Waggel vs. Petplan: Which Is Right for You?
Our Waggel vs. Petplan guide compares policies, coverage levels, customer service, and affordability so you can pick the right one.
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Vet care costs are expensive, and your wallet can take an even bigger hit when you aren’t expecting them. Thankfully, pet insurance can help cover medical expenses, ensuring your pet gets the care they need without breaking the bank.
But choosing the best pet insurance provider isn’t easy. That’s why we’re here to lend a hand.
This article looks at two leading pet insurance providers—Waggel vs. Petplan—comparing their price, coverage, customer service, and more so you can choose the right provider for you and your furry friend.
What should a pet insurance policy cover?
A good pet insurance policy should cover a range of situations to ensure your pet’s health, including:
- Accidents and injuries: The cost of vet visits, including expenses for routine check-ups, and diagnostics such as X-rays, blood tests, and surgeries.
- Emergency care: This may include hospitalisation, emergency procedures, and prescriptions.
- Complementary treatments: Some plans cover dental treatment, physiotherapy, and alternative therapies.
- Third-party liability: This will pay if your pet injures another person or animal. It may include legal costs if someone takes you to court due to your animal’s actions.
- Missing pet cover: Most policies cover the cost of putting up posters and paying a reward if your pet is lost or stolen.
- Chronic, heredity, or congenital conditions: Many policies don't cover these, so you may need a specialist plan.
Types of pet insurance policies
Pet insurance policies come in several types, including:
- Lifetime coverage: Renews annually and provides for accidents and illnesses throughout your pet’s life. Check out our Best Lifetime Pet Insurance Policies as well.
- Accident-only: Covers treatment costs related to accidents—for instance, if your pet is injured from a traffic incident. It’s the most basic type of pet insurance.
- Comprehensive: Covers diagnosing and treating injuries and illnesses.
- Maximum benefit: Covers your pet for each illness or injury up to a specified limit, allowing you to claim for the same condition repeatedly.
- Time-limited: Covers your vet fees for up to 12 months from when your pet’s illness or injury first appeared.
How to choose a pet insurance provider
Consider these factors when choosing the best pet insurance plan:
Your pet’s needs
Your animal’s age, breed, gender, and pre-existing health conditions affect what type of coverage you’ll need.
Coverage scope and limits
You’ll also want to consider what pet insurance covers. It varies by provider, so ensure your coverage includes everything you need—from accident and injury coverage to breed-specific conditions, chronic illnesses, and preventative care.
Also, understand what's not covered in policies. For instance, many policies exclude pre-existing health conditions or have limits for older pets.
For example, a lower excess might lead to higher premiums but lower out-of-pocket expenses, which could be preferable, depending on your financial situation.
Excess
Your excess is the amount you’ll need to pay towards a claim before your insurer pays the rest. You set this amount when you take out your plan. Make sure you choose an amount you could repay in an emergency. Otherwise, your pet could be without care.
Customer service
Look at providers' customer service scores on sites, including Review Centre, to learn about other users’ experiences. This can indicate how accessible, helpful, and responsive the company will be in an emergency.
Reimbursement rates and claim response times
Try to determine when it's worth claiming on insurance. Not all providers reveal the percentage of claims they pay. This way, you can identify reliable providers who pay a valid claim. You may find this information on your pet insurance policy or read online reviews.
What does Waggel insurance cover?
Waggel offers a comprehensive lifetime pet insurance policy for household cats and dogs. Here’s what it includes:
- Complete coverage: Covers injuries, illnesses and accidents, with annual limits of up to £15,000 for lifetime cover. Services include consultation fees, diagnostics, procedures, surgery, and medication.
- Adjustable annual limits and excess: Offers flexible limits and excess to suit your coverage needs and budget, plus a £0 option, meaning you wouldn’t need to pay anything if you need to claim.
- Dental care: Includes dental-related accidents and illnesses up to £1,000. You must confirm your pet’s gums were healthy in the past 12 months.
- Free video calls: Get access to free 24/7 online consultations with behaviourists and nutritionists.
- Joii app: Use the Joii app for free vet video calls, nurse consultations, and symptom checks.
- Overseas travel: Access emergency treatment within the European Union, limited to 90 days per policy period.
- Online claims tracking: Track claims digitally in real time.
What does Petplan insurance cover?
Petplan offers time-limited, accident-only, maximum benefit, Classic and Ultimate policies, and Rabbit Plan. It includes:
- Lifetime coverage: The Covered For Life plan covers up to £2,000 in alternative therapies, such as hydrotherapy, homoeopathy, acupuncture, and herbal medicine. It has up to £2 million in legal liability.
- Time-limited coverage: The Essential plan covers new illnesses or injuries for up to 12 months. It includes vet bills up to £3,000 and £500 in pet therapies.
- Alternative therapies: Includes hydrotherapy, acupuncture, herbal medicine, and homoeopathy.
- Dental care: Covers non-routine dental treatments, provided your pet has annual checkups.
- Pet travel: Covers trips within the EU on Covered For Life policies, lasting 90 days in each policy year.
- Claims payout: Petplan pays 90% of claims within 5 working days. It will either pay the vet directly or reimburse you.
- Lost or stolen pets: Covers advertising and rewards. It pays the price of your pet if it isn’t returned.
- 24/7 expert video calls: Free behaviour and nutrition video calls.
- Check out Petplan Reviews from its customers.
Waggel vs. Petplan compared
Waggel | Our expert score | Petplan | Our expert score | |
Pets covered | Cats and dogs | 4/5 | Dogs, cats and rabbits | 4.7/5 |
Coverage limit | Up to £15,000 for lifetime cover | 4.7/5 | £4,000, £7,000 or £12,000 for lifetime cover Up to £3,000 per illness or injury for time-limited cover | 4.8/5 |
Scope of coverage | Accidents, illnesses, injuries, surgical procedures, dental conditions, and 24/7 consultations | 4.7/5 | Accidents, illnesses, injuries, surgical procedures, dental conditions, and 24/7 consultations | 4.7/5 |
Additional benefits | Emergency treatment abroad for up to 90 days Advertising/rewards for missing or stolen pets | 4.8/5 | Emergency cover abroad included in Covered for Life plans Advertising/rewards for missing or stolen pets | 4.7/5 |
Customer service | Online requests, aiming to respond within 24-48 hours Dedicated customer champion | 3/5 | Monday-Friday, 8am-8pm, Saturday, 9am-2pm | 4.7/5 |
Price* | £8.45/month | 5/5 | £58.11/month | 2/5 |
Reimbursement rates | 97% | 4.9/5 | Petplan doesn’t share its reimbursement rate. | 3/5 |
*Based on a 5-year-old Yorkshire terrier in the north of England without previous health conditions.
Waggel vs. Petplan: Which is better?
Waggel provides a comprehensive lifetime plan, covering up to £15,000 annually. It offers an adjustable excess, with a fee-free option, and its monthly cost isn’t too expensive (£8.45 for a 5-year-old Yorkshire terrier).
However, Petplan provides more policies, including time-limited and maximum benefit. Lifetime coverage ranges from £4,000-£12,000 per year. That said, the company is considerably more expensive than Waggel, with a quoted £58.11 per month for a £100 excess on the same dog.
Petplan has a strong reputation for customer service, paying 80% of vet-submitted claims within 48 hours. Although Waggel has a high claims reimbursement rate of 97%, it mainly operates through an online platform.
Both offer excellent additional benefits. Waggel provides extra perks, such as 24/7 vet consultations and behaviourist and nutritionist video calls. Petplan covers alternative therapies, including acupuncture and hydrotherapy, and offers higher legal liability coverage.
Overall, Waggel is the better choice for budget-conscious pet owners who prefer a digital experience. Petplan may be worth the extra cost for those who value comprehensive customer service and alternative treatment options.
FAQs
How does the excess work with pet insurance?
Pet insurance excess is the amount you pay towards a vet bill before your insurer covers the rest. It can be a fixed amount or a percentage of the claim. Choosing a higher excess often reduces premiums, while a lower excess increases how much you pay out of pocket in an emergency.
What is multi-pet insurance?
Multi-pet insurance includes numerous pets under 1 plan, often at a discounted rate. You insure different animals under 1 provider rather than buying policies for each pet.
Can I cancel my pet insurance policy?
Many insurers can help you cancel by contacting your provider. If you cancel within the first 30 days and haven’t submitted a claim, you may be eligible for a full refund. With Petplan, you can cancel your policy within 14 days. If you cancel at any other time, the provider will refund any amount you have paid for cover after the cancellation date.