Starting out as a department store, John Lewis has become a name we can trust. Both with quality products and customer care.
Today, they provide financial products and services, including pet insurance.
So, will they insure your pets with the standard of care we’ve come to expect?
We encourage you to read our review (and others) and consider the pros and cons before making a decision.
Get a Quote From John Lewis
– 95% of claims paid within 5 days
– Up to £12,000/yr vet fee cover
– 10% online discount
– 5% multi-pet discount
– No upper age limit for older pets
John Lewis Pet Insurance Policy Options
John Lewis only insure dog and cats and they only offer lifetime policies. So if your pet develops an ongoing condition they will pay out year after year. There is no time limit to the length of treatment provided you renew your policy each year.
They offer three levels of cover;
| Essential | Plus | Premier | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vet Fees (per year) | up to £3,000 | up to £7,500 | up to £12,000 |
| 24-Hour VetFone Helpline | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dental Injury* | up to £3,000 | up to £7,500 | up to £12,000 |
| Behavioural Treatment* | up to £250 | up to £250 | up to £500 |
| Treatment Food* | up to £250 | up to £250 | up to £250 |
| Complementary Treatments (physiotherapy etc.)* | up to £500 | up to £1,000 | up to £2,000 |
| Third Party Liability (dogs only) | up to £1m | up to £2m | up to £3m |
| Accidental Damage | up to £250 | up to £500 | up to £750 |
| Lost or Stolen Pets | up to £500 | up to £1,000 | up to £1,500 |
| Second Pet Discount | 5% | 5% | 5% |
If you’re not sure how much cover you need, read our Pet Insurance Buyer’s Guide or have a chat with your vet. They can give you the likely cost of treatment should your pet ever need it.
John Lewis will insure your pet from 8 weeks old and they have no upper age limit. That said, if you insure an older animal, expect your premiums to be expensive.
They will also pay your vet directly if you do need to make a claim.
What’s NOT Covered
It’s just as important to understand what isn’t covered, that way you’ll not get a nasty shock if you need to claim. We’ve taken the following exclusions and restrictions straight out of John Lewis’s policy documents.
Exclusions
Restrictions
Get a Quote From John Lewis
– 95% of claims paid within 5 days
– Up to £12,000/yr vet fee cover
– 10% online discount
– 5% multi-pet discount
– No upper age limit for older pets
How Much Does John Lewis Pet Insurance Cost?
The price you pay will depend on many factors, including;
- Breed
- Age
- Previous conditions
- Where you live, etc.
That said, we got two quotes; one for a dog and another for a cat.
Quote For Dog Insurance
We based our quote for dog insurance on;
- A large mixed-breed dog because they’re the most common
- It being 2 years old and in good health
- Living in Lincoln as that’s where Pet Checkers is based
- An excess of £100
How Changing the Excess Affected the Premium Price
John Lewis gives you the option of changing how much excess you’d pay in the event of a claim. This means you can tailor the quote to your budget.
This is how changing the excess affect amount affected the policy price.
| Excess Amount | Essential | Plus | Premier |
|---|---|---|---|
| £60 | £274.33 | £392.50 | £511.95 |
| £80 | £238.08 | £340.49 | £444.18 |
| £100 | £217.77 | £311.33 | £406.18 |
| £140 | £196.41 | £280.70 | £366.25 |
| £250 | £170.65 | £243.73 | £318.08 |
| £500 | £146.35 | £208.86 | £272.63 |
Quote For Cat Insurance
We based our quote for cat insurance on;
- A ginger and white mixed-breed cat – Again, non-pedigrees are most common
- It being 2 years old and in good health
- Again, living in Lincoln
- An excess of £100
How Changing the Excess Affected the Policy Price
Once again, we adjust the excess contribution to see how it affected the policy price.
| Excess Amount | Essential | Plus | Premier |
|---|---|---|---|
| £60 | £106.85 | £173.36 | £210.90 |
| £80 | £94.21 | £152.75 | £185.79 |
| £100 | £88.37 | £143.23 | £174.18 |
| £140 | £75.61 | £122.43 | £148.84 |
| £250 | £63.83 | £103.23 | £125.45 |
| £500 | £52.92 | £85.45 | £103.79 |
Excess For Older Animals
As we’ve mentioned, John Lewis don’t have an upper age limit. That mean’s they’ll insure animals over the age of 8 whereas a lot of insurers won’t.
That said, this affects how the excess works.
You’d either pay your chosen excess, or 20% of the bill, whichever is greater.
Get a Quote From John Lewis
– 95% of claims paid within 5 days
– Up to £12,000/yr vet fee cover
– 10% online discount
– 5% multi-pet discount
– No upper age limit for older pets
How Industry Experts Rate John Lewis Pet Insurance
John Lewis has been rated by Defaqto and Which? as being one of the best pet insurance providers.
Using their percentage scoring system, Which? scored John Lewis;
| Type of Pet | Essential | Plus | Premier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dog | 51% | 77% | 96% |
| Cat | 58% | 80% | 95% |
And here’s how Defaqto score them;
| Type of Pet | Essential | Plus | Premier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dog | 4* | 5* | 5* |
| Cat | 4* | 5* | 5* |
Get a Quote From John Lewis
– 95% of claims paid within 5 days
– Up to £12,000/yr vet fee cover
– 10% online discount
– 5% multi-pet discount
– No upper age limit for older pets
Customer Reviews of John Lewis Pet Insurance
Independent industry bodies and experts can say all they want. But they look at a policy from a different perspective than a customer would. And it’s a customers experience of a company that really matters.
That said, finding actual customer reviews proved tricky. So we ended up trawling through John Lewis Finance Trust Pilot page which covers all of their insurance products. But we did find some related to their pet insurance.
The Good
When it comes to signing up with John Lewis we found many customers were happy with their sign up quotes.
If they needed to make a claim, they seem to make the process easy. Which is exactly what you want.
The Not So Great
Most reviews say that signing up with John Lewis is easy. That said, there are complaints that the process is confusing. We found several reviews saying they’re not sure if their pets are covered, despite receiving confirmation emails.
The Bad
By far the biggest complaint about John Lewis’ pet insurance policies are the renewal prices. Many customers complain that their renewal price more than doubled, despite not even making a claim.
That said, they do state this clearly on their website.
Also, it’s worth noting John Lewis is underwritten by Royal & Sun Alliance. They dictate the prices and renewals. In fact, Royal & Sun Alliance also underwrites the policies of More Than, Marks & Spencer, Argos and Tesco. So it’s fair to say, the same happens with other insurance companies.
Get a Quote From John Lewis
– 95% of claims paid within 5 days
– Up to £12,000/yr vet fee cover
– 10% online discount
– 5% multi-pet discount
– No upper age limit for older pets
To Sum Up
John Lewis Finance provide some of the most comprehensive pet insurance policies on the market.
They’re highly rated by Defaqto and Which? and on the whole, their customers. It appears they pay out quickly and without fuss with 95% of claims being paid within 5 days. Although, the signup process can be confusing for some.
Just be sure to check your renewal price each year and be prepared to compare them to the likes of PetPlan, Waggle, Bought by Many and AgiaPet if you’re not happy with the price.
Get a Quote From John Lewis
– 95% of claims paid within 5 days
– Up to £12,000/yr vet fee cover
– 10% online discount
– 5% multi-pet discount
– No upper age limit for older pets
