In this independent review, we take a look at Tesco pet insurance, including what it covers, how much it costs and how it compares to alternative pet insurance providers Petgevity* and Animal Friends.
We recommend that you read the review in full, however, you can navigate to certain sections of the article with the following links.
- What is Tesco pet insurance?
- Tesco pet insurance features
- What does Tesco pet insurance cover?
- Tesco pet insurance policy exclusions
- Tesco pet insurance policies
- How much does Tesco pet insurance cost?
- How to make a claim with Tesco pet insurance
- Tesco pet insurance customer reviews
- Alternatives to Tesco pet insurance
- Tesco pros and cons
- Summary
What is Tesco pet insurance?
Tesco has been offering financial products and insurance policies to its customers since 1997. In addition to pet insurance, it also offers car, home and travel insurance policies. Tesco pet insurance is underwritten by Pinnacle Insurance plc and offers a range of pet insurance policies for your cat or dog.
Tesco pet insurance features
- 3 types of pet insurance for your cat or dog from 8 weeks of age
- 24/7 vet phone and video support from Vetfone
- Clubcard member discount
- Online claims process
- Multi-pet discount of £12 per pet
- No exclusion period when taking out your policy if you have switched from a previous insurer and therefore had continuous cover
- Upper age limit to start policies is 10 years old for cats, and 8 years old for dogs and for some breeds it is 5 years old
- Option to pay monthly at no extra cost
- Compulsory 20% co-payment when your dog reaches 8 years old (for some breeds it is 5 years old) and your cat reaches 10 years old
- 97% of claims paid in 5 working days based on claims data from January to October 2025
What does Tesco pet insurance cover?
Tesco pet insurance offers 3 types of pet insurance with up to £11,000 of vet fee cover. We explain the different types of pet insurance it offers in more detail below:
Tesco Lifetime pet insurance
Lifetime pet insurance covers your pet for illnesses and injuries for the duration of its life. Lifetime pet insurance is best for covering lifelong and chronic conditions and it is best to open a lifetime policy when your pet is young to ensure it is covered for any conditions it may develop in later life. Once you make a claim on a pet insurance policy it is hard to get the condition covered by a new provider because it will be considered as a pre-existing condition. Tesco offers four annual limit lifetime pet insurance policies with vet cover of £3,000, £5,000, £7,500 and £11,000 per year. With Tesco's lifetime pet cover, you can claim for vet fees up to the annual limit in a policy year, anything above the limit will need to be self-funded until the limit renews the following policy year.
For more information on lifetime pet insurance, read our article 'Lifetime pet insurance explained'.
Tesco Maximum Benefit pet insurance
Maximum benefit pet insurance covers your pet for illnesses and injuries up to a set amount per condition. Tesco offers two maximum benefit policies with veterinary fee cover of £5,000 or £7,500 per condition. This means that you can claim up until the set limit is reached for each condition as long as you hold a Tesco pet insurance policy. If you reach the limit, any additional treatment for the condition will need to be self-funded.
For more information on maximum benefit pet insurance and how it works, read our article 'Maximum Benefit pet insurance explained'.
Tesco Time Limited pet insurance
Time-limited pet insurance covers your pet for illnesses and injuries for a set period of time (which is usually 12 months) or until the vet fee limit is reached, whichever comes first. Tesco offers two time-limited policies with veterinary fee cover of £3,000 and £5,000 for each illness or accident for up to 12 months from the first date of treatment or until you have reached the limit whichever comes first. After this point, the condition is considered pre-existing and will need to be self-funded.
For more information on time-limited pet insurance and how it works, read our article 'Time-limited pet insurance explained'.
Tesco 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.
Tesco pet insurance policy exclusions
Below, we detail some of the policy exclusions within a Tesco pet insurance policy. This is not an exhaustive list and you should always check your policy documents carefully before taking out any pet insurance policy. Tesco does not pay out pet insurance claims for the following:
- The policy excess
- Pets under the age of 8 weeks old
- Routine treatment such as vaccinations and worming
- Any pre-existing conditions
- Any claim over the policy limits
- Pregnancy, birth or breeding
- Pets that aren't microchipped
- Any illness that your pet develops within the first 14 days of the policy and any injury or poisoning that occurs in the first 3 days of the policy unless you have switched from another provider and had continuous cover
- Death of your pet due to illness if they are over a certain age, for dogs the upper age limit is 8 years old (5 years for certain breeds) and for cats the upper age limit is 10 years old
- Any condition that later develops from an illness/injury that your pet sustained in the first 14 days of the policy unless you have the continuous cover
- Any condition that your pet has suffered from, due to negligence or malicious intent to harm your pet, caused by you or members of your family
- If your pet is injured due to worrying livestock
- Any dogs registered under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991
- Any dog that are used for work-related purpose such as farm dogs, guard dogs and emergency rescue dogs
- Public liability claims where cover on another insurance policy hasn't already been used up (e.g. a home insurance policy)
Tesco pet insurance policies
Tesco has a multitude of pet insurance policies to choose from. In the below comparison table, we compare the Tesco pet insurance policies. If you wish to find out how much each pet insurance policy costs, jump to our Tesco pet insurance cost comparison.
A comparison between Tesco pet insurance policies
(Scroll to see the full table)
| Time Limited £3,000 | Time Limited £5,000 | Max Benefit £5,000 | Max benefit £7,500 | Lifetime £3,000 | Lifetime £5,000 | Lifetime £7,500 | Lifetime £11,000 | |
| Policy type | Time-limited | Time-limited | Maximum benefit | Maximum benefit | Annual limit lifetime | Annual limit lifetime | Annual limit lifetime | Annual limit lifetime |
| Excess | £95/£125/£175 | £95/£125/£175 | £95/£125/£175 | £95/£125/£175 | £95/£125/£175 | £95/£125/£175 | £95/£125/£175 | £95/£125/£175 |
| Voluntary co-payment | 0% or 10% or 20% | 0% or 10% or 20% | 0% or 10% or 20% | 0% or 10% or 20% | 0% or 10% or 20% | 0% or 10% or 20% | 0% or 10% or 20% | 0% or 10% or 20% |
| Maximum vet fee cover | £3,000 per condition | £5,000 per condition | £5,000 per condition | £7,500 per condition | £3,000 per year | £5,000 per year | £7,500 per year | £11,000 per year |
| Complementary cover | £500 (as part of your vet fee cover) | £500 (as part of your vet fee cover) | £1,000 (as part of your vet fee cover) | £1,000 (as part of your vet fee cover) | £1,000 (as part of your vet fee cover) | £1,000 (as part of your vet fee cover) | £1,000 (as part of your vet fee cover) | £1,000 (as part of your vet fee cover) |
|
Dental cover (restrictions apply)
|
£3,000 (as part of your vet fee cover) | £5,000 (as part of your vet fee cover) | £5,000 (as part of your vet fee cover) | £7,500 (as part of your vet fee cover) | £3,000 (as part of your vet fee cover) | £5,000 (as part of your vet fee cover) | £7,500 (as part of your vet fee cover) | £11,000 (as part of your vet fee cover) |
| Advertising due to loss or theft of your pet | Up to £1,000 | Up £1,000 | Up to £1,000 | Up to £1,000 | Up to £1,000 | Up to £1,000 | Up to £1,000 | Up to £1,000 |
| Loss of pet cover¹ | Up to £1,500 | Up to £1,500 | Up to £1,500 | Up to £1,500 | Up to £1,500 | Up to £1,500 | Up to £1,500 | Up to £1,500 |
| Unexpected hospital stay cover | £1,000 | £1,000 | Up to £1,000 | Up to £1,000 | Up to £1,000 | Up to £1,000 | Up to £1,000 | Up to £1,000 |
| Holiday cancellation cover | Up to £5,000 | Up to £5,000 | Up to £5,000 | Up to £5,000 | Up to £5,000 | Up to £5,000 | Up to £5,000 | Up to £5,000 |
| Vet fee cover abroad | Up to vet fee limit | Up to vet fee limit | Up to vet fee limit | Up to vet fee limit | Up to vet fee limit | Up to vet fee limit | Up to vet fee limit | Up to vet fee limit |
| Death cover² | Up to £1,500 | Up to £1,500 | Up to £1,500 | Up to £1,500 | Up to £1,500 | Up to £1,500 | Up to £1,500 | Up to £1,500 |
| Third-party liability (dogs only)³ | £2m | £2m | £2m | £2m | £2m | £2m | £2m | £2m |
¹ If your pet is lost or missing and doesn't return after 30 days you can claim the amount you paid for your pet provided you have proof of purchase, otherwise you will be paid the market value of your pet or the amount you stated you paid when taking out cover whichever is lowest
² If you pet dies due to an accident or illness you can claim the amount you paid for your pet provided you have proof of purchase, otherwise you will be paid the market value of your pet or the amount you stated you paid when taking out cover whichever is lowest. Death cover for illness will not be paid for cats 10 years or older and dogs 8 years or older (for some breeds it is 5 years or older)
³ excess is £250
How much does Tesco pet insurance cost?
Below I have compared the cost of every type of Tesco pet insurance policy. The quotes are based on a 1-year-old mixed breed dog and cat with no underlying health conditions, living in a South East postcode. The policy excess selected was £95 and more information on the policy excess can be found here.
The cost of your pet insurance will vary depending on the type, age and breed of the pet you wish to insure. Where you live will also impact the cost of your pet insurance and your premiums are likely to increase each year, particularly if you make a claim. This is because insurers predict that once you have made a claim it is likely that you will make another at some point in the future as your pet ages. Tesco warn that "there is no limit to how much your renewal price can increase over time". For more information on what affects the cost of pet insurance read our article '7 factors that affect the cost of pet insurance'.
The type of policy you choose will also affect how much you pay; lifetime cover is usually the most expensive as it is the most comprehensive cover for your pet. Accident-only pet insurance is usually cheaper because it does not cover your pet for illness, however Tesco Pet Insurance stopped offering this in January 2024. For more information read our article 'What are the different types of pet insurance?'
Tesco pet insurance cost comparison
(Scroll to see the full table)
| Time Limited £3,000 | Time Limited £5,000 | Max Benefit £5,000 | Max Benefit £7,500 | Lifetime £3,000 | Lifetime £5,000 | Lifetime £7,500 | Lifetime £11,00 | |
| Policy type | Time-limited | Time-limited | Maximum benefit | Maximum benefit | Annual limit lifetime | Annual limit lifetime | Annual limit lifetime | Annual limit lifetime |
| Excess | £95 | £95 | £95 | £95 | £95 | £95 | £95 | £95 |
| Maximum vet fee cover | £3,000 per condition | £5,000 per condition | £5,000 per condition | £7,500 per condition | £3,000 per year | £5,000 per year | £7,500 per year | £11,000 per year |
| 1-year-old dog (monthly cost) | £17.96 | £23.59 | £24.25 | £31.58 | £20.47 | £26.46 | £33.79 | £40.81 |
| 1-year-old cat (monthly cost) | £14.76 | £19.35 | £19.88 | £22.81 | £16.21 | £21.00 | £24.96 | £28.31 |
(Quotes correct as of 10/02/26)
Tesco pet insurance policy excess
Tesco pet insurance offers a fixed policy excess which you can choose when opening your policy. An excess is a compulsory amount that you agree to pay towards the cost of veterinary fees when you make a claim. You can choose a policy excess of £95, £125 or £175 and the higher the excess you choose, the cheaper your monthly premiums should be.
There is also the option to pay an additional excess, also known as a percentage co-payment, towards the cost of a claim. The optional additional excess can be 0%, 10% or 20% and will be payable once the fixed excess has been deducted. So if your vet bill is £1,000 and your fixed excess is £125 and you have chosen a 10% voluntary excess you will have to pay £125 plus 10% of the remaining claim, in this case, £87.50. Therefore the total you will need to pay towards your claim is £212.50. There is a compulsory 20% co-payment once your dog reaches 8 years old (some breeds 5 years old) and your cat reaches 10 years old.
If you need to make a third-party liability claim there is a compulsory excess of £250.
How to make a claim with Tesco pet insurance
Tesco Pet insurance recently changed their underwriters from Royal & Sun Alliance plc to Pinnacle Insurance plc so the way you make a claim will depend on when you took out or renewed your policy. For policies that were renewed after 1st January 2025 or new policies that were bought from 21st January 2025, you can submit a claim through the Pet Portal. If you don't have access to the Pet Portal then you can call 0344 543 1132 to request a claim form.
For policies taken out before 21st January 2025 or that haven't yet renewed, you can submit a claims form online, or download a claims form and email it to [email protected]. Alternatively you can call 0345 078 3860 and request a form be sent to you.
For policies underwritten by Pinnacle Insurance plc, you need to submit a vet fee claim along with supporting invoices within 12 months of treatment and Tesco Pet Insurance state that claims generally take 5 days to be reviewed. For policies that are underwritten by Royal & Sun Alliance please refer to your policy documents.
Tesco pet insurance customer reviews
Tesco Insurance has a Trustpilot score of 4.5 out of 5 stars from over 20,500 reviews and is rated "Excellent", however, this does include reviews for all the insurance Tesco offers (car, home, travel etc). 76% of customers rated the provider as ‘Excellent’ citing no delays in claims with prompt payment and great customer service. 6% of customers rated the provider as ‘Bad’ complaining of high premium increases upon renewal and issues when paying out claims.
It is worth bearing in mind that the majority of these reviews will be of policies that were underwritten by Royal & Sun Alliance plc and not Tesco's new underwriters Pinnacle Insurance plc.
Alternatives to Tesco pet insurance
Alternatives to Tesco's pet insurance policies include Animal Friends and Petgevity*. We've discussed all three options below to help you understand how Tesco pet insurance compares to other insurance providers on the market.
It is always worth getting several quotes before committing to a particular company. One of the easiest ways to save time and money on your pet insurance is to look on a comparison website such as MoneySuperMarket*. Comparison sites let you compare several providers simultaneously to ensure you're getting the best insurance policy for your pet.
Animal Friends
The pet insurance offered by Animal Friends, like Tesco, is provided by Pinnacle Insurance Limited. However Animal Friends offers accident-only and annual limit per condition lifetime insurance (where your vet fee cover is per condition per year) as well. A detailed explanation of annual limit per condition lifetime insurance can be found in our article, 'Lifetime pet insurance explained'. Like Tesco, Animal Friends impose a compulsory co-payment once your pet reaches a certain age, (8 years old for dogs and 10 years old for cats) but unlike Tesco there is no upper age limit for taking out new policies. Animal Friends give a wider choice of excess options and their most comprehensive vet fee cover is £18,000 per year compared to Tesco's £11,000 per year. Animal Friends also score well on TrustPilot with 4.5 out of 5. You can find out more about Animal Friends in our independent review.
Petgevity
Petgevity* is a particularly good choice if you're looking for a policy which covers pre-existing conditions. Tesco's pet insurance policies offer comprehensive cover but with no options to insure your pet for pre-existing conditions, it might not be the right choice for you. Petgevity includes that option and also offers a wide range of lifetime policies with up to £15,000 in vet fees covered depending on the policy you choose. Petgevity also has a range of excess options (including no excess) as well as a choice of voluntary co-payments which allows you to cater your policy to suit your budget. There is no upper age limit and no compulsory co-payment as your pet ages, so if you are looking to insure an older pet this may be a better option. You can find out more about Petgevity in our independent review.
Tesco vs Animal Friends vs Petgevity
| Tesco | Animal Friends | Petgevity* | |
| Policy types offered | Time-limited, maximum benefit and annual limit lifetime | Accident-only, time-limited, maximum benefit, annual limit lifetime and annual limit per condition lifetime | Annual limit lifetime |
| Option to pay no excess | No | No | Yes |
| Cover for pre-existing conditions | No | No | Yes |
| Upper age limit when taking out a policy | Yes | No | No |
| Multi-pet discount | Yes | No | Yes |
| Trustpilot score | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | 4.4/5 |
|
More information
|
Animal Friends pet insurance review | Petgevity pet insurance review |
Tesco pet insurance pros and cons
Tesco Pros
- Multi-pet discount
- Discount for Clubcard members
- Can pay monthly at no extra cost
- Continuous cover when moving from another insurance provider
Tesco Cons
- Compulsory 20% co-payment when your pet reaches a certain age (cats = 10 years old, dogs = 8 years old with some breeds being 5 years old)
- Upper age limit for starting new policies
- Doesn't offer an accident-only policy
Summary
Tesco Pet Insurance offers a comprehensive range of cover levels all with access to a 24/7 Vet helpline. There is a choice of excess and co-payment levels allowing you to choose a policy that is best suited to your budget and circumstances, along with the benefit of being able to pay monthly at no extra cost. Potential customers should carefully consider the exclusions, overage excesses, and age restrictions before taking out a policy. If you have an older pet you may find our article 'The best pet insurance for older pets' useful. It is also important to be aware that premiums will likely increase each year, especially after a claim has been paid. Their website is clear and easy to navigate and Clubcard holders will receive a discount on their premiums.
If you want to take a look at even more pet insurance alternatives before making your decision, check out the best pet insurance policies in the UK.
If a link has an * beside it this means that it is an affiliated link. If you go via the link, Money to the Masses may receive a small fee which helps keep Money to the Masses free to use. The following link can be used if you do not wish to help Money to the Masses or take advantage of any exclusive offers - MoneySuperMarket, Petgevity
MTTM AI (beta) 
