Spot Pet Insurance Review 2024
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Spot
5.0
/5Annual max coverage
Reimbursement rates
Deductibles
Policy highlight
About Spot pet insurance
Spot earned 5 stars out of 5 for overall performance and is one of NerdWallet's Best Pet Insurance Companies. Spot stands out for its comprehensive accident and illness plans, which cover things like alternative medicine, behavioral treatments, prescription food and microchip implantation.
Spot also offers two preventive care plans to add to your pet’s policy. These plans reimburse you for wellness exams, dental cleanings and other routine expenses, up to your coverage limit.
Strengths
Spot has no upper age limit for pets, and customers can opt for unlimited annual payouts. There’s an accident-only plan available.
Weaknesses
Spot doesn’t offer a way to pay your vet directly. Instead, you’ll need to settle your own vet bills and submit your receipts for reimbursement. Also, the company’s Android app has middling user ratings.
Note: Coverage options and availability may vary depending on where you live and the age and breed of your pet.
Plans and coverage
Spot pet insurance offers the following three types of coverage.
Accident and illness
Spot’s accident and illness plan offers broad coverage for injuries such as broken bones and illnesses like diabetes. The plan covers:
Alternative therapy like acupuncture and stem cell therapy. The treatment must be conducted by a veterinarian at a medical facility.
MRI or CT scans and X-rays.
IV fluids, IV medications and prescription medication.
Prescription food and supplements to treat a covered medical condition.
Exams, surgery and hospitalization.
Tooth extractions.
Cancer treatments.
Treatment for behavioral issues when conducted or prescribed by a veterinarian.
Microchip implantation.
Hereditary conditions.
Pre-existing conditions that have been cured and treatment-free for 180 days. This does not include pre-existing knee or ligament conditions.
Accident-only
Spot’s accident-only plan covers unexpected injuries but does not provide coverage for illness. This plan may pay for:
Alternative therapy, such as acupuncture or hydrotherapy, when performed or supervised by a licensed veterinarian.
MRI or CT scans and X-rays.
IV fluids, IV medications and prescription medication.
Prescription food and supplements to treat a covered condition.
Stem cell therapy.
Exams, surgery and hospitalization.
Tooth extractions.
Microchip implantation.
Preventive care
You can add a gold or platinum preventive care package to either of the plans above. The gold option is more affordable and covers:
Dental cleanings.
Annual exams.
Deworming.
Certain vaccinations and screening tests.
Spot’s platinum care option has higher limits and covers everything the gold plan does, plus:
Blood tests.
Spay or neuter surgery.
Urinalysis.
Heartworm and flea prevention.
Additional vaccinations.
» MORE: What does pet insurance cover?
What’s not covered
Spot’s accident and illness plan doesn’t cover:
Aesthetic, cosmetic, endodontic or orthodontic dental services.
Anal sac expression or resection.
Costs associated with breeding or pregnancy.
Pre-existing conditions that occur during the waiting period or before you bought your policy, unless symptom-free for at least 180 days.
Prescription food or supplements that don’t treat a covered condition.
Funeral services.
Experimental treatment.
Illness or injury due to mistreatment, racing or organized fighting.
Spot’s accident-only plan will not cover the above or treatment for any illness.
Spot’s preventive plans won’t pay for anything other than the wellness services listed in the coverage section above.
Plan options
Deductibles: A pet insurance deductible is the amount you must pay before your plan reimburses you for vet expenses. For Spot’s accident and illness plan and accident-only plan, deductible options are $100, $250, $500, $750 and $1,000 per year. Preventive care plans do not have a deductible.
Reimbursement amounts: After you meet your annual deductible, Spot pet insurance will reimburse you for a certain percentage of your vet expenses up to your coverage limit. For both of Spot’s main plans, you may choose a 70%, 80% or 90% reimbursement percentage. Reimbursement percentages don’t apply to preventive care plans.
Unlike some pet insurers, Spot generally applies your deductible to your covered expenses before calculating your reimbursement rate. This results in a more generous claim payout. Say you have a $2,000 vet bill, an 80% reimbursement rate and a $500 deductible. Spot would calculate your payout as follows:
$2,000 vet bill - $500 deductible = $1,500.
$1,500 x 0.8 (80% reimbursement rate) = $1,200.
You’d pay $800 of the vet bill, and Spot would reimburse the remaining $1,200.
Did you know...
Companies that apply your reimbursement rate first, then the deductible, would reimburse only $1,100 of the same bill. Here’s the math:
$2,000 vet bill x 0.8 (80% reimbursement rate) = $1,600.
$1,600 - $500 deductible = $1,100.
Coverage limits: Spot’s annual coverage limits range from $2,500 to unlimited.
Restrictions and waiting periods
Age restrictions: Spot has no upper age limit and will insure pets 8 weeks or older.
Waiting periods: A waiting period is the time between when you buy your policy and when your coverage starts. Spot pet insurance has a waiting period of 14 days.
Sample rates
The cost of Spot pet insurance depends on where you live, the coverage limits you choose, and your pet’s breed and age.
To give you a rough idea of how much you might pay, we gathered sample rates for several popular dog breeds at ages 2 and 8. Rates below are sample monthly premiums for dogs living in Katy, Texas. Our sample plan was for accident and illness coverage with a $250 deductible, $5,000 of annual coverage and an 80% reimbursement rate. Your own price will vary.
Breed | Age 2 | Age 8 |
|---|---|---|
French bulldog | $67 | $158 |
German shepherd | $39 | $93 |
Golden retriever | $46 | $110 |
Labrador retriever | $46 | $110 |
Medium mixed-breed dog | $32 | $75 |
Poodle | $46 | $110 |
We also gathered rates for a variety of cat breeds with the same coverage limits as above. Rates below are sample monthly premiums for cats living in Katy, Texas.
Breed | Age 2 | Age 8 |
|---|---|---|
Devon rex | $18 | $32 |
Domestic shorthair | $18 | $32 |
Exotic longhair | $33 | $59 |
Maine coon | $28 | $50 |
Persian | $28 | $50 |
Ragdoll | $18 | $32 |
» MORE: The best cheap pet insurance
Discounts
Spot offers a 10% multi-pet discount.
State availability
Spot is licensed to sell pet insurance in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Consumer experience
Website: Spot offers an easy-to-navigate website that allows consumers to get a free quote and enroll their pet right from the site. It also has a full FAQ page that answers customers' questions. In addition, the website has sample policies for those who want a more detailed look at their coverage options.
App: Spot’s app is available for both Android and iOS. Customers can use it to view their policies, find vet clinics, and file and track claims. However, the app’s middling user ratings on Android suggest it’s not always a seamless experience.
Claims: You can file a claim from Spot’s website or mobile app. You have 270 days from the date of treatment to file a claim. With Spot, you pay your vet bills upfront, then submit your bills to the company for reimbursement.
Customer service: You can contact Spot customer service Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Spot’s phone number is 800-905-1595.
» MORE: Is pet insurance worth it?
Spot vs. competitors
Here’s how Spot stacks up against two other popular pet insurance companies.
Spot vs. Pumpkin pet insurance
Pumpkin sells an accident and illness plan and an add-on for wellness expenses, but unlike Spot, it doesn’t have an accident-only option. Both companies offer an unlimited annual coverage option for dogs and cats.
All Pumpkin plans reimburse consumers 90%, while Spot’s reimbursement rates vary. In addition, Pumpkin doesn’t have a mobile app that you can use to manage your policy, while Spot does.
Read our Pumpkin pet insurance review to learn more.
Coverage options | Spot | Pumpkin |
Deductible range | $100 to $1,000 per year. | $100 to $1,000 per year. |
Reimbursement | 70%, 80% and 90%. | 90%. |
Annual limit range | $2,500 to unlimited. | $7,000 to unlimited for cats; $10,000 to unlimited for dogs. |
Spot vs. Healthy Paws
Unlike Spot, Healthy Paws pet insurance offers only one accident and illness plan, with no accident-only or wellness coverage options. Healthy Paws’ standard accident and illness plan is less comprehensive than Spot’s, with no coverage for exam fees, prescription food or supplements.
Like Spot, Healthy Paws has an unlimited annual coverage option and various reimbursement percentage levels. However, whereas Spot does not specify a typical claims processing time, Healthy Paws handles most claims within two to 10 days.
Get more details in our Healthy Paws pet insurance review.
Coverage options | Spot | Healthy Paws |
Deductible range | $100 to $1,000 per year. | $100 to $1,000 per year. (Not all options are available to all pets.) |
Reimbursement | 70%, 80% and 90%. | 50% - 90%. (Not all options are available to all pets.) |
Annual limit range | $2,500 to unlimited. | Unlimited. |
How we review insurance
Our writers and editors follow strict editorial guidelines that ensure fairness and accuracy to help you choose the financial products that work best for you. In our pet insurance reviews, we consider coverage, discounts, financial strength ratings from AM Best and more to determine our star ratings.
Our rating system rewards companies that cover a wide range of potential expenses, offer many ways to customize your plan and have a strong financial rating. Within the consumer experience category, we looked at features such as mobile app ratings and whether the company offers direct vet payments. To calculate each insurer’s rating, we adjusted the scores to a curved 5-point scale.
Dive deeper with our criteria for evaluating pet insurance companies.
Methodology
Pet insurance star ratings
NerdWallet’s pet insurance ratings reward companies for customer-first features and practices. Ratings are based on weighted averages of scores in several categories, including financial strength, scope of coverage, the ability to customize your plan and more. Our “consumer experience” category looks at factors such as website transparency and mobile app ratings. To calculate each insurer’s star rating, we adjusted the scores to a curved 5-point scale. See our full pet insurance methodology.
These ratings are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several insurance quotes to find the best rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines.
Pet insurance sample rates
To find sample pet insurance rates, NerdWallet gathered quotes for the base level of accident and illness coverage on each insurer’s website. Quotes reflect the monthly cost of a policy and do not include wellness coverage or other optional add-ons. Each plan for a given company had the same deductible, coverage limit and reimbursement rate for all sample pets.
These are sample rates gathered for specific pets living in Katy, Texas. Your own rates will be different.
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