Identity theft is a growing concern. From 2019 to 2020, reported instances of ID theft nearly doubled, and it cost consumers approximately $3.3 billion.1 One of the biggest mistakes you can make is thinking it couldn’t happen to you — particularly when protection is so readily available. Thankfully, identity theft protection is now more affordable than ever.
A relatively recent entrant into the world of identity theft protection, Allstate Identity Protection is already making a name for itself. The service is solid, the cost is reasonable, and the fact that it’s backed by one of the most well-known names in the insurance business doesn’t hurt. But when the rubber hits the road, is Allstate’s Identity Protection really worth it?
Today we’re sharing everything you need to know about Allstate Identity Protection’s plans and prices. So let’s jump right in.
Allstate Identity Protection Dashboard
Allstate Identity Protection Key Features
Right off the bat, Allstate’s list of protections is impressive. To get the full scope of what they’re bringing to the table, you can check out our in-depth review of Allstate Identity Protection, but for the purposes of this article, I’ll walk you through the highlights.
Allstate Identity Protections Hallmark Features:
Digital Footprint Tool
Advanced Identity Monitoring
Dark Web Monitoring
Financial Monitoring
Single-Bureau Credit Monitoring
That’s a pretty solid list of services right there, and more than enough to keep the average person well protected. However, before we get too far into the weeds of what Allstate does and does not offer, we need to take a look at what all this is going to cost you.
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Like most services, Allstate Identity Protection breaks up their service into different subscription packages. As you would expect, their “Essentials” package isn’t as comprehensive, but you won’t be paying as much. If you want to ante up, though, you can go with their “Premier” protection package, which is a little more complete, but also a little more expensive.
Allstate Identity Protection Plans and Pricing
Features
Essentials
Premier
Digital Footprint
Yes
Yes
Credit Monitoring
Single-Bureau
Single-Bureau
Financial Monitoring
Yes
Yes
Identity Monitoring
Yes
Yes
Credit Card Transaction Monitoring
No
Yes
401(k) Monitoring
No
Yes
Social Media Monitoring
No
Yes
Stolen Funds Reimbursement
Up to $50,000
Up to $500,000
Individual Cost
$9.99
$17.99
Family Cost
$18.99
$34.99
Regardless of which plan you pick, I consider these prices to be plenty reasonable for the level of service you’ll be receiving. That said, let’s dig a little deeper and check out the main difference between the two.
Allstate Identity Protection Plans: The Key Differences
There are four main differences to point out in regards to Allstate’s two tiers of service — social media monitoring, credit card transaction monitoring, retirement account monitoring, and exactly how much money you’ll be entitled to if your identity is stolen and you suffer financial loss as a result.
Did You Know? Depending on who you ask, the average cost of identity theft is between $1,000 to $5,000.2 However, that’s just material loss. When you factor in the cost of lawyers and other experts, and all the time spent dealing with bureaucracy and red tape, that figure can be significantly higher.
The social media side of things is relatively simple. With the Premier plan, you’ll get it; with Essentials, you won’t. And I’ve gotta say, if you forego this service, you’ll really be missing out. Allstate offers some of the best social media protections I’ve come across in my experience with testing and reviewing these services. If you’re not super active on social platforms, this might not be important to you, but if you are, it’s certainly something to consider.
Allstate – Social Media Monitoring
Similarly, if you opt for the Essentials plan, you’ll also be missing out on Allstate’s credit card monitoring service. Both subscription plans will monitor the dark web for your account information and other pieces of personally identifying information, but the Premier plan specifically watches your credit card account balances for fluctuations. This can be critically important if your accounts are compromised because when it comes to recovering from fraudulent spending, noticing changes quickly and acting immediately is crucial.
Allstate Transaction Alerts
In a similar vein, the Essentials plan won’t keep an eye on your 401(k) account. However, I always recommend picking a service that will monitor it because you’re far more likely to go long periods of time without checking your retirement account than you are your day-to-day banking. Would you even know if that account had been zeroed out? How would you bounce back?
And speaking of recovery, that’s the third and final key difference between the two Allstate Identity Protection plans. If the worst happens and your accounts are wiped out, you’ll only be entitled to $50,000 in restitution with the Essentials plan. That figure increases tenfold to $500,000 with the Premier plan, though. If you have a lot of liquid assets, this alone might be the determining factor in which subscription package you choose.
So with all this in mind, which Allstate fraud protection package should you go with?
FYI: There are numerous other identity theft protection options out there. Before you make the call, be sure you check out our Top Ten Identity Theft Protections Guide.
Which Allstate Identity Protection Plan Is the Best?
It’s difficult to say. If keeping an eye on social media and monitoring credit card accounts automatically aren’t really that important to you, then it makes sense to save a couple of bucks and go with the Essentials plan. However, when you consider the almost negligible differences in costs between the two, it’s hard to make the argument that you should settle for fewer protections.
A monthly subscription to the Essentials plan costs $9.99 for an individual. A Premier plan will run you $17.99. Sure, that’s almost double the cost, but we’re only talking $8 more per month, or $96 over the course of a year. When you weigh that against the peace of mind knowing that you’ll be alerted immediately if there are unauthorized purchases on your credit cards, it kind of brings things into perspective.
I’m not going to suggest the Essentials plan isn’t worth considering — there are certainly some great protections there — but consider the damage that could be done against the additional cost before making your final decision. You don’t want to lose thousands because you want to save tens.
Allstate Identity Protection Deals
Looking for a deal on Allstate Identity Protection? You might find Allstate running special promotions around Cyber Monday — the online sale extravaganza that follows Black Friday. A note of caution though: if the best time to plant a tree was 10 years ago, the second best time is now. So don’t wait to protect yourself because you might be able to save a few bucks six months down the road. You never know what’s going to happen between now and then.
Did You Know? There are hundreds, if not thousands, of ways identity theft can occur. Some — like credit card fraud — can happen in the blink of an eye while others — like title fraud — can be more of a slow burn.3 If you’re thinking about protecting yourself, don’t hesitate. There could be bad actors already making plans with your identity.
Note that both Allstate’s Essential and Premier plans offer 30-day, money-back trial periods. This is pretty unique and certainly something you can take advantage of. If you start with an Essentials plan and decide the protection isn’t comprehensive enough, you’re not locked into anything. Or if you decide Allstate Identity Protection isn’t right for you, you can walk away with a full refund. There’s no drawback to trying it out.
Allstate Identity Protection Overall Value
After I spent a considerable amount of time putting Allstate’s anti-fraud services to the test, I was convinced that they’re a great middle-of-the-road service. Are there more comprehensive protections out there? Sure, check out our review of NortonLifeLock for context. Be aware that if you go with NortonLifeLock, you’ll pay almost double what you would for Allstate Identity Protection.
There’s a give and take to all of this. If you want a Cadillac, you’re going to have to pay for a Cadillac. But do you really need a Cadillac when a Toyota is going to get you from point A to point B just fine? Heck — I own a Toyota Tacoma and love it. That might be what you need, too.
At the end of the day, it pays to do some thinking on what exactly it is you need, and then seek out a service that specializes in your security preferences. For instance, were you in the armed services? Check out our guide to the best identity theft protections for the military. Do you have children you’d like to protect? Here’s our guide to the best services for families. If you know what you need, it’ll really help narrow down your search.
SafeHome.org only uses high-quality sources to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Max Sheridan brings over two decades of writing experience to our team. He has spent 1,000-plus hours researching VPNs, identity theft protection, and various topics in cyber technology. Previously, Max was an investigative journalist, and he is also a published novelist. He earned a B.A. in Classics from the University of Virginia and an M.A. in Classics from the University of Illinois. He currently lives in Nicosia, Cyprus.
Updated September 28, 2023
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