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Paw Protect vs Pumpkin

Paw Protect vs Pumpkin: Verdict

The biggest difference between these two insurers is that Paw Protect offers customers an optional $2,000 interest-free line of credit to help pay vet bills* up-front without the customer having to use their own money, through a virtual Visa card from Paytient†. With Pumpkin, you have to pay vet bills yourself, then claim the money back.

You get a little more flexibility with Paw Protect’s three choices of 70%, 80% and 90% reimbursement percentages. Pumpkin’s is fixed at 90%. Paw Protect also offers a 24/7 pet telehealth line.

Here’s how the two insurers compare in more detail:

PawPumpkin
Pet insurance without paying vet bills* up-front†
Annual coverage options$5000, $10,000, Unlimited$10,000, $20,000, Unlimited
Deductible options$100, $250, $500$100, $250, $500, $1,000
Reimbursement options70%, 80%, 90%90%
Coverage start2 days accident,
14 days illness		14 days
Maximum age at sign-up14 years accident and illness,
15+ accident only		No maximum
Vet exam fees included
Dental accidents covered
Dental illness covered
Wellness plan offered
24/7 Telehealth
End of life coverage included
10% Multi-pet discount
Military discount

Information correct as of May 2023

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Paw Protect vs Pumpkin: Claims process

This is where Paw Protect is different. Paw Protect offers you an optional $2,000 interest-free line of credit†, through a virtual Visa card from our partners at Paytient, to pay covered vet bills.*

  • If approved for Paytient, and if your bill is under $2,000 (the majority are), you don’t have to pay anything up-front
  • To claim, just submit the claim online, by email or through the mail. You’ll be reimbursed a few days later, minus  your deductible and copay
  • Use your reimbursement to pay down your Paytient balance. Need more time to pay your deductible and copay? Pay off any remaining out-of-pocket costs over up to 12 months interest free with Paytient

With Pumpkin, you pay the bill up front, then claim using its online portal or by email and wait for your claim to be processed before getting your money back. It has a good reputation for timely and efficient processing and payment.

Panting dog

How will I know if my vet accepts Paw Protect?

The virtual Paytient Visa card is a 16-digit Visa card that works at any vet that accepts Visa* (we don’t know of one that doesn’t). But remember, the card can only be used at veterinary practices and animal hospitals. 

Number of vets where you can use Paytient†
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Paw Protect vs Pumpkin: What do the plans cover?

Price is important to pet parents looking for pet insurance, but there’s no point in saving a few bucks if whatever illness or injury befalls your favorite feline or preferred pup isn’t covered by your policy. 

Paw Protect is very comprehensive and Pumpkin is comparable, with both covering the costs of accident and illness treatment, even if the conditions are hereditary, chronic or congenital. 

Indeed, both plans will pay for most conditions that can afflict a pet. These include but aren’t limited to:  

  • Arthritis
  • Cancer
  • Cataracts
  • Dental disease
  • Dermatitis
  • Diabetes
  • Diarrhea
  • Ear infections
  • Hip dysplasia
  • Gastroenteritis
  • Kidney disease
  • Ligament injury
  • Limping
  • Liver disease
  • Lymphoma
  • Pancreatitis
  • Seizures
  • Vomiting

Both Paw Protect and Pumpkin will pay out for eye, ear and skin infections, broken bones, swallowed objects, bite wounds, radiology, prescription medications, alternative therapies, end-of-life expenses, diagnostics, and tooth extractions.

On top of this, Paw Protect also has an invaluable 24/7 pet telehealth line, so you can seek expert medical advice at any time.

Do Paw Protect and Pumpkin have a wellness plan?

Both companies offer an additional routine wellness plan that, used wisely, saves you a lot of money on regular and preventative care for your pet.

Paw Protect’s Wellness Rewards plan includes grooming, neutering, vaccinations, and a range of preventative therapies, including flea, tick and heartworm treatments. Its annual coverage choices are $250, $450 and $650.

Pumpkin’s Preventative Essential package helps to pay for wellbeing needs such as wellness examinations, vaccines, fecal tests, and heartworm and tick treatments. 

Paw Protect vs Pumpkin: What are the coverage limits?

Pumpkin and Paw Protect both have a range of annual coverage limits, which let you select the one that works best for your pet and finances. 

Paw Protect has a choice of three limits: ​​$5,000, $10,000 and Unlimited. Meanwhile, Pumpkin has three levels of coverage: £10,000, $20,000 and Unlimited.

Paw Protect vs Pumpkin: Deductibles

Paw Protect offers an excellent range of deductibles – the amount you’ll pay each year towards covered vet bills before we begin to contribute. You can choose from $100, $250 and $500 per year.

Pumpkin has deductibles of $100, $250 and $500. 

What are Paw Protect and Pumpkin’s reimbursement percentage options?

Pumpkin only offers one reimbursement of 90%. This means Pumpkin will pay 90% of any covered claim, after you’ve paid your deductible. 

Paw Protect, meanwhile, provides 70%, 80% and 90% reimbursement options.

The lower the reimbursement amount you select, the cheaper your annual premium, and the smaller your pay-out from the insurer, will be.

Do Paw Protect and Pumpkin have any exclusions?

Exclusions are the things that an insurer will not pay out for and all insurers have them. With pet insurance, the most common exclusion is pre-existing conditions.

Both of these insurers will cover some curable pre-existing conditions if the pet hasn’t experienced symptoms or treatment for a set period of time. With Pumpkin that time period is 180 days, with Paw Protect it’s 12 months.

How expensive are Paw Protect and Pumpkin?

As you can see from their comprehensive cover, both Pumpkin and Paw Protect offer premium insurance packages. This means they tend to cost a little more than some lesser plans. If you bear in mind that one relatively modest pet illness or accident could cost thousands of dollars – the equivalent of several years’ premiums – it’s clear that pet insurance is one area that’s well worth investing in.

Both plans have a lot of flexibility in their offerings to help you control the annual cost; but, in this respect, Paw Protect, with its choice of three reimbursement levels is better positioned to help manage your outgoings.

Paw Protect
Pumpkin Pet Insurance logo
$37.88per month
$56.13per month

Medium Mixed Breed Puppy

3 months old
in Los Angeles, 91010
$10,000 annual coverage

$60.35per month
$58.09per month

Golden Retriever

3 years old
in Orlando, 32807
$10,000 annual coverage

$42.96per month
$68.32per month

Chihuahua

6 years old
in Sacramento, 94211
Unlimited annual coverage

$60.09per month
$56.66per month

Domestic Shorthair Kitten

3 months old
in New York City, 10008
Unlimited annual coverage

$27.91per month
$33.24per month

Tabby Cat

3 years old
in Dallas, 75061
Unlimited annual coverage

All quotes are based on a $500 deductible and 90% reimbursement. Prices correct as of May 2023

Paw Protect vs Pumpkin: How quickly are claims paid?

With regular pet insurance, reimbursement speed is a crucial factor – and the cause of many complaints on review pages. After all, people have paid big vet bills out of their own funds or borrowed the money. 

Unless, of course, they’ve used Paw Protect’s $2,000 interest-free line of credit courtesy of their virtual Paytient Visa card, in which case they almost certainly won’t have paid a cent from their own pocket. And, once their claim has been processed and they’ve been reimbursed for any covered conditions – which only take five to 15 days – they’ll have up to 12 months to pay any deductible or copay contributions, interest-free.

With Pumpkin, you pay for the bill up front and can expect to wait two to three weeks for payment, if your claim is accepted.

Both companies reimburse your costs more quickly if you opt for direct deposit payment, rather than payment by check.

Do Paw Protect and Pumpkin offer any discounts?

Pumpkin offers a 10% multi-pet discount, while Paw Protect delivers the same 10% multi-pet discount, plus a 5% reduction for former and active military personnel. 

Paw Protect vs Pumpkin: Standard waiting periods

Waiting periods are the intervals between taking out your pet insurance and certain elements of the cover kicking in. They vary from company to company.

Reassuringly, Paw Protect accident coverage activates after just two days and you wait 14 days for illness. Pumpkin’s accident and illness cover is 14 days. 

Paw Protect has a six-month wait for orthopedic conditions, but this can be reduced to 14 days using its Waiver Process.

Do Paw Protect and Pumpkin’s plans include behavioral treatments?

Well-behaved, happy pets are amazing. That means therapy and training for any cats and dogs that suffer with behavioral issues, such as anxiety or aggression, is crucial.

Paw Protect covers both behavioral therapy and training, but it must be carried out by a veterinarian for a condition covered by the policy.

Pumpkin offers behavioral treatments, but doesn’t list what’s included.

Paw Protect vs Pumpkin: Is there a maximum age for enrollment?

At Pumpkin there’s no maximum age for enrollment. With Paw Protect, new enrollments for accident and illness cover are accepted up to 14 years. Older pets can be enrolled under an accident-only plan.

Paw Protect vs Pumpkin: Customer reviews

Pumpkin gets some of the best reviews in the industry, with an overall Trustpilot score of 4.5. Ninety percent of its reviews are either four or five stars, so clearly most customers are very happy.

†
Subject to approval
*
The Paytient virtual Visa® card works with merchants in certain approved categories and with certain point-of-sale (POS) vendors. Merchants self-select their category and POS vendor, and in some cases a provider might not be categorized as expected or their POS vendor may not support Paytient virtual Visa® card transactions.

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