PetPlan vs Trupanion Policy Coverage and Pricing Compared (2024)

Trupanion vs Petplan are just two of the many pet insurance companies offering insurance plans to cover part of the expense of accidents and illnesses your pet can incur during its lifetime. Petplan has been offering pet insurance for over 15 years and gets recommended widely by vets, breeders, and happy pet parents according to their website. Both AARP and the American Animal Hospital Association consider Petplan their preferred provider over other pet insurance providers. Trupanion has been in business since 2000 and prides itself as a changemaker in the pet insurance industry. The company offers fewer options, making coverage easier to understand and allowing pet parents to make a more informed decision. How do these two titans in the pet insurance industry stack up against each other? Today’s review will settle the score. Continue reading below for a full review comparing Trupanion and Petplan pet insurance products.

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Trupanion Pet Insurance vs Petplan Insurance Plans

With many of the pet insurance carriers available, there are different tiers of pet insurance coverage.  Some offer accident-only coverage, which provides limited benefits if your pet is injured in an accident. These plans don’t provide coverage for illnesses or provide other benefits. Pet insurance plans like the ones offered by Trupanion and Petplan offer comprehensive coverage, which includes both accident and illness coverage.  Though each company offers similar coverage packages, there are some features one offers the other doesn’t. How do the premiums compare between the two and what coverages and benefits are provided by these pet insurance carriers? Let’s take a look at each pet plan and find out.  

Petplan vs Trupanion Insurance – Coverage Compared

Both Petplan and Trupanion Insurance offer comprehensive pet insurance coverage to cover both accidents and illnesses. This includes treatment for:

• Chronic conditions (diabetes, allergies, cancer)
• Hereditary and congenital conditions
• Emergency vet visits
• Diagnostic testing
• Surgery
• Hospitalization
• Certain prescribed medications and food

We’ll start with similarities between the two carriers and then discuss the differences. Like every other pet insurance provider, pre-existing conditions are excluded from coverage with these carriers. This means if your pet shows symptoms or has been seen or diagnosed for a condition prior to the policy being in force, they do not cover the condition. Cosmetic and elective procedures are also excluded from the pet insurance plans, which includes:

• Ear cropping
• Dewclaw removal
• Tail docking

Routine care is also not covered under a comprehensive pet insurance plan. Some pet insurance carriers offer a wellness plan to provide coverage for these visits, but Petplan and Trupanion do not. Wellness plans can cover:

• Yearly checkup visits
• Vaccinations
• Teeth cleaning
• Spaying/neutering
• Microchipping
• Routine blood work
• Urine and fecal tests
• Flea, tick, and heartworm preventatives and testing

If you’d like a pet insurance plan with the option for wellness care, check out our top five picks:

• Embrace
• Nationwide
• Pets Best
• Pet Premium
• Pet First

Now for some of the differences. Petplan’s basic comprehensive policy covers holistic care like going to the chiropractor or acupuncturist. Behavioral therapy is also provided for, while Trupanion pet insurance only offers these as an add-on benefit you have to pay extra for. Though Petplan doesn’t provide coverage for routine cleanings, they do offer comprehensive periodontal disease coverage at no extra cost. They also offer online vet visits and coverage for boarding your pet if you end up being hospitalized, with a cap of $1,000 per year. You can purchase add-on coverage with Trupanion for boarding, but not for online vet visits. One last thing to note about Petplan is the fact they cover exam fees if your pet goes to the vet for an illness. No other pet insurance carrier offers this at no extra cost, and Trupanion doesn’t offer this at all. 

Trupanion vs Petplan Pet Insurance – Benefit Limits Compared

Benefit limits are the maximum amount a pet insurance carrier will pay in a plan year towards covered expenses. Trupanion pet insurance’s goal is simplicity and transparency in coverage for pet parents. This includes offering unlimited benefits for any covered condition, which is one thing that makes them stand out from other pet insurance carriers.  While it’s nice to not have to worry about a cap on benefits, this may be reflected in the price, which we’ll discuss further in the pricing section. Petplan offers three options for benefit limits, with the unlimited annual payout being the most expensive. However, if you’re not looking for unlimited benefits, this could save you in monthly premiums.  Other options are $5,000 or $15,000 capped benefits, which means if you choose $5,000, once Petplan pays out $5,000 in your plan year, they won’t pay anything more until your plan renews the following year. According to Petplan’s website, the $15,000 annual benefit is the most popular among pet parents.

Read more:

• Figo vs Trupanion Policy Coverage and Pricing Compared
• Trupanion vs Embrace Policy Coverage and Pricing Compared

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Petplan Insurance vs Trupanion Pet Insurance – Deductibles Compared

Petplan offers three options for an annual deductible. The deductible is the amount you have to pay for covered vet care before the pet insurance company will reimburse you. The higher the deductible the lower your premium is, but that means you are out of pocket more before you get reimbursed. Petplan’s middle option for the annual deductible is the most popular, and they allow you to choose from:

• $250
• $300
• $500

Another identifying factor with Trupanion compared to other pet insurance providers is their deductible options. Rather than the standard annual deductible, you must meet each plan year, Trupanion has a per condition deductible. They make it stand out even more by letting you choose any dollar amount from $0 to $1,000 for your deductible, rather than a structured amount. A per condition deductible means once you hit your chosen deductible for a specific condition, you never have to meet a deductible for it again. So if you choose a $207 deductible, once you meet that deductible for a covered condition, Trupanion will reimburse the full amount according to the plan details for the life of your pet. Now, if your pet happens to have a terrible year and is seen for several conditions you haven’t met a deductible for yet, it could end up being a costly year. But you don’t have to worry about it rolling over next year to have to meet it all over again.

Trupanion vs Pet Plan – Reimbursement Compared

Once you’ve met your deductible amount, the pet insurance carrier you chose will pay a certain reimbursement percentage. You pay the vet their fees in full and then you submit a claim to get reimbursed a certain amount of the covered accident or illness. With Trupanion, you only get one option, a 90% reimbursement. Once you hit your per condition deductible, Trupanion will reimburse you 90% of the covered vet bill. You’re still responsible for 10%, but it beats having to pay the full bill without any reimbursement. Petplan gives the choice that so many other pet insurance providers also give:

• 70%
• 80%
• 90%

Just like the deductible, the more you want to be reimbursed, the more you’ll pay in premium. If you’re looking for a 100% reimbursement, you won’t get it with Trupanion or Petplan, but companies like Figo offer it. So far, Figo is the only pet insurance carrier we’ve reviewed to offer full reimbursement for covered vet visits.

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Petplan Pet insurance vs Trupanion – Pricing Compared

Now, for the section many wait for, pricing. How does it compare when you look at pet insurance premiums for Petplan vs Trupanion? We did quotes for various breeds and ages with both providers to give you an idea of what it might cost for different plan options with them. All providers use the same basic factors to determine pet insurance premiums:

• Do you have a dog or a cat?
• What breed are they?
• How old are they?
• What zipcode do you live in?

Getting a quote from both companies takes just a few clicks online. We compared Trupanion’s only reimbursement option with Petplan’s 70% reimbursement and $500 deductible with unlimited benefits. For a large mixed breed female dog 50 pounds or over, Trupanion’s cost is $87.58 per month compared to Petplan pet insurance’s $53.70. We also compared coverage on a Dachshund which would be $72.54 per month and Petplan would only cost $36.99. We also checked pet insurance rates for a Labrador Retriever. With Trupanion, you’ll pay $98.50 while the monthly cost with Petplan is $47.96. When you sign up for Trupanion, you also have to pay a $35 enrollment fee on top of your first month’s premium. Petplan doesn’t require an enrollment fee.  For vets who use Trupanion’s software, you can have them pay their portion right at check out, so you don’t have to wait for reimbursement. This is another thing unique to Trupanion that Petplan doesn’t offer. With Petplan, your pet can be any age from six weeks, while Trupanion has a cap on seniors at 13 years old, but offers coverage to puppies and kittens as young as 15 days old (read our “Best Pet Insurance for Puppies” for more information).  The older your pet gets, the more expensive their vet care can be, so it’s best to get it while they’re still young and healthy, so you can get the most bang for your buck.

Sample Quotes For PetPlan vs Trupanion Pet Insurance

All of these quotes when possible used the following factors in calculating the estimated pet insurance premium cost for your dog in 2021. 

When possible the data we entered for these prices was as follows; a female, puppy under the age of 12 months, with unlimited coverage (or max offered when unlimited not an option), a $500 deductible, and 70% reimbursement. We did not include the wellness checkup add-on when available. 

Keep in mind that insurance rates are ever-changing and what seems like minor changes such as, your zip code or breed can actually make a major impact on the cost of pet insurance. 

These Pet Insurance Company Price charts are a good tool, not a guarantee of rates, do your own research before you buy. 

PetPlan Insurance vs Trupanion – Small Mixed Breed Costs Compared

Company	Monthly Premium
PetPlan Insurance	$29.76
Trupanion Pet Insurance	$57.02

Medium Crossbred Dogs Price Differences For Trupanion Insurance vs PetPlan Insurance

Company	Monthly Premium
PetPlan Insurance	$39.83
Trupanion Pet Insurance	$67.53

Comparison Of Cost For Large Mixed Breed Dogs – PetPlan vs Trupanion

Company	Monthly Premium
PetPlan Insurance	$53.70
Trupanion Pet Insurance	$87.58

Labrador Retriever Costs Trupanion Insurance vs PetPlan Insurance

Company	Monthly Premium
PetPlan Insurance	$47.96
Trupanion Pet Insurance	$98.50

German Shepherd Costs Trupanion vs Pet Plan

Company	Monthly Premium
PetPlan Insurance	$55.77
Trupanion Pet Insurance	$99.97

Poodle Costs PetPlan Insurance vs Trupanion Pet Insurance

Company	Monthly Premium
PetPlan Insurance	$42.88
Trupanion Pet Insurance	$82.62

Beagle Costs PetPlan Pet Insurance vs Trupanion

Company	Monthly Premium
PetPlan Insurance	$44.51
Trupanion Pet Insurance	$91.51

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Dachshund Costs PetPlan vs Trupanion Pet Insurance

Company	Monthly Premium
PetPlan Insurance	$36.99
Trupanion Pet Insurance	$72.54

**Trupanion only offers 90% reimbursement, all other companies’ sample quotes are based on a 70% reimbursement policy which is why Trupanion may appear to cost more. 

Trupanion Pet Insurance vs Petplan Insurance – Service Compared

Once you’ve decided on pet insurance coverage, it’s important to know the level of customer service you’ll receive as a customer.  Trupanion has mixed reviews online, with a 1.9-star rating on Consumer Affairs but a rating of 4.3 stars on Trustpilot. Canine Journal gives Trupanion a 6 out of 10 rating.  Trupanion also has an A rating with the BBB, which shows they are financially strong enough to pay out claims to customers. Petplan has a higher star rating of 3 with Consumer Affairs but only a 2.4-star rating on Trustpilot in the U.S. In the UK, their rating is higher at 4.6 stars. Canine Journal also gives Petplan a higher rating at 8.1 out of 10. Petplan’s BB rating is superior to Trupanion’s with an A+, meaning they are somewhat financially stronger. No matter which company you choose, they should have no problem paying claims. Both pet insurance providers offer the ability to chat online with agents about coverage and claims. You can also upload vet bills to help meet your deductible and get reimbursed.  Neither company provides estimates on how long it takes to get reimbursed once you submit a claim. The fastest way to get reimbursed for covered vet costs is to provide your bank account information in your online pet insurance account to get direct deposit rather than wait for a mailed check. With Petplan, you have the option to do online vet visits with VirtualVet. There isn’t a copay or deductible to meet for this and Petplan will pay up to $1,000 at no extra cost for virtual visits.  

Petplan Insurance vs Trupanion Insurance – Waiting Periods Compared

A waiting period is the time from the date of your policy to when coverage actually begins. If your pet gets sick or has an accident during that time, or is seen by a vet for a covered condition, it’s then considered pre-existing and is not covered once the waiting period is over. Both plans have short waiting periods for accidents of 5 days, which is pretty standard among pet insurance providers. With Petplan, the illness waiting period is only 15 days while Trupanion is 30 days.

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Summary

When comparing pet insurance providers, Trupanion and Petplan are two of the top carriers in the industry. They both have features that set them apart from the other, with pricing differences to match. Trupanion offers streamlined coverage, integrated software with select vets, and per conditions deductibles. Petplan provides features at no extra cost, including online vet visits, periodontal disease coverage, and shorter illness waiting periods. While Trupanion can be more expensive, it’s best to weigh the pros and cons of each carrier to decide which is best for you and your pet. Other articles you may find helpful: 

Is Exotic Pet Insurance Necessary? 

The Best Pet Insurance By State 

What Is Pet Insurance?

Fun Facts, Dog FAQ, And Unsolicited Dog Advice

5 Training Commands to Save Your Dog’s Life

The Ultimate Guide to Safe Foods for Dogs

Dog Health Problems

Dog Breeds

CAT FAQ

Cat Health Problems

Cat Breeds

You may find helpful one of our other Best Pet Insurance Reviews which include over 35 top insurers compared with cheap and affordable pet insurance and discounted mixed breed pet insurance. 

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