from employee theft and related fraud, either as a standalone placement or as part of a management liability review under ExecuSafe. Business Services catalogue and ExecuSafe article.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • insurer: Neither page names the insurer USI uses for crime placements. Pages as read on 2026-09-23.not-disclosedSource ↗
  • eligibility: USI's Business Services practice, which lists crime coverage, says it targets building and maintenance, repair service, janitorial, staffing and printing companies, citing employee errors and misconduct as one of the risk exposures it addresses for them. Company description of client base.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: USI lists crime among the coverages it places for business-services clients, and its ExecuSafe review checks a client's existing crime coverage as part of a broader management liability review. Catalogue listing plus the ExecuSafe review description; actual insuring agreements and exclusions are set by the issued policy.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • limits: Neither page publishes crime coverage limit or retention figures. Pages as read on 2026-09-23.not-disclosedSource ↗
  • services: USI's Business Services practice says it offers classification and exposure reviews, claim advocacy and risk control across its coverage lines including crime, and its ExecuSafe process specifically checks existing crime coverage for gaps. Combines the general Business Services service list with the ExecuSafe-specific review step.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • application: USI directs business-services inquiries to pcinquiries@usi.com or a local office, and ExecuSafe/management-liability inquiries to Select.Business@usi.com. Contact instructions on each page.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗

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