Some claims are simple. The facts are clear, the amounts are small, and customers just want things resolved. Straight-through processing, or STP, helps you approve and pay those claims automatically so people get help faster and your team can focus on the work that truly needs a person.

‍

If you want the bigger picture on why speed matters and what insurance can borrow from fintech, read What insurance teams can learn from fintech’s AI revolution and then come back to see how and why you should map STP to your company’s flow. 

‍

Why this matters now

Customers judge you by how quickly and fairly you settle routine claims. If a cracked windshield or a small leak takes days, trust reduces. When a simple claim is paid in minutes, confidence in your services increases and at the same time, your team also gets time back for complex cases that require care.

‍

A quick picture

‍

Let’s take an example, Ada spots a crack in her windshield. She opens the app, answers a few short questions, and takes three guided photos. A few minutes later she sees this message. Approved. Your repair is booked. We will pay the vendor. No calls. No back and forth. That is what good STP feels like.

‍

What STP does behind the scenes

Think of STP as a short checklist that runs in seconds and keeps everyone safe.

‍

1. Collect the essentials with a short form and clear photo guidance.
   
   
2. Check the policy. Is it active? Is this covered? What is the limit?
   
   
3. Run simple safety checks. Do the details make sense? Is this a repeat claim?
   
   
4. Decide. If everything lines up and the amount is under a set limit, approve. If not, route to a person.
   
   
5. Pay the customer or the repair shop and send confirmations.
   
   
6. Save a record so the team can review later.
   
   

For a broader view of how digital claims move faster, skim Curacel’s primer on digital insurance claims processing.

‍

Where it fits in your claims journey

‍

Every claim moves through the same path. First notice of loss, triage, assessment, decision, payout, and any follow up. STP speeds up the steps that do not need human judgment. If anything looks unclear at any point, the claim moves to a person without delay.

‍

Good places to start

Pick claim types that are clear and repeatable.

‍

• Motor glass under a simple limit with guided photos
  
  
• Lost or damaged phone with a valid receipt and serial number
  
  
• Travel delay benefits that depend on a confirmed airline delay
  
  
• Minor home damage where photos tell the story
  
  

See how teams move from field visits to phone-based checks in Cornerstone Nigeria × Curacel: Remote Vehicle Inspections for faster decisions and better customer experience. 

‍

Want to scope a similar pilot for your stack. Book a discovery call. 

‍

What you need in place

You do not need to rebuild your core system. You need a few basics done well.

‍

• A short form that only asks what you need
  
  
• Photo guidance with simple examples and angles
  
  
• Plain rules such as policy is active, damage is covered, amount is under the limit, approve
  
  
• Basic safety checks for repeated claims or mismatched details
  
  
• A reliable way to send payments and confirm status
  
  
• A small dashboard with three numbers. How many claims went through. How fast you paid. How many were sent to a person
  
  

What to measure as you scale

‍

• Percentage of claims approved automatically
  
  
• Average time from claim to payment
  
  
• Percentage of automatic approvals that you later reversed
  
  
• Customer satisfaction after payout
  
  
• Cases per adjuster after routine work is removed
  
  

Common concerns and clear answers

What if fraud slips through?
Start with a narrow claim type and low limits. Add stop rules for anything unusual. Review a small sample weekly and tune your rules.

‍

Will customers feel a machine is deciding their fate?
Explain the rules in plain language and say what happens next if a claim needs human review. People care about speed and fairness. Clarity builds trust.

‍

What if rules go stale?
Set a monthly review. Look at cases routed to a person and any reversals. Update rules based on real outcomes.

‍

Will this replace people?
No. It removes repetitive work so people can focus on complex and sensitive claims. That is better for customers and better for teams.

How to get started without risk

Choose one claim type and one region.
Glass repair is a common place to begin. Set a conservative payout cap. Write three pass rules and three stop rules.

‍

Make intake easy.
Short questions. Simple wording. Guided photos. Remove anything you do not need to decide.

‍

Turn it on for a small slice.
Approve only the safest claims in week one. Watch your three numbers daily. Adjust quickly if something looks off.

‍

Widen with care.
If results are good, raise the limit slightly or add one more claim type. Keep the same review rhythm so learning compounds.

‍

Prefer a quick walkthrough with your team? Book a discovery call and we will map a low risk pilot together.

‍

In one sentence

STP helps you pay simple claims quickly and safely so customers are happier and your team can focus on what truly needs a person.

‍

Need STP mapped to your stack? Book a discovery call.

‍