In this independent review, we look at Marks and Spencer's pet insurance including its key features, the policies it offers and how much it costs. We also compare M&S pet insurance to other pet insurance providers, Animal Friends and Waggel to see how it compares. We recommend that you read the review in full, however, if you wanted to jump to sections of the article you can do so via the following links.
- What is M&S pet insurance?
- M&S pet insurance features
- What does M&S pet insurance cover?
- M&S pet insurance policy exclusions
- M&S pet insurance policies
- How much does M&S pet insurance cost?
- How to make a claim with M&S pet insurance
- M&S pet insurance customer reviews
- Alternatives to M&S pet insurance
- M&S pet insurance pros and cons
- Summary
What is M&S pet insurance?
M&S Bank was launched in 1985 under the name St Michael Financial Services, launching M&S personal loans in 1989, the first of its financial products. It later launched its pet and travel insurance in 2002 and now offers a host of other financial products including current accounts, car insurance, credit cards, loans and savings accounts.
As of 20th November 2025, M&S Bank stopped offering pet insurance however the Marks and Spencer brand is still offering pet insurance through M&S plc and have partnered with Pinnacle Insurance Limited to provide it's pet insurance going forward. Other pet insurance providers with policies underwritten by Pinnacle Insurance Limited include PDSA, Animal Friends and Tesco.
M&S pet insurance features
- No upper age limit when taking out new policy
- 24-hour free vet helpline with Petcall
- Discount for Sparks card holders
- Continuous cover when switching from another provider
- Online claims portal
- Multi-pet discount of £12 per pet per year
- Defaqto 5 star rating for lifetime insurance policies with cover over £4,000 per year
- £20 M&S e-gift card when you take out a policy (terms apply)
What does M&S pet insurance cover?
M&S offers three types of pet insurance with vet fee cover up to £10,000.
We explain each policy type in more detail below:
M&S lifetime cover
The most comprehensive policy type, lifetime pet insurance offers the best protection as it covers your pet for the duration of its life. M&S offers 5 annual limit lifetime insurance policies with vet fee cover of £2,000, £4,000, £6,000, £8,000 and £10,000. Annual limit lifetime policy provides cover up to the agreed amount each year and once that limit is reached the remaining treatment will need to be self-funded until the annual limit renews
For more information on lifetime pet insurance, read our article 'Lifetime pet insurance explained'.
M&S time-limited cover
Time-limited pet insurance insures your pet for a maximum amount per condition, but the condition is only covered for a period of 12 months from the first date of treatment or until the condition limit has been reached, whichever comes first. M&S offer one time-limited insurance policy with vet fee cover up to £4,000 per illness or injury or for 12 months from the first date of treatment, whichever comes first. There is not a limit on the number of conditions you can claim for, however it is worth bearing in mind that once the cover limit or 12 months has been reached they will not cover any further claims for the condition or any bi-lateral or related conditions.
For more information on time-limited pet insurance and how it works, read our article 'Time-limited pet insurance explained'.
M&S maximum benefit cover
Maximum benefit cover will insure your pet for a set amount per condition with no time limit. However, once the veterinary fee limit is reached it does not renew and any additional claims for the same condition will need to be self-funded. M&S offers one maximum benefit insurance policy with a maximum lifetime condition limit of £3,000. Like time-limited insurance there is no limit on the number of conditions you can claim for, however it is worth bearing in mind that once the cover limit has been reached they will not cover any further claims for the condition or any bi-lateral or related conditions.
For more information on maximum benefit pet insurance, read our article 'Maximum benefit pet insurance explained'.
M&S do not offer accident only pet insurance if you are looking for this type of insurance you may find our article, 'Compare the best accident-only pet insurance' helpful.
M&S pet insurance policies
M&S has 7 pet insurance policies to choose from with various levels of veterinary fee cover. We highlight the key components of each pet insurance type in the below table. To find out how much each policy costs, jump to the How much does M&S pet insurance cost? section of the article.
M&S pet insurance policy comparison table
| Lifetime £2,000 | Lifetime £4,000 | Lifetime £6,000 | Lifetime £8,000 | Lifetime £10,000 | Time-limited | Maximum-benefit | |
| Policy type | Annual limit lifetime | Annual limit lifetime | Annual limit lifetime | Annual limit lifetime | Annual limit lifetime | Time-limited | Maximum-benefit |
| Excess | £130 | £130 | £130 | £130 | £130 | £130 | £130 |
| Maximum vet fee cover | £2,000 per policy year | £4,000 per policy year | £6,000 per policy year | £8,000 per policy year | £10,000 per policy year | £4,000 per condition | £3,000 per condition |
| Complementary treatment | £750 | £1,000 | £1,500 | £1,500 | £1,500 | £750 | £1,000 |
|
Dental cover (injury and illness)
|
£2,000 | £4,000 | £6,000 | £8,000 | £10,000 | £4,000 | £3,000 |
|
Death from illness/injury cover¹
|
£750 | £1,500 | £2,000 | £2,000 | £2,000 | £500 | £750 |
|
Cremation & Euthanasia
|
£200 | £200 | £200 | £200 | £200 | £200 | £200 |
|
Advertising & Reward
|
£750 | £1,500 | £2,000 | £2,000 | £2,000 | £500 | £750 |
| Loss or Theft | £750 | £1,500 | £2,000 | £2,000 | £2,000 | £500 | £750 |
|
Emergency boarding
|
£750 | £1,500 | £2,000 | £2,000 | £2,000 | £500 | £750 |
| Vet fee abroad | £2,000 | £4,000 | £6,000 | £8,000 | £10,000 | £4,000 | £3,000 |
|
Holiday Cancellation
|
£750 | £2,000 | £3,000 | £3,000 | £3,000 | £500 | £750 |
| Third-party liability (dogs only)² | £2 million | £2 million | £2 million | £2 million | £2 million | £1 million | £1 million |
¹Dogs over the age of 8 years old (some breeds 5 years old) and cats over the age of 10 years old will not be covered for death from an illness
²Excess for a 3rd party liability claim is £250
M&S pet insurance policy exclusions
In this section, we share some exclusions that apply to an M&S pet insurance policy. It is not an extensive list so you must ensure that you check all policy documents carefully before opening a policy so that you know exactly what your pet is covered for.
An M&S pet insurance policy will not pay out claims for the following:
How much does M&S pet insurance cost?
In this section of the review, we compare the cost of the M&S pet insurance policies. The following quotes are based on a 1-year-old mixed breed cat and dog with no underlying health conditions and living in a South East postcode.
The cost of your pet insurance is likely to vary depending on the type, age and breed of your pet. Where you live is also likely to affect the cost of your pet insurance as well as if you have previously made a claim. For more information on what affects the cost of pet insurance read our article '7 factors that affect the cost of pet insurance'.
A cost comparison of M&S Bank pet insurance policies
| Lifetime £2,000 | Lifetime £4,000 | Lifetime £6,000 | Lifetime £8,000 | Lifetime £10,000 | Time-limited | Maximum benefit | |
| Vet fee cover | £2,000 | £4,000 | £6,000 | £8,000 | £10,000 | £4,000 per condition | £3,000 per condition |
| Excess | £130 | £130 | £130 | £130 | £130 | £130 | £130 |
| Monthly cost for 1-year-old dog | £13.18 | £19.58 | £24.09 | £27.25 | £31.70 | £17.27 | £15.47 |
| Monthly cost for 1-year-old cat | £9.59 | £14.86 | £19.29 | £22.03 | £24.86 | £13.89 | £11.52 |
(Quotes correct as of 17/03/26)
M&S pet insurance policy excess
The excess is the amount that you are expected to pay in the event of a claim on your pet insurance. The excess for M&S pet insurance is £130.
M&S impose a compulsory co-payment of 25% when your cat reaches 10 years old and your dog reaches 8 years old (certain breeds 5 years old). The co-payment is a percentage contribution to the cost of the claim in addition to the policy excess. For example, if you make a claim for £1,000 and you have an excess of £130, you will have to pay the fixed excess of £130 and then 25% of £870 (the remaining claim) which is £217.50 so your total contribution towards this £1,000 claim will be £347.50.
How to make a claim with M&S pet insurance
If you have taken out a M&S pet insurance policy after 12th November 2025 or your policy has renewed since 27th January 2026, you can submit a claim via the M&S Pet Portal. Alternatively you can download a form via the portal to complete. There is also the option to request a form via telephone on 0800 038 1183. Once you have filled out the form you need to take it to your vet to complete and then they need to send it to M&S. You must submit any claim within 12 months of treatment taking place.
If you took out your M&S pet insurance policy before 28th October 2025 or it renewed before 27th January 2026, then you need to fill out an online claim form and email it to mandspet.claims@uk.rsagroup.com along with your pet's medical records and the vet bills you are claiming for.
M&S pet insurance customer reviews
M&S pet insurance underwritten by Pinnacle Insurance Limited is a new product and therefore there are no reviews on the online review platform, Trustpilot. As with all pet insurance policies, you should ensure you do your research to ensure you find the policy that is best for you. To help find the best pet insurance for your pet, read our article 'The best pet insurance in the UK - 2026'.
Alternatives to M&S pet insurance
It is always best to shop around when purchasing pet insurance in order to understand the levels of cover available and to find the best cover for your pet. One easy way to shop around for pet insurance is via a comparison site such as MoneySuperMarket*. Comparison sites allow you to compare multiple providers at once to get the best rate for your pet. One thing to consider though is that not all comparison sites are whole of market and you may get a better deal elsewhere.
Two alternatives to M&S pet insurance are Animal Friends and Waggel.
Animal Friends
Animal Friends is another provider whose policies are underwritten by Pinnacle Insurance Limited. It offers every type of pet insurance along with a choice of excess so you should be able to find a policy to suit your needs. However they do not cover pre-existing conditions nor offer a multi-pet discount. Like M&S there is no upper age limit when taking out a policy and there is also a compulsory co-payment when your pet ages, for Animal Friends this is 20% when your dog reaches 8 years old and your cat reaches 10 years old. More information can be found in our independent review of Animal Friends insurance.
Waggel
Waggel is an insurance provider that specialises in lifetime insurance and only offers annual limit lifetime insurance with vet fee cover from £1,000 up to £15,000 per year. It has a wide range of excess options to choose from with the option to pay no excess if you prefer. There is no compulsory co-payment even when your pet ages but there is the option to pay a voluntary co-payment of 20% as a way of reducing your annual premium. Waggel also have a vet triage service you can sign up to as another way of reducing your annual premium, by signing up you agree to use an online triage service through Joli before taking your pet to the vets. Find out more in our independent Waggel pet insurance review.
M&S vs Animal Friends vs Waggel
| M&S pet insurance | Animal Friends | Waggel | |
| Policies offered | Annual limit lifetime, time-limited, maximum benefit | Accident-only, time-limited, maximum benefit, annual condition lifetime and annual limit lifetime | Annual limit lifetime |
| Option to pay no excess | No | No | Yes |
| Covers pre-existing conditions | No | No | No |
| Vet video calls | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Compulsory co-payment | 25% when dog turns 8 (some breeds 5) and cat turns 10 | 20% when dog turns 8 and cat turns 10 | No |
| Multi-pet discount | Yes | No | No |
| Trustpilot score | No reviews | 4.5/5 | 4.4/5 |
| More information | Animal Friends pet insurance review | Waggel pet insurance review |
If your pet has a pre-existing condition that you would like cover for then you may find our article, 'Best pet insurance for pre-existing conditions' useful.
M&S pet insurance pros & cons
M&S pet insurance pros
- Multi-pet discount
- Good range of cover available
- Continuous cover when switching from another provider
M&S pet insurance cons
- 25% compulsory co-payment when your pet reaches a certain age (dogs - 8 years, some breeds 5 years and cats - 10 years)
- Does not cover pre-existing conditions
- No online customer reviews
Summary
M&S pet insurance offers a good choice of pet insurance policies, a generous multi-pet discount and is an attractive option when switching providers as it offers continuous cover. There is no choice for the excess, it is a fixed £130 and although there is no upper age limit when taking out a policy, older pets are subject to a compulsory 25% co-payment when making a claim which is a little higher than is normally imposed by pet insurance providers. Unfortunately M&S pet insurance is a new product and there are no online reviews, however it's lifetime policies with vet fee cover over £4,000 do have a 5 star defaqto rating.
As with all pet insurance policies I would encourage you to shop around using comparison sites such as MoneySuperMarket* to ensure you are getting the best cover for your pet and it is imperative you read the small print to fully understand what is covered in your policy. Our article, 'Best pet insurance in the UK in 2026' compares some of the best pet insurance providers in the UK.
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