Petplan pet insurance review
Last updated
Verdict
Petplan is the heritage gold-standard UK pet insurer. Founded in 1976, underwritten by Allianz, with no upper age limit at sign-up and direct vet payment relationships at most UK practices. Cover is broad: dental, behavioural, complementary therapies on most tiers. Vet-fee limits go up to £12,000 on Ultimate. The only meaningful drawback is price: Petplan sits at the top of the market and renewals climb sharply on senior pets. For owners who care most about reputation and breadth of cover, it earns its place.
Get a quote at Petplan →At a glance
- Founded
- 1976
- Underwriter
- Allianz Insurance plc
- Cover style
- Lifetime (Essential, Classic, Ultimate)
- Vet-fee limit
- Up to £12,000 per year on Ultimate
- 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
- No upper age limit at sign-up
Limits change. Always confirm current figures on the Petplan website before buying.
Pros and cons
Pros
- + No upper age limit when starting a new policy
- + Underwritten by Allianz, the dominant force in UK pet insurance
- + Most UK vet practices have direct-pay relationships with Petplan
- + Behavioural and dental cover included on most tiers
Cons
- − Premiums sit at the top of the market
- − Tiered structure can confuse first-time buyers
- − Renewals tend to climb sharply on senior pets
The full review
Who Petplan is
Petplan launched in 1976 and is the longest-established pet insurer in the UK. It pioneered lifetime cover here and remains the default brand most vet practices think of first when an owner asks them to recommend an insurer. Underwriting moved to Allianz Insurance plc in 1988 and has stayed there since.
The brand sits inside the Allianz group, which means the capital base behind Petplan policies is one of the strongest in the global insurance industry. Petplan is the brand and policy administrator, with claims handled in-house in the UK.
What you actually get
Three lifetime tiers: Essential, Classic and Ultimate. All three are lifetime cover. Vet-fee limits scale by tier and reach up to £12,000 per year on Ultimate. Dental cover is included on most tiers. Behavioural treatment prescribed by a vet is included on Classic and Ultimate. Complementary therapies are typically included on the higher tiers.
The structural standout is no upper age limit at sign-up. Most UK insurers cap new lifetime policies at age 7 or 8. Petplan will write a new policy on a senior pet, with the premium and excess priced to reflect the risk. For owners who delayed buying insurance, that single feature is often decisive.
Claims experience
Claims are handled in-house by Petplan\u2019s own UK team and by mature direct-pay arrangements at most UK vet practices, including specialist referral hospitals. The Petplan app and online portal handle policy management; claims can be filed digitally. Independent reviews show Petplan as one of the most consistent performers on claims fairness, especially on long-running chronic conditions where less established insurers sometimes generate disputes.
Pricing
Petplan sits at the top of the UK pet insurance market on price. Entry premiums on Essential are competitive; Ultimate premiums are above the market average. Renewals climb sharply once a pet enters senior years \u2014 this is structural to lifetime insurance with broad cover, not specific to Petplan, but Petplan\u2019s renewals tend to be at the upper end of that climb.
Customer service
UK contact centre, in-house claims team, decades of operational depth. Petplan\u2019s service tends to feel substantive: calls reach people who have processed thousands of pet insurance claims. The app and portal are functional rather than fintech-glossy, but they cover the basics well.
Veterinary perspective
"Petplan is the policy I am most comfortable seeing on a complex case. Direct pay works at every practice I have ever worked in, including specialist referral centres. The cover terms are broad enough that we rarely have to argue about whether a treatment is included. You pay for that, and on the right pet you get what you pay for."
Dr Avron Taitz, BVSc, veterinary advisor, PetCoverPro
Who Petplan is best for
- +Owners who prioritise reputation and want the brand most UK vets recognise first.
- +Owners of senior pets taking out a first lifetime policy — there is no upper age cap.
- +Pedigree owners with hereditary risk who need broad cover and high vet-fee limits.
- +Households with complex referral cases on the horizon — Petplan’s direct-pay relationships at specialist hospitals are well-established.
Who should look elsewhere
- ×Strict-budget owners will find more competitive pricing at ManyPets, Animal Friends or Tesco.
- ×App-first households who would rather use a modern app for claims may prefer ManyPets or Napo.
- ×Owners of healthy young crossbreeds at low hereditary risk may not need to pay for the specialist headroom.
Frequently asked questions
Who underwrites Petplan?
Why is Petplan so expensive?
Do all UK vets accept Petplan direct payment?
Will Petplan really insure a 12-year-old dog for the first time?
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