Truvo gives partners three ways to offer insurance: refer, embed, or integrate by API. They differ in how much engineering they take, how much control you keep over the experience, and how seamless it feels to your customer. This guide walks through each so you can pick the lightest model that fits your goals today.
What are the three integration models?
Think of the three options as points on a spectrum from zero effort to fully native. All of them put quoting, binding, and compliance on Truvo's side — the difference is purely in how the customer reaches that quote.
- Refer — You share a unique referral link or code. Customers click through to a Truvo-hosted quote experience. No engineering at all.
- Embed — You place a co-branded, hosted flow inside your product using a link, button, or simple widget. Light setup, branded feel, minimal maintenance.
- API — Your team calls Truvo's endpoints to quote and bind directly inside your own UI. Fully native, pre-filled with data you already hold, no visible handoff.
The right integration is rarely the most powerful one. It's the lightest one that delivers the experience your customers actually need.
When should you start with a referral link?
A referral link is the fastest path to live, and it's the right choice more often than partners expect. Reach for it when:
- You want to launch this week. There's nothing to build, so you can be earning almost immediately.
- You're testing demand. You're not yet sure how many customers will convert, and you want real data before investing.
- You have no engineering bandwidth. A link works in an email, a portal, a text message, or a help-desk macro.
- Your insurable moment is occasional. If only a handful of customers hit the moment each week, a manual handoff is perfectly fine.
Many partners run on referral links indefinitely and earn well. There's no penalty for staying here — and it's the cleanest model for non-licensed partners, since you're simply making an introduction.
When does an embedded hosted flow make sense?
Embedding sits in the middle: more branded than a bare link, far lighter than an API. It fits partners who want the experience to feel like theirs without committing engineering time.
- You care about brand continuity. A co-branded flow keeps your colors, logo, and tone in front of the customer.
- You have a high-traffic surface. A checkout page, a customer dashboard, or an onboarding step where a button or widget belongs naturally.
- You want a little integration, not a project. Dropping in a link or embed snippet is within reach for most teams, even without dedicated developers.
This is a common second step for partners who started with a referral link, saw conversion, and now want the moment to feel more native.
When is the API the right call?
The API earns its keep when quoting and binding should happen inside your product, pre-filled and seamless. You're in API territory when:
- You operate at volume. Enough customers pass through the same insurable moment that manual handoffs leave money on the table.
- You already hold the data. You have the vehicle, address, or applicant details and want to pre-fill quotes automatically.
- You want a fully native experience. No redirect, no visible handoff — the quote looks and feels like part of your app.
- You have engineering capacity. Someone can implement and maintain the integration.
Fintechs embedding coverage in onboarding and dealership platforms quoting at point of sale are classic API partners.
How do the three compare at a glance?
Model | Engineering needed | Customer experience | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
Refer | None | Click through to a hosted Truvo quote | Fast launch, occasional moments, any partner |
Embed | Minimal | Co-branded hosted flow inside your product | Brand continuity without a dev project |
API | Yes | Fully native quote and bind in your UI | High-volume, product-led partners |
In every model, Truvo quotes and binds policies in minutes, and the licensing, carrier access, underwriting, and compliance always sit on Truvo's side. What changes is only the depth of the integration, not who carries the regulated work.
How should you actually decide?
Start with two questions: how seamless does the experience need to be, and how much volume runs through your insurable moment? If the moment is occasional or you're still validating demand, a referral link is almost always the right opening move. If you have steady volume through a consistent moment and the data to pre-fill, the API pays for the build. Embedding is the natural middle for partners who want brand feel without committing engineering.
The most common mistake is assuming "embedded insurance" requires a heavy API build and stalling on a referral link that could earn today. You can always deepen later — Truvo is built to let you move along the spectrum as your volume grows.
So pick the lightest model that delivers the experience you want, get live, and revisit once you have real numbers. See how it works or become a Truvo partner to find the right fit for your business.