Budget Direct Pet Insurance
Apply by 20 April 2022 to get a $100 eGift card. T&C’s apply.
- $12,000 annual benefit
- Accidental injury and illness cover
- Your choice of vet
Compare pet insurance in Australia
We’ve helped over 60,000 Australians compare pet insurance. Review 13 brands side-by-side to see which policy is right for you.
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Time saving
Our side-by-side comparison makes it easy to find a pet insurance policy suited to your furry friend's needs.
What is pet insurance in Australia?
Like health insurance for humans, pet insurance helps cover unexpected bills if your furry pal needs surgery or treatment for anything from a snakebite to cancer, as the bills can add up to thousands of dollars.
While it can help out with routine visits to the vet, it's the expensive and unexpected accidents and illnesses that pet insurance is designed to protect against.
Since there's no Medicare for our dogs and cats, having insurance can help you make decisions based on your pet's health, and not your bank account.
How does pet insurance work in Australia?
Pet insurance in Australia works like this: You pay a certain amount (a "premium") to your insurer each month. In return, they pay a percentage (usually between 80% and 100%) of your cat or dog's vet bills if your pet is sick or injured.
Pay for protection
You pay your pet insurance premium monthly or annually – policies cost an average of $20 to $60 a month.
Visit a vet
You can visit any licensed vet in Australia if your pet gets sick (as long as it's not due to a pre-existing condition) or injured. In most cases, you pay the vet directly for the bill.
Get reimbursed
You get between 60% and 100% of vet costs reimbursed. You can generally claim a maximum of $12,000 and $25,000 per year, depending on the policy you choose, which is why it's worth comparing pet insurance.
Did you know?
Australians spent a total of $21.9 billion on their pets in 2021. Per person, that's an average of $309 a month.
Compare types of pet insurance
When signing up for pet insurance, you can generally choose from 3 types of cover:
Compare pet insurance costs
To give you an idea of how pet insurance costs can differ, we got quotes for a greyhound from 9 partner brands. Here's what we found:
- Budget Direct had the cheapest pet insurance policy, $44.96 a month cheaper than the second cheapest policy.
- There is a $143.45 monthly difference between the cheapest and most expensive policy, that's an annual difference of $1,721.40.
- Not all policies are created equal. For example, PD, Knose, Coles and Vets Choice may cost more, but they cover a larger percentage of your vet bill.
| Pet Insurance Plan | Monthly Premium | Vet Bills Covered | Excess Amount | Annual Benefit Limit | Waiting Period for Illness | Compare quotes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | $79.31 | 80% | $100 | $12,000 | 30 days | Get quote |
 | $124.27 | 80% | $0 | $15,000 | 30 days | Get quote |
 | $101.82 | 100% | $50 | $15,000 | 21 days | Get quote |
 | $173.92 | 90% | $0 | $25,000 | 14 days | Get quote |
 | $120.30 | 100% | $200 | $15,000 | 21 days | More info |
 | $147.18 | 100% | $200 | $15,000 | 21 days | Get quote |
 | $137.21 | 80% | $0 | $15,145 | 30 days | Get quote |
 | $129.41 | 80% | $0 | $15,000 | 30 days | Get quote |
 | $222.76 | 85% | $0 | $12,000 | 30 days | More info |
How can you compare pet insurance policies?
Insurer A
Premium. $63/month
Sub-limit:$2,000
Reimbursement rate. 80%
Illnesses. Yes
Accidental injury. Yes
Cancer treatment. Yes
Excess. $0
Choice of excess. $0, $100 or $200
Insurer B
Premium. $65/month
Annual benefit limit. $20,000
Sub-limit: $2,600
Reimbursement rate. 85%
Illnesses. Yes
Accidental injury. Yes
Cancer treatment. Yes
Excess. $0
Choice of excess. $0 or $50 only
As you can see, these policies cost around the same and cover the same services. On the surface, they seem very similar. However, there are some key differences worth noting, such as:
Annual benefit limit
The maximum benefit limit between policies can vary from around $12,000 to $25,000. A lower limit generally means cheaper premiums, but you risk reaching your annual limit and being out of pocket if your pet is seriously ill or injured. If your pet has a bad accident and needs $17,000 worth of treatment, your insurance with Insurer A would tap out at $11,000. With Insurer B, your claim would be $14,450 (85% of the total bill), less the excess.
Policy sub-limits
Many pet insurance policies have sub-limits for certain injuries, such as cruciate ligament conditions. A common sub-limit for this is $2,600. If your pet has surgery for a cruciate ligament tear and the bill is $2,500, Insurer A will only cover you for $2,000, leaving you with an out of pocket expense.
Choice of excess
This is how much you pay out of pocket if you need to make a claim. Some policies allow you to choose your excess amount (the higher your excess, the less you pay each month). In the example above, the excess selected is $0 for both insurers but Insurer A has more options.
How much you get back
While the difference between an 80% and an 85% reimbursement rate doesn't seem like a lot, imagine if you were faced with a $5,000 vet bill. You'd be out of pocket $1,000 with Insurer A (80% reimbursement) or just $750 with Insurer B (85% reimbursement). When comparing policies, it's important to consider what kind of excess payment you're most comfortable with (and able to pay) if you have to claim.
Is pet insurance worth it?
Check out some of the pros and cons of pet insurance to help you work out if it's worth it.
Pros
- Helps cover unexpected vet bills which can be very expensive.
- It provides peace of mind – you won't be forced to consider costs when it comes to your pet's health.
- It can cover your pet for hereditary conditions.
Cons
- It's good for unexpected vet bills, less so for routine visits to the vet.
- You are unlikely to get cover for pre-existing conditions.
- You may have some out of pocket expenses depending on the policy you get.
Dr Sam Kovac: Southern Cross Vet
"I'd definitely recommend getting pet insurance. Veterinary medicine is getting more advanced and more in line with human medicine. The costs are going up as pets have more access to technology and life saving medical devices as well as better quality medications.
As a vet, it makes our job more satisfying because we don't have to bargain so much with owners about what we can and can't offer for their pets – we just focus on the medical side of things.
It really isn't a luxury to have pet insurance. It's a vital part of owning a pet in 2022."
Case study: Sarah Megginson, dog owner
Why should you consider getting pet insurance?
"For routine visits to the vet, pet insurance doesn't really offer much value. It's the big, expensive injuries and illnesses where it can come in handy.
We recently got a puppy. We've had 3 dogs previously, they all had health complications at different times, costing me between $300 to $3,000 each vet visit. We never had health insurance for our boys, but when we got Halle, I figured we better get the insurance now while she's a puppy with no pre-existing conditions. That way if something terrible happens, we have some cover.
In the past, I feel like if something major happened, there weren't as many medical options. My vet once told me, when my dog got a stick in his eye, "If this happened a decade ago, he'd lose his eye." Instead, we spent $1,000 spinning his plasma into an amazing eye-healing balm, and it worked! Now there are a lot more medical interventions, which is wonderful, but also super expensive. I'd hate to be in a position where something happens and I have to make the choice to put her to sleep, because the treatment is $7,000 and we don't have that money handy. That peace of mind for the "big ticket" expenses is basically the main reason we got pet insurance."
Learn more
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Good afternoon, was just taking a look at your comparison website with regards to pet insurance and I can’t seem to find any information on Petplan insurance listed for me to compare with other policies?
Hi Corey!
Thanks for your message. We don’t currently have Petplan as a partner, but I’ll make sure to add them to our comparison table anyway. In the meantime, have a look at our policy summary page for Petplan pet insurance for an idea of what kind of cover they offer.
Hope this helps – and thanks for the suggestion!
Best,
Alexandra
Thank you so much for the info Alexandra
I have read all of the above & am more confused than ever. Choice & Mozo have different opinions on insurers for 2019. I am with Aust. Seniors who seem not to pay for anything most of the time including yearly vaccinations ( under routine care ). They even tried to use a Behavioural reason not to pay one account – when confronted they admitted their mistake but didn’t refund the account anyway. My little poodle is 22months old & I want to change insurers before he gets any older.
Hi Judith!
So sorry to hear you’re having problems with your claim. Were you trying to claim for vaccinations? If so, some insurers have quite a small limit of even around $50 in some cases! I’d continue to follow up with the insurer, and if you’re not satisfied by their answers, get in touch with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority – they might be able to help you reach a resolution.
In terms of changing insurers, just be careful that you won’t be covered for any pre-existing conditions, so it’s a great idea to swap as soon as possible if that’s the direction you want to take. Whilst we can’t recommend any set insurer as we can only provide general advice, I’d recommend looking at each insurers reimbursement rate, maximum payout limit, and especially exclusions. Exclusions are usually the area where people can sometimes get confused and claims can be rejected, and they differ so much depending on the company! Also keep in mind that the policies are quite similar if they’re from the same underwriter, so it might be a good idea to have a look at companies from different underwriters.
I hope this helps. If you’ve got more questions just shoot them through!
Cheers,
Alexandra
One thing to remember, you will get reimbursed for the vet bills, so it might take 5-10 days to get the claim. I have pet insurance and but still worth it to have as you have the peace of mind.
Hi, which – if any, providers will cover for parvovirus. I have a 10 week old French bulldog and am concerned with the increase in parvovirus cases – even with dogs that have been vaccinated.
Hi Jason,
Thank you for getting in touch with finder.
Currently we do not have a page that you may refer to on this matter as many pet insurance companies will not cover for conditions such as parvovirus, however vaccinations are covered up to the applicable limit under the Routine Care, if the customer has that level of cover. It is best to contact your chosen insurer on level of cover you’re getting for your pet.
I hope this helps.
Thank you and have a wonderful day!
Cheers,
Jeni