Firefly review for insurance agencies: fees, carrier access and book ownership
Firefly is an agency network for P&C agents who want to sell for many carriers without winning each appointment themselves. You write under Firefly's carrier contracts as one of its locations, and Firefly collects and pays out the commissions.
It suits experienced agents, including captive agents (agents tied to one carrier) going independent. There are no monthly dues. Firefly keeps 10% of each commission on its carriers and charges a one-time upfront fee.
An appointment is a carrier's contract that lets an agency sell its policies. A network that holds the appointment itself has a master code, and members write under it, often on a subcode of their own listed beneath it.
A commission split is the share of each commission a network keeps. Profit sharing, also called contingency pay, is a yearly carrier bonus for profitable growth. Owning your book means the clients and their expirations, the renewal records for each policy, are yours.
- Best for
- P&C agents with experience, including captive agents going independent
- Monthly fee
- No network dues. You pay for the EZLynx software it requires
- Commission share
- Firefly keeps 10% on its carriers
- Carrier access
- Under Firefly's carrier codes, as one of its locations
- Startups
- Yes, with P&C experience
- States
- 35
Our take
Firefly works best for an agent with P&C experience who needs markets now and doesn't mind writing under someone else's carrier codes. The 90/10 split is flat, and business on appointments you already hold isn't split at all.
The limit that matters most is leaving. Firefly says the book is yours, but moving Firefly carrier business to your own codes costs 30% of a year's commission on it, and each carrier has to agree.
Pros
- Keeps a flat 10% on its carriers, with no tiers
- No split on appointments you bring with you
- No monthly dues for carrier access
- Takes startups with P&C experience and captive agents going independent
- No production minimums by carrier
- Leave on 30 days' notice with no noncompete
Cons
- You write under Firefly's codes, so carriers pay Firefly first
- Taking Firefly carrier business costs 30% of a year's commission
- The upfront fee and EZLynx price aren't public
- Missing the growth target costs $100 a month after year one
- No other networks while you're a member
Who they take
- Startups
- Yes, if you have P&C experience. Not for people new to insurance
- Requirements
- P&C experience and a marketing plan. A DUI, a criminal record or very poor credit can keep you out
- Production minimums
- Grow your Firefly premium in force, the yearly premium on your active policies, by $100,000 a year until it reaches $500,000. No minimums by carrier
- States
- AL, AZ, AR, CT, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, ME, MD, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NC, OH, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WV, WA and WI
- Lines
- Personal and commercial P&C. Excess and surplus lines (hard-to-place risks) through an affiliate
What it costs
Firefly charges a one-time upfront fee for onboarding and carrier setup but keeps the amount private. The fee is not refundable. If you quote 75 different prospects in six months and still haven't earned it back, Firefly returns the shortfall.
There are no network dues. The monthly cost is EZLynx, the quoting and agency software Firefly requires, at a group rate it doesn't list.
| Fee | Amount | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront fee | Kept private | Once |
| Commission the network keeps | 10% of commission on Firefly carriers | Every commission payment |
| Growth shortfall fee | $100 a month | After year one, while you miss the growth target |
| Transfer fee | 30% of the last 12 months' commission on the policies you move | Once, when you take Firefly carrier business |
Fees as of October 2026, from fireflyagency.com. Business on appointments you already hold is not split.
How you get carrier access
Your own appointments
You keep any appointments you already hold, and Firefly takes no share of them. A code of your own with a Firefly carrier comes only after you pay the transfer fee and that carrier agrees.
The network's code
You are added as a location under Firefly's carrier codes, with authority to quote, bind and service. Firefly calls these direct appointments, but the codes belong to Firefly.
- Who holds the appointment
- Firefly
- Path to a direct appointment
- Only by transferring business off Firefly, with the carrier agreeing
- Carriers
- Progressive, Nationwide, Openly, National General, The Hartford, Foremost, Safeco and Grange. Commercial leads and service centers with Travelers, Liberty Mutual and West Bend
How you get paid
- Who the carrier pays
- Firefly, which pays you by direct deposit on the 15th of each month
- Commission schedule
- 90% to you on new business and renewals with Firefly carriers, with no tiers
- Profit sharing
- You can qualify for carrier profit bonuses. Books that keep losing money can be dropped
- Tax form
- One 1099 from Firefly
Your book and leaving
Firefly says the book is yours. Moving its carrier business to your own codes costs a transfer fee, and only carriers that agree to appoint you can move.
- Who owns the expirations
- You, according to Firefly
- Carrier code after you leave
- Firefly's codes stay with Firefly. Policies move only to carriers willing to work with you directly
- Moving one client
- Rewrite them with an appointment of your own and no transfer fee applies
- Selling your agency
- Sell to an outside buyer after paying the transfer fee, or leave the book to family who join Firefly at no cost
- Liens and transfer fees
- 30% of the prior 12 months' commission on the policies you move
- Restrictions
- No other networks while you're a member. No noncompete when you leave
- Commission after a transfer
- 100% of the carrier's commission
What you give up on exit Your Firefly carrier business stays on Firefly's codes unless you pay 30% of a year's commission on it and the carrier agrees to appoint you. Price that in before you join if you might leave someday.
Term and exit
- Agreement term
- No fixed term
- How to leave
- Written notice
- Notice
- 30 days
Technology, E&O and support
Technology
- EZLynx Advanced, required for every personal lines quote
- Group rate on EZLynx
- E-signatures through EZLynx
E&O
Required. Buy Firefly's discounted group policy or keep your own if it meets Firefly's standards.
Help you get
- One-on-one training
- Help getting set up with carriers
- Commercial orientation and a warm lead program
- Commission reconciliation
- Marketing guidance
Who owns the network
- Owner
- Privately held by its partners, led by the Griffioen family
- Buys member agencies
- No
Firefly alternatives
- Smart ChoiceNo monthly feeNo entry or monthly fee, keeps 30% until a set commission level, then nothing
- SIAAHelps you win direct appointments through a regional Master Agency
- IronpeakNo duesNo entry fee or dues, profit sharing from $100,000 in premium
- RenaissanceMonthly fee with a first-year earnings guarantee, 23 states
- FirstChoice$500 a month, per PIA associationsFlat monthly fee, your own appointments and, it says, no noncompete
See every option in insurance agency clusters and networks.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Firefly cost?
There are no monthly dues. Firefly keeps 10% of commission on its carriers, charges a one-time upfront fee it keeps private and requires EZLynx at a group rate.
Do I own my book with Firefly?
Firefly says yes. To move Firefly carrier business to your own codes you pay 30% of the prior 12 months' commission on it, and only carriers that agree can move.
Does Firefly take startup agencies?
Yes, if you have P&C experience. Captive agents going independent are welcome too.
Do I get my own carrier appointments?
Not with Firefly's carriers. You are a location under Firefly's codes, and appointments you already hold stay yours with no split.
How do I leave Firefly?
Give 30 days' written notice. There is no fixed term and no noncompete.
How we researched this review. We based this review on the terms and product pages published by Firefly, reviewed in October 2026, together with our team's experience working with insurance agents and agency owners since 2008.
Corrections
Vendors change their pricing all the time and they don't email us when they do. So if you see a price on here that's gone up, a plan Firefly quit selling or a contract term that reads different now, let us know and send the link to the page where Firefly has it. Somebody here pulls up that page and checks it before we change anything on ours.