What is the purpose of a conditional receipt?

In life insurance there is usually no insurance granted until the first mode of premium is received by the company. However, the applicant may pay the first mode of premium at application or before the policy is issued. A conditional receipt is used to provide insurance should the insured die before the policy is issued. If the insured would have been otherwise insurable (but for the premature death), then the company, by the conditional receipt, would have to pay either the entire policy limit or some lesser limit as indicated on the receipt.

A conditional binding receipt is an official paper given to life insurance applicants who have signed their application and paid their first installment. It creates a conditional contract between the applicant and the insurance company.

A conditional binding receipt is an official paper given to life insurance applicants who have signed their application and paid their first installment. It forms a conditional contract between the applicant and the insurance company and gives the insurance company time to process the application and determine whether or not it will issue the policy.

Definition of Conditional Binding Receipts

A conditional binding receipt is a common type of receipt issued after the first payment of a new life insurance policy. It creates a conditional contract between the applicant and the insurance company. During the conditional period, the life insurance company processes the application and the applicant completes any required medical examinations or paperwork. 

This receipt binds the insurance company to pay death benefits for any applicant who passes away before the full approval is issued, on the condition that they would have met the insurance company’s guidelines for eligibility and passed any required medical examination.  

It can take weeks for insurance companies to process applications and make underwriting decisions about each applicant. Without a conditional binding receipt, there would be unnecessary confusion if a prospective insured person died before their life insurance application was processed. These receipts make it very clear whether or not the insurance company is responsible for paying a death benefit upon an applicant’s death.

If the applicant passes away before the policy is issued, their beneficiary may or may not receive a death benefit payout, depending on whether the company would have approved the policy. If the insurer determines that it was going to issue the policy, it would pay out the death benefit. If the insurer planned to deny the policy, it would not pay a death benefit.

Note

An insurability conditional receipt is the most common type of receipt used in life insurance applications. The conditions of the receipt are that the applicant is found insurable on the date of the application. 

How a Conditional Binding Receipt Works 

Conditional binding receipts go into effect as soon as an individual submits their signed application and pays their first installment. The insurance company will evaluate their application and determine if they’re insurable. 

Once this evaluation is complete, the company either issues, changes, or denies the life insurance policy. If the policy needs to be changed, the prospective insured person must be alive to accept the changes. 

This conditional receipt protects the insurance company from having to pay benefits for ineligible applicants. It also covers any eligible person who applies but passes away before their policy is officially issued. This way, their beneficiaries can still benefit from the life insurance policy if they were deemed insurable.

Note

The conditional binding receipt typically has a time limit of 60 days. This is the amount of time the insurance company has to decide whether or not to approve the policy. 

Conditional Binding Receipts in Practice

Here are a couple of examples to help better explain how a conditional binding receipt works. 

Let’s say Mary, a healthy 42-year-old, applies for life insurance on Jan. 1 and is issued a conditional binding receipt. She dies unexpectedly in a car crash on Jan. 10, before the insurance company has finished processing her application. The conditional binding receipt requires the insurance company to finish evaluating her eligibility. Because it determines that she met the requirements before her death, her beneficiaries are eligible for the death benefit.

As another example, let’s say that Josh, who’s also 42 years old, applies for a life insurance policy and is issued a conditional binding receipt at the same time as Mary. Josh’s health is good, but he’s on blood pressure medications. Like Mary, he dies on Jan. 10, before the insurance company has officially decided to issue his life insurance policy. 

The insurance company finishes its evaluation of Josh’s eligibility and determines that he would have qualified for a policy, but at a higher premium due to his health condition. Since he didn’t qualify for the policy as written, Josh would have had to review a counteroffer and agree to the changes. But because he died before this could happen, the insurer will not pay out aq death benefit. 

Conditional Binding Receipt vs. Binding Receipt 

A conditional binding receipt covers you based on the provision that you would have been issued a life insurance policy had you lived. However, it is not the only type of receipt issued for life insurance applicants. Another option provided by some life insurance companies is a binding receipt. 

Unlike a conditional binding receipt, the binding receipt has no conditions that must be met. This means that if an applicant dies before the insurance company processes the application and makes a decision, it is responsible for paying the death benefit even if the policy would not have been issued.

What a Conditional Binding Receipt Means for You

The conditional binding receipt gives you and your beneficiaries peace of mind while you wait for the policy to be officially approved. Additionally, it provides a death benefit to your beneficiary if you die before the application is processed, provided that you were insurable when you submitted it.  Since conditional binding receipts are standard practice, it’s likely that you’ll sign one when you apply for and make your first payment on a life insurance policy. 

Key Takeaways

• A conditional binding receipt is a conditional contract between a life insurance company and a person applying for insurance. 
• This receipt gives the insurance company time to process the application and determine whether or not to issue the policy.
• Conditional binding receipts protect insurance companies if an ineligible applicant dies before their application is fully processed. It also ensures that the company does not have to pay benefits in situations where it normally wouldn’t.
• If an insurable applicant dies before their application is fully processed, a conditional binding receipt protects the applicant and their beneficiary. 
• If you apply for life insurance, it’s safe to assume you’ll be issued an insurability conditional binding receipt, as this is standard practice. Still, always check your contract or ask your agent for specifics.

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Sources

The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

1. Florida Insurance Licensing Association—American Safety Council, Inc. "Lesson 5.5.5: The Binding Receipt." Accessed Sept. 8, 2021.

   What is the purpose of a conditional receipt quizlet?

   What is the purpose of a conditional receipt? It is intended to provide coverage on a data earlier than the date of the issuance of the policy. An agent and an applicant for life insurance policy fill out and sign the application.

   What is conditional receipt life insurance?

   Conditional Binding Receipt — a receipt in life insurance that guarantees that if the risk is accepted, the named insured is insured from the date of issuance of the receipt.

   What are the two types of conditional receipts?

   The conditional receipt contains two subcategories as well: (1) Insurability and (2) approval. The insurance agent should collect the first full installment from the applicant at the time of application.

   How does a conditional receipt different from a binding receipt?

   How does a conditional receipt differ from a binding receipt? "Binding receipts always provide insurance which starts from the date of receipt". Only a binding receipt always provides insurance that is effective from the date the receipt is given.