Pet insurance claim calculator
Your share of a vet bill after excess, co-payment and limits. No email needed.
Work out your share of a vet bill
An illustration of how excess, co-payment and limits add up. Your policy wording decides what is actually paid. Some policies apply the excess per condition, others per claim.
Insurer pays
£1,120.80
You pay
£379.20
How it adds up
- Bill £1,500 minus excess £99 leaves £1,401.
- Co-payment of 20% on £1,401 is £280.20.
- The insurer's share is £1,401 minus £280.20 = £1,120.80. That is within the limit left of £4,000, so the insurer pays £1,120.80.
- Your share: excess £99 + co-payment £280.20 = £379.20.
This uses no real insurer's terms. Policies can also have sub-limits, for example for one condition or for dental treatment, and claims for a condition can be declined under the policy's exclusions.
Pawwala is not authorised by the FCA. We explain how cover works and do not give advice or recommend insurers. Pawwala earns a fee when you get a quote through a link marked Ad. Always read the policy wording. How we make money
How the calculation works
- Take off the excess. Bill minus excess, never below zero. If the excess is bigger than the bill, there is nothing to claim.
- Work out the co-payment. The co-payment percentage of what is left after the excess.
- Find the insurer's share. What is left after the excess, minus the co-payment.
- Apply the limit. The insurer pays its share or the limit left, whichever is lower.
- Your share is everything else: the excess, the co-payment and anything over the limit.
This is general arithmetic, not any insurer's terms. Some policies apply the excess per condition, others per claim, and many have sub-limits.
Worked example
A £1,500 bill with a £99 excess, a 20% co-payment and £4,000 of the limit left: £1,500 minus £99 leaves £1,401. The co-payment is 20% of that, £280.20. The insurer's share is £1,120.80, which is within the limit, so the insurer pays £1,120.80 and you pay £379.20.
| Example | Bill | Excess | Co-payment | Limit left | Insurer pays | You pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Within the limit | £1,500 | £99 | 20% | £4,000 | £1,120.80 | £379.20 |
| Over the limit | £5,000 | £100 | 20% | £3,000 | £3,000 | £2,000 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the excess on pet insurance?
The excess is the amount you pay towards a claim before your insurer pays out. Most UK policies charge a flat excess, and a higher voluntary excess reduces the premium. Some policies apply the excess per condition, others per claim, so check your policy schedule.
What is a co-payment?
A co-payment is a percentage of the bill you pay after the excess. Many policies add one from a set age. On a £3,000 bill with a £100 excess and 20% co-payment, you pay £100 + (20% × £2,900) = £680.
What happens when the vet-fee limit runs out?
The insurer pays up to the limit left and you pay the rest. On a lifetime policy the limit resets each year you renew. On a per-condition policy, once a condition's total is used it is no longer covered, and a time-limited policy stops paying for a condition after a set time, often 12 months.
Does the calculator use a real insurer's terms?
No. It shows the general arithmetic of excess, co-payment and limits. Real policies can also have sub-limits and exclusions, and your policy wording decides what is actually paid.
Is this financial advice?
No. Pawwala is not authorised by the FCA and does not give advice or recommend insurers. The calculator is an illustration to help you read a policy.