Cowbell vs Nationwide: How Do They Compare for Crime Insurance?

Cowbell's crime module is one Zurich Select Plus module sold through appointed wholesalers, aimed at companies under 250 employees; Nationwide routes buyers to agents. 4,8

What Is Cowbell Insurance?

Cowbell suits small and midsize businesses seeking cyber options by company size, with technology E&O and Zurich management-liability options also available; firms needing broad commercial coverage should compare a full-service broker. Some security services cost extra. 1,2,3

Read the Cowbell profile

Read the Cowbell Crime Insurance page

What Is Nationwide?

Nationwide’s commercial catalogue includes common small-business policies and separate specialty products. A catalogue listing does not establish eligibility or policy terms; confirm the issuing company and coverage for your state and business. 5,6,7

Read the Nationwide profile

Read the Nationwide Crime Insurance page

What Is Crime Insurance?

Crime insurance can help reimburse specified business losses from theft and fraud, including employee theft and forgery. Compare those protections separately and ask whether a payment sent after an impersonation scam is covered. 9,10,11,12,13

Read the full coverage guide

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

Module access versus agent route

Cowbell's crime module is available only to appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers through its platform API and is not sold directly to businesses 4. Nationwide tells prospective customers to contact an agent or request a quote 8.

Who is targeted

Cowbell aims the module at private companies with under 250 employees and under $50M in assets 4. Nationwide describes commercial organizations considering management-liability products, with underwriting review 8.

What is disclosed about the paper

Cowbell and Zurich say Select Plus modules are written on Zurich admitted paper, without naming the issuing entity for this module 3. Nationwide's overview names no issuing entity and no itemized agreements 8.

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

  • Is crime bundled with other Select Plus modules, and what would a wholesaler need to submit? 4
  • What limits and retentions apply? Neither Cowbell's pages nor Nationwide's overview publish them 8
  • Which crime-specific risk-control services, if any, come with either policy? 3

Cowbell and Nationwide Review Scores for 2026

These averages can combine ratings for different products, locations, and customer groups, including approximate BBB grade conversions. Read each review for the sources, scope, and calculation.

Cowbell Review Score

2.0/ 10

Review Score

1 rated source

Cowbell has one public rating we could find: 1.0 out of 5 on SourceForge from three reviews in 2023. That's too few and too old to say much.[8]

Read Cowbell reviews

Nationwide Review Score

7.8/ 10

Review Score

4 rated sources

Experts like Nationwide more than customers do. NerdWallet gives it 4.5 out of 5 for business insurance, while small-business customers on ConsumerAffairs give it 2.5 out of 5 from 19 reviews.[1][10]

Read Nationwide reviews

Cowbell vs Nationwide Crime Insurance Compared

Cowbell vs Nationwide: Crime Insurance: documented features by provider

CriteriaCowbell / Zurich Select Plus Crime CoverageNationwide crime (official overview)
Role in This Line

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. 4,3Company-reported. Management liability page intro and module list; Zurich page module-name section.

Nationwide describes offering crime for the audience stated on the cited product page. 8Company-reported. crime marketed by nationwide; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement.

Issuing 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. 4,3Company-reported. Management liability page intro; Zurich page intro and footer.

Confirm in your quote.

Who It’s For

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. 4Company-reported. FAQ 'What size accounts are targeted?' and Target industries list.

Commercial organizations considering management-liability products; page describes product options and underwriting review. 8Company-reported. crime marketed by nationwide; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement.

Coverage Features

Cowbell describes crime coverage as protecting against losses resulting from criminal acts such as theft, fraud, and embezzlement committed by employees or third parties. 4Company-reported. FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?'.

The cited product page describes crime insurance as a named commercial-liability product; Nationwide's product overview does not itemize crime insuring agreements. Marketing description only; actual coverage, exclusions, conditions, limits, and availability depend on the issued policy and jurisdiction. 8Company-reported. crime marketed by nationwide; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement.

Limits and Retentions

Neither the Cowbell page nor Zurich's own Select Plus page, both read in full, publishes crime-coverage limit or retention amounts. 4,3Not publicly disclosed. Cowbell page and Zurich page, both read on 2026-09-23.

The cited overview does not set a universal limit or retention for this line. Ask for the proposed policy form, limits, retentions, exclusions, and conditions in the quote. 8Not publicly disclosed. Only the cited marketing page was reviewed for published limit and retention information; no policy-form entitlement is inferred.

Risk 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. 4,3Not publicly disclosed. Management liability page and Zurich page, both read on 2026-09-23.

Confirm in your quote.

How to Apply

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. 4Company-reported. FAQ 'How can I access the Zurich Select Plus management liability product through Cowbell?'.

The page directs prospective customers to contact an agent or request a quote. The page does not establish a quote, bind, or coverage-effective timeline. 8Company-reported. crime marketed by nationwide; scope is limited to the cited official product overview and described audience. This is not a policy form or a universal eligibility statement.

Related Pages for Cowbell vs Nationwide Crime Insurance

Crime Insurance Pages for Cowbell and Nationwide

Other Coverage Lines Compared for Cowbell vs Nationwide

Other Crime Insurance Provider Comparisons

Sources for Cowbell vs Nationwide Crime Insurance

Sources About Cowbell

  1. Cowbell. Cowbell; What We Do; Assess, Insure, Respond and Improve; U.S. navigation; footer legal disclosure. Accessed 2026-09-15.
  2. Prime Tech Product Overview. Cowbell; PDF pp. 1–4: non-admitted combined Technology E&O and cyber for technology businesses up to $1 billion; up to $5 million; surplus lines in 50 states; edition PRIME TECH US0001 1025. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

Sources About Nationwide

  1. Small Business Insurance. Nationwide; Small business products and solutions, lines 185–214: BOP, workers’ compensation, commercial auto, umbrella, EPLI, cyber and surety; purchase guidance lines 235–247. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  2. Small Business Insurance Solutions for Agents. Nationwide; Specialized small commercial solutions: BOP, auto, workers’ compensation, cyber, EPLI, umbrella, inland marine and professional liability; page states appetite varies by state, lines 129–163, 191–193. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  3. Terms and Conditions for Nationwide.com. Nationwide; P&C products not offered by all companies/states; policy/declarations control; NMI and affiliates may underwrite; each underwriter responsible for own products, lines 358–368 and 391–394. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  4. Commercial Liability Products | Nationwide. Nationwide; Crime section; products list within management-liability specialty. Accessed 2026-09-30.

Sources for the Crime Insurance Guide

  1. Commercial Insurance Guide. California Department of Insurance; Crime. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  2. Crime Non-Financial Applications and Forms. Travelers; Opening paragraph; Sample Policy Forms. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  3. 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.
  4. Social Engineering Fraud Insurance. Chubb; Opening; coverage highlights. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  5. 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.

Updated . Spot, a product of Tools for Enlightenment, publishes this research and works in the commercial insurance market. The comparison applies the same criteria to both providers. Editorial policy. To suggest a correction, contact Spot with the page URL and supporting source.

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