open cover

= open policy

A marine cargo insurance policy in which the insurer agrees to cover any voyage undertaken by the policyholder's vessel(s) or any cargo shipped by a particular shipper. A policy condition requires a declaration to be completed on a weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis indicating the vessels involved, the commodities carried, and the voyages undertaken. Insurers use the declaration to calculate the premium. The main advantage of a policy of this kind is that the insurer can be confident that all cargos have insurance cover without the need to notify insurers of the details before the voyage. In some cases there may be a policy limit above which the insurance ceases. On such policies it is necessary to keep a running total of the sums insured to make sure that the policy limit is not exceeded.