Petco Pet Insurance Review 2024

About Petco pet insurance

Petco pet insurance, officially known as Petco | Nationwide pet insurance, earned 4.5 stars out of 5 for overall performance.

Petco pet insurance policies are offered by Nationwide. Coverage is available not just for dogs and cats, but also for other pets like birds, gerbils, reptiles, hedgehogs and pigs — though you’ll need to get a quote by phone if you’re insuring an exotic animal. Plans also cover pre-existing conditions, so long as they’re curable and your pet hasn’t needed treatment in at least six months.

You can apply for dog and cat insurance online, but the application is longer than what many competitors offer. Sample policies aren’t easily accessible from Petco’s website, which makes it difficult to get details about the coverage you’re buying.

Note that Nationwide announced in June 2024 that it will not renew approximately 100,000 policies through mid-2025. In a statement, Nationwide cited inflation in veterinary care as a factor in the decision. The company said that some products will not be available in some states and that an animal’s age, breed or claims history are not factors.

» MORE: The best pet insurance companies

Petco pet insurance plans and coverage

In most states, Petco and Nationwide offer a base level of accident coverage, to which you can add illness and wellness coverage as options. If your dog or cat is 8 or older, they may not be eligible for illness coverage, though wellness coverage may be available.

Note: Coverage options and availability may vary depending on where you live.

Accident coverage

Petco and Nationwide provide accident-only plans that don't cover illnesses. However, they can help with costs if your pet is accidentally injured. For example, the coverage would kick in if your dog or cat is hit by a car, suffers heat stroke or is attacked by another animal. Accident coverage can pay for:

• Medications.

• Exams and diagnostic tests.

• Surgeries and other procedures.

• Medical equipment such as motility carts and e-collars.

Illness coverage

If you add illness coverage to your plan, Petco and Nationwide may cover the following:

• Treatment for infections and diseases, including cancer, allergies and arthritis.

• Exams and diagnostic tests, such as X-rays, CT scans and MRIs.

• Surgeries.

• Medications.

The illness plan also comes with an additional $5,000 of coverage for hereditary and congenital conditions.

Other coverage options may be available if you call to buy a policy.

Wellness coverage

Petco and Nationwide offer two tiers of wellness coverage that provide either $450 or $800 in benefits for routine and preventive care, such as:

• Two annual exams.

• Vaccinations.

• Heartworm or feline immunodeficiency virus/feline leukemia virus testing.

• Fecal test.

• Deworming.

• Microchipping.

• Health certificates.

• Heartworm or flea prevention.

• Spaying or neutering.

• Dental cleaning.

» MORE: What does pet insurance cover?

What’s not covered

Petco and Nationwide pet insurance plans generally don’t cover:

• Pre-existing conditions, unless they’re curable and your pet has been symptom-free for at least six months.

• Conditions related to breeding.

• Cosmetic procedures, like tail docking.

• Waste disposal.

• Boarding.

• Grooming.

• Cruciate ligament injuries in the first year of your policy. (If you want coverage for cruciate ligament issues, you may need to call to add it at your first policy renewal.)

Petco plan options

Deductibles: A pet insurance deductible is the amount you have to pay before your plan reimburses you for vet expenses. Depending on where you live, you may be able to choose deductibles of $250, $500 or $1,000.

Reimbursement amounts: In most states, Petco plans can reimburse 50%, 70% or 80% of your vet bills after you’ve met your deductible. Unlike some other insurers, Nationwide generally subtracts your deductible from your vet bill before applying your reimbursement rate when calculating your claim payouts.

Suppose you have a $2,000 vet bill, a $500 deductible and an 80% reimbursement rate. Here’s how Nationwide would likely calculate your reimbursement:

• $2,000 vet bill - $500 deductible = $1,500. 

• $1,500 x 0.8 (80% reimbursement) = $1,200 claim payout.

You’d be responsible for the other $800 of the vet bill.

Coverage limits: For accident-only plans in most states, you can choose a limit of $2,500 or $5,000. Illness plans in most states have coverage limits of $5,000 or $10,000 and include an additional $5,000 of coverage for hereditary issues.

Restrictions and waiting periods

Age restrictions: A minimum age of 8 weeks may apply. In most states, you can’t enroll a dog or cat in a new illness policy once they’ve reached age 8, but senior pets may be eligible for accident-only and wellness plans.

Waiting periods: A waiting period is the time between when you buy your policy and when your coverage starts. Petco and Nationwide plans generally have a 14-day waiting period for most accident, illness and wellness claims. Spay or neuter surgery and dental cleaning claims have a 90-day waiting period, while you may need to wait 12 months for cruciate ligament-related claims. Waiting periods may vary by state.

Petco pet insurance sample rates

The cost of Petco pet insurance will depend on where you live and your pet’s age and breed. To give you an idea of how much you might pay, we gathered quotes for a variety of popular breeds. Below are sample monthly rates from Petco for six common dog breeds living in Katy, Texas.

For the younger dogs, our sample plan was for accident and illness coverage with a $250 deductible, $5,000 of annual coverage and an 80% reimbursement rate. The older dogs were eligible only for accident coverage but had the same deductible, coverage limit and reimbursement rate. Your own price will vary.

We also gathered rates for several cat breeds with the same coverage limits as above. Cats at age 8 at the time of enrollment were eligible for accident coverage only. Rates below are sample monthly premiums for cats living in Katy, Texas.

» MORE: The best cheap pet insurance

Discounts

Nationwide offers a 5% multipet discount, or a 10% multipet discount if you insure four or more pets. If you have other Nationwide coverage such as auto insurance, you may qualify for a multipolicy discount. (Be sure to mention that you have other Nationwide policies when buying your Petco policy.) Discounts may not be available in all states.

State availability

Petco pet insurance through Nationwide is available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Availability may change at any time. Coverage may not be available to all pets in a given state.

» MORE: How much does pet insurance cost?

Digital experience

You can use the Petco website to get a quote and read FAQs about the company’s pet insurance plans, but you’ll need to visit Nationwide’s site to file claims or read sample policies.

Petco has a mobile app that’s available in both the App store and Google Play store. However, the app is designed primarily for shopping. To manage your policy, you’ll need to log in to your account on Nationwide’s website or app.

How to file a claim with Petco

To file a claim, upload a copy of your veterinary receipt to my.petinsurance.com. You can also download a claim form and submit it with your receipt via email, fax or mail. Once your claim is approved, you’ll receive reimbursement by direct deposit or check. Nationwide says to allow 30 days for processing claims.

How to contact Petco customer service

Customer service is available by phone at 844-244-3649 from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Pacific time Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Pacific time on Saturdays. You can also send an email through the Nationwide website.

Getting a quote

You can get pet insurance quotes and purchase a policy through Petco’s website, but the process is lengthy. You’ll need to navigate through about a dozen screens to buy a policy. The process may vary depending on where you live.

You’ll start your quote by providing your pet’s name, your ZIP code and whether your pet is a dog or a cat. Pet insurance for other types of animals (like rabbits, ferrets, birds and reptiles) is also available, but you’ll need to get your quote by phone. If you have a cat, you’ll be asked whether they’ve ever been diagnosed with feline immunodeficiency virus or the feline leukemia virus. If they have, you’ll need to call customer service for your quote.

Next, you’ll provide your pet’s breed, gender and age. From there, you’ll go through a series of screens that ask for your email address, how long you’ve had your pet and if they’ve ever had a Nationwide or Veterinary Pet Insurance policy. At that point you’ll be shown a recommended plan for your dog or cat.

Then you can choose the policy limits, which are separate for accidents and illnesses, and select your deductible and reimbursement levels. You’ll also have the option to add wellness coverage.

After selecting your pet’s coverage, you’ll be asked if your dog or cat has seen a vet in the past six months and for the name of their veterinary facility. You’ll also need to indicate any pre-existing conditions your pet has been diagnosed with or symptoms they’ve displayed.

Once you’ve provided all the information, you’ll be asked for your mailing address and credit card information. Your card won’t be charged until your application has been approved, which Petco says takes two days on average.

» MORE: What is pet dental insurance, and what does it cover?

Petco pet insurance vs. competitors

Here’s how Petco stacks up against other popular pet insurers.

How we review pet insurance

Our writers and editors follow strict editorial guidelines that ensure fairness and accuracy to help you choose the financial products that work best for you. In our pet insurance reviews, we consider coverage, discounts, financial strength ratings from AM Best and more to determine our star ratings.

In our evaluation, we:

• Analyzed 2,100 data points.

• Got 800+ quotes from pet insurers.

• Compared 20+ companies.

Our rating system rewards companies that cover a wide range of potential expenses, offer many ways to customize your plan and have a strong financial rating. Within the consumer experience category, we looked at features such as mobile app ratings and whether the company offers direct vet payments. To calculate each insurer’s rating, we adjusted the scores to a curved 5-point scale.

Dive deeper with our criteria for evaluating pet insurance companies.

Methodology