Napo pet insurance review
Last updated
Verdict
Napo is one of the strongest of the new wave of app-first UK pet insurers. A single Lifetime plan, dental and behavioural cover bundled in, free 24/7 video vet calls, and AXA underwriting behind it all. Vet-fee limits run up to £15,000 per year. The trade-offs: it is a young brand without a long renewals track record, and the maximum new-policy age excludes some senior pets. Strong choice for first-time owners who want one product, one app, and not much else to think about.
Get a quote at Napo →At a glance
- Founded
- 2021
- Underwriter
- Inter Partner Assistance SA / AXA
- Cover style
- Lifetime (Lifetime)
- Vet-fee limit
- Up to £15,000 per year
- Excess from
- From £99
- Dental cover
- Yes
- Behavioural cover
- Yes
- Mobile app
- Yes
- Direct vet payment
- Yes
- Multi-pet discount
- 10% off each additional pet
- Max new-policy age
- 8 years for dogs and cats
Limits change. Always confirm current figures on the Napo website before buying.
Pros and cons
Pros
- + Single Lifetime plan keeps the buying decision simple
- + Dental and behavioural cover included as standard
- + Free 24/7 video vet calls included with every policy
- + Underwritten by AXA / Inter Partner Assistance
Cons
- − Newer brand with a shorter renewals track record
- − Maximum new-policy age excludes some senior pets
- − Quote engine occasionally less competitive on senior animals
The full review
Who Napo is
Napo launched in the UK in 2021 with a clear pitch: one plan, no tier confusion, dental and behaviour included, and a free video vet line bundled in. The team behind Napo had previously worked in fintech and consumer insurance, and the product reflects that lineage \u2014 the app is genuinely the front door to the policy, not a token feature.
Underwriting sits with Inter Partner Assistance SA, part of the AXA group. That gives the policy a familiar and well-capitalised insurer behind it. Napo is the brand, the administrator and the customer-facing service.
What you actually get
Napo sells one product: a Lifetime plan with selectable vet-fee limit and excess. The Lifetime structure covers conditions diagnosed during the policy year and continues to cover them in future years provided you keep renewing without a break.
The differentiators are bundled in: dental illness cover (subject to routine-care conditions), behavioural treatment prescribed by a vet, complementary therapies, and a free 24/7 video vet line via FirstVet for triage and advice. Vet-fee limits go up to £15,000 per year. Read the IPID before buying \u2014 the dental conditions and the maximum new-policy age are the two most common surprises.
Claims experience
Claims are filed through the app or web portal: upload the invoice and clinical notes and the team processes from there. Direct vet payment is available at participating UK practices. Independent reviews on Trustpilot lean strongly positive in the first few years, with the usual caveat that long-running chronic claims at year four or five of a policy are where any newer insurer eventually gets tested.
Pricing
Napo is competitively priced against the modern app-first peers (ManyPets, Waggel) for young to middle-aged pets. It is rarely the cheapest in the budget segment but the included extras (dental, behaviour, video vet) materially close the gap with brands that charge for those add-ons separately. Premiums climb at renewal as your pet ages \u2014 standard for any lifetime insurer.
Customer service
The service model is digital: app, chat, email. Phone support exists but is not the default channel. The free video vet line is genuinely useful and lifts Napo above the pack on perceived service value, especially for first-time owners who want a sanity check before driving to the practice.
Veterinary perspective
"The free video vet line is the part of Napo I rate highest as a clinician. It catches the calls that do not need to come into the surgery and gets the calls that do come in faster than the owner would otherwise have realised. The Lifetime cover behind it is competent and the AXA underwriting is solid."
Dr Avron Taitz, BVSc, veterinary advisor, PetCoverPro
Who Napo is best for
- +First-time owners who want one straightforward Lifetime plan rather than picking between three tiers.
- +Owners who use video health services already and value a free 24/7 video vet line included in the policy.
- +App-first households who would rather upload an invoice than file a paper claim.
- +Owners of young to middle-aged pets looking for high vet-fee limits at a competitive price.
Who should look elsewhere
- ×Owners of senior pets taking out a first policy should look at Agria or Petplan — no upper age limit at sign-up.
- ×Phone-first households may prefer Petplan or John Lewis.
- ×Strict-budget owners can find lower entry prices at Animal Friends.
Frequently asked questions
Who underwrites Napo?
Is the 24/7 video vet really free?
Does Napo pay the vet directly?
Is Napo too new to trust?
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