More Than Pet Insurance Review: Some Great Value Plans
More Than Pet Insurance Review: Some Great Value Plans
Good for
- Choice of pet insurance type
- 25% online discount
- Euthanasia cover available
- New policies for older pets
Bad for
- Shorter claims window
- Higher excess for older pets
- Lifetime plans have lower per condition limits
- Premiums rise if you claim
The guidance on this site is based on our own analysis and is meant to help you identify options and narrow down your choices. We do not advise or tell you which product to buy; undertake your own due diligence before entering into any agreement. Read our full disclosure here.
More Than offers a wide variety of pet insurance products for dogs and cats living in the UK—but are they any good? There are some critical factors pet owners should be aware of before choosing the right policy for you and your dog or cat. To compare More Than against other options in the market, read about UK Pet Insurance plans or click the button below to compare pet insurance quotes.
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In This Review
More Than Pet Insurance Key Points
- Choose from 4 types of policies (Accident Only, Time Limited, Max Benefit and Lifetime)
- vetfone
- Euthanasia cover available (optional)
- New policies open to older pets
- Dental care for illnesses only covered on Lifetime Premier policies
- Excess increases for pets aged 9+ (+ 20% copay)
More Than Pet Insurance Review
More Than pet insurance initially offers decent value for money, but there are a few important points to understand before you decide if More Than is a good long-term pet insurance option for you. Remember it can be hard to switch pet insurance later on, as pre-existing conditions are not covered under most pet insurance plans.
- Your premium will probably go up if you claim—it could even double (according to Policy Wording)
- Your premium will probably go up each year with pet age (this is somewhat normal in the industry)
- Your excess might go up if you claim
- Lifetime plans have a "per condition" limit as well
- Pet owners must notify More Than within 60 days of a new occurrence, or the claim won't be paid.
- Excess typically rises at age 9 with addition of 20% copay
Regarding prices increasing, here's what More Than has to say (from their Policy Wording). It's important to be aware of these potential increases so you're not surprised at renewal:
"Like us, as pets get older, sadly they’re more likely to get ill. In fact our claims data shows that the cost of looking after your pet’s health doubles every four to five years. That’s why your renewal price increases each year and your excess will increase when your pet turns nine. Unfortunately, once a pet has been taken ill, in general they’re more likely to get ill again. That’s why, if a claim is paid, the price you will pay next year can double. It’s important you budget for renewal prices to increase as your pet gets older. How much they go up is different for everyone and depends on things like your pet’s breed, their age and health, and there is no limit to how much your renewal price can increase over time."
How do you get paid? Claims need to be submitted within 3 months of the treatment start date, or for ongoing issues, subsequent bills can be sent every 3 to 6 months. They won't pay any invoices that are 12 months older than the last date of treatment.
More Than offers all 4 types of pet insurance. Be sure to understand the ins and outs of a policy before you sign up, to get the best protection for you and your pet—because policies have some strict limitations.
Customer Reviews
User reviews for More Than insurance are generally strong with more than 15537 customers leaving reviews on Trustpilot, giving the company 3.8 out of 5 stars. We scoured hundreds of customer comments but there are few related to pet insurance specifically, other than one person who left what seems like dozens of versions of the same complaint regarding non payment of a claim. Most reviews are for their car insurance. That said, here are some real customer comments for pet and other insurance:
"I am really happy with morethan. It promptly paid my pet insurance claim after deducting excess. Based on the experience I had with the previous insurance company this time it was pretty easy as I gave the claim form to my vet. After receiving the form I got the claim within a week."
"Great Value Pet Insurance with Good Service. Have been with morethan pet insurance for a number of years. Straightforward renewal process, competitive pricing and clear policy documents are provided online. A recent claim was processed within days without fuss. Happy to recommend."
"Well not all they say it is. We took our boy to the vet twice in March submitted the claim in the correct way and we have heard nothing from more than pet insurance as to where the claim is currently at. No refund of monies paid out already to the vets for his problems. What's the point in having insurance."
"Received renewal for pet insurance and was horrified at a £293.93 increase on the year. Having called Morethan they then managed miraculously to bring it down by £131.14. Why was this cost not offered in the first place. Not good as some people would just accept it. Not happy I had to query cost."
"Submitted an ongoing claim for my dogs ear infection. They say they settle ongoing/repeat prescription claims within a week. THEY DO NOT."
"Both customer advisors were very patient and went through the details of the policy and processes for buying"
"Great company. It’s helped me and gave me cheap insurance. Thank you.""They canceled my insurance after being with them for two years due to a missed payment, but they did not notify me so I was able to make payment."
"... been trying to ring them on the 0800 number for THREE days now, on hold on hold on hold..."
More Than Quote Comparison
As you can see in the following chart, More Than prices are more or less in line with market averages, if not even better value. In order to get a rough idea of the relative value of More Than prices, we compared sample More Than quotes to the average cost of pet insurance in the UK market. Since coverage varies significantly by type of policy (e.g., accident only, lifetime, etc.) we segmented the data by policy type. Use this information to get a feel for the types of quote you might get for a given level of vet cover and excess amount—but remember that prices vary significantly from person to person and dog to dog.
Quotes were gathered for a 1-year-old, male, medium-sized, mixed-breed dog. Quotes for older pets or certain breeds (e.g., Bulldogs), for instance, would come up higher.
More Than Notable Features
Here is a brief overview of the notable features of More Than dog and cat accident and illness insurance (not these are not all included in their Accident Only plan). For a complete rundown of the details and exclusions, please refer to the policy documents.
| More Than Pet Insurance Standard Features | |
|---|---|
| Complementary Therapy | Acupuncture, homeopathy, herbal medicine, Chiropractic manipulation, osteopathy and hydrotherapy (performed by a recognised party) |
| Dental | Dental care for teeth and gums if they are damaged by an accident on all plans. In addition, Premier includes cover for dental illness (e.g. tooth decay, gum disease). |
| Excess | Can lower premiums by adding a 10% or 20% contribution to all vet bills, in addition to the standard, fixed excess. Excess may change based on claims history. |
| Vetfone | Pet owners can call the More Than vetfone to speak with a qualified RCVS veterinary nurse, 24/7 (More Than vetfone phone number: 0800 072 8190) |
| Emergency Boarding | Cover for boarding or sitting if you or a member of your family are unwell and stay in hospital more than 4 days |
More Than Optional Features
| More Than Pet Insurance Optional Features | |
|---|---|
| Lost and Found | Cover of advertising and reward up to £1,000 each, or loss by theft or straying up to £1.000 or £2,000. Optional on Accident Only and Basic; included in Classic and Premier. |
| Pets Abroad | Cover if your holiday is canceled or cut short due to your pet dying, being put to sleep or needing life-saving treatment (within 7 days of departure, for holiday cancellation). Not available for Accident Only, optional on Basic and included on Classic and Premier. |
| Farewell | Optional cover up to £150 for euthanasia, cremation, burial (included on Premier plan). |
Types of More Than Policies
More Than offers all four types of pet insurance—Accident Only, Time Limited, Maximum Benefit and Lifetime. Accident Only policies won't reimburse for any vet bills associated with illnesses (e.g., skin rashes, digestive trouble, ear infections, tumours, etc.), providing the lowest level of cover. Lifetime policies are the most comprehensive—as well as providing the highest levels of cover, reimbursement of specific ailments is not subject to a time limit or a per-condition limit (there is an annual limit, however, which resets each year).
Accident Only
The most basic of More Than's pet insurance options, Accident Only insurance reimburses for up to 12 months of treatment costs when your pet is injured, up to the policy limit of £2,500. The policy must remain valid for claims to be accepted, meaning you may need to renew the policy if your pet is still being treated for accident-related injuries when your policy ends (assuming you have not hit the 12-month or £ limit caps).
Illnesses (e.g., ear/eye infections, lumps, allergies, skin problems, etc.) are NOT covered—since illnesses are the reason for most vet bills, this product will not protect against most conditions.
Cruciate ligament problems, however caused, are not covered on the Accident Only product.
Basic (a Time Limited Product)
More Than's Basic pet insurance is their lowest level of accident & illness cover, with cover for each new condition (illness or injury) up to 12 months, up to either £1,500 or £3,000. Broadly speaking, Time Limited cover is far less robust than Maximum Benefit or Lifetime cover, because ongoing or chronic issues won't be reimbursable after one year of treatment.
The excess is applied once per ailment—if the same claim continues across another period of cover (e.g., after you renew), the excess is not collected again.
Basic policyholders can opt to purchase Lost and Found, Pets Abroad and/or Farewell cover as extras. Pets Abroad cover is necessary for vet fees claimed outside the UK, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.
Classic (a Maximum Benefit Product)
More Than's Maximum Benefit Classic offering will reimburse up to £4,000 or £8,000 (your choice) per condition. As long as the policy stays in force (i.e., you keep renewing) there is no time limit for treatment. Once the limit for a condition has been reached, that condition is excluded from future claims.
Like the Basic policy, you only pay the excess once per ailment—if a claim continues into a subsequent period of cover you don't pay the excess again.
Lost and Found and Pets Abroad cover are included as standard; Farewell cover can be purchases as optional cover for roughly £10 per year.
Premier (a Lifetime Product)
The most comprehensive type of pet insurance product is Lifetime cover, which is provided by More Than's Premier plan. With Lifetime cover, vet fee limits reset each year when you renew. More Than's lifetime plans work a bit differently to typical lifetime cover. Let's explain.
Normally, with lifetime cover there is one annual limit up to which you can claim for all conditions. But with More Than, they give you an annual limit up to which you can claim for each condition. There is no maximum annual limit you can claim in total across all conditions.
More Than gives the choice of up to £1,000, £2,000, £4,000 or £6,000 for each accident or illness each year with lifetime cover.
The excess works differently for the Premier product and you might pay an excess more than once for a given illness or injury. Like other Lifetime policies, you pay the excess for each condition in each period of cover. While lifetime policies generally provide the highest level of cover (e.g., highest £ limits that reset each year, with no limit on treatment times), pet owners should be prepared to pay the excess each year for ongoing conditions.
More Than Coverage Amounts
| Accident Only | Basic (Time Limited) | Classic (Max Benefit) | Premier (Lifetime) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vet Fees up to | £2,500 | £1,500 or £3,000 | £4,000 or £8,000 | £1,000, £2,000, £4,000 or £6,000 for each accident or illness each year |
| Treatment Period | 12 months | 12 months | Each condition | Each year, each condition |
| Vet Fees Include: | ||||
| • Complementary Treatments up to | n/a | £500 | £1,000 | £1,500 |
| • Behavioural Problems up to | n/a | n/a | n/a | £1,000 |
| • Dental Care up to | Accident only | Accident only | Accident only | £2,000 |
| • Treatment Food up to | n/a | n/a* | n/a* | £500 |
| Accidental Damage up to | £500 | £500 | £1,000 | £2,000 |
| Third Party Liability (Dogs only) up to | £500,000 | £1,000,000 | £2,000,000 | £3,000,000 |
| Helpline – vetfone | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Death from Accident up to | n/a | £500 | £1,000 | £2,000 |
| Death from illness (under 9s only) up to | n/a | £500 | £1,000 | £2,000 |
| Emergency Boarding up to | n/a | £1,000 | £1,000 | £1,000 |
| Emergency Pet Minding up to | n/a | £1,000 | £1,000 | £1,000 |
| .................................................................. | ADDITIONAL OPTIONS | ...................................................... | ||
| LOST AND FOUND COVER | OPTIONAL | OPTIONAL | INCLUDED | INCLUDED |
| Advertising up to | £1,000 | £1,000 | £1,000 | £1,000 |
| Reward up to | £1,000 | £1,000 | £1,000 | £1,000 |
| Loss by Theft or Straying up to | £1,000 | £1,000 | £1,000 | £2,000 |
| PETS ABROAD COVER | n/a | OPTIONAL | INCLUDED | INCLUDED |
| European Vet Fees Cover, extension of Vet Fees up to | n/a | £1,500 or £3,000 | £4,000 or £8,000 | The amount shown on your policy schedule |
| Emergency Expenses up to | n/a | £1,000 | £1,000 | £1,000 |
| Holiday Cancellation up to | n/a | £2,000 | £2,000 | £2,000 |
| Quarantine Costs up to | n/a | £1,000 | £1,000 | £1,000 |
| Loss of Health Care Certificate/Passport up to | n/a | £250 | £250 | £250 |
| FAREWELL COVER | OPTIONAL | OPTIONAL | OPTIONAL | INCLUDED |
| Euthanasia/Cremation/Burial up to | £150 | £150 | £150 | £200 |
FAQs
How does More Than Pet Insurance Compare to Competitors?
To better understand the value of More Than Pet Insurance you need to look at it in the context of other available options. We compared this insurer to other similar insurers so you can see which may be more suitable for you.
More Than Pet Insurance vs PetPlan
PetPlan Pet Insurance is the largest insurer of dogs and cats in the UK. Due to this, many vets are accustomed to submitting claims on behalf of pet owners, which can save you a lot of hassle—plus you get a full 12 months to submit claims for reimbursement. PetPlan policies include dental illness and injury but don't cover euthanasia. However, older pets (i.e., dogs aged 5 or 8 depending on breed, cats aged 10) are not eligible for new Lifetime policies and can only sign up for a Time Limited policy with PetPlan.
Quick Takeaway: More Than's Premier Plan offers better value than PetPlan's top-tier plan, especially in the first year with the 25% online discount (you may save £100 or more with More Than), but if you want more time to claim then PetPlan gives much more breathing room.
More Than Pet Insurance vs Tesco Pet Insurance
Tesco offers quite comprehensive cover, but you'll have to pay up for their Premier Plan if you want dental illness cover (e.g., tooth decay or gum disease). Lifetime plans provide £7.5k or £10k of vet cover a year; there's no low-tier Lifetime offering (e.g., around £3k of vet cover each year) so Lifetime prices start around £500 for a healthy, young dog. Tesco features include access to a vetfone, no upper age limit for new policies and 12 month to submit claims.
Quick Takeaway: Tesco can be a good option for comprehensive Lifetime cover, but for full features including dental illness you'll need to spring for their Premier Plan.
More Than Insurance vs Agria Pet Insurance
Agria Pet Insurance offers comprehensive Lifetime plans for lower-than-average prices. They're able to charge lower premiums by having the pet owner pay a 10% copay in addition to the fixed excess (of £95 or £160 for dogs, £85 or £160 for cats). We like that Agria is a specialist pet insurer with a long history. Agria plans offer some desirable features, such as dental, euthanasia and cremation/burial, plus congenital conditions are not specifically excluded from cover. The cost for a young, healthy crossbreed dog is around £350 per year for a plan with £6,500 of vet cover and a £95 fixed excess + 10% copay; a British shorthair with an £85 excess + 10% copay would cost around £325 for the same level of cover.
Bottom Line: If you want a lower upfront premium, Agria can be a good option—but you'll have to pay a larger share of any vet bills that arise.