Trust root · Real-Quote Pricing
How we collect and score pet insurance quotes
Every number on this site traces to when, where, and how it was collected. This page is the method: the profiles, the zips, the weights, and the rules that commissions can never touch.
Step 1
The pet profiles we quote
Each quarter we collect 47 quotes across 11 ranked insurers (plus the major non-partners we review) using identical pet profiles: a 2-year-old, 45-pound mixed-breed dog; a 3-year-old domestic shorthair cat; and an 8-year-old Golden Retriever for the senior rankings. Every profile is quoted in Austin, Texas (78701) and Denver, Colorado (80202) at a $250 deductible, 80 percent reimbursement, and a $10,000 annual limit wherever that configuration is sold.
Step 2
The scoring weights
| Criterion | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Price | 30% | Dated quotes for identical pet profiles at a fixed configuration |
| Coverage breadth | 25% | The standardized Coverage Map: what is covered, excluded, or add-on |
| Policy mechanics | 20% | Waiting periods, deductible structure, limits, enrollment rules |
| Claim experience | 15% | Payout speed, filing friction, direct-pay availability |
| Fine-print fairness | 10% | Bilateral clauses, lookback behavior, renewal transparency |
Step 3
The rules commissions never touch
- Scores compute from the weighted criteria above. No commission rate, partnership status, or payout size is an input.
- You pay the same price through our links as buying direct, because pet insurance rates are filed with state regulators and cannot legally differ by sales channel.
- Every review carries one honest drawback minimum and a Fit Verdict naming who should skip the product.
- We publish no counter, badge, rating, or user number we cannot link to a verifiable source. Details in our editorial standards and how we make money.
Step 4
Refresh cadence and quote records
Quotes refresh quarterly; the collection month is stamped wherever a price appears. The current quote dataset, with per-quote dates and configurations, publishes here after each run: first quarterly quote run pending