Lifetime pet insurance cover
When our dogs and cats get ill, it can be really scary, and the last thing we want is to worry about a sky-high vet bill. Our lifetime pet insurance cover covers vet fees of up to £10,000.
Tesco Bank Pet Insurance is arranged, administered and underwritten by Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Ltd.
Premier cover is 5 Star rated by Defaqto for policies with £4,000 or more vet fees
Insure your cat or dog from 8 weeks old and cover vet fees of up to £2,000, £4,000, £7,500 or £10,000, depending on the limit you choose.
Your limit will be reinstated each year, as long as you renew your policy and there’s no break in cover. We may choose not to renew a policy, if we do, we will let you know in advance of your renewal date.
Flexible policy benefits
- Spread the cost of your policy by paying monthly by Direct Debit – and the great news is, it doesn't cost you more.Spread the cost of your policy by paying monthly by Direct Debit – and the great news is, it doesn't cost you more.
- Up to £2,000,000 on third-party liability costs such as injury or property damage (dogs only).Up to £2,000,000 on third-party liability costs such as injury or property damage (dogs only)Up to £2,000,000 on third-party liability costs such as injury or property damage (dogs only).
- Cover when travelling with your pet for repeat worming treatments or emergency vet fees abroad with the PETS scheme, included with Standard, Extra and Premier cover. View more on the PETS schemeCover when travelling with your pet for repeat worming treatments or emergency vet fees abroad with the PETS scheme, included with Standard, Extra and Premier cover. View more on the PETS scheme.
Monetary limits, excesses and exclusions apply.
Get your pet insurance quote
Guaranteed discount for Clubcard members
Over 1 million Clubcard members trust Tesco Bank with their Pet, Home, or Car Insurance. And whether you’re a new customer or renewing your cover this year, you’re guaranteed a Clubcard discount.
About your data
Information on how we collect and use your personal data (including profiling and automated decisions) and your rights under data protection laws are in our privacy notice. Data may be obtained from and shared with the wider Tesco Group and fraud prevention agencies.
Compare our levels of pet insurance cover
Standard
Vet fees limit
£3,000
Vet fees time limit
12 months from the first treatment date or until you reach the vet fees limit, whichever is sooner, if your policy is renewed and there is no break in cover and your premiums are paid.
Dental cover
Accidents only.
Extra
Vet fees limit
£4,000, or £7,500
Vet fees time limit
Until you reach the vet fees limit for each accident or illness, if your policy is renewed and there is no break in cover and your premiums are paid.
Dental cover
Accidents only.
Premier
Vet fees limit
£2,000, £4,000, £7,500 or £10,000
Vet fees time limit
The limit will be reinstated each year providing cover is made available to you and you renew with no break in cover and your premiums are paid.
Dental cover
Accidents, illness and injury, if yearly check-up and any recommended treatment undertaken.
Our Standard, Extra and Premier cover include:
Cover for illness, accidents and injuries
Lost pet cover up to £1,000 including a £200 reward
Discount available for each additional pet added to a policy
24hr access to the vetfone™ helpline - unlimited telephone and video calls at no extra cost. 0800 197 4949
Saying goodbye cover up to £200 for putting your pet to sleep or for burials
Up to £1,000 towards pet care for unplanned visits to hospital of more than 4 days
Pet travel cover up to your vet fees limit
Refunds up to £1,500 for death from an accident or illness*
Complementary treatments such as physiotherapy and hydrotherapy are included within vet fees limit, up to £500 on Standard and £1000 on Extra and Premier.
*Excluding pets over 9 from illness.
Excesses will apply to your policy, which will affect the amount of premium you pay, and the amount you pay towards any vet treatment. When your pet turns 8, your excess may increase. View more on excesses.
Dog and Puppy Insurance
Standard cover from £86.40 a year or £7.20 a month.
That’s what 10% of new customers paid in March 2024, based on policies sold. The amount you could pay depends on individual circumstances.
Multi pet discount
Insure more than one pet and get a discount on each additional one when you buy Standard, Extra or Premier cover.
Tesco Bank Pet Insurance includes vetfone™
- Speak directly with vets and nurses from the Royal College of Veterinary SurgeonsSpeak directly with vets and nurses from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
- 24/7 access to phone and video calls24/7 access to phone and video calls
- Unlimited access, with no extra cost for using the serviceUnlimited access, with no extra cost for using the service
What to consider when getting pet insurance
Important terms for our cover
- Pets must be at least 8 weeks old when cover starts, and any pre-existing injuries and illnesses are not covered.Pets must be at least 8 weeks old when cover starts, and any pre-existing injuries and illnesses are not covered.
- Exclusion periods for injury and illness apply.Exclusion periods for injury and illness apply.
- Certain breeds of cat and dog are also not covered.Certain breeds of cat and dog are also not covered.
- Monetary limits, excesses and exclusions apply – see the policy documents for details.Monetary limits, excesses and exclusions apply – see the policy documents for details.
We may choose not to renew your policy and, if we do, we will let you know in advance of your renewal date.
Budgeting for increasing renewal prices
As pets get older, they’re unfortunately more likely to get ill. That’s why your renewal price increases each year and your excess may increase when your pet turns 8.
Making claims
A claim being paid increases the likelihood of future claims. In turn, this may cause your renewal price to increase. That increase will depend on your pet’s breed, age, and health. With this being the case, there is no limit to how much your renewal price can increase over time.
Why choose Tesco Bank Pet Insurance?
vetfone™ included with all plans
Unlimited 24-hour phone and video support. Provided by Vetsdirect Ltd.
Direct payments to vets
We can pay claims direct to your vet, if they’re happy to receive direct payments. Excesses will apply.
9/10 claims settled
January to December 2023.
Got a question about our cover? Talk to us through Live Chat.
We're open Monday to Friday 8am-8pm and Saturday 9am-5pm.
FAQs for pet insurance
This depends on how much cover you need, whether you want cover for the long term or short term, or for extras such as dental treatment.
Pre-existing illnesses and injuries are not covered by our policies.
You will have to pay a fixed excess when you make a claim for vets fees, you can choose the amount when you take out your policy (£60, £120 or £200). You can also choose to pay a percentage of the vet bill as well which will reduce the premium you pay. The higher your excess, the more you’d need to pay towards making a claim. For claims where a pet is aged 8 or over, you will need to pay your chosen fixed excess and 20% of the remaining costs. There are some claims where you won’t need to pay an excess. Find out more about excesses
Yes, your older pet can be insured. For cats and dogs over the age of 8, you will need to pay 20% of each remaining vet bill yourself as well after your fixed excess has been deducted.
All our policies offer cover for dental fees due to an accident. Our Standard and Extra policies offer dental cover if the treatment is needed due to an underlying issue. Our Premier policies cover treatment due to accidents and illnesses and all other dental treatments if your pet has a yearly check-up and has the recommended treatment.
Vaccinations are not covered by pet insurance, as they are not unexpected costs.
When you make a claim, we get to work. We can pay your vet directly if they’re happy to receive direct payments and will contact you to let you know when it’s done. Find out more about making a claim.
Contact us - we’re here to help
Got a question about your cover? Our UK-based contact centre is here to help. We are open Monday-Friday 8am-8pm and Saturdays 9am-5pm.
Important information
Check that Tesco Bank Pet Insurance is right for you
Please read the policy documents to make sure that the cover level you've selected meets your needs.
The policy booklet also contains information on cancellation rights.
Renewal costs
It's important you budget for renewal prices to increase as your pet gets older.
Like us, as pets get older, sadly they're more likely to get ill. In fact, our claims data shows that the cost of looking after your pet's health doubles every four to five years. That's why your renewal price increases each year, and your excess may increase when your pet turns 8.
A claim being paid also increases the chance that a future claim will be made and can therefore also cause your renewal price next year to double.
How much they go up is different for everyone and depends on things like your pet's breed, their age and health, and there is no limit to how much your renewal price can increase over time.
All claims are subject to excesses
Various excesses apply to your policy. Read our page on excesses for more information.
We'll search our records for your Tesco Clubcard number, and we may access and use information (including transactional information, name and address) from your Clubcard. This will help us and your insurer to assess your premium and will only be used to make a positive impact on your premium.
How we collect and use your personal data
Tesco Personal Finance plc, trading as Tesco Bank as part of the Tesco Group and the insurer who may underwrite your policy take the security of your data seriously. Detailed information on how we handle your data and your rights under data protection laws is available in our Privacy Notice.
We collect data when you browse our website (e.g. your IP address), request a quotation, partially complete a quotation, do not purchase or provide data indirectly via price comparison sites. We keep quote data for up to 7 years and we may use this information if you apply for a product again in the future.
We will use your data to give you quotes, provide our services to you, perform eligibility checks, work out insurance risk, manage debt, protect you and us against fraud and financial crime and manage and develop our business. Automated decisions may be taken to detect crime.
We use data such as your name and address, to find any Clubcard(s) that are linked to your address. That might be your Clubcard, the Clubcard of other family member(s), or the Clubcard of house or flat mates. We may use this information to tailor our communications and to try to bring you better terms, deals or offers, and this may include profiling on an on-going basis. We may also award Clubcard points.
Data may be obtained from and shared with the wider Tesco Group and fraud prevention agencies (FPAs). The FPAs will use it to prevent fraud and money-laundering and to verify your identity. If fraud is detected this may be shared with other organisations and you could be refused certain services, finance or employment.
By proceeding with your application you acknowledge we can use your data in this way.
All policies
- Pets must be at least eight weeks old when cover starts, any pre-existing injuries and illnesses are not covered.
- Monetary limits, excesses and exclusions apply.
- Certain breeds of cat and dog are not covered, including Pit Bull, Pit Bull type, Japanese Tosa, Fila Brazileiro, Dogo Argentino, American Bulldog, American XL Bully, Wolf or Wolf hybrid or any breed not on our breed list unless we have agreed to cover it.
We do not offer cover if:
- You have ever had an insurance policy declared void or cancelled by an insurer.
- Your pet is used for breeding (this means used for breeding more than two times in its lifetime).
- Your pet is used as a business or to make money or earn an income.
- Your dog is trained to attack, used for security or as a guard dog.
Standard, Extra and Premier
Cruciate* problems which you or your vet were aware of in the first 14 days of your policy first starting however caused, or any arthritis, illness or injury that develops from them.
Parvovirus, hepatitis, distemper, leptospirosis in dogs or feline leukaemia, cat flu or infectious enteritis in cats if you have not had your pet vaccinated against them and kept the vaccinations up to date.
Illnesses which you or your vet were aware of in the first 14 days of your policy first starting, or any illness that develops from them are not covered. By illness we mean, both diagnosed illness and signs or symptoms of illness (undiagnosed illness). These include:
- signs or symptoms of diagnosed or undiagnosed injuries or illnesses.
- existing illnesses or injuries.
- existing physical abnormalities.
- existing illnesses, injuries or physical abnormalities which lead to other health issues or injuries.
- illnesses or injuries which are medically linked to existing illnesses, injuries or physical abnormalities.
We consider the following to also be pre-existing conditions:
- treatment of cruciate ligaments* in the second leg if one leg has shown signs, been diagnosed or been treated for cruciate ligaments before you took out the policy.
- treatment of spinal disc† problems if any disc has shown signs, been diagnosed or been treated for spinal disc problems before you took out the policy.
* The cruciate ligaments are deep within the knee joint. There are two in each knee and they help keep the joint stable and make sure it only moves in a certain way.
† Discs are located between the bones of the spine. They are found along the entire length of the spine.
Cover for lost or missing pets
If your pet goes missing, the Standard, Extra and Premier cover levels of Tesco Bank Pet Insurance will cover your advertising costs up to £1,000, including a reward of up to £200. If the worst happens and your dog isn't found within 45 days, we’ll also cover what you paid or donated when you bought them, up to a cost of £1,500.
Travelling with your pet
The United Kingdom Government Pet Travel Scheme (also known as PETS) allows you to take your pet temporarily to certain countries and return to the UK without the hassle of putting them into quarantine.
Tesco Bank Pet Insurance offers Pet Travel Cover with the Standard, Extra or Premier cover levels, when you travel to any country covered by the PETS scheme. It will cover you for repeating a worming treatment or emergency vet fees abroad. We'll also pay if you lose your pet passport, or it is stolen or destroyed or if the microchip fails and you have to put them into quarantine. The Accident and Injury cover level doesn't include this cover.
Pet insurance guides
Have more than one pet?
If you have multiple pets, you could get a discount with multi pet insurance. Find out more with our guide and see which policy is right for you.
Why you need pet insurance
Don't get caught out with unexpected costs. From lost pet cover and help if you're unwell, check out the benefits of pet insurance to help you find a policy that suits.
Pet insurance glossary
Our glossary of pet insurance terms helps to explain everything we discuss in our policies, so you know where you stand. Read our A-Z guide to get you started.