About our cover
Cover, limits and exclusions
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Though your cover starts on the day you choose when you take out a policy, you cannot make a claim straight away.
- 3 days: You can’t claim for accidents or poisoning in the first 3 days of your policy. This also includes incidents that happen in those first 3 days
- 14 days: You can’t claim for illnesses in the first 14 days of your policy. This also includes illnesses your pet suffers from in those first 14 day
After these times, you are able to submit claims for new illnesses and injuries. Pre-existing conditions are not covered.
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Yes, there are age limits for new cat, dog or rabbit policies. Each have slightly different age limits.
- Cats: From 8 weeks of age up to their 10th birthday
- Rabbits: from 8 weeks of age up to their 5th birthday
- Most dog breeds: from 8 weeks of age up to their 8th birthday Some dog breeds (listed below): from 8 weeks of age up to their 5th birthday
Beauceron, Bernese Mountain Dog, Bulldog, Bullmastiff, Deerhound, Dogue de Bordeaux, Estrela Mountain Dog, Giant Schnauzer, Great Dane, Irish Wolfhound, Leonberger, Mastiff, Neapolitan Mastiff, Newfoundland, Old English Bulldog, Old English Sheepdog, Poodle (Standard), Pyrenean Mountain Dog, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Rottweiler, Shar Pei, St Bernard, Standard Poodle, Tibetan Mastiff, Utonagan.
If you've insured your pet before the age limits, don’t break the cover and continue to pay your premiums, we'll continue to insure your pet as they get older.
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No, we are unable to cover pre-existing conditions. Pre-existing conditions can be illnesses, injuries or symptoms your pet is suffering or has suffered from in the past before you take out a policy.
We consider pre-existing conditions to include:
- One-off or ongoing conditions/symptoms
- Accidental injuries
- Discussions with your vet or other professionals about their health or behaviour
Even if your pet didn't receive treatment, or you were told it was nothing to worry about, a non-disclosed pre-existing condition can affect a future claim.
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Yes, we can’t cover certain types of dog. This includes any dog that must be registered under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and The Dogs (Muzzling) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1991.
We also don’t cover any of the following breeds, including crossbreeds:
American Bulldog, American Indian Dog, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bully, Bandog, Boerboel, Bully Kutta, Canary Dog, Cane Corso, Czechoslovakian Wolfdog, Dingo, Dogo Argentino, Dogue Brasileiro, Fila Brasileiro, Gull Dong, Husky Wolf Hybrid, Irish Staffordshire Blue Bull Terrier, Irish Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Pit Bull Terrier, Saarlooswolfhound, Tosa, Tosa Inu, Wolf Hybrid, Wolfdog, XL Bully
If you buy a policy from 25 June 2024, the following breeds and crossbreeds of dog are covered, except for third party liability:
Akita, Cirneco dell'Etna, Dogue de Bordeaux, Japanese Akitas, Korean Jindo, Mexican Hairless, Neapolitan Mastiffs, Northern Inuit/Eskimo Dog, Portuguese Podengo, Seguguio Italiano
If you bought a policy before 25 June 2024, Akitas, Japanese Akitas and Neapolitan Mastiffs and crossbreeds of these dogs aren’t covered for third party liability.
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These policies offer per condition cover but with a time limit on claims. So, a particular condition will become excluded under the policy either when the maximum amount has been paid out or 12 months from first date of treatment, whichever is sooner.
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This is the most comprehensive form of pet insurance and offers vet fees cover up to a maximum amount, which is reinstated each year. This means that if your pet develops a long-term chronic illness such as diabetes or an ongoing skin condition then, provided it didn't pre-date the policy, this will be covered for the rest of your pet's life.
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These policies impose a maximum benefit per condition. So, to take the example of an ongoing illness such as diabetes or dermatitis, once that maximum is reached, that condition will then be excluded from further claims and you will need to be prepared to fund the ongoing treatment yourself.
Older pets and multi-pet policies
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Yes, as your pet gets older, you should expect the price of your insurance premium to go up.
When considering the price of your insurance going up, it’s not something we take lightly. There are many reasons why your pet’s insurance goes up, including your pet's age, claims, where you live, and the cost of vet fees, for example.
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Yes, you can insure more than one pet with our multi-pet offer. And for every pet you insure, you’ll get a multi-pet discount.
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Yes, we do. For every pet you insure with us, you’ll get a multi-pet discount. All your cats, dogs and rabbits are welcome. Even if they have different levels of cover, the discount will still apply.
Our multi-pet discount is worked out at £1 per pet per month for each new pet policy starting PETPS.
If you have a policy starting PETPO and you are taking out a new policy, your multi-pet discount of one month free for your PETPO policy will be applied at renewal.
Managing your account
About MyAccount Pet
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My Account Pet is our online portal where you can manage and track your pet insurance policy. It has been designed to help you every step of the way when it comes to your policy.
It’s the home of your policy documents and your certificate of insurance. It keeps track of your cover and is where you can make your online vet fee claims. You can also get in touch with us, or if you ever need to, call our Petcall vet team.
As a Post Office Pet Insurance customer, you'll need to register for My Account Pet before logging in.
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To register for My Account Pet, you’ll need a Post Office Pet Insurance policy. This will include:
- The email address you took out your policy with
- Your policy number (if you have it)
- The postcode on your policy
- Your date of birth
We need this information to confirm your policy and set up My Account Pet for you.
Set a password, and we'll send you a verification email. Follow the email's instructions, and then you’ll be able to log in and discover My Account Pet.
You need to register for My Account Pet before you can log in. But once you're registered, all you need to log in is:
- The email address on your policy*
- The password you set
If you've forgotten your password, you can reset it easily on the log in page.
If you haven't registered already, you can register for My Account Pet. Just follow the instructions from the 'How do I register for My Account Pet?' FAQ in this section.
*Please note: If you change your email address in My Account Pet, this will change the email you need to use to log in.
Finding your policy information
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You can find out how much cover you have on the "My Pet Policies" page of My Account Pet.
If you have a Lifetime policy, our display will show you how much benefit you have left after each claim. But remember, it renews every year.
For Max Benefit and Time Limited policies, the display will show how much is spent per condition when you make a claim. For Time Limited policies, it will also show you when the 12-month time limit expires.
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All of your documents are available on the "Documents" page of My Account Pet. You'll find them in the "Messages" section on that page.
If you receive your documents in the post, they’ll arrive through your letterbox a few days after taking out a policy.
Get help or make a claim
24/7 advice
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Petcall is our 24/7 vet helpline where you can speak to our team about any concerns you may have about your pet. Whatever the time of day or night, if you have a question about your pet’s health, care or well-being, just get in touch.
The Post Office Petcall team are available over the phone, and they can also arrange a browser-based video call if they feel they need to see your pet. And there’s never any need for an appointment.
If you think your pet requires emergency care, don't hesitate to contact your vet practice first.
Alternatively, you can call them on 0330 123 1923.
Petcall is only available to Post Office Pet Insurance customers. You’ll be asked to confirm your identity and policy.
Our team will not be able to discuss any matters related to your policy or any claims.
Making a claim
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The easiest way to claim is through My Account Pet. Log in and go to the "Claims" page; there you can submit our online claim form or download the claim forms for our additional benefits.
If you don't have access to the My Account Pet, call us on 0330 123 1921, and one of the team will send you the claim form you need in the post.
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Yes, you will need to pay an excess on your claims.
- Lifetime excess is payable per condition, per year
- Max Benefit excess is payable per condition
- Time Limited excess is payable per condition
When your pet reaches the upper ages of their policy, their excess will change to a percentage of the claim or the set excess, whichever is more. These changes happen at the renewal after the following birthdays:
- Cats: 10th birthday
- Rabbits: 5th birthday
- Most dog breeds: 8th birthday
- Some dog breeds (listed below): 5th birthday
Beauceron, Bernese Mountain Dog, Bulldog, Bullmastiff, Deerhound, Dogue de Bordeaux, Estrela Mountain Dog, Giant Schnauzer, Great Dane, Irish Wolfhound, Leonberger, Mastiff, Neapolitan Mastiff, Newfoundland, Old English Bulldog, Old English Sheepdog, Poodle (Standard), Pyrenean Mountain Dog, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Rottweiler, Shar Pei, St Bernard, Standard Poodle, Tibetan Mastiff, Utonagan.
We will write to you to give you more information in advance of the change.
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When you make a claim, it goes through 5 steps before it’s completed. Our summary below outlines our online vet fees claims process:
- Claim submitted: Once your pet has received treatment, you can submit your claim. All you will need to do is answer a few questions, give us your vet's details, and tell us who we need to pay
- Awaiting vet completion: We'll contact your vet to confirm the treatment and costs. On average, vets come back to us in 8 days, depending on your vet. We'll chase your vet at days 5, 10, and 15 if we haven't had a response
- Claim received: Your vet will have supplied us with information we need to move forward
- Pending approval: Our assessors will review the claim and come to a decision. On average, it takes 5 days to assess a claim, but sometimes this can take longer if we need more information
- Claim completed: Once your claim is fully assessed, we'll let you know the outcome. If you submit a paper vet fees claim form, the process is different and can take longer. Once you’ve downloaded and completed your part, you will need to pass it to your vet to fill in. Once they have completed their section, they will post it to us to review
If you submit your vet fees claim form online, you can track it straight away with My Account Pet’s Claims Tracker. For paper claim forms, you will only be able to see their progress in the Claims Tracker once we’ve received it and uploaded the information to our system. If you’re signed up for SMS, we’ll also send you text messages with claim updates.
For customers who receive their documents in the post, we'll keep you updated via letter.
Once you’ve made a claim
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If you submit your vet fees claim form online, you can track it straight away with My Account Pet’s Claims Tracker.
Log in and go to the "Claims" page, click on "Recent claims", and there you'll be able to see your claims.
If you’ve submitted a paper claim form, your claim will only appear in the tracker once we’ve received it and uploaded it to our system.
For customers who receive their documents in the post, we'll keep you updated via letter.
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Declining a claim is never a decision we come to lightly. If your claim is declined and you disagree with our decision, you can get in touch with us to challenge the outcome.
Log into My Account Pet, and on the "Need help?" page, you can fill in one of our contact forms. Select "Complaint about a claim" as your topic, and one of the team will look into this for you.
If you don't have access to My Account Pet, then you can call us at 0330 123 1921.
Change or cancel your policy
Changes to your policy
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If you need to change your details, you're able to make some changes in My Account Pet. For any changes that could affect the price of your policy, you’ll need to get in touch.
You can change things like your phone number or email address in My Account Pet. If you need to change any personal details like your address or pet's details, you will need to get in touch with us.
On the "Need help?" page, complete one of our contact forms, selecting "Policy" as your topic. Please let us know the details that need to be changed, and we'll get those updated for you.
Please be aware that any changes made to your details may affect the cost of your premium.
If you don't have access to My Account Pet, you can call us on 0330 123 1921.
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If you need to change your address, you’ll need to get in touch with us. You can do this in My Account Pet, where you can send us a message.
On the "Need help?" page, complete one of our contact forms, selecting "Policy" as your topic. Please let us know your new address, and we'll get that updated for you.
Please be aware that a change of address may affect the cost of your premium.
If you don't have access to My Account Pet, you can call us on 0330 123 1921.
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If you need to change your pet’s details, you’ll need to get in touch with us. You can do this in My Account Pet, where you can send us a message.
On the "Need help?" page, complete one of our contact forms, selecting "Policy" as your topic. Please let us know the changes, and we'll get that updated for you.
Please be aware that changes to your pet's details may affect the cost of your premium.
If you don't have access to My Account Pet, you can call us on 0330 123 1921.
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There are some options available that could possibly lower the cost of your cover. If you give us a call on 0330 123 1921 a member of our team will be able to explain all the options to you.
Cancel, contact us or make a complaint
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If you'd like to cancel your policy, or if you are looking to switch providers, before you cancel, it can be helpful to compare the cover and additional benefits available for both policies. Other providers may be able to offer cheaper cover, but they may not provide the same range of benefits or cover pre-existing conditions.
If you'd like to give us a call on 0330 123 1921, a member of our team will be happy to discuss your policy in more detail.
If you cancel your policy within 14 days of your start or renewal date, you'll be entitled to a refund as long as you haven't claimed within that policy year. If you pay yearly and cancel after 14 days, you'll be entitled to a pro-rata refund as long as you haven't made a claim.
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If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in these FAQs, please get in touch with us.
To get a quote or for a sales query please call:
0800 035 5157
Monday to Friday 8.30am – 6pm
You can also get a pet insurance quote online.
For customer services or to make a claim please call:
0330 123 1921
We’re here 8.30am – 6pm Monday to Friday and 9am – 1pm Saturday. We’re closed on Sundays.
Or you can use the 'Contact us' form in the My Account Pet.
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You can log in to My Account Pet and go to the "Need help?" page. Here, you can complete a contact form, and a member of our team will be happy to help you.
You can also call us directly at 0330 123 1921
Or you can write to us at: Post Office Pet Insurance, Customer Relations Department, Pinnacle House, A1 Barnet Way, Borehamwood, WD6 2XX
We aim to turn all complaints around within 4 days. Once we do, we'll send you a summary resolution communication to confirm we believe the complaint has been resolved. If we're unable to resolve your complaint within 4 days, we'll send you a letter acknowledging your complaint. And we'll keep you updated as the process moves forward or if we need any further information. As required by the Financial Conduct Authority, we aim to have everything resolved within 8 weeks.
If you're unhappy with our decision, you have the right to take up your complaint with the Financial Ombudsman Service. This must be done within 6 months of our summary resolution communication or final decision letter.
You can contact the Financial Ombudsman Service by:
Phone: 0800 023 4567 or 0300 123 9123
Post: Financial Ombudsman Service, Exchange Tower, London, E14 9SR