Ratings Methodology for Pet Insurance

Pet insurance

NerdWallet's ratings for pet insurance companies take into account the following details about each insurer:

  • Scope of coverage.
  • Ability to customize plan.
  • Consumer experience.
  • Financial strength.
  • Discounts.

The best pet insurers have the financial strength needed to support customers when their pets are sick or injured. They cover a wide range of medical treatments and offer flexible terms so consumers can find the right plan. They also have robust websites and apps to help you manage your policy.

Data collection and review process

We collect data points for each insurer from its public-facing websites and from company representatives, public filings, state regulator data and third-party analyses. These data points are then compared against one another and against NerdWallet's standards for good insurance companies to determine a star rating.

Data is collected on a regular basis and reviewed by our editorial team for consistency and accuracy. Final star ratings are presented on a scale of one to five stars, where a one-star score represents "poor" and a five-star score represents "excellent."

The reviews team

The writers and editors behind our pet insurance reviews are insurance specialists who have had their work featured by or appear in The Associated Press, The Washington Post, The New York Times, the Chicago-Sun Times, U.S. News & World Report and the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet’s strict guidelines for editorial integrity.

In addition to pet insurance, the team covers auto insurance, life insurance, homeowners insurance and renters insurance.

Rating specifics

Our star ratings are weighted based on our editorial and professional opinions. We use the following weightings when rating pet insurers:

  • Scope of coverage (35%).
  • Ability to customize plan (25%).
  • Consumer experience (20%).
  • Financial strength (15%).
  • Discounts (5%).
Scope of coverage: We gave our highest ratings in this category to companies with a wide range of coverage options, especially if those options are included in the standard plan.

Ability to customize plan: We evaluated each company’s deductibles, reimbursement options and coverage limits. Companies with more ways to customize policies and premiums were given a higher score in this category.

Consumer experience: Strong companies in this category allow consumers to get quotes and file claims online, have highly rated mobile apps and offer the option to pay vets directly.

Financial strength: These ratings, which indicate an insurer’s ability to pay future claims, are based on assessments from independent agencies such as AM Best and Demotech.

Discounts: The more discounts a consumer may be eligible for, the higher the score.