Pets Best Pet Insurance Review 2025

Written by Kevin Hughes

Last updated: 24 January 2025

Pets Best has been established since 2005 and certainly has plenty of expertise when it comes to pet insurance – it was founded by Dr Jack Stephens, who was widely credited with creating the first ever pet insurance policy, way back in 1981.

Pets Best offers both accident and illness, and accident-only plans, with a range of customizable annual cover limits, deductibles and reimbursement rates. Pet parents can also purchase a wellness plan, to cover routine care, at extra cost. Among its key benefits is the Vet Direct Pay feature, where Pets Best will pay your vet directly for treatment costs instead of the need to make a claim.

Pets Best says it has paid out over $500m in claims since its launch, and provides cover for over 750,000 pets – making it one of the most popular pet insurers in the US.

Our Pets Best rating

Pros & Cons of Pets Best pet insurance

How does Pets Best pet insurance work?

Pets Best says it takes only around 60 seconds to get a quote for one of its pet insurance plans, and if you choose to go ahead, sign up is quick and simple – there’s no requirement for any veterinary checks. Like most pet insurers, Pets Best calculates its premium prices using a range of different factors – including the age of your pet, the breed, and your home location.

When you’ve bought your pet insurance plan and selected your chosen annual cover, deductible and reimbursement levels on your policy, you can manage your account easily by using the online portal or by downloading the Pets Best Mobile App. Here, you can check your policy documents, submit a claim, add additional pets and lots more.

The benefits of Pets Best pet insurance

Pets Best provides a series of benefits that could appeal to pet parents. All insurance plans come with access to a 24/7 Pet Helpline, at no extra cost. This gives policyholders the ability to get expert advice and support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for concerns over behavior or urgent medical situations – via telephone, email or live chat. With no limits on usage, this is a comforting option to have.

Another excellent benefit is that Pets Best can pay your vet directly for any bills you incur – many pet insurers don’t offer this – instead of submitting a claim to be processed and waiting for reimbursement. This saves you from needing to pay out for the full bill at all.

With a Pets Best insurance plan, there’s also no upper age limit for pets. While some insurers limit the type of cover a senior dog or cat can get, Pets Best don’t. So, if you have an older pet you can still get comprehensive accident and illness coverage in place.

Pets Best plans explained

Pets Best has both accident and illness, and accident-only, pet insurance plans available. It’s important to be aware that, if you select accident-only cover, your pet won’t be covered for any treatment required for illnesses – which can include cancer.

Whichever type of cover you choose, you can then pick from different annual cover, reimbursement and deductible options. Pets Best provide three annual coverage options (the amount of cover you can claim for in any year) – $5k, $10k and Unlimited. The reimbursement rate is the percentage of any claim the insurer will pay; Pets Best has 70%, 80% and 90% options.

The annual deductible is the amount you, the policyholder, pays towards a claim. Pets Best offers a large choice here, from a low of $50 right up to $1,000.

Pets Best also has two wellness plan packages to help cover the cost of routine veterinary care.

Pets Best coverage vs. other insurers

How does Pets Best stack up against America’s other providers? Have a look in our handy table!

Scroll to compare	Pets insured	Available Plans	Accident/Illness Payout Limits	Deductible Options	Co-Pay %	How claims are paid	Multi-pet discount	Accidents	Accident examples:	Accident wait period from enrollment	Illnesses	Illness examples:	Illness wait period from enrollment	Vet exam fees	Diagnostics inc. X-Ray/MRI etc	Surgery & Meds	Alternative Therapies inc. acupuncture & hydrotherapy	Behavioral issues	Prescription food	Dental illness	Hereditary issues	24/7 telehealth	Curable pre-existing conditions	Curable pre-existing condition examples	Routine wellness	Routine wellness wait period from enrollment	Routine wellness deductible/copay	Sample policy Document
5.0 Check Pricing	Dogs & Cats aged 2 months+	Accident & Illness, Accident-Only and Routine Wellness	$5,000, $10,000, Unlimited	$50 – $1,000	10%, 20%, 30%	Either reimbursed to pet parent or paid to your Care Credit card	5%	Any new accident once coverage starts	Broken bones, foreign body ingestion, animal bits, stings, vehicle accident, eye injuries, dental accident	3 days	Any new illness once coverage starts	Allergies, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, ear infections, heart disease, kidney disease, skin conditions, thyroid disorders	14 days Cruciate ligaments: 6 months											Respiratory infections, urinary tract/bladder infections, vomiting, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal disorders	Pays towards annual exams, vaccines, spay/neuter etc	Use immediately	$0	Link ↗️
5.0 Check Pricing	Dogs & Cats aged 8 weeks+	Accident & Illness, Accident-Only and Routine Wellness	$2,500, $3,000, $4,000, $5,000, $7,000, $10,000, Unlimited	$100 – $1,000	10%, 20%, 30%	Reimbursed to pet parent	10%	Any new accident once coverage starts	Broken bones, foreign body ingestion, animal bits, stings, vehicle accident, eye injuries, dental accident	14 days	Any new illness once coverage starts	Allergies, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, ear infections, heart disease, kidney disease, skin conditions, thyroid disorders	14 days No extended wait periods											Respiratory infections, urinary tract/bladder infections, vomiting, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal disorders	Pays towards annual exams, vaccines, spay/neuter etc	1 day	$0	Link ↗️
4.5 Check Pricing	Dogs & Cats aged 2 months – 14 years at enrollment	Accident & Illness	Unlimited	$0 – $1,000	Fixed 10%	Either reimbursed to pet parent or paid directly to your vet		Any new accident once coverage starts	Broken bones, foreign body ingestion, animal bits, stings, vehicle accident, eye injuries, dental accident	5 days	Any new illness once coverage starts	Allergies, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, ear infections, heart disease, kidney disease, skin conditions, thyroid disorders	30 days No extended wait periods					Optional	Limited					Respiratory infections, urinary tract/bladder infections, vomiting, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal disorders				Link ↗️
4.5 Check Pricing	Dogs & Cats aged 2 months – 14 years at enrollment	Accident & Illness	Unlimited	$100 – $1,000 based on pet’s age	10% – 50% based on pet’s age	Reimbursed to pet parent		Any new accident once coverage starts	Broken bones, foreign body ingestion, animal bits, stings, vehicle accident, eye injuries, dental accident	15 days	Any new illness once coverage starts	Allergies, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, ear infections, heart disease, kidney disease, skin conditions, thyroid disorders	15 days Hip dysplasia: 1-12 months (varies by state)								Pets enrolled aged 6 years+ are not covered for hip dysplasia			Respiratory infections, urinary tract/bladder infections, vomiting, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal disorders				Link ↗️
4.5 Check Pricing	Dogs & Cats aged 2 months to 10-14 years on enrollment (max age varies by breed & location)	Accident & Illness and Routine Wellness	$5,000, $10,000, $20,000, $50,000, $100,000	$100 – $750	10%, 20%, 30%	Reimbursed to pet parent	5%	Any new accident once coverage starts	Broken bones, foreign body ingestion, animal bits, stings, vehicle accident, eye injuries, dental accident	2 days	Any new illness once coverage starts	Allergies, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, ear infections, heart disease, kidney disease, skin conditions, thyroid disorders	14 days Orthopedics: 30 days Cruciate ligaments: 6 months	Optional			Optional	Optional		Optional		Optional		Respiratory infections, urinary tract/bladder infections, vomiting, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal disorders	Pays towards annual exams, vaccines, spay/neuter etc	1 day	$0	Link ↗️
4.5 Check Pricing	Dogs & Cats aged 6 weeks+	Accident & Illness and Routine Wellness	$5,000, $10,000, $15,000	$300 – $700	10%, 20%, 30%	Reimbursed to pet parent		Any new accident once coverage starts	Broken bones, foreign body ingestion, animal bits, stings, vehicle accident, eye injuries, dental accident	15 days	Any new illness once coverage starts	Allergies, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, ear infections, heart disease, kidney disease, skin conditions, thyroid disorders	15 days Hip & knee injuries: 6 months											Respiratory infections, urinary tract/bladder infections, vomiting, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal disorders	Pays towards annual exams, vaccines, spay/neuter etc	Use immediately	$0	Link ↗️
5.0 Check Pricing	Dogs & Cats aged 6 weeks – 14 years at enrollment	Accident & Illness, Accident-Only and Routine Wellness	$5,000, $8,000, $10,000, $15,000, Unlimited	$100 – $1,000	10%, 20%, 30%	Reimbursed to pet parent	10%	Any new accident once coverage starts	Broken bones, foreign body ingestion, animal bits, stings, vehicle accident, eye injuries, dental accident	2 days	Any new illness once coverage starts	Allergies, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, ear infections, heart disease, kidney disease, skin conditions, thyroid disorders	14 days Orthopedics: 30d – 6m (varies by state)	Optional		Surgery: Yes Meds: Optional								Respiratory infections, urinary tract/bladder infections, vomiting, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal disorders	Pays towards annual exams, vaccines, spay/neuter etc	Use immediately	$0	Link ↗️
4.5 Check Pricing	Dogs & Cats aged 2 months+	Accident & Illness and Routine Wellness	$5,000, $10,000, $20,000, Unlimited	$100 – $1,000	10%, 20%	Reimbursed to pet parent	10%	Any new accident once coverage starts	Broken bones, foreign body ingestion, animal bits, stings, vehicle accident, eye injuries, dental accident	14 days	Any new illness once coverage starts	Allergies, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, ear infections, heart disease, kidney disease, skin conditions, thyroid disorders	14 days No extended wait periods									For Wellness Club members only		Respiratory infections, urinary tract/bladder infections, vomiting, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal disorders	Pays towards annual exams, vaccines, spay/neuter etc	Use immediately	$0	Link ↗️
4.0 Check Pricing	Dogs & Cats aged 2 months+	Accident & Illness and Routine Wellness	$5,000, $10,000, Unlimited	$100 – $1,500 based on pet’s age	0 – 30% based on pet’s age	Reimbursed to pet parent	5%	Any new accident once coverage starts	Broken bones, foreign body ingestion, animal bits, stings, vehicle accident, eye injuries, dental accident	1 day	Any new illness once coverage starts	Allergies, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, ear infections, heart disease, kidney disease, skin conditions, thyroid disorders	14 days Orthopedics: 6 months	Optional										Respiratory infections, urinary tract/bladder infections, vomiting, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal disorders	Pays towards annual exams, vaccines, spay/neuter etc	Use immediately	$0	Link ↗️
4.5 Check Pricing	Dogs & Cats aged 8 weeks – 8 years at enrollment (9+ accident-only)	Accident & Illness, Accident-Only and Routine Wellness	$2,500, $5,000, $7,500, $10,000	$100 – $1,000	10%, 20%, 30%	Reimbursed to pet parent	5%	Any new accident once coverage starts	Broken bones, foreign body ingestion, animal bits, stings, vehicle accident, eye injuries, dental accident	2 days	Any new illness once coverage starts	Allergies, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, ear infections, heart disease, kidney disease, skin conditions, thyroid disorders	14 days Cruciates/IVDD: 180 days	Optional							Optional (pets under 2 years only)		May be covered after 365-day wait period	Respiratory infections, urinary tract/bladder infections, vomiting, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal disorders	Pays towards annual exams, vaccines, spay/neuter etc	Use immediately	$0	Link ↗️
4.0 Check Pricing	Dogs & Cats aged 8 weeks+	Accident & Illness, Accident-Only and Routine Wellness	Accidents: $2,500, $5,000 Illness: $5,000, $10,000	$250 – $1,000	20%, 30%, 50%	Reimbursed to pet parent	5%	Any new accident once coverage starts	Broken bones, foreign body ingestion, animal bits, stings, vehicle accident, eye injuries, dental accident	14 days	Any new illness once coverage starts	Allergies, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, ear infections, heart disease, kidney disease, skin conditions, thyroid disorders	14 days Orthopedics: 365 days					Optional	Optional		Optional			Respiratory infections, urinary tract/bladder infections, vomiting, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal disorders	Pays towards annual exams, vaccines, spay/neuter etc	1 day	$0	Link ↗️
4.0 Check Pricing	Dogs & Cats aged 8 weeks+	Accident & Illness, Accident-Only and Routine Wellness	$2,500, $10,000, Unlimited	$100 – $1,000	10%, 20%, 30%	Reimbursed to pet parent	10%	Any new accident once coverage starts	Broken bones, foreign body ingestion, animal bits, stings, vehicle accident, eye injuries, dental accident	5 days	Any new illness once coverage starts	Allergies, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, ear infections, heart disease, kidney disease, skin conditions, thyroid disorders	14 days Orthopedics: 6 months Cruciate injuries: 180 days	Optional										Respiratory infections, urinary tract/bladder infections, vomiting, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal disorders	Pays towards annual exams, vaccines, spay/neuter etc	Use immediately	$0	Link ↗️
4.5 Check Pricing	Dogs & Cats aged 8 weeks+	Accident & Illness and Routine Wellness	$2,000, $5,000, $10,000	$50 – $500	10%, 20%, 30%	Reimbursed to pet parent		Any new accident once coverage starts	Broken bones, foreign body ingestion, animal bits, stings, vehicle accident, eye injuries, dental accident	1 day	Any new illness once coverage starts	Allergies, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, ear infections, heart disease, kidney disease, skin conditions, thyroid disorders	14 days Orthopedics: 14 days Cruciate injuries: 1 day					Only with a Wellness Plan						Respiratory infections, urinary tract/bladder infections, vomiting, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal disorders	Pays towards annual exams, vaccines, spay/neuter etc	Use immediately	$0	Link ↗️
4.0 Check Pricing	Trupanion plans: No age restrictions Lemonade plans: 2 months – 14 years on enrollment (max age varies by breed & location)	Accident & Illness and Routine Wellness	$20,000, Unlimited	$250 – $1,000	10%, 20%, 30%	Reimbursed to pet parent (Trupanion plans have direct vet pay option)	10%	Any new accident once coverage starts	Broken bones, foreign body ingestion, animal bits, stings, vehicle accident, eye injuries, dental accident	2 – 5 days depending on your plan	Any new illness once coverage starts	Allergies, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, ear infections, heart disease, kidney disease, skin conditions, thyroid disorders	14 days Cruciate injuries: 14d – 6m (varies by plan)	Included in some plans			Complete plan only	Complete plan only		Included in some plans				Respiratory infections, urinary tract/bladder infections, vomiting, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal disorders	Pays towards annual exams, vaccines, spay/neuter etc	Use immediately	$0	Link ↗️
5.0 Check Pricing	Dogs & Cats aged 8 weeks+	Accident & Illness, Accident-Only, Routine Wellness	$2,500, $5,000, $7,000, $10,000	$100 – $500	10%, 20%, 30%	Reimbursed to pet parent	10%	Any new accident once coverage starts	Broken bones, foreign body ingestion, animal bits, stings, vehicle accident, eye injuries, dental accident	14 days	Any new illness once coverage starts	Allergies, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, ear infections, heart disease, kidney disease, skin conditions, thyroid disorders	14 days											Respiratory infections, urinary tract/bladder infections, vomiting, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal disorders	Pays towards annual exams, vaccines, spay/neuter etc	1 day	$0	Link ↗️

Is Pets Best pet insurance good value for money?

Price is always an important consideration when choosing a pet insurance plan, so how does the cost of cover from Pets Best compare to other insurers? Take a look at typical monthly prices for coverage in different US states.

How good is Pets Best’s customer service?

As Pets Best provides a 24/7 telehealth membership with all insurance plans, policyholders can get in contact at any time. Using your online Customer Account, you can manage your pet’s policy whenever you choose to, including updating payment information and personal details.

Pets Best scores reasonably well on the reviews website Trustpilot; at the time of writing, nearly 75% of over 5,000 reviews award 4 or 5 stars, so there are clearly many happy customers.

How do I contact Pets Best?

Call Pets Best on 1-877-738-7237 – the team is available on that number from 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday, and from 7am to 2pm on Saturday. You can also contact Pets Best via the 24/7 Pet Helpline, accessible from the app. If you need to get in touch by mail, the postal address is: Pets Best Insurance Services, LLC 965 Keller Road, Altamonte Springs, FL 32714.

What is Pets Best’s claims process?

Submitting a claim with Pets Best is simple. There are two different ways to do so. You can download a claim form from the online customer portal, complete it and return it by email to claims@petbest.com, by fax to 1-866-777-1434, or by mail.

Or, you can submit a claim using the Pets Best app – just upload a photo of your vet invoice and answer a few questions.

If you’ve opted to use Vet Direct Pay instead, your vet will be paid directly.

How much will Pets Best pay for my claim?

How much Pets Best pays towards a successful claim depends mainly on two factors – the reimbursement rate and deductible on your policy. The deductible is your contribution to the cost of any treatment, and this is paid annually. With Pets Best, this can be $50, $100, $200, $250, $500 or $1,000. So, if your deductible is $500 a year, you’ll pay this amount. If you make a later claim in the same year and that deductible has already been paid, you won’t pay it again.

The reimbursement rate dictates how much of what’s remaining the insurer pays. With an 80% reimbursement rate, Pets Best will pay 80% of the outstanding bill, so you pay the remaining 20%.

Are there any coverage exclusions?

As with all insurers, there are coverage exclusions to be aware of. Pets Best won’t cover pre-existing conditions – which is in line with most pet insurance providers – though the company will cover some conditions that are deemed curable. These are issues that have healed, with no reoccurrence of symptoms within 180 days.

Curable conditions include broken bones, dental fractures, and some respiratory infections. Cancer, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease and arthritis are all classed as incurable pre-existing conditions; if your pet has any of these prior to taking out pet insurance, treatment won’t be covered.

Other exclusions include cosmetic procedures, such as tail docking and ear cropping, and spaying or neutering.

What are the waiting periods for conditions?

Waiting periods vary. These are the periods between taking out a policy and when coverage effectively starts; during a waiting period, you can’t make a claim. The waiting period for accidents is three days, for illnesses it’s 14 days. For cruciate ligament injuries, the waiting period is six months.

How quickly does Pets Best pay claims?

How quickly claims are paid can depend on how fast a claim is processed – if no more details are required and all medical records have been received it can be as fast as a few days. Method of payment plays a part, too. If you’re being reimbursed by direct deposit to your bank account, you can receive the funds within two days. If not, and you’re awaiting a check, it could take up to a week.

Can I customize my Pets Best plan?

Yes! Within your pet insurance plan you have multiple options to choose the annual cover, reimbursement rate and deductible that works best for you. You can also change these later on if you need to upgrade your cover, as you can manage your account online.

There are two wellness plans that you add, giving you additional coverage for care such as annual vaccinations, microchipping, deworming, spaying and neutering. Choose from EssentialWellness and BestWellness.

State availability for Pets Best

Pets Best pet insurance is available in all US states, as well as Canada and Puerto Rico. Policyholders can use any licensed veterinarian for treatment.

Verdict: Is Pets Best pet insurance good?

There’s a lot to like about Pets Best pet insurance, with a greater choice of deductibles than many other providers, including a super-low $50, and two tiers of wellness care.

Positives for pet parents include no maximum sign up age for pets – some insurers offer accident-only coverage for dogs and cats aged 14 years and over – the 24/7 pet helpline, and Vet Direct Pay. With this, the insurer will pay the vet’s bills directly instead of you paying the vet and then seeking reimbursement.

Our Pets Best rating