Review: John Lewis Finance Pet Insurance

7 March 2022 - 3 min read

John Lewis is a British institution. Founded in 1864, the department store is well-known and widely respected, and the retailer now offers financial services, including home, pet and car insurance.

  • John Lewis Finance offers six pet insurance cover levels ranging from £2,000 to £12,000 of vet fee cover. All are lifetime policies.

  • It offers a 24/7 Vetfone helpline.

We were voted Pet Insurance Provider of the Year in the 2021-2022 MoneyFacts Consumer Awards.

How does John Lewis compare to ManyPets?

All ManyPets pet insurance and John Lewis vet fee policies are lifetime, which means the vet fee cover level resets every year you renew so it can cover ongoing illness and conditions throughout the lifetime of your pet.

At ManyPets, our Complete policy has £15,000 of vet fee cover, which is £3,000 more than John Lewis's highest cover level of £12,000.

Lower cover levels are available if needed.

One of the differences between ManyPets and John Lewis is that ManyPets' policies can cover conditions that ended more than two years ago. We also have a policy that can cover more recent pre-existing conditions.

We've also removed the 14-day waiting period for customers who’ve been with their insurer for 12 months or more and switch to ManyPets. John Lewis, along with many other pet insurers, have a 14-day exclusion period before a claim can be made, even if someone has switched to their cover. Both providers have a waiting period for new customers who were not covered immediately before taking a policy.

Both John Lewis and ManyPets' most comprehensive policies also include cover for dental accidents and illness, complementary therapies, loss, theft and death.

ManyPets has a multi-pet discount of up to 15% for customers with more than one pet. You can mix-and-match your plans, choosing the level of cover suitable for each of your pets. (Our multi-pet discount is not currently available on our Value 2k policy). The discount is higher than the 10% provided by John Lewis.

If you're worried about your pet and need quick advice, John Lewis customers can access their free 24-hour Vetfone helpline. Any questions or concerns can be discussed with a UK qualified veterinary professional who will be available to help.

ManyPets offers all customers unlimited access to a registered vet for help and advice, day or night.

We've compared the top levels of cover that we and John Lewis offer. The table uses our Complete policy in comparison to John Lewis's Premier policy.

ManyPets John Lewis
Highest level of vet fee cover £15,000 (Lifetime) £12,000 (Premier)
Access to an online vet Yes  (24/7 online vet advice) No (Does have a 24/7 Vetfone helpline)
Claims waiting period is removed if you switch to the provider Yes No (14-day waiting period)
Lifetime cover All policies All policies
Excess payable Once per year Per new condition
Multi-pet discount Yes - A discount of up to 15% (our multi-pet discount is not currently available on our Value 2k policy) Yes - 5%
Cover for dental accidents and illness Yes (Up to full vet fee limit) No (Only accidents)

How much does pet insurance from John Lewis Finance cost?

With almost all pet insurance companies, the cost of pet insurance varies widely depending on factors like the age and breed of your pet, and which part of the UK you live in.

It's best to get a quote to see your price or read our guide to the cost of pet insurance.

John Lewis pet insurance promo code and discounts

There may be time-limited promotions for John Lewis Finance online, so it's worth looking on their site when you're ready to get a quote.

John Lewis pet insurance underwriter

John Lewis Finance pet insurance is one of a number of brands underwritten by RSA, one of the world's largest insurance companies. (The other pet insurance brands RSA underwrites include More Than and M&S). That means that the underlying features of the product may be similar to what you would get from other RSA-backed brands.

Does Buster the Boxer have John Lewis Finance Pet Insurance?

John Lewis is famous for their Christmas adverts. John Lewis' Christmas Advert in 2017 starred Moz the monster (who'd frankly struggle to get insurance), but the big star was Buster the Boxer the internet trampolining sensation, who featured in the 2016 Christmas advert. But was he insured?

Assuming Buster was three years old, neutered, and that his humans lived in South London, the cost of John Lewis Pet Insurance for Buster based on prices in March 2022 was:

Essential: £94.25 per month Classic: £142.38 per month Premier: £173.62 per month

(It's worth noting that Boxers are one of the most expensive breeds to insure.)

If Buster had hurt himself on the trampoline, it's possible that RSA (John Lewis Pet Insurance's underwriters) might have contested the claim under the following clause in the policy wording: "You must also provide proper care and attention to your pet at all times and take all reasonable precautions to prevent accidents, injury or damage."

A cat waving whilst a dog hides its face

Pet insurance with up to £15,000 lifetime vet fee cover.

A cat waving whilst a dog hides its face

Irina Wells
Content Marketing Executive

Irina is a former content marketing executive for ManyPets. She has contributed to a number of personal finance sites, including Loot Financial Services and Claro Money.