RQB vs PL Rating: The Real Difference for MGAs and Wholesalers
If you’re an MGA or wholesaler quoting personal or commercial lines, chances are you’ve come across PL Rating by Vertafore. It’s a widely used platform in the retail agency world. But when you’re managing delegated authority, carrier programs, or internal underwriting ops, you need something more powerful.
This blog breaks down the real difference between RQB and PL Rating-so you can choose the right tool for your quoting workflows.
What Is PL Rating?
PL Rating is a personal lines comparative rater designed for retail agents. It allows users to enter applicant data once and receive real-time quotes from multiple carriers.
It’s a solid fit for:
- Auto, Home, and Umbrella quoting
- Direct agent-to-consumer workflows
- Independent agencies looking for fast rate comparisons
But it’s not built for:
- Commercial lines
- Delegated quoting workflows
- Carrier program routing
- Underwriting rules enforcement
What Is RQB?
RQB (Rate Quote Bind) is a multi-carrier quoting engine built specifically for MGAs, wholesalers, and delegated authority use cases. It supports personal and commercial lines, applies custom rules, and integrates directly with carriers, underwriters, and downstream systems like Expert Insured.
Key features include:
- Submission triage and intake automation
- Program-based carrier routing
- Carrier API integrations
- Internal and agent-facing portals
- Full quote-to-bind workflows
Comparison Table: RQB vs PL Rating
| Feature | PL Rating | RQB |
| Built for MGAs | No | Yes |
| Delegated Carrier Programs | No | Yes |
| Commercial Lines Support | Limited | Yes |
| Custom Underwriting Rules | No | Yes |
| Quoting + Binding | Quoting only | Full quote-bind-export |
| API Integration with Carriers | Basic | Full API & embedded rate logic |
| Agent + Underwriter Access | Agent only | Both |
Why MGAs and Wholesalers Choose RQB Over PL Rating
PL Rating is useful if you’re a retail agent quoting personal lines. But if you need to:
- Handle carrier programs
- Route and triage submissions
- Control quoting authority
- Integrate with an AMS like Expert Insured …then PL Rating simply isn’t enough.
RQB gives you the infrastructure to centralize quoting, enforce rules, and bind faster.
Real-World Test Case: PL Rating vs RQB
A fast-growing MGA originally used PL Rating for Homeowners quoting. However, they ran into the following issues:
- Couldn’t control quoting rules for subagents
- No support for commercial property
- Had to rekey quote data into their AMS
- Binding still required manual carrier steps
They switched to RQB and implemented:
- Direct submission intake from subagents
- Automated routing based on carrier appetite
- Real-time quoting + binding for Home, Condo, and Small Commercial
- One-click export into Expert Insured for invoicing and policy issuance
Result:
- 60% faster quote-to-bind cycle
- 3x more quotes issued per underwriter
- Zero rekeying
- Improved E&O compliance
FAQs: RQB vs PL Rating
Can RQB quote personal lines like PL Rating?
Yes. RQB supports Homeowners, Auto, Umbrella, and more—but adds carrier rules and binding features that PL Rating lacks.
Is RQB only for internal users?
No. RQB offers portals for both internal underwriters and external agents with role-based access control.
Can I keep using PL Rating for some lines and use RQB for others?
Yes, but most MGAs eventually transition fully to RQB due to better control and efficiency.
Does RQB support multi-carrier commercial quoting?
Absolutely. RQB is built to handle multiple programs across General Liability, BOP, WC, and Property.
Is RQB integrated with our AMS or CRM?
Yes. RQB connects with AMS platforms like Expert Insured and can push data downstream to CRMs, invoicing systems, and document storage.
Conclusion
PL Rating works for basic personal lines quoting at the retail level-but it’s not designed for the complexity of MGA or wholesaler operations. RQB offers triage, rating, rules enforcement, and binding-all in one unified quoting engine.
If you’re ready to scale programs, boost underwriter productivity, and remove quoting bottlenecks, RQB is your next step.
Still stuck using PL Rating for MGA quoting?
Request a Demo of RQB and see the difference purpose-built quoting makes.
