Pumpkin Pet Insurance Review 2025

Pumpkin earned 5 stars out of 5 for overall performance and is one of NerdWallet's Best Pet Insurance Companies.

Pumpkin pet insurance offers comprehensive insurance policies and preventive care plans. There’s no maximum age limit for pets to apply, and all breeds are welcome.

The company includes PumpkinNow with all accident and illness plans. This urgent pay service can reimburse you within minutes for vet bills over $1,000. (You must have a bank that accepts real-time payments.)

Unlike many other plans, Pumpkin pet insurance covers prescription food and supplements. However, the company doesn’t have a mobile app to help you manage your policy.

Pumpkin sells plans that can cover accidents, illnesses and preventive care costs.

Accident and illness plan

Pumpkin's accident and illness plan is more comprehensive than most. It covers:

• Exam fees, medicine, surgery and hospitalization.

• Dental illnesses.

• Behavioral issues.

• Hereditary conditions.

• Parasite infections.

• Prescription food and supplements.

• Alternative therapies.

• Cancer treatments.

• Microchipping.

• Diagnostic tests.

• Some pre-existing conditions (only if the condition was cured and the pet is symptom-free for 180 days). This does not include knee and hind leg ligament conditions.

You can add the company’s Preventive Essentials package to your accident and illness policy. It covers one annual wellness exam, plus parasite screening and a set number of vaccines each year.

Wellness Club

Pumpkin also offers a stand-alone preventive care plan called the Wellness Club, a subscription service can reimburse you for expenses such as annual exams, vaccines and flea/tick prevention.

The Wellness Club has two tiers. The Essentials option is similar to the Preventive Essentials add-on, covering:

• Wellness exams.

• Vaccinations.

• Fecal testing.

• Routine bloodwork (dogs only).

The Premium level also offers:

• Flea/tick/heartworm prevention.

• Spay or neuter surgery, or routine dental cleaning.

• Routine bloodwork for cats.

All Wellness Club plans come with access to a 24/7 pet health line and discounts from select partner brands.

Note: Coverage options and availability may vary depending on where you live and the age and breed of your pet.

» MORE: What does pet insurance cover?

Pumpkin's accident and illness policy has a fairly standard list of exclusions. The plan doesn't cover:

• Breeding costs.

• Spaying or neutering.

• Cosmetic or elective procedures.

• Dental cleanings not related to illness.

• Most pre-existing conditions.

• Herbal supplements.

Preventive Essentials and Wellness Club plans don’t cover anything other than the specific services listed in each plan.

Deductibles: A pet insurance deductible is the amount of your vet care you need to pay for before your insurer starts reimbursing you. With Pumpkin, you can choose an annual deductible of $100, $250, $500 or $1,000.

Reimbursement amounts: You can choose to have Pumpkin pet insurance reimburse 80% or 90% of all covered vet bills after you’ve met your deductible.

Coverage limits: You can choose an annual coverage limit of $5,000, $7,000, $15,000 or unlimited for cats. Annual coverage limits for dogs are $5,000, $10,000, $20,000 or unlimited.

Age restrictions: All dogs and cats 8 weeks and older are eligible for coverage. Unlike some insurers, Pumpkin doesn’t have a maximum age limit.

Waiting periods: A pet insurance waiting period is the time between when you buy your policy and when your coverage takes effect. Pumpkin offers a 14-day waiting period for all accidents and illnesses, including hip dysplasia and knee injuries. (Some companies have a six- or 12-month waiting period for certain orthopedic issues.)

» MORE: Is pet insurance worth it?

The cost of Pumpkin pet insurance depends on where you live, the coverage limits you choose, and your pet’s breed and age.

Sample rates for dogs

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.

Sample rates for cats

We also gathered rates for a variety of cat breeds with the same coverage limits. Rates below are sample monthly premiums for cats living in Katy, Texas.

Discounts

A 10% discount applies to each additional pet you enroll in a plan.

Pumpkin also offers savings for veterinary staff. And if you pay for your plan annually rather than monthly, you may be able to get a discount.

» MORE: How much does pet insurance cost?

Pumpkin is licensed to sell pet insurance in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

Availability may change at any time. Coverage may not be available to all pets in a given state.

Website: Pumpkin’s website is easy to use and includes detailed coverage information for cats, dogs, kittens and puppies. You can download a sample policy for your state, and apply for a free quote.

Mobile app: Unlike most insurers, Pumpkin doesn't have an app. However, its website is optimized for tablets and smartphones.

You can file claims online through Pumpkin’s website or download a form to email to the company. Pumpkin can send you a check or deposit your payout directly into your bank account. You can track the status of your claim in your online account.

For claims over $1,000, Pumpkin may be able to speed up your reimbursement. You’ll need to set up direct deposit in advance with a bank that takes real-time payments. Once at the vet, ask for a “final” invoice and file a claim through the Pumpkin website. You may receive funds in as little as 15 minutes if you submit within the company’s business hours, Monday through Saturday.

When calculating your claim payout, Pumpkin generally subtracts your deductible from your vet bill before applying your reimbursement rate. That’s a more generous method than many other insurance companies use.

Here’s how the math could work if you had a $2,000 vet bill, 90% reimbursement rate and $500 deductible.

Phone: You can reach Pumpkin’s customer care team by phone at 866-273-6369 Monday to Saturday.

Email: Send messages to help@pumpkin.care. The company promises a reply within a day.

Live chat: Agents are available Monday through Saturday.

» MORE: Does pet insurance cover surgery?

Here’s how Pumpkin stacks up against two other popular pet insurance companies.

Pumpkin vs. Lemonade

The main differences between Pumpkin and Lemonade pet insurance are:

Standard coverage. Lemonade’s basic plan doesn't cover things like behavioral therapy or treatments for dental illness. Instead, it charges an extra fee to add them to your policy. Pumpkin includes coverage for these treatments in its standard plan.

Stand-alone wellness plan. Like many pet insurers, Lemonade offers preventive care coverage as an add-on to its accident and illness plan. Pumpkin has a similar add-on called Preventive Essentials, but it also sells stand-alone Wellness Club plans.

» READ MORE: Lemonade pet insurance review

Pumpkin vs. Spot

The most important differences between Pumpkin and Spot pet insurance are:

Claims processing time. Spot generally takes five to seven days to process accident and illness claims, according to the company website. Pumpkin’s PumpkinNow service is a much faster option for claims over $1,000, potentially paying out within minutes.

Accident-only coverage. You can buy an accident-only plan from Spot if you want coverage only for unexpected injuries, not illnesses. Pumpkin doesn’t offer accident-only plans.

» READ MORE: Spot pet insurance review

• See all of NerdWallet’s pet insurance reviews

  AKC Allstate ASPCA Banfield Chewy Costco Embrace Fetch Figo GEICO Hartville Healthy Paws Kanguro Lemonade

  Liberty Mutual MetLife Nationwide Pawp Petco Pets Best Progressive Prudent Pet Pumpkin Spot State Farm Trupanion Wagmo