Pet Insurance Reviews

How do the insurers on our panel stack up? Here are our pet insurance reviews

Provider	Pros	Cons	Apply today
Bow Wow Meow	There's no excess, so it's worth claiming for even the smallest vet bills It's one of the few insurers to include dental illness cover It doesn't exclude cover for any hereditary breed conditions At $20,000, it offers one of the highest annual limits	Like many pet insurers, you can't purchase its top plans if your pet is 9 or over	More info
Guardian	No excess and no joining fee Choose from any registered vet in Australia Get covered for life if you keep your policy	Only lets you claim up to $12,000 a year, which isn't as much as some other pet insurers You can't purchase its accident and illness cover if your pet is 9 or over	More info
Guide Dogs	A portion of your premium goes to Guide Dogs Australia Liability cover of up to $1 million for Registered Guide Dogs You can get cover for accidents and illnesses for pets over 9 years old	If you want routine care, it's only available as an add-on	More info
Pet Insurance Australia	You can lower your premiums if you like with Choice of $0, $100 and $200 An incremental 5% discount for every additional pet you insure, up to a maximum of 15% off Emergency boarding fees if you're hospitalised or require accommodation due to family violence	Routine care is only automatically included with Major Medical Cover. If you want it with a comprehensive policy, you'll have to pay extra	Get quote
Prime	85% of vet bills covered – one of the highest reimbursement rates Cover for your pet while travelling overseas It's one of the few providers to offer dental illness benefits	It has a $14,000 annual benefits cap. There are some pet insurers in Australia that offer more, if you're worried that it's not enough It comes with a paralysis tick benefit cap of $1,200	More info
PetSecure	Covers up to 75% or 85% of vet bills No excess, so your money stays in your pocket There are discounts for rescue animals, assistant dogs and pensioners	Your benefits are capped at $12,000 a year, which is less than many other providers The paralysis tick benefit cap is low – $500 per year. Many others provide $1,000 or more	Get quote
Petsy	The only pet insurance provider on Finder that lets you claim 100% back on your vet bills $0 excess, always A generous $25,000 annual limit	To qualify for its top policy, your pet needs to be older than 8 weeks and younger than 8 years old	Get quote
Real	10% refund on your premium after a year Pay fortnightly, monthly or yearly at no extra cost You can visit any licensed vet in Australia	Annual benefits are capped at $12,000, which is less than some other insurers If you want routine care, you'll need to pay extra for it	More info
RSPCA	A portion of your premium supports the RSPCA No excess, meaning no out of pocket costs when you visit the vet A large annual benefit cap of $20,000 No sneaky sub-limits for paralysis tick with its top policy – you get up to $20,000	If you want routine care, you'll need to pay extra for it	Get quote
Woolworths	Members get 10% off their Woolies shop every month Price beat guarantee on comparable policies The $24,000 annual limit is higher than most of its competitors Donates $10 to Pet Rescue for every new policy	Routine care is automatically included with the comprehensive policy, but you might not want or need it (treatments are often not that expensive anyway)	More info

Compare pet insurance features and quotes from these Aussie brands

Now that you've weighed up the pros and cons of each, click through to receive a personalised quote.

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Name	Product	Accidental Injury	Illness	Maximum Yearly Benefit	Paralysis Tick Benefit	Maximum yearly benefit	Reimbursement rate	Reimbursement Rate
Medibank Ultimate Pet Care				$15,000	$1,200	$15,000	80%	80%	Want a $100 PETstock e-voucher? Plus, health members save 10% every year. Sign up using promo code PET100. Ends 19 Oct 2021. T&Cs apply. Visit our website to find out more.	Get quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Budget Direct Pet Insurance				$12,000	$1,500	$12,000	80%	80%	Get 15% off on your first year’s premium when you buy online.	Get quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
PD Deluxe Plan Exclusive				$15,000	$2,300	$15,000	100%	100%	⭐Finder Exclusive: Apply online and get your first 2 months free. Offer ends 30 November 2021. T&Cs apply.	Get quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Knose Pet Insurance Exclusive				$25,000	$25,000	$25,000	70%, 80% or 90%	70%, 80% or 90%	⭐Finder Exclusive: Get 10% off your first year's premium. Lower prices for lower risk pets. T&C's apply.	Get quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
PIA Major Medical Cover				$15,145	$1,200	$15,145	80%	80%	Covers specified accidents and illnesses, with Routine Care Cover included. Get 2 months free when you sign up.	Get quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Vets Choice Elite Cover				$15,000	$2,500	$15,000	80% or 100%	80% or 100%	Get a 5% discount when you insure more than one pet.	Get quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Petsy Dog Accidental Injury and Illness Cover (Vet Select)				$25,000	$1,500	$25,000	100%	100%	Enjoy 2 months free and personalised pet tag with promo code: PETSYPET. Petsy members enjoy free personalised gifts, exclusive pet discounts and perks for humans.	Get quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Kogan Pet Luxury Cover				$15,000	$2,000	$15,000	80% or 65%	80% or 65%	Sign up and get $75 Kogan.com Credit. T&Cs apply.	Get quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Coles Premium Cover				$15,000	$2,500	$15,000	80% or 100%	80% or 100%	Earn 10x Flybuys points per $1 spent on pet food at Coles Supermarkets. T&Cs apply.	Get quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
PetSecure Accident and Illness Cover				$12,000	$500	$12,000	75% or 85%	75% or 85%	Your pet is covered for life.	Get quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
RSPCA Ultimate Plus Accident and Illness Cover				$20,000	Up to $20,000 annual limit	$20,000	80%	80%	Comprehensive cover for your pet, including the option of routine care. Get 1 month free for the first year of new policies. T&C's apply.	Get quote View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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Your checklist for reading pet insurance reviews

If you're reading multiple pet insurance reviews online, keep the following things in mind:

• Read more than one review. Don't make up your mind based on one review. Read a few reviews to get a more complete picture of the features of a policy and the strengths and weaknesses of an insurer.
• Be wary of reviews written by displeased customers. If a customer has had a bad experience with an insurer, fair enough – it's certainly information that could help you make a choice. However, make sure to check that the customer has a legitimate reason to be dissatisfied, as some customers complain about dodgy service from insurers when it is actually the customer who was in the wrong.
• Look at who wrote the review. Was the review written by a so-called industry expert? If so, what are their qualifications? Was it written by a former customer? Look for any vested interests a reviewer might have that could influence their review.
• Watch out for reviews on the insurer's website. No insurer is going to post negative product reviews on their own website, so don't take these types of reviews as a completely accurate portrayal of a policy.
• Watch out for fake reviews. Use your wits and don't be sucked in by any reviews that sound too good to be true.

What to look for in a pet insurance policy

While you can garner a great deal of useful information about pet insurance policies by reading pet insurance reviews, you need to know what's right for you, which means knowing what to look for.

What is covered?

The first piece of information to look for is exactly what a policy covers you for. Items to look for include:

• Are accidents and illnesses covered or is it an accident only policy?
• Can you add a benefit for routine care procedures (for example vaccinations)?
• What optional extras are available with your policy?
• What is the maximum amount you can claim against your policy each year and what percentage of your eligible vet bills will the insurer pay?

What is excluded?

Look for the section of the review that refers to a policy's exclusions. Common exclusions include:

• Pre-existing conditions; however, some insurers make it possible to take out coverage for certain pre-existing conditions once your pet has recovered from them
• Illnesses for which there is a known vaccine
• Breeding and pregnancy
• Failing to take proper care to look after your pet

Consider what you need in a pet insurance policy

When reading pet insurance reviews, always consider your own needs. There's no point in buying a policy simply because it comes with some added features that you're unlikely to ever use. To get one that's right for your pet, keep the following in mind:

• Know the cover you need. Look at the cost of accident cover compared to the increased cost attached to a combined accident and illness policy. Are you looking for basic or comprehensive cover, and how does the protection offered by each policy stack up against the competition?
• Know what is covered. Look for information on exactly which injuries and illnesses each policy covers. Does one policy cover a larger number of conditions than the rest of the competition? Or is there one particular policy that covers all the injuries you fear your pet is most likely to ever sustain?
• Check the maximum benefit. You also need to check the maximum benefit limit per year on each policy. Pet insurance will usually only cover a certain percentage of your eligible vet bills, usually ranging from 50% to 80%, so look for a policy that will let you claim as much back as possible.

Other features to look for in a review include exclusions, sub-limits, excess amounts, average premium costs and any waiting periods that may apply.

Easily compare policies side by side in our comparison table. Use the filters to compare each feature that matters to you.

Take note of different levels of cover

It's a good idea to consider the exact level of cover you require before taking out a pet insurance policy. Cover options include:

• Accident only. If you're on a tighter budget and only want protection for some of the worst-case scenarios your pet might encounter, an accident only policy may be a good option. This offers protection for the medicine and treatment costs for a range of injuries, including those caused by car accidents, falls, burns, insect bites and snake bites.
• Accident and illness. If you want an increased level of cover, a combined accident and illness policy will offer cover for the treatment costs when your pet suffers one of a wide range of illnesses. These include cancer, skin conditions, hereditary problems and other infectious diseases.
• Comprehensive. A comprehensive policy offers an increased level of cover, typically featuring a higher benefit limit and the option to include cover for routine care procedures. However, in order to decide on which type of policy is right for you, you'll need to consider how important it is to you that your pet is covered and how much insurance you can afford.

Once you know what features you want in a policy, you can read pet insurance reviews to confirm the best policy option for you.

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