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We designed Finder Score to make comparing pet insurance easier, assessing more than 20 products for their price and features. Finder Score assigns each product a score out of 10.
To demonstrate just how much pet insurance premiums can vary between providers, we gathered a range of quotes from pet insurers for a 5-year-old male, desexed Staffordshire Terrier. The figures below can be used as a general guide to highlight how premiums can differ between providers. Your own quote will likely differ.
To learn more about how we got the costs above, read our pet insurance methodology.
The higher the excess you choose, the cheaper your premiums will be. Our filters let you choose an excess from $0 up to $200 to help lower costs. Just remember that you'll need to pay this excess whenever you make a claim.
An annual limit is the maximum amount you can claim per year. The reimbursement rate refers to the percentage of a vet bill the pet insurer will pay. Generally, the lower the annual limit and reimbursement rate, the cheaper your pet insurance policy is likely to cost.
While we can't show you exactly how much you'll pay for a pet insurance policy, there's nothing stopping you from clicking through, answering some questions about your pet and getting a couple of different quotes. If price is your only concern, go with the insurer that gives you the cheapest quote, as long as the cover matches your pet's needs.
A typical pet insurance policy can cover you for a range of treatments. Each provider differs so be sure to understand what's included as standard and what you'll need to add as an optional extra.
Here are some of the benefits you'll find in your policy:
A cheap policy can be worth it, as long as you know what you're giving up. The lowest premiums usually come with lower annual limits, lower reimbursement rates (say 70% instead of 90%) or higher excesses, which means more out of your own pocket when you claim.
That can be a smart trade if you mainly want protection against big, unexpected vet bills rather than help with everyday costs. But it's worth checking the sub-limits and exclusions before you buy, a very cheap policy that doesn't cover the conditions your pet is likely to face isn't really a saving. For more on this, check out our guide on whether pet insurance is worth it.
Cats are generally cheaper to insure than dogs. They tend to have fewer breed-related health problems and lower average vet costs, so premiums are usually lower for the same level of cover.
With dogs, the breed makes a big difference. Larger breeds and those prone to hereditary conditions usually cost more to insure than small, healthy breeds. So the cheapest policy for your pet depends not just on the insurer, but on your specific animal.
Whether you have a dog or a cat, the way to find the cheapest cover is the same: get a few quotes for your pet's exact breed, age and location, then compare like-for-like on cover level.
If your only goal is the lowest possible premium, accident-only cover is usually the cheapest type of pet insurance. It covers you for injuries from accidents, like a broken bone or a snakebite, but not for illnesses such as cancer or skin conditions.
It won't suit everyone, illness makes up a large share of vet claims, but for a young, healthy pet, or if you simply want a safety net against major accidents on a tight budget, it's worth considering. Compare accident-only policies to see how much you could save.
In the event your pet needs medical attention, pet insurance works by providing you with a partial reimbursement on the vet fees you had to pay. This is done with a few considerations:
When you take out your pet insurance policy, you can elect a reimbursement rate. The options are typically for 70, 80, 90 or 100%. The higher your reimbursement rate, the higher your premium will be.
Each insurer has a maximum cover amount available per year. This is the limit which they will pay out in any single year. On top of this, there are sub-limits which apply to specific treatments. Let's say for example, you take out a policy with a max cover amount of $30,000. Afterwards, you have to go to the vet for a cruciate ligament treatment and it costs you $4,000. You go to make a claim for cruciate ligaments but it has a sub-limit of $1,500. This means you only get reimbursed for $1,500 of the $4,000 you paid.
When you take out a policy, you will nominate an excess to pay. This is the amount you will have to pay the insurer to be able to make a claim on your policy. Often, instead of having to transfer the money to your insurer, they'll just deduct it from your reimbursement.
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The cost of your pet insurance premium is highly customised. It will depend on any of the following:
The status of your pet aside, there are a few other factors that influence your overall premium:
"I realised the value of pet insurance when one of my dogs got very sick as a young puppy. We have now had both dogs insured for years. I can't tell you how much we've saved being able to claim vet bills for injuries and some illnesses. If I could do it again, I would organise insurance before bringing the dogs home as puppies."
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