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If you’ve been looking at pet insurance quotes, you’ve probably noticed that they include something called an ‘excess’.
If you’re confused by your excess, we’ll help you understand how it works and whether you’d be better off choosing a low or no excess pet insurance policy.
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What is excess in pet insurance?
The excess is an amount you must pay towards a pet insurance claim. It’s agreed when you take out the policy and will be written in your policy documents.
Not all policies have the same excess. Sometimes, it depends on your cover level, your insurer and the age of your pet. You many be able to choose to pay a higher excess to reduce the cost of your premiums.
With ManyPets you only pay one excess per policy year, regardless of how many conditions you claim for.
Other insurers often apply the excess to each new condition you make a claim for in a policy period, so you could end up paying the excess a few times over if you need to make several claims.
How does pet insurance excess work?
If, for example, you have a claim of £500 agreed and your excess is £99, you’d get £401 paid by your insurer and you’d pay the other £99 through your excess.
The excess is usually deducted from the amount that your insurer pays to you or your vet, so you’ll have to pay the excess amount directly to your vet.
How can I get low or no excess pet insurance?
Before you choose a no-excess policy, it’s really important to understand how your excess affects the premiums you pay: usually, the lower your excess, the higher your premiums.
Because of that, it’s not really a case of how to get no-excess pet insurance, but should you?
At ManyPets, we no longer offer a no-excess pet insurance policy. Instead, we offer a choice of excesses that we believe give pet parents the right balance of affordable premiums and excess.
On most of our policies, excess is only paid once in a policy year if you claim. Many other insurers will apply the excess to each individual claim – so if you claimed three times in a policy year and your excess was £99 you’d pay £297 worth of excess with them but with us, it would only be £99.
We have a choice of excess options so you can pick the excess that best suits you and your pocket.
That lets you decide how much you want to save on premiums by paying slightly more if you do need to claim.
Does pet insurance excess change for older pets?
When your pet reaches a certain age, most pet insurers will ask you to pay an additional excess called a co-payment.
At ManyPets, we apply a 20% co-payment when your pet turns nine years old.
You might be annoyed to see another excess you need to pay, but co-payments actually help to keep the overall cost of your policy down and it means it’s more affordable to insure older dogs and cats.
What are the types of pet insurance excess?
Pet insurance excesses fall into two categories:
Fixed excess
This is a set amount you agree to pay towards any claim at the beginning of your policy. It won’t change, no matter how big a claim you make.
Our low-excess option is £69.
Copayment
Copayments are an excess that is often added to policies for older pets, typically 20%. You’ll need to pay the copayment as well as the fixed excess if you need to make a claim.
Like standard excesses, co-payments help to make the policy price more affordable.
That’s why we also let you choose to pay a 20% co-payment if your pet’s younger. We think you should be able to choose whether a lower premium or less to pay if you need to claim is more important to you.
Should you choose low excess pet insurance?
Low or zero excess pet insurance won’t necessarily save you money. It’s likely to cost you more when you buy your policy, but it could leave you better off if you need to make a claim.
If you have a choice of excess and co-payment, you do need to give some thought to how much you can afford if you need to make a claim. If you can’t find the money to pay a large excess easily, a no or low excess pet insurance policy might help you budget better.
Some things you need to think about while getting pet insurance quotes:
Check whether the excess is charged per claim, per condition or per policy year.
Some insurers offer various excess options – consider whether increasing your excess will save you money in the long run.
Think about what you need your insurance for. If you want to claim for smaller bills, or if you’re only going to use your insurance for larger, more expensive bills, then this will help you to make a decision on which excess level to choose.
Switch to an insurer that gives you freedom
At ManyPets we want you to be able to find cat insurance or dog insurance that’s the right fit for you and your pet.
One of the reasons for that is because we offer a range of excess options, meaning you can switch to someone who gives you more control over your insurance.
We’ve tried to offer excesses and co-payments that strike a balance of affordability and choice, while still offering outstanding cover.
Our Complete policy has up to £15,000 of vet fee cover that refreshes each year when you renew, as well as dental cover, lost and stolen cover and cover for travelling abroad, all included as standard.
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