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Fetch and Pets Best are two of the best pet insurance companies, offering excellent coverage, competitive prices, and easy claim repayments. So how do you choose between the two?
Table of Contents
As always, be sure to get your own quote to get an idea of what each will cost you. Additionally, consider the criteria we include in this comparison.
| Fetch | Pets Best | |
|---|---|---|
| Policy Coverage | Extensive | Extensive |
| Customer Service & Reputation | Good | Good |
| Claim Processing Average | 6 Days | 10 Days |
| Average Price Of Policy | Variable | Variable |
| Plan Customization Options | Many | Many |
| Overall Winner |  |  |
| Get Fetch Quote | Get Pets Best Quote | |
| Compare Quotes | Compare Quotes |
Policy Coverage
Policy Coverage TIE
The table below shows specifically what Fetch and Pets Best cover. Both companies cover emergency care, surgery and hospitalization, specialized exams and specialty care, X-rays, blood tests, ultrasounds, cat scans, MRIs, rehabilitation, cancer, chronic conditions, euthanasia, hereditary conditions, congenital conditions, non-routine dental treatment, and prescription medications. Neither covers pre-existing conditions, cremation and burial costs, pregnancy and breeding, or unnecessary cosmetic procedures.
| Fetch | Pets Best | |
|---|---|---|
| Illness Waiting Period* | 15 Days | 14 Days |
| Accident Waiting Period* | 0 Days | 3 Days |
| Hip Dysplasia Waiting Period* | 6 Months | 14 Days |
| CCL Surgery Waiting Period* | 6 Months | 6 Months |
| Behavioral Therapies | | |
| Alternative/Holistic Therapy | | |
| Wellness Care For An Extra Fee | | |
| Exam Fees | | Extra Fee |
| Underwriter | XL Specialty Insurance Company AXIS Insurance Company | American Pet Insurance Company Independence American Insurance Company (IAIC) (CA only) |
| A.M. Best Rating | A+ A | Unrated A- |
*States are gradually adopting a Model Law for pet insurance, aiming to standardize regulations, including uniform waiting periods. In California, Delaware, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Washington, Rhode Island, and Maryland, waiting periods are:
- Accidents: 0 days
- Illnesses: 14 days
- Cruciate Ligament Conditions: 30 days
- Routine Care: 0 days
Both Fetch and Pets Best offer exceptional coverage. Fetch provides coverage for more unique things like virtual vet visits, advertising and paying a reward for a stolen or lost pet, and more. Meanwhile, Pets Best lets you choose whether or not you want to pay extra for exam fee coverage or not. Opting out of this coverage could be a way to decrease your monthly premium.
The biggest concern with Pets Best is that its primary underwriter is unrated by A.M. Best (a measurement of financial stability), which means it’s considered higher risk than a company like Fetch, whose underwriters have an A+ and A rating from A.M. Best.
Overall, we feel this category is a tie. Both companies offer comprehensive coverage.
Customer Service & Reputation
Customer Service & Reputation Winner
Fetch previously licensed the Petplan name from Petplan UK until The Dodo purchased it in 2022. While operating as Petplan in 2016, an underwriter change took place, resulting in sharp price increases and upset customers. It’s not uncommon to see price adjustments when an insurance company switches underwriters. The company received a lot of negative backlash with this change. However, it has mostly bounced back since then, and negative reviews have subsided.
As for Pets Best, it has many negative reviews regarding a prolonged claim processing timeline. This is because Pets Best received an influx of customers (due to its excellent coverage and lower prices in the past), which has caused an increase in claims. Unfortunately, Pets Best hasn’t been able to keep up with all the filed claims, which has delayed many repayments and caused some negative backlash from customers.
Overall, Fetch has been more stable with fewer recent complaints than Pets Best, which is why Fetch is this winner of this category.
Claim Processing
Claim Processing Winner
Fetch average 6 days for claim processing.
Pets Best used to average claim processing in eight or fewer days, but they’ve fallen behind over the last two years due to a higher volume of customers. Now, their averages are 10 days.
Pets Best has a vet direct pay option, so you don’t have to pay a hefty vet bill in advance and wait for reimbursement. However, this may not be available everywhere, so check with your vet to see if this is an option for you. Fetch doesn’t offer a vet direct pay option.
Price Of Policy
Price Of Policy Winner
Neither company has one-time fees, and Fetch has no transaction fees, while Pets Best charges $2 per transaction.
Your premium price quote is based on your pet’s details (age, breed, location, etc.). We recommend obtaining quotes from each company for your specific pet. You can also visit our pet insurance comparison quotes to see a few sample prices we’ve gathered.
Fetch almost always came out less expensive than Pets Best in the quotes we’ve run. However, remember that it’s always best to get quotes for your specific dog to compare what pet insurance could cost for you. You can use our pet insurance quote form to get multiple company quotes when you complete this one-quick form.
Both companies have annual deductibles, which is important if your pet experiences multiple accidents or illnesses during the policy period (one year).
Coupons
Fetch
Fetch offers the following discounts:
- Up to 10% off for animal shelter adoptees and employees, corporate benefit plans, medical services pets, strategic partners, military, veterinary staff, and students
- 10% off premiums for Walmart shoppers
- Save $25 or more when you pay quarterly or annually
- 10% off for AARP members for life
Use this link to take advantage of the best possible price. No promo code is needed. Alternatively, call 800-237-1123.
Pets Best
Pets Best offers the following discounts:
- 5% off for multiple pets
- 5% off for military members and their families
Use this link to take advantage of the best possible price. No promo code is needed.
Pets Best discount may not be available in all states, and the discount amount may vary by state. More information is available in enrollment.
Plan Customization
Plan Customization Winner
The other significant differences between these two companies are the level of plan customization available.
| Fetch | Pets Best | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Payout Options | $5,000, $10,000, $15,000, unlimited | $5,000, unlimited |
| Deductible Options | $300, $500, $700 | $50, $100, $200, $250, $500, $1,000 |
| Reimbursement Options | 70%, 80%, 90% | 70%, 80%, 90% |
| Accident-Only Plan |  |
This category goes to Pets Best because it offers many customization options and an accident-only plan.
What’s The Verdict?
Overall Winner
This is an extremely tight race. In the end, Pets Best is the winner because of its detailed policy coverage and plan options. However, if you didn’t find what you were looking for, our experts have gone in-depth with individual reviews of Fetch and Pets Best so you can expand your comparison.
Our experts have spent thousands of hours researching to bring you our comprehensive and frequently updated pet insurance reviews, including our top picks, along with details on each of the most popular pet insurance companies. So, if you want to know how other providers compare against one another, you may find this review helpful in your pet insurance search.
Pets Best Underwriter Disclosure – Waiting periods, annual deductible, co-insurance, benefit limits, and exclusions may apply. For all terms visit www.petsbest.com/policy. Products, schedules, discounts, and rates may vary and are subject to change. More information is available at checkout. Premiums are based on and may increase or decrease due to the age of your pet, the species or breed of your pet, and your home address.
Pet insurance coverage offered and administered by Pets Best Insurance Services, LLC is underwritten by American Pet Insurance Company (NAIC #12190), a New York insurance company headquartered at 6100 4th Ave. S. #200 Seattle, WA 98108, or Independence American Insurance Company (NAIC #26581), a Delaware insurance company located at 11333 N. Scottsdale Rd. #160 Scottsdale, AZ 85254. Pets Best Insurance Services, LLC (NPN #8889658, CA agency #0F37530) is a licensed insurance agency located at 11333 N. Scottsdale Rd. #160 Scottsdale, AZ 85254. Each insurer has sole financial responsibility for its own products. Please refer to your declarations page to determine the underwriter for your policy. Terms and conditions apply. See your policy for details.
Canine Journal® is a trademark of Cover Story Media, Inc.® All insurance applications and solicitations are entrusted to Michelle Schenker (NPN #19494757; CA license #4071990), a licensed insurance agent representing Cover Story Media, Inc.® Canine Journal® does not underwrite pet insurance or pay claims but receives compensation on sale and/or renewal.
