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Woolworths Pet Insurance Review: Pros and Cons

Sophie Venz
Editor

Updated: Apr 18, 2024, 2:15pm

Johanna Leggatt
editor

Edited By

Editorial note: Forbes Advisor Australia may earn revenue from this story in the manner disclosed here. Read our advice disclaimer here.

Woolworths’ comprehensive pet insurance is a well-regarded offering, with three choices of excess, an 80% reimbursement rate and the option of routine care as an add-on. The policy also gives pet owners complimentary access to VetAssist, an online service that connects you with a licensed veterinarian immediately. Plus, it offers GapOnly payments, which is a convenient and cost-effective offering for pet owners.

 

Pros

  • $30,000 annual limit
  • Complimentary VetAssist service
  • GapOnly is available

Cons

  • Routine care isn’t automatically included
  • Average reimbursement rate
  • No multi-pet discount
Woolworths Pet Insurance
3.8
Our ratings take into account the card’s rewards, fees, rates along with the card’s category. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Maximum annual claim
$30,000
Choice of Excess?
Yes, $0, $100 or $500
GapOnly Payment
Yes

Table of Contents

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About Woolworths Pet Insurance

Supermarket giant Woolworths entered the pet insurance landscape only a few years ago, offering Australians five different levels of cover. According to its website, it has paid out 96% of claims within five days or less, with $85 million of benefits paid to its policyholders.

In the years since it was established, Woolworths Pet Insurance offering has won a range of industry awards for outstanding value and customer service—although there are a significant number of poor reviews on independent site, Product Review. As there are multiple levels to choose from, Woolworths has a comparison tool available online for customers to use prior to purchasing a policy.

In the following review, Forbes Advisor Australia has analysed Woolworths’ top-tier pet insurance: its Woolworths Everyday Comprehensive Plus Cover.

What Type of Pets Does Woolworths Cover?

Woolworths only covers cats and dogs with its pet insurance offerings; there is no cover available for other types of pets. It does however cover young pets such as kittens and puppies.

What’s Covered In The Woolworths Comprehensive Pet Insurance Plan?

The Woolworths Everyday Comprehensive Plus Cover Pet Insurance policy has many key features that help it stand out in the market, including a $30,000 annual claim limit. This limit is double the amount that is considered standard in the Australian pet insurance industry, with most providers only covering up to $15,000 in claims each year.

Woolworths also allows its customers to access the GapOnly service, meaning that at the time of a veterinary treatment, policyholders only have to pay the ‘gap’ which is the difference between what the insurer will cover. and what the vet charges. This is instead of having to pay upfront and then claim the cost back through the insurer; GapOnly payments also mean the customer is not out-of-pocket at any point, which considering the cost of some vet bills, is no small thing.

In terms of excess paid at the time of treatment, Woolworths has three different excess limits to choose from: $0, $100, or $500. It then offers an 80% reimbursement rate for veterinary bills, which is the standard percentage for the industry.

Like many other pet insurance providers, Woolworths Comprehensive Pet Insurance policy does not automatically cover routine care. Instead, customers can choose it as an extra, including adding $50 towards annual vaccinations and health checks and $50 towards another routine care service, such as desexing, microchipping, obedience training and more.

Another key offering is complimentary access to VetAssist, which is valued at $199 a year. VetAssist connects customers to licensed Australian Vets via video chat or online instant messaging, allowing for pet owners to get free access to credible vet advice 24/7. VetAssist helps pet owners understand whether their pet needs urgent veterinary care or not, which helps keep bills lower throughout the year and ideally saves Woolworths Pet Insurance customers money in the long run.

More inclusions of the Woolworths Comprehensive Pet Insurance Policy are laid out below, however, for full details on the policy, customers should carefully review the product disclosure statement.

Is Spaying and Neutering Covered?

Spaying and neutering is not automatically covered with the Woolworths Comprehensive Plus Cover Pet Insurance Policy. Spaying and neutering is considered routine care and, therefore, needs to be purchased as an additional add-on.

As explained above, the routine care add-on gifts $50 towards vaccinations and health checks, and another $50 to a second routine care service, including desexing if required.

What About Older Pets?

Pet insurance policies can be purchased from Woolworths for cats and dogs from eight weeks to nine years of age. Pets are still covered over the age of nine years old on the condition that there has not been a break, lapse or change in the level of cover after turning nine.

Unfortunately, new policies are not available for pets over this age.

Is There a Sub-Limit for Tick Paralysis?

Yes, there is a sub-limit for tick paralysis under the Woolworths Comprehensive Plus Pet Insurance Policy. The sub limit is $3000, which comes out of the total annual limit of $30,000.

Is Dental Covered?

No, dental is not automatically covered with Woolworths Pet Insurance. It is considered routine care, meaning it is only covered if the routine care add-on is purchased and the policyholder chooses to put its $50 service cover towards dental treatment.

Excess Options

Woolworths gives its customers three choices of excess–the higher the excess, the lower the cost of your annual premium. On the comprehensive plan, the excess choices are $0, $100 and $500.

How Long Is the Waiting Period?

The waiting period depends on the type of veterinary care required. With the Woolworths Comprehensive Plus policy, there is no wait for accidental injuries–meaning your pet will be covered for accidents as soon as you take out the policy.

For conditions covered under the illness cover (as specified in the PDS), there is a 30 day waiting period. Cruciate ligament conditions have a six-month waiting period.

Are there any discounts or bonuses?

No, at the time of writing, there are no discounts available for the purchase of Woolworths Pet Insurance. However, customers with a Woolworths Pet Insurance policy will receive a 10% discount on their Woolworths grocery shop once a month, every month.

What about add-ons for alternative therapies?

Yes, alternative therapies can be included in addition to the base policy via the routine care add-on.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the cost of Woolworths pet insurance?

The cost of pet insurance will vary depending on your pet’s age and breed, as well as other conditions such as whether it has been desexed yet. Woolworths Pet Insurance is charged fortnightly, but an average quote is unable to be provided due to the large disparities in pricing across ages among other factors. Additionally, the level of your excess will affect the price of your pet insurance premiums.

To get a personalised quote and find out how much Woolworths Pet Insurance may cost you, use the quote calculator online

Who underwrites Woolworths pet insurance?

All Woolworths pet insurance policies are underwritten by Hollard.

What is the waiting period for Woolworths pet insurance?

There is no waiting period on Woolworths pet insurance for injuries, so your pet is insured for accidents as soon as the policy commences. Other conditions, such as planned operations, have waiting periods between 30 days and six months. Details of each waiting period and the criteria is outlined in each policy’s product disclosure statement.

Information provided on Forbes Advisor is for educational purposes only. Your financial situation is unique and the products and services we review may not be right for your circumstances. We do not offer financial advice, advisory or brokerage services, nor do we recommend or advise individuals or to buy or sell particular stocks or securities. Performance information may have changed since the time of publication. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Forbes Advisor adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. To the best of our knowledge, all content is accurate as of the date posted, though offers contained herein may no longer be available. The opinions expressed are the author’s alone and have not been provided, approved, or otherwise endorsed by our partners.
Sophie Venz Editor

Sophie Venz is an experienced editor and features reporter, and has previously worked in the small business and start-up reporting space. Previously the Associate Editor of SmartCompany, Sophie has worked closely with finance experts and columnists around Australia and internationally.

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