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04 Dec 2025

Co-op pet insurance review

Co-op's policies offer high levels of cover

Dean SobersSenior researcher & writer

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In this article

Does the Co-op offer the best pet insurance?
What does Co-op pet insurance cover?
'How I rated Co-op's cover'
How well does the Co-op handle claims?
How does the Co-op compare with other providers?
Co-op pet insurance: how can you claim?
Should you buy Co-op pet insurance?
How we rate pet insurance

Underwritten by HDI Global SE, Co-op Insurance offers policies for dogs and cats.

These include lifetime and time-limited options, at varying levels of cover of up to £16,000 per year. We've reviewed 18 Co-op policies.

If you've adopted your pet from a recognised animal charity or rescue centre, you'll get 2.5% off your premium for the first year of the policy.

Please note that this article is for information purposes only and does not constitute advice. Please refer to the particular T&Cs of an insurer before committing to any financial products.

Does the Co-op offer the best pet insurance?

We've rated 380 pet insurance policies and, where possible, insurer customer and claims service.

Members can log in to read our full reviews. If you're not already a member, join Which? and get full access to these results and all our reviews.

What does Co-op pet insurance cover?

We've taken an in-depth look at Co-op's top-scoring policies, breaking down the most important areas of cover.

'How I rated Co-op's cover'

Dean Sobers, Which? pet insurance expert, says:

Co-op's range of policies includes some with high levels of cover up to £16,000.

That's important, but it's not the whole story.

If you're a Which? member you can log in (or if not, sign up) to read my explanation of what really matters to pet owners.

How well does the Co-op handle claims?

It's all very well having great cover on paper, but will the insurer pay out when the time comes?

That's why we look at industry data on how often insurers pay out, and how many claimants make a complaint — and a worse-than-average record can stop a policy from being a Best Buy.

How does the Co-op compare with other providers?

Co-op's policies were among 380 analysed and scored by our experts. Log in or become a Which? member to find out if they topped the tables.

Find out more: Best pet insurance providers.

Co-op pet insurance: how can you claim?

You can claim with the Co-op through its website, or you can ask your vet to make a claim for you. This is recommended, as your vet will have your pet's medical history and treatment details to hand. Not all vets will do this, though.

If it's not an emergency, Co-op recommends using its online consultation service FirstVet before claiming. Using FirstVet is free with the insurance, doesn't count as a claim, but may help you avoid going to the vet in person.

If you make a claim yourself, make sure you have a copy of the pet's medical details and any paperwork or invoices detailing the costs of its treatment.

You can also call the Co-op on 0333 009 2439.

Should you buy Co-op pet insurance?

Only Which? members can read our ultimate verdict on Co-op's cover, so log in or sign up to find out what it is.

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How we rate pet insurance

Lifetime policies

These pay out for ongoing issues your pet may have throughout its lifetime. There are two main types:

Annual cover has a maximum overall limit that includes all conditions your pet may experience, which resets each year. With some policies, there may also be a lower maximum amount you can claim per year for any single condition.
Per condition per year has a maximum limit for each condition you'd need to claim for, which resets each year.

Non-lifetime policies

These policies exclude certain conditions after you hit a claims limit.

Per condition or ‘max benefit’ pays a limited amount for each condition and the condition is excluded once the limit has been reached.
Time-limit per condition has both a condition limit and a time limit of 12 months after you first claim for that condition before it is excluded.

Accident only

Accident only policies pay out a fixed amount for each accidental injury to help pay for your pet’s treatment. It’s the cheapest type of pet insurance cover but excludes illnesses entirely.

We analyse and rate 38 elements of cat insurance policies and 42 elements of dog insurance policies – plus how much each pays in vet fees – to come up with the overall policy score.

Different policy elements are weighted according to importance. For example, the amount a policy pays for vet fees and how this money is made available counts for more in the score than the amount provided for holiday cancellation.

Best Buy lifetime policies must have high policy scores, meet minimum criteria for the amounts they’ll pay out in vet fees each year, and provide dental cover for both accidents and illnesses.

We haven’t been able to evaluate all insurers offering Best Buy policies on their levels of customer service.

You can find out more about how Best Buys are selected in our guide to the best pet insurance.