Pawp Pet Insurance Reviews ( 2024 Guide)

Written by:

Sarah

Edited By:

Quartz Advisor Reviews Team

Edited By: Quartz Advisor Reviews Team QZ.com

12/20/2023 11:12 AM

In our Pawp Pet Insurance review, we gave the company a 3.5 out of 5.0 and the best pet emergency fund award.

With so many pet insurance providers on the market, it can feel difficult to choose a plan for your pet. To help you out, we’re sharing our Pawp pet insurance review to give you an in-depth look at Pawp, a unique digital veterinary clinic with an emergency fund that stands out amongst many traditional pet insurance providers.

In this article, we’ll cover the following Pawp pet insurance topics and more so that you can have a well-rounded idea of what the company offers:

Our Review for Pawp Pet Insurance

Pawp gives you 24/7 telehealth access to licensed veterinarians so that you can speak with a vet at any hour and assess whether your pet needs to see an emergency vet. Many Pawp customers note that this had saved them substantial money because they ended up not taking their pet in when the situation wasn’t warranted.

Pawp works by giving you access to an emergency fund for a flat monthly fee. We’ve personally rated Pawp at a solid 3.5 out of 5 stars because of its unlimited telehealth chats, flat monthly rate, and many other benefits. Keep reading to learn more about the pros and cons of Pawp pet insurance.

Pawp Pros & Cons

Plans and Coverage

Now that you’re aware of Pawp’s pros and cons let’s tackle what Pawp offers in terms of plans and coverage. Unlike many pet insurance providers, Pawp only offers one type of plan for emergency veterinary care. Having a simple membership keeps Pawp’s coverage clearer than most, but we recommend that you keep reading to learn more about the costs, benefits, and what the plan will cover.

Pawp Plans and Costs

Unlike most pet insurance providers, it doesn’t matter where you and your pet live or your pet’s age, breed, or gender. Most pet insurance providers base your monthly premium on these factors. However, Pawp only offers one straightforward pet insurance plan with a flat monthly premium for dogs and cats. A pet insurance plan, or membership as Pawp calls it, is a flat $24 per month. Pawp will pay up to $3,000 for one emergency per membership per year with this membership.

This membership can cover up to six pets per membership simultaneously, which can be a significant benefit if you have multiple pets. However, keep in mind that this will only cover up to $3,000 for one emergency per year, so if your pet or pets have more than one qualifying emergency vet bill, you will only be covered up to $3,000 for the first emergency.

Here are a few things Pawp is known to cover:

Difficulty breathing
Choking
Toxic ingestion
Severe internal and external injuries
Life-threatening blockages

Deductibles

Pawp does not have a deductible or co-pay. Instead, you pay $24 per month, and when your pet is having an emergency, you contact Pawp’s vet team and video chat with them about your pet’s condition. Once they’ve approved your pet to see a licensed vet for the emergency, you’ll take your pet into the vet clinic, and within four hours, Pawp will directly pay the animal clinic up to $3,000 for the emergency care.

Coverage Exclusions

Pawp has many exclusions because it’s a pet insurance policy for life-threatening accidents and illnesses that require immediate emergency treatment. Pawp will pay up to $3,000 per emergency and only for up to one emergency per year. As a result, it doesn’t offer comprehensive coverage for things like chronic illnesses, routine veterinary care, physical therapy, alternative therapies, and much more.

Things that Pawp won’t cover:

Regular or annual examinations
Scheduled surgeries
Pregnancy or pregnancy-related issues
Vaccinations
X-rays or ultrasounds unrelated to emergency care
Prescription drugs unrelated to an approved emergency visit
Deworming
Follow-up appointments
Dental cleanings

Plan Customizations

Pawp does not offer any type of plan customization currently. Its one plan is consistent for dogs and cats and features no personalized deductibles, annual limits, or reimbursement rates. Pawp also doesn’t have a deductible that you have to meet. While Pawp doesn’t offer any plan customization options, it doesn’t have many of the factors, like a deductible or reimbursement rate, that most providers offer customization for.

Discounts

Pawp does not offer a multi-pet discount like many pet insurance providers. However, you can have up to six pets on one $24 per month membership, which is vastly different from other providers that typically require you to have an individual membership for each pet. This can save you significant money in the long run. We recommend keeping in mind that you can only use Pawp’s emergency fund once a year, though, even if you have six pets on the membership.

How to File a Claim

Unlike other providers, you don’t need to file claims with Pawp. Instead, you must have your emergency situation assessed through a virtual vet visit with Pawp’s telehealth team. Once your pet is approved for the emergency fund access, you can take your pet in, and Pawp will directly pay the animal clinic.

Pawp State Availability

Currently, Pawp is available in all 50 states.

Pawp Pet Insurance Customer Reviews

No matter which pet insurance provider you choose, there will always be pros and cons to its coverage, plans, customer service, and more. We at Quartz know how important it is to have a nuanced look at a pet insurance company before deciding which company to trust with your pet’s health costs. To help you out, we’ve compiled the following list with multiple Pawp customer reviews that share both positive and negative experiences with the provider.

“I was paired with an absolutely amazing veterinarian! He put me at ease almost immediately. I left the video chat feeling comfortable and confident my dog was going to be back to normal. I’ll be recommending it to all my friends and family, thank you!” —Kimberly L., Pawp.com

“After reading the fineprint- which I should have done before – I realized that in an emergency I could not allow my pet to be seen by a vet until I got approval from an online vet. How does an online pet know what is going on if he hasn’t seen the pet in person first . canceling my policy. BTW this site only lists mostly good reviews -other consumer sites rate pawp very poorly. I wa misled that this was insurance – it is not- it is an emergency fund limited to $3000.” —Dee Ann Sti, Trustpilot

“The vets on Pawp are wonderful! They have given such great advice and it brings our anxiety level down when something happens to our fur babies. I would recommend Pawp for everyone who has pets!” —Donna, Trustpilot

“I had an excellent experience with Amanda K LVT. My vet was kind,knowledgeable and reassuring. I got to our in person vet and he confirmed everything she said and Cujo is getting the care she suggested from Doctor OConnor. I’m grateful she helped so much when I was so stressed and scared. Pawp is definitely something all pet owners should have I think. Thank you” —Angela Alvarenga, Trustpilot

Pawp vs. Competitors

So, how does Pawp weigh in against its competition? Use the following chart to compare our rating of Pawp versus other pet insurance providers, along with the average monthly cost and other features. Please keep in mind that Pawp does not offer a multi-pet discount like many providers, but it does allow up to six pets on one membership which is a significant benefit for pet parents with multiple pets.

Factors	Pawp	Spot	Lemonade	Embrace	Healthy Paws	ASPCA
Quote	Visit Site	Visit Site	Visit Site	Visit Site	Visit Site	Visit Site
Our Score	4.3/5	4.9/5	4.8/5	4.7/5	4.6/5	4.5/5
Average Monthly Cost for Dogs	$24	$30-$50	$37	$30-$40	$39	$49
Average Monthly Cost for Cats	$24	$18-$25	$15	$15-$20	$12	$29
Waiting Period	14 days	14 days for accident and illness, 14 days for knee or ligament events	2 days for accidents, 14 days for illness, 6 months for cruciate ligament events	2 days for accidents, 14 days for illness, 6 months for orthopedic conditions	15 days for accident and illness, 12 months for hip dysplasia events	15 days for all accident and illness coverage
Multi-pet Discount	No	10% off	5% off	10% off	No	10% off
Mobile App	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Wellness Add-on	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Online Chat	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
BBB Rating	A+	A	F	A+	A-	N/A

About Pawp

Founded in 2019, Pawp was started as a more affordable alternative to traditional pet insurance. The founders Cody Simon, Andrew Malek, Marc Atiyeh, and Scott Sonneborn created this emergency fund-based company out of New York to accomplish their greater mission of ending financial euthanasia. We love that Pawp was ultimately founded to ensure that pet parents never had to turn down emergency, life-saving care for their pets.

Our Final Thoughts on Pawp

Pawp pet insurance may be an excellent choice for pet parents who don’t expect many claims and would enjoy taking advantage of the virtual vet visits offered through Pawp. Pawp will not be an ideal choice for pet parents looking for illness or routine veterinary care coverage. Overall, we hope this Pawp pet insurance review helped you understand the many pros and cons of Pawp pet insurance so that you can make the best choice for your pet.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the advantages of Pawp‘s pet insurance?

Pawp’s most considerable advantages are its flat monthly premium and access to a $3,000 emergency fund for emergency veterinary care. Another huge advantage is the ability to add up to six pets onto one Pawp membership.

Does Pawp offer exotic pet insurance?

At this time, Pawp only offers insurance for dogs and cats.

What is Pawp’s waiting period?

Pawp has a 14-day waiting period for all emergencies.

What is considered an emergency by Pawp?

Pawp considers illnesses or accidents that require immediate treatment, or your pet won’t survive as an emergency.

Does Pawp cover pre-existing conditions?

Yes. Since Pawp is for emergency care, Pawp will cover approved emergency care and isn’t as concerned about your pet’s medical history as other providers.

Our Rating Methodology

Here at Quartz, our research team looks to examine all pet insurance policies and comes up with reviews based on:

Coverage
Plan options
Cost
Reputation
Customer service
Species available
Wellness benefits

We’ve created a 5-star rating system to score pet insurance brands based on a 100-point scale. To develop a list of the best pet insurance plans, we looked into plans, rating coverage, claims handling, reimbursements, deductibles, and limitations. Each factor is weighted differently based on the following factors:

Monthly Pricing (25 points): How each pet insurance company charges for their plans is a crucial part of the decision-making process of the customer. Affordable rates and comprehensive coverage are the defining characteristics of providing the best pet insurance.
Coverage (20 points): We scored companies based on the treatments and procedures they cover. Providers offering broader coverage and more unique treatments received more points. Pet insurance policies are not offered by all companies for older pets. Providers who have an age limit on the pets they cover were deducted points.
Plans (15 points): Pet insurance providers offer accident-and-illness plans, accident-only plans, wellness add-ons, and pet preventive care add-ons, so customers can choose the right plan for their pets. We also factored in costs to achieve the most comprehensible review for your pet’s needs.
Customization Options (10 points): You can ensure your pet only gets what they need by customizing your policy. A higher score was earned by providers who offered a greater range of annual limits, deductibles, and reimbursement rates.
Customer Service (10 points): We scored companies based on their website accessibility and usability, mobile apps, and grating points to companies with the most customer experience options.
Industry Reputation (10 points): We assessed each company’s industry reputation by reviewing up-to-date BBB ratings and accreditation information, as well as their years of experience in the industry.
Waiting Periods (10 points): Companies with shorter accident and illness waiting periods scored higher than companies with longer waiting periods.

Our team revisits each company’s information at the end of every month to make updates and ensure the information is as accurate as possible.