What Is Pet Insurance?

What is pet insurance?
Understanding Everyday Pet Insurance.
Average cost of owning a pet.
How do I get Everyday Pet Insurance?
Why pick Everyday Pet Insurance?

Your pet is your world. That’s why it’s important to understand how insurance can help protect your furry friend.

In a nutshell, Pet Insurance might help mitigate some of the costs of veterinary bills over your pet’s life.

What are the benefits of pet insurance? We’ve broken down some of the key elements of pet insurance below to help make an informed decision on what works best for your needs.

Pet insurance helps to protect your pet should they suffer an unexpected illness or accidental injury. If your pet unexpectedly becomes sick or injured, you usually pay the total cost upfront for the vet bill and then submit a claim to be reimbursed.

While it doesn't usually cover things like routine expenses such as vaccinations or regular check-ups, it can help with the cost of unexpected illness and accidental injuries.

While you do have to pay the premiums for pet insurance out of pocket, it can help to know you might be reimbursed for some procedures.^>

Choose your offer, like 2 months free Pet Insurance.^||
Just link your Everyday Rewards Card when taking out a policy online. Offer ends 15/04/26.

Get a quote

Pet insurance generally covers:

Inclusions	Example^#
Accidental injury cover	Like a cuts, snake bite, or lacerations.
Illness cover	Like cancer treatments or ear infections.

Pet insurance generally doesn't cover:

Exclusions	Example
Pre-existing conditions	A pre-existing condition is a condition that first existed or occurred: prior to the commencement date of your first policy period; or within any applicable waiting period; AND is a condition that you were aware of, or a reasonable person in your circumstances would have been aware of, irrespective of whether the underlying or causative condition has been diagnosed. A pre-existing condition also includes a related condition or bilateral condition of a pre-existing condition.
Dental care	Like teeth cleaning and dental diseases. Some pet insurance, like Everyday Pet Insurance, offer optional add-ons that cover dental care
Preventive and routine items	Like food (regular/ prescription), vaccinations, microchipping, and grooming. Some pet insurance covers offer optional add-ons that may cover preventive and routine items, such as Everyday Pet Insurance's Routine Care (non-insurance benefit).

Exclusions

Example

Pre-existing conditions

A pre-existing condition is a condition that first existed or occurred:

prior to the commencement date of your first policy period; or

within any applicable waiting period;

AND

is a condition that you were aware of, or a reasonable person in your circumstances would have been aware of, irrespective of whether the underlying or causative condition has been diagnosed.

A pre-existing condition also includes a related condition or bilateral condition of a pre-existing condition.

Dental care

Like teeth cleaning and dental diseases. Some pet insurance, like Everyday Pet Insurance, offer optional add-ons that cover dental care

Preventive and routine items

Like food (regular/ prescription), vaccinations, microchipping, and grooming. Some pet insurance covers offer optional add-ons that may cover preventive and routine items, such as Everyday Pet Insurance's Routine Care (non-insurance benefit).

Important information.

A chronic pre-existing condition is a long-lasting pet health condition that requires ongoing care or is more prolonged in nature, and affects your pet over a period that is greater than three months in total (the three-month period need not be consecutive). So if your pet displays one of these conditions prior to the purchase of a pet insurance policy or its waiting period, it will never be coverable under the policy. Chronic conditions may also be intermittent or managed with medication and/or prescription diets with intervals of remission.

If you’d like a more detailed breakdown of things that Everyday Pet Insurance may cover, you can visit our Compare Pet Insurance page. It shows you what cover options are available, annual benefit limits, and annual excess options.

To summarise, pet insurance can help keep your furry friend protected and assist with out-of-pocket expenses when it comes to unexpected vet bills.

Understanding Everyday Pet Insurance.

There are a number of logistics around how pet insurance works because it is influenced by factors like your pet’s age, breed, and species.

Waiting periods.

In order to get Everyday Pet Insurance, your pet must be younger than 9 years old when you first apply. Pet owners might get pet insurance early in the pet's life, before any pre-existing conditions develop.

Depending on the type of condition, you may be subject to a waiting period.

When joining Everyday Pet Insurance, the waiting periods that apply are:

2 days for conditions covered under the accidental injuries section.
30 days for conditions covered under the illness section.
6 months for Cruciate Ligament Conditions.
If the optional benefit Booster Care is purchased:
6 months for specified dental conditions
30 days for Behavioural conditions. The waiting period for specialised therapy items is dependent on the waiting periods for the covered condition.

For more information, please refer to the Pet Insurance Product Disclosure Statement.

Premiums.

A premium is a payment you make to cover your pet. When you first take out your insurance policy, it's calculated based on factors such as the breed, species, and age of your pet and what level of cover you choose.

Claims.

If your pet becomes injured or sick and your policy covers it, you may be reimbursed for a portion of your vet expenses.

For larger expenses, you can request a pre-approval so you know in advance if your pet’s treatment will be covered.

Here's a breakdown of how claims usually work for most pet insurers:

Your pet undergoes treatment or surgery for its specified accident or illness
You then pay the entire vet bill out-of-pocket and up-front
You or your vet submits a claim on your behalf
Your claim is assessed to make sure it meets the eligible criteria
If approved, the funds are then deposited into your nominated bank account

Visit our make a Pet Insurance claim page for more information on claims with Everyday Pet Insurance.

GapOnly.®⁼

Some vet clinics allow you to claim on the spot with GapOnly®. Find a GapOnly® enabled vet here.

GapOnly® is a service that reviews and calculates your claim while you’re at the vet. If your claim is approved, you may only have to pay the difference between the vet's invoice and the claim benefit under your policy. It can help alleviate the strain of having to pay your eligible vet bill up-front.⁼

Average cost of owning a pet.

Insurance is just one factor to consider when you own a pet. Costs like maintenance, food, grooming, and care services for cats and dogs can all add up over time.

It’s estimated that Australians collectively spend over $21 billion dollars on their pets per year, with food and veterinary costs accounting for more than half of the expenditure.¹

Cost	Total expenditure by category, 12 months to March 2025 ($ billions) ¹
Food	$9.8b
Veterinary services	$1.9b
Products or accessories	$1.4b
Pet Insurance	$1.0b
Flea/worming and tick treatments	$1.0b
Dietary supplements	$0.9b
Clipping / grooming	$0.9b
Training / behaviour / therapy	$0.8b
Competitions / memberships	$0.7b
Veterinary medicines	$0.7b
Walking	$0.6b
Alternative healthcare treatments	$0.6b
Boarding / minding	$0.4b
Transport	$0.3b
Pet healthcare products	$0.2b
Anything else	<$0.0b

How do I get Everyday Pet Insurance?

When you get a quote with Everyday Pet Insurance, you will get started by answering a few questions like:

Is your pet a cat or dog?
What gender is your pet?

From there, you’ll be able to see what type of cover options are available and which one suits your needs.

After selecting your cover type, we’ll calculate your premium, and you’ll be able to choose your payment frequency (fortnightly, monthly or annually).

As an Everyday Pet Insurance customer, you can get 10% off an in-store Woolworths shop every month.°

Get a quote

Why pick Everyday Pet Insurance?

Choose your annual benefit limit up to $7.5k, $12.5k, $24k or $35k.^#

Get up to 70%, 80% or 90% back on eligible vet bills.^#

We process 90% of claims within just 1 day.^»~

Claim on the spot & only pay the gap with GapOnly.®⁼

Pet Insurance Info Hub.

What to know before getting a dog.

Find out more

10 most common Pet Insurance claims in dogs.

Find out more

What to know before getting a cat.

Find out more

Puppy feeding guide.

Find out more

Important information.

^> Policy Terms and Conditions, exclusions and limits apply. See details in your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS).

¹ https://animalmedicinesaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/SNR-2403006-Pet-Ownership-Study-2025-Designed_F3.pdf

text

^|| When: This offer is available between AEST/AEDT 12:00 PM 08/10/25 and AEST/AEDT 11:59 PM 15/04/26. Where: This offer is available when you buy an eligible Everyday Pet Insurance policy online. Who: This offer is personal to you and available only to Everyday Rewards members with an active registered Everyday Rewards Card. Everyday Rewards Plus Card holders are not eligible for this offer. How it works: To enjoy your first two (2) months of free cover, you must successfully link your active registered Everyday Rewards Card when purchasing an eligible Everyday Pet Insurance policy online during the offer period. This offer entitles you to two months free in your first policy year of your policy cover, provided the policy remains in force, with all premiums paid in full, and you remain an Everyday Rewards member. If you choose to pay annually, you will have the first two months free automatically deducted from the annual premium at the time of purchase. If you choose to pay by monthly or fortnightly instalment, you will not be charged an instalment for the first two months of your first policy period. Your payments will start from the third month of your policy period. The discounted premium will be shown on your Certificate of Insurance, which is sent on acceptance of your policy.

This offer is limited to one per Everyday Rewards member. Only one (1) offer may be selected under Unlock Your Offer.

You will no longer receive this offer if your policy is cancelled, you change your level of cover and/or your policy number changes, or if your Everyday Rewards account is cancelled, terminated, or suspended.

Enjoyment of this Everyday Rewards offer is subject to the Everyday Insurance Terms and Conditions. Please consider the Everyday Pet Insurance Product Disclosure Statement, Financial Services Guide and Target Market Determination available here to determine if the products are right for you. In addition to the above terms and conditions, by participating in the Everyday Rewards program you agree to the Everyday Rewards Terms and Conditions. Woolworths reserves the right to vary, withdraw or extend this discount or an offer at any time, and will provide reasonable notice of any adverse changes.

text: ^#Depending on your level of cover. Policy T&Cs, limits, exclusions, waiting periods and annual excess may apply.

text

^>>Once all required claims documentation has been received.

^~Based on PetSure data February 2023 to January 2024.

text: = The gap is defined as the difference between the vet's invoice and the claim benefit under your policy. Policy terms and conditions apply. GapOnly^® is only available at participating Vets. Please visit GapOnly^® to search for GapOnly^® enabled vets. GapOnly^® is a trademark owned by PetSure (Australia) Pty Ltd (PetSure) (ABN 95 075 949 923, AFSL 420183).

text

Everyday Pet Insurance policies entered into for the first time prior to 17 July 2023 and subsequent renewals of those policies are issued by The Hollard Insurance Company Pty Ltd ABN 78 090 584 473, AFSL 241436 (Hollard), arranged and administered by PetSure (Australia) Pty Ltd ABN 95 075 949 923, AFSL 420183 (PetSure) and promoted and distributed by Hollard’s Authorised Representative (AR) Woolworths Group Limited ABN 88 000 014 675, AR 245476 (Woolworths).

Everyday Pet Insurance policies entered into for the first time on or after 17 July 2023 and subsequent renewals of those policies are issued by PetSure and promoted and distributed by PetSure’s AR, Woolworths.

Any advice provided is general only and does not take into account your individual objectives, financial situation or needs. Please consider the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) to ensure this product meets your needs before purchasing, or choosing to continue with the product. PDS and Target Market Determination available at insurance.everyday.com.au/pet-insurance.

We're here to help.

Chat with Mandy

FAQs

My Insurance Portal

What is pet insurance and how does it work?