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Franchise Deductible


Definition

With a franchise deductible d≥0d\ge0, the insurer pays the entire loss once it exceeds dd: YL=X𝟙1{X>d}Y^L=X\indicator_{\{X>d\}}. If X≤dX\le d, payment is zero. Conditional on a payment, the paid amount has the law of X∣X>dX\mid X>d.


Interpretation

The threshold decides whether the insurer pays, but is not deducted from a qualifying loss. This creates a jump in the payment rule at the threshold.

Payment against loss for a franchise deductible d=100: zero up to 100, then a jump to the full loss, compared with the dashed ordinary deductible (X−d)+; losses 80 and 150 are marked.

The figure draws the Examples case d=100d=100. Below the threshold both rules pay nothing, so the loss 80 gives payment 0. Above it the franchise payment YLY^L (red) is the whole loss, while the ordinary-deductible payment (X−d)+(X-d)_+ (dashed) is dd lower: the loss 150 gives 150 against 50. The open circle at (100,100)(100,100) marks the jump: under the strict rule a loss of exactly 100 is not paid, and no payment lies strictly between 0 and 100.

Move the loss XX across the threshold dd: below it neither rule pays, above it the franchise pays all of XX while the ordinary deductible pays (X−d)+(X-d)_+, a gap of exactly dd. For an exponential loss E[YL]\mathbb E[Y^L] adds d P(X>d)d\,\mathbb P(X>d) to E[(X−d)+]\mathbb E[(X-d)_+].


Key Results

  • E[YL]=E[(X−d)+]+dP(X>d)\mathbb{E}[Y^L]=\mathbb{E}[(X-d)_+]+d\mathbb{P}(X>d) when finite.
  • Payment probability is the same as for an ordinary deductible, but qualifying payments are larger by dd.
  • For d>0d>0, there are no payment amounts strictly between zero and dd.
  • Whether equality qualifies is a contract convention; here the threshold rule is strict.

Examples

At deductible 100, losses 80 and 150 produce franchise payments 0 and 150. The ordinary deductible would produce 0 and 50.


Prerequisites



Sources

Aliases: franchise insurance, threshold deductible, franchise Keywords: Y = X 1{X > d}, E[Y^L] = E[(X - d)+] + d P(X > d), jump at the threshold, franchise versus ordinary deductible

Last updated: 16 October 2026 22:28