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Finder’s pet insurance methodology
How our experts and insights team calculated the 2023 Finder pet insurance awards.
What are the Finder pet insurance awards?
Finder's pet insurance awards is a ratings methodology that compares both price and features across 28 pet insurance policies. To determine the ratings, we got 714 pet insurance quotes based on 24 different pet profiles.
We use the final scores from our insurance awards to inform the top picks on our best pet insurance page.
While we have gathered quotes for a range of different cats and dogs, your costs may differ depending on the breed, age and sex of your pet.
Finder's pet insurance awards criteria
The criteria for Finder's pet insurance awards was determined by our insights team and insurance experts.
Pet insurance eligibility criteria
The pet insurance provider must be in the market for at least 12 months
The policy must be available in Australia
The policy must be available to buy online
The policy must cover accidents and illnesses
The policy must be the most comprehensive option the provider offers
Finder's pet insurance awards methodology
1. How we calculated our price score for pet insurance
To get a fair estimation of how much each provider charges for a pet insurance policy, we got prices for 24 pet profiles.
This meant getting policies for a number of different types of cats and dogs, ranging in age, breed and sex.
We then calculated the average price of all the quotes we received for each policy. This was our price score, rated from 0 to 10. The cheapest policy scored 10.
2. How we calculated our features score for pet insurance
The features score takes into account 7 different features commonly covered by a pet insurance policy. These were:
Annual benefit limit
Reimbursement rate
Excess
Routine care
Paralysis tick benefit
Waiting period for illnesses
Maximum age
Each feature is allocated points out of 10 – for example, a policy that offers a $30,000 annual limit may receive 10 points, while another that offers $10,000 may receive 8 points.
3. How we calculated our final scores for pet insurance
There are 2 pet insurance award categories: one for value and the other for comprehensiveness. Each category was weighted slightly differently:
Value weighting
Comprehensive weighting
Maximum yearly benefit
10%
20%
Maximum age
5%
20%
Reimbursement rate
5%
7%
Routine care
5%
15%
Paralysis tick benefit
5%
8%
Waiting period
5%
5%
Excess
5%
5%
Price
60%
20%
What are the Finder customer satisfaction awards?
The Finder customer satisfaction awards surveys thousands of Australians to better understand how they feel about their recent product purchases and help you make a decision about what to buy. It's an independent awards program calculated by our data and insights team. Commercial partnerships don't influence the results in any way.
Pet insurance customer satisfaction awards criteria and methodology
To get our customer satisfaction award winners for pet insurance, we asked a total of 1300 customers how they felt about their current pet insurer. To be eligible for inclusion in the final results, we had to get a minimum of 45 responses for each pet insurer.
The recency period varied between 3 months to 3 years, depending on the product category.
Respondents were asked whether they would recommend the pet insurer to a friend. This result was scored out of 5 as a percentage. For example, if 80% of respondents said they would recommend a product, it received a score of 4 out of 5.
Customers were asked how they would rate each pet insurer overall on a scale between 1 and 5 and in terms of:
Features and benefits
Customer service
Value for money
Ease of application
Overall
The final score was calculated as an average of all metrics scored.
Disclaimer: While we endeavour to assess the majority of product providers in the market, this is not always possible and it may be that not every product or brand in the market was included for judging.
Why you can trust Finder's pet insurance experts
We're free
You pay the same as buying directly from the pet insurer. Better still, we regularly run exclusive deals that you won't find on any other site – plus, our tables make it easy to compare policies.
We're experts
Our team of pet insurance experts have researched and rated 25+ policies as part of the Finder Awards. We've produced guides on everything from the best policies to jargon-free explainers.
We're independent
Unlike other comparison sites, we're not owned by an insurer. That means our opinions are our own and we work with lots of pet insurance brands, making it easier for you to find a good deal.
We're here to help
Since 2016, we've helped 110,000+ people find pet insurance by explaining your cover options, simply and clearly. We'll never ask for your number or email. We're here to help you make a decision.
Frequently asked questions
We currently run our Finder pet insurance awards once a year. The 2023 awards are based on policies that were available to take out during the 2022 period.
We work to assess the majority of products in the market but this isn't always possible and it may be that not every product or brand in the market was included for judging. For our pet insurance awards, we looked at over 70 pet insurance polices and got prices for 28 of the most comprehensive options each of these providers offered.
Sometimes we aren't able to include an insurer in our final results because we were unable to get enough quotes from them or they did not meet our eligibility criteria.
Gary Ross Hunter is an editor at Finder, specialising in insurance. He’s been writing about life, travel, home, car, pet and health insurance for over 6 years and regularly appears as an insurance expert in publications including The Sydney Morning Herald, news.com.au, The Telegraph, Explore Travel and Escape. Gary holds a Kaplan Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification and a Kaplan Tier 1 Generic Knowledge certification which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146).
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Important information about this website
finder.com.au is one of Australia's leading comparison websites. We are committed to our readers and stands by our editorial principles
We try to take an open and transparent approach and provide a broad-based comparison service. However, you should be aware that while we are an independently owned service, our comparison service does not include all providers or all products available in the market.
Some product issuers may provide products or offer services through multiple brands, associated companies or different labeling arrangements. This can make it difficult for consumers to compare alternatives or identify the companies behind the products. However, we aim to provide information to enable consumers to understand these issues.
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When products are grouped in a table or list, the order in which they are initially sorted may be influenced by a range of factors including price, fees and discounts; commercial partnerships; product features; and brand popularity. We provide tools so you can sort and filter these lists to highlight features that matter to you.
Please note that the information published on our site should not be construed as personal advice and does not consider your personal needs and circumstances. While our site will provide you with factual information and general advice to help you make better decisions, it isn't a substitute for professional advice. You should consider whether the products or services featured on our site are appropriate for your needs. If you're unsure about anything, seek professional advice before you apply for any product or commit to any plan and read any disclosure documents (such as any Target Market Determination (TMD) and/or Product Disclosure Statement (PDS)) issued by the provider before making a decision.
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