What type of refund is granted when a policy is canceled early at the insurer's request?

When a policy is canceled early at the insurer's request, a pro rata refund is granted. This type of refund calculates the amount of premium to be returned to the policyholder based on the proportion of the coverage period that was unused prior to the cancellation. Essentially, it reflects the principle of fairness, wherein the premium for the time the policy was in force is kept by the insurer, and the remaining premium for the unused period is refunded to the policyholder.

Pro rata refunds are typically applied when an insurer decides to cancel a policy, as they retain the earned premium for the coverage period that has already passed, and only refund the unearned premium based on the time remaining in the policy term. This ensures that the refund is equitable and corresponds to the actual time the policy was active.