Finder makes money from featured partners, but editorial opinions are our own.

Cancelling Pet Insurance

You can cancel your pet insurance at any time, here’s how.

Key takeaways

  • You can cancel your pet insurance at any time, but you may want to consider switching first.
  • Some insurers may charge you a cancellation fee. This is typically around $30.
  • There’s a few things to consider before hitting the cancel button. We’ll run you through them below.

How to cancel pet insurance

To cancel your pet insurance policy, you'll need to get in touch with your pet insurance to let them know. You can usually do this by calling, emailing or writing to them. Some may even have an app that you can cancel through too.

Cancelling over the phone can feel a bit awkward. Here’s an easy script you can follow.

You: Hi, I’d like to cancel my pet insurance policy please. Can you let me know the steps to arrange this?

Insurer: Sure, may I ask why you’d like to cancel?

You: I’m finding the premiums to be really expensive and there’s no room in my budget for this at the moment.

If that’s not the real reason, feel free to include why you’re actually cancelling. We like to use this excuse because it often prompts the insurer to give you a discount or a limited period completely free.

Insurer: I’m sorry to hear this. If I can offer you 3 weeks free, would you keep your policy active for now?

OR

Insurer: No problem at all, I can cancel your policy now. I’ll email you confirmation of this.

What to consider before cancelling your pet insurance policy

Before you hit that cancel button, there’s a few things you should consider to ensure you’re making an informed decision.

  • Cancellation fees. Some insurers will charge you a cancellation fee. It’s usually not much, around $30 but it never feels nice when you’re not prepared for it. We’ve outlined the different fees below.
  • The age of your pet. If your pet is over 9 years old then you will likely struggle to find cover for it again. This is because pet insurers typically only accept pets under 9 years of age. So if you cancel now, know that you probably won’t have the option to take out another policy later.
  • Do you want to switch or cancel? When you’re fed up with the rising cost of pet insurance premiums, it can be easy to jump to cancelling your policy. Before you do this, get some quotes for other policies and see if any come in cheap enough for you to consider keeping the cover. Sometimes even just calling your existing insurer and telling them you’re going to cancel can prompt them to give you a period of time for free or at a discounted rate.
    • Pet insurance cancellation fees

      Does your pet insurer charge a cancellation fee? We’ve researched a bunch of providers and outlined their cancellation terms.

      ProviderCancellation fee
      Everyday InsuranceNot stated
      MedibankNot stated
      Kogan Pet Insurance

      $30 cancellation fee

      Budget Direct Logo$40 cancellation fee
      Coles pet insuranceNot stated
      PD pet insuranceNot stated
      Vets Choice pet insuranceNot stated
      PetsOnMeNot stated
      Picture not describedNot stated
      Guardian Pet Insurance LogoNot stated
      RSPCA pet insuranceNot stated
      Pet insurance Australia

      $30 cancellation fee

      Petsy pet insuranceNot stated
      Not stated
      Knose pet insuranceNot stated
      $30 cancellation fee
      Guide dogs logoNot stated

      Did you know you may be entitled to a refund?

      Peta Taylor's headshot
      Our expert says

      "If you pay your pet insurance premium annually and are cancelling before the year is up, then you could be entitled to a refund for the unused portion of your premium. A lot of people wrongly assume that if they’ve paid for the year then that money is just gone and they may as well see out the years worth of coverage. This is incorrect! You can cancel at any time and you’ll get the unused portion back."

      Associate publisher

      FAQs

    Peta Taylor's headshot
    Written by

    Publisher of Insurance

    Peta Taylor is a publisher at Finder, working across all of insurance. She's been analysing product disclosure statements and publishing articles for over 2 years. Peta is passionate about demystifying complex insurance products to help users make well educated decisions with confidence. Peta is part of Finder's insurance awards team and works alongside editorial and insights experts to bring users the best insurance products every year. See full bio

    More guides on Finder

    Ask a question

    You are about to post a question on finder.com.au:

    • Do not enter personal information (eg. surname, phone number, bank details) as your question will be made public
    • finder.com.au is a financial comparison and information service, not a bank or product provider
    • We cannot provide you with personal advice or recommendations
    • Your answer might already be waiting – check previous questions below to see if yours has already been asked

    Finder only provides general advice and factual information, so consider your own circumstances, or seek advice before you decide to act on our content. By submitting a question, you're accepting our Terms Of Service and Finder Group Privacy & Cookies Policy.

    This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

    2 Responses

      Default Gravatar
      RenJune 5, 2023

      I recently changed providers a month ago as I was trying to get the best deal on pet insurance. I’ve had insurance now for the past 6 years. I wanted to get the cruciate ligament time period waived so I took my dog to the vet, to which she did a quick work up on her anyway. All looked to be ok. 2 weeks later we have now noticed a lump on her chest on her right hand side. I’m curious to know as I’ve read that if it is deemed to have been there prior to the policy starting that the new insurer may not cover it, but as mentioned I’ve been insured for 6 years so if it’s deemed the new insurer won’t cover it, surely my old insurer would have to?

        AvatarFinder
        JamesJune 6, 2023Finder

        Hi Ren,

        Thanks for your message. For illnesses, you’ll generally have to serve a waiting period of between 14 to 30 days before you can claim – and 6 months for long-term conditions. It’s best to speak directly to your insurer for help with your specific situation and to find out what you can claim for.

        Best,

        James

    Go to site