Founded in 2011 as an ecommerce pet store, Chewy sells more than 10,000 products for pets and their owners. Through its partnership with insurer Trupanian, the company now also provides a range of CarePlus insurance plans for dogs and cats. With 24/7 customer service, these plans include free vet video consultations and offer 10% discounts if you cover more than 1 pet.
Pets covered : Dogs, cats
Annual coverage : Unlimited lifetime payouts for insurance; $290-$455 per year on wellness plans
Reimbursement : Up to 90%
Deductibles : $250
Waiting periods : 5, 14, and 30 days
Age limits : None
Customer support : 24/7 over phone, email, and live chat
Offering 24/7 customer service, free vet video consultations, and access to any licensed vet in the United States, Chewy could be an excellent choice if you need to protect your pet during an emergency. The company’s 10% multi-pet discounts and unlimited payouts can also help you significantly lower the cost of pet ownership.
With coverage for dogs and cats only, Chewy isn’t a suitable choice if you own other types of animals. Likewise, its insurance isn’t currently available in every state, which means you’ll need to check your eligibility before you buy a plan.
Depending on the policy you choose, your pet insurance may include:
As a particularly attractive feature, the company will allow you to take your pet to any licensed vet in the US. In addition, Chewy will also cover treatments in Puerto Rico, Canada, and Australia.
A wellness plan will cover preventative costs associated with keeping your pet in good health. This could include:
When you buy insurance, the following exclusions will apply:
Like most pet insurance providers, Chewy doesn’t cover the cost of any pre-existing conditions. When you buy your coverage, the company will review your pet’s medical history and send you a list of any conditions that it will not cover.
When you take out insurance, you can choose between 4 levels of coverage: Accident Only, Essential Accident & Illness, Essential Plus Accident & Illness, and Complete Accident & Illness.
The main difference between these is the reimbursement rate the company will pay if you need to make a claim (details below).
As with all pet insurance companies, the amount you pay for your coverage will depend on factors such as your pet’s age, breed, and medical history, and the ZIP code area you live in. Bear in mind also that Chewy offers a 10% discount on your monthly premium if you cover 2 or more pets.
The online quote tool returned the following rates for a 2-year-old female Yorkshire terrier with a Texas ZIP code:
Accident Only : $10.29 per month
Essential Accident & Illness : $54.24 per month
Essential Plus Accident & Illness : $64.68 per month
Complete Accident & Illness : $79.68 per month
Owners of a 5-year-old male American shorthair cat with an Ohio ZIP code could expect to pay the following:
Accident Only : $5.50 per month
Essential Accident & Illness : $38.08 per month
Essential Plus Accident & Illness : $45.16 per month
Complete Accident & Illness : $55.33 per month
Note, these quotes were obtained in April 2023 and may be subject to change. Likewise, your ZIP code could affect the amount you pay for coverage.
If you would like to buy wellness cover, you can choose between 2 plan types. The basic wellness package is $20 per month and the Comprehensive plan is $33 per month.
When you take out insurance, the reimbursement rate is the amount of the claim that the insurer will pay before you need to cover the rest. This will depend on your policy type.
For Chewy’s policies, the following rates apply:
Accident Only : 80%
Essential : 70%
Essential, Plus Accident & Illness : 90%
Complete Accident & Illness : 90%
Unsurprisingly, policies with a higher reimbursement rate will carry higher monthly premiums.
In addition, all insurance plans carry an annual deductible of $250. When you make a claim, you’ll need to pay this amount before Chewy will cover the rest.
Unlike many of its competitors, Chewy doesn’t impose an annual limit on the amount you can claim on your insurance.
In contrast, the coverage limit for wellness plans will depend on the policy you choose. With the standard package, the limit is $290 per year, which increases to $455 on Comprehensive plans.
When you buy a wellness plan, you can start using your coverage immediately. With insurance plans, the following wait periods will apply:
|
|
Accident Only |
Accident Only |
Essential Plus Accident & Illness |
Complete Accident & Illness |
|
Illness |
N/A |
14 days |
14 days |
14 days |
|
Accident |
5 days |
5 days |
5 days |
5 days |
|
Cruciate knee injury |
30 days |
14 days |
14 days |
14 days |
When you take your pet to the vet, Chewy can pay your vet directly if the surgery is set up to receive payments through Trupanian (the company that underwrites Chewy’s policies).
Once you’ve paid your portion of the bill, Chewy can automatically cover the remainder.
Alternatively, you can pay the vet yourself and Chewy will reimburse your out-of-pocket expenses. To do so, you’ll need to submit an itemized invoice either through the post or your online account.
You’ll then receive your funds within as little as 72 hours if the company already has your direct debit details on file.
You can contact Chewy with any customer service claims 24/7 over the phone, email, or live chat.
You can also receive free consultations with a qualified vet or vet technician over live chat. This service is available every day, 6am-12am (ET).
Alternatively, you can book a 20-minute face-to-face video appointment with a vet or technician. This service is free of charge if you have CarePlus insurance or a Comprehensive wellness plan. Otherwise, there is a fee of $19.99.
Overall, the website and online quote tool are extremely user-friendly. The company uses straightforward language in its communications and key information is clearly signposted.
Chewy insurance and wellness customers receive 100% cash back on eligible medications, diet food, and supplements purchased at the company’s online pharmacies.
The insurer could also be an attractive option if you have older pets, as it doesn’t place any age limits on the animals it will cover.
Something To Consider
The company doesn’t currently provide insurance in all 50 states, with the following states not covered:
Phone : 1-800-672-4399
Email : service@chewy.com
Address : 7700 W Sunrise Blvd, Plantation, FL, 33322
Chewy’s CarePlus pet insurance coverage could be a great choice if you’d like to be able to take your pet to any licensed vet in the US and access free vet video consultations. Likewise, its 10% multi-pet discounts and unlimited payouts could help you make significant savings if you have several pets in your family.
This policy is sold and administered by Chewy Insurance Services, LLC, a licensed insurance producer (licenses available here), and Trupanion Managers USA, Inc. ("TMUI") (licenses available here, and underwritten by American Pet Insurance Company ("APIC"), with its main office at 6100 4th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98108. TMUI, APIC, and their affiliates are separate, independent of, and distinct from Chewy Insurance Services, LLC, and its affiliates.