
Choosing the right Pet Insurance is extremely important, as the wrong choice now could have severe financial consequences later and comparing numerous policy terms and conditions can be daunting.
Once you have read this review of Tesco Pet Insurance and compared polices using our unique search facility, you will have all the information you need to make an informed choice.
Tesco Pet Insurance Reviewed by Jonathan 19/01/2021
Tesco Bank is a British retail bank that was formed in July 1997 as part of a 50:50 joint venture between The Royal Bank of Scotland and Tesco, the largest supermarket in the United Kingdom and which has been wholly owned by Tesco Plc since 2008.
Tesco Bank provides a range of personal accounts, including credit cards, loans, savings accounts, insurance and foreign currency exchange. Choose from a range of pet insurance policies to suit all requirements and budgets.
Tesco Bank Pet Insurance is arranged, administered and underwritten by Royal & Sun Alliance Plc.
Click on the website link to go directly to the insurance providers website. Visit Tesco Pet Insurance's Website and Get a Quotation direct
Click on the white bars on the right side of the policy boxes below. Expand the content to view star ratings of all policies offered by Tesco Pet Insurance.
Your pet must be at least 8 weeks old at the start of the policy and live with you at your home address.
You must be the owner and keeper of the pet and you both must reside in the UK, Isle of Man or Channel Islands.
Pets must be at least eight weeks old when cover starts.
You must never have had an insurance policy cancelled, or declared void by an Insurer.
Your dog must not have been the cause of any complaints, legal, action or accident or be trained to attack.
As owner of your pet, you must manage your pet's weight and take steps to prevent your pet becoming overweight or underweight.
You must take care of your pet at all times and pay for any recommended treatments to prevent injury or illness.
Tesco Pet Insurance offer four levels of cover;
Accident Only - Vet fees covering accidents only up to £3,000 per incident. Cover is for a maximum of 12 months from the date of treatment, or until the limit is reached.
Standard Cover - Vet fees covering accidents or illnesses up to £3,000 per incident. Cover is for a maximum of 12 months from the date of treatment, or until the limit is reached.
Extra Cover - Vet fees covering accidents or illnesses. Choose a benefit of either £4,000 or £7,000 per incident until the limit is reached.
Premier Cover - Vet fees covering accidents or illnesses. Choose an annual benefit of either £2,000 £4,000 £7,500 or £10,000. Benefits are reinstated annually, provided your policy is renewed.
Tesco treat cruciate ligaments in each leg, individual disc problems and any other health issue that caused your pet to suffer multiple conditions, as one health issue, treated under one single vet fee limit.
Many pet insurance issues arise when a customer finds out that a particular claim is not covered. In many cases this is because the customer just wasn't aware of a particular exclusion.
It is absolutely essential that you read the policy wording carefully to make sure you are fully understand the policy you are buying. You may find our comprehensive guide to pet insurance helpful, in the meantime we have highlighted important exclusions that we think you should know about below.
Tesco Pet Insurance does not cover;
Provided treatment has been recommended by your vet, you are covered for complementary treatments such as physiotherapy, osteopathy, chiropractic care, hydrotherapy, acupuncture or homeopathy up to £500 as standard (Extra and Premier policies £1,000).
The Standard and Extra cover policies cover teeth or gums if they are damaged in an accident, if an underlying illness causes tooth decay or gum disease, or for the removal of the first teeth of pet’s insured with us before they were 16 weeks old if their
first teeth have not fallen out naturally.
Premier Cover policies cover the above, but also tooth decay or gum disease, provided your pet has a dental check up every 12 months and any necessary work carried out.
Tesco Pet Insurance does not cover food (even when prescribed by a vet).
MRI/CT Scans and Cruciate Ligament claims are covered up to the relevant vet fees limit.
Tesco Pet Insurance covers £200 towards the cost of putting your pet to sleep and cremation or burial.
You are able to insure a maximum of three pets under the same policy.
Tesco Pet Insurance do not cover your pet's pre-existing medical conditions. These are described as
• 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.
Tesco also consider the following to 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.
Tesco do not cover any claim connected to or with your pet being pregnant, giving birth or rearing puppies or kittens.
Now that we have left the European Union, Pet Passports are no longer valid. Instead they have been replaced with an Animal Health Certificate.
Tesco Standard, Extra and Premier policies extend vet fees cover whilst your pet is abroad for 3 journeys of up to 30 days each journey in any one period of insurance.
In addition they also cover quarantine costs, loss of your pets health certificate, emergency expenses abroad and repeat worming, as well as holiday cancellation.
Tesco Pet Insurance do not cover illnesses which you or your vet were aware of within the first 14 days of your policy first starting, or any illness that develops from them are not covered.
In addition 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 are not covered.
The accident policy has an exclusion period of 5 days in respect of any accident claim.
The standard policy excess is £120, although you can choose a lower excess of £60 in exchange for a higher premium, or an excess of £200 in exchange for a lower premium.
If your pet needs to be treated by a referral vet, your usual vet will let you know which referral vet from Tesco's preferred referral vet network is closest to you. If you choose a referral vet from outside the network, you will need to pay £200 of the referral vet bill yourself. This amount is in addition to your policy excess, unless your pet needs emergency treatment, in which case it will be waived.
In respect of dog insurance third-party liability claims on property damage, you’ll be required to pay the first £250 of any claim.
Unlike many Pet Insurers, there are no additional percentage contributions required when your pet reaches a certain age.
Instead Tesco operates a fixed excess payment so you’ll know exactly what you have to pay if you make a claim.
The website is comprehensive and provides a good explanation of the types of cover available. You can see at a glance what is available with a side by side comparison of benefits. There is easy access to policy documentation. Between this information and the frequently asked questions section most of your questions should be answered.
Tesco do not operate live chat but you can phone or email for more information or to get a quote if you do not want to do it online.(Remember you would lose out on the 20% introductory discount)
The quotation software is easy to use, but you have to choose the type of policy before receiving a quote. You are presented with an excellent breakdown of the cover, excess details and policy documentation.
The policy wording is 28 pages long and includes a useful summary of cover and a helpful contents page. All relevant how to get in touch details are helpfully displayed in one place.
Tesco divide what is covered into sections explaining "when they can help you" and "when they can't help you". In tests text readability scored 67.4 out of 100 with a classification of standard reading text and with a reading age of between 13 - 15 years of age.
You can find Tesco pet insurance on GoCompare, MoneySupermarket and Comparethemarket, as well as going direct to Tesco's own website.
Vetfone is a pet health helpline provided by Vetsdirect Ltd and free to all Tesco pet Insurance policyholders.
We were unable to find enough meaningful customer reviews regarding Tesco pet insurance.
There are no administration charges.
If you're a new customer and buy online, you can get 20% off, subject to a minimum premium.
Tesco will settle claims up to 12 months old and you can download a claim form and track claims through the online claim portal.
Tesco pet Insurance policies are at the higher end of the scale cost wise, although the Extra and Premier policies do provide excellent levels of cover. Remember after the first year, premiums will increase by at least 20%, due to the removal of the introductory discount.
Tesco do not charge an additional contribution when your pet reaches a certain age, so this could result in quite a saving compared to other policies, if you have to make a large claim.
That's Insurance have spent some time mystery shopping on tesco-pet-insurance-review's website. The policy wording, website, customer service/buying process have been carefully reviewed and each section awarded a user friendly score, which you can see below.
Policy wording - Marks are awarded for Layout, Readability ,Terminology, Communication and Appropriate information.
Website - Marks are awarded for Layout/Navigation, Access to important information e.g. policy wordings, Clear Explanation/Comparison of policies, including limitations, Frequently asked questions.
Customer Service – Marks are awarded for the Buying process, Customer Service, Clear Quotations, Access to important information/Comparison of quotes.
The scores have been calculated as an overall percentage and shown on the three gauges. You can see how Tesco compares to the industry average. The higher the percentage the better the company performs in each area.
(layout, readability, terminology)
Awaiting user friendly score
(layout, navigation, access to information)
Awaiting user friendly score
(clear quotes, buying process, customer service)
Awaiting user friendly score
We've highlighted Pro's and Cons for Tesco, click on the white bars on the right side of the boxes below. Expand the content to view pros and cons of all policies offered by Tesco Pet Insurance.
We've listed below cover levels for policies offered by offered by To scroll through all policies, click on the arrows on the left and right of policy name section.
Listed below are some Sample Quotes offered by Tesco Pet Insurance
Top Picks
Insurance Provider
Excess
Primary Cover
Guide Price
Type:Dog
Cover:Maximum Benefit Per Condition
Age: 6
Breed: Retriever (Labrador)
Group: Gundog
60
Maximum Benefit Per Condition 7,500
Complimentary Treatment 1,000
Dental 7,500
Death from Accident 1,500
Death from Illness 1,500
Theft or Straying 1,500
Advertising and Reward 1,000
Third Party Liability 2,000,000
Type:Dog
Cover:Per Condition Time Limited
Age: 1
Breed: Shih Tzu
Group: Utility
60
Per Condition Time Limited 3,000
Complimentary Treatment 500
Dental 3,000
Death from Accident 1,500
Death from Illness 1,500
Theft or Straying 1,500
Advertising and Reward 1,000
Third Party Liability 2,000,000
Type:Dog
Cover:Lifetime Maximum Benefit
Age: 1
Breed: Medium
Group: Mongrel
60
Lifetime Maximum Benefit 4,000
Complimentary Treatment 1,000
Dental 4,000
Death from Accident 1,500
Death from Illness 1,500
Theft or Straying 1,500
Advertising and Reward 1,000
Third Party Liability 2,000,000
Type:Dog
Cover:Per Condition Time Limited
Age: 6
Breed: Shih Tzu
Group: Utility
60
Per Condition Time Limited 3,000
Complimentary Treatment 500
Dental 3,000
Death from Accident 1,500
Death from Illness 1,500
Theft or Straying 1,500
Advertising and Reward 1,000
Third Party Liability 2,000,000
Type:Dog
Cover:Maximum Benefit Per Condition
Age: 1
Breed: Chihuahua (Smooth Coat)
Group: Toy
60
Maximum Benefit Per Condition 4,000
Complimentary Treatment 1,000
Dental 4,000
Death from Accident 1,500
Death from Illness 1,500
Theft or Straying 1,500
Advertising and Reward 1,000
Third Party Liability 2,000,000
Type:Cat
Cover:Lifetime Maximum Benefit
Age: 1
Breed: Moggie
Group: Moggie
60
Lifetime Maximum Benefit 7,500
Complimentary Treatment 1,000
Dental 7,500
Death from Accident 1,500
Death from Illness 1,500
Theft or Straying 1,500
Advertising and Reward 1,000
Type:Cat
Cover:Per Condition Time Limited
Age: 10
Breed: Moggie
Group: Moggie
60
Per Condition Time Limited 3,000
Complimentary Treatment 500
Dental 3,000
Death from Accident 1,500
Death from Illness 1,500
Theft or Straying 1,500
Advertising and Reward 1,000
Type:Cat
Cover:Maximum Benefit Per Condition
Age: 6
Breed: Siamese
Group: Purebreed
60
Maximum Benefit Per Condition 4,000
Complimentary Treatment 1,000
Dental 4,000
Death from Accident 1,500
Death from Illness 1,500
Theft or Straying 1,500
Advertising and Reward 1,000
Type:Cat
Cover:Lifetime Maximum Benefit
Age: 1
Breed: Moggie
Group: Moggie
60
Lifetime Maximum Benefit 10,000
Complimentary Treatment 1,000
Dental 10,000
Death from Accident 1,500
Death from Illness 1,500
Theft or Straying 1,500
Advertising and Reward 1,000
Type:Cat
Cover:Lifetime Maximum Benefit
Age: 6
Breed: Moggie
Group: Moggie
60
Lifetime Maximum Benefit 7,500
Complimentary Treatment 1,000
Dental 7,500
Death from Accident 1,500
Death from Illness 1,500
Theft or Straying 1,500
Advertising and Reward 1,000