Frequently Asked Questions

In addition to the insurance premium for your plan, we will charge you a fee of £30 to cancel your policy (unless this is because your pet has died). If you cancel and you have made a claim on the policy, or if a claim has been made against you or your pet, any remaining annual premium not yet paid will become due. Where available, the remaining premium will be deducted from any claim payment due.

We will charge you a fee of £30 for cancellation of your policy, unless this is because your pet has died. If you cancel and you have made a claim on the policy, or if a claim has been made against you or your pet, any remaining annual premium not yet paid will become due. Where available, the remaining premium will be deducted from any claim payment due.

Yes, you can either pay for your policy annually upfront with a debit or credit card, or monthly via Direct Debit using a debit card.

Yes, if you pay your premium on a monthly basis then we always collect this via Direct Debit using the details you provide when you join us.

Yes, you can pay for your policy in monthly instalments. This can be chosen as an option on the payment page when quoting or renewing. When purchasing, a breakdown of the payments will be shown in a blue box on the payment page. Monthly payments can be selected at 0% APR and are paid via direct debit.

Yes, you can either pay for your policy annually upfront with a debit or credit card, or monthly via Direct Debit using a debit card.

Yes, you can either pay for your policy annually upfront with a debit or credit card, or monthly via Direct Debit using a debit card.

Currently we are not able to change the date on which we collect your Direct Debit. Your Direct Debit date is set to 8 days after the date on which you purchased your policy. So, for example, if you purchased your policy on the 10th of the month, your first and subsequent Direct Debit payments for the remainder of the policy year will come out on the 18th of each month.

In the scenario that you set your cover to commence more than 8 days after your policy purchase date, we will take your first payment in the subsequent month you come on cover. The 8 days between your policy purchase date and your Direct Debit date allows for our pay monthly provider to set up and process the Direct Debit instruction.

Yes, we can pay your vet directly if you and your vet agree to it. Details of preferred payment details are requested during the claim process and, upon settlement, both you and your vet will receive confirmation details.

No we do not charge a fee to set up your policy. In addition to the insurance premium for your plan, we will charge you a fee of £30 to cancel your policy (unless this is because your pet has died). If you cancel and you have made a claim on the policy, or if a claim has been made against you or your pet, any remaining annual premium not yet paid will become due. Where available, the remaining premium will be deducted from any claim payment due.

No we do not charge a fee to make changes to your policy. In addition to the insurance premium for your plan, we will charge you a fee of £30 to cancel your policy (unless this is because your pet has died). If you cancel and you have made a claim on the policy, or if a claim has been made against you or your pet, any remaining annual premium not yet paid will become due. Where available, the remaining premium will be deducted from any claim payment due.

No, if you choose to pay monthly (which is always via Direct Debit) you will not be charged any interest. The cost would be exactly the same as if you paid annually.

The best way to do this is to call our customer service team on 0330 102 6839 and they will help you update your records.

Alternatively, you can make the changes yourself at https://pay.gocardless.com/AL0000M40N3819, along with emailing us at admin@scratchandpatch.co.uk to let us know you’ve made the change. Remember to include your policy number in the email so that we can make sure that the transfer goes smoothly. If you do not email us the process will not be completed and our records will still show your old details, and this will mean that your premiums won’t be collected and your policy may be cancelled.

You can either pay for your policy annually upfront with a debit or credit card, or monthly via Direct Debit using a debit card.

A compulsory excess is the amount you have to pay towards the cost of your pet’s treatment you are claiming for. This applies to each separate injury or illness you are claiming for. Excesses are applied once per condition, per policy year. Therefore, if you submit further claims for the treatment your pet receives resulting from the same condition, but in a separate period of insurance, the excess will be applied again. The excesses specific to your chosen policy can be found within your Policy Schedule document. The excess amount will be deducted from any claim settlement amount paid to you or your vet.

Alongside paying the compulsory excess on your policy, an additional co-payment is an amount you’re willing to pay towards the cost of a claim. For example, let’s say you have a policy with a £125 compulsory excess alongside a 20% co-payment and you are submitting a claim for a £1,000 vet bill. You would pay £300 against the cost of the claim and Scratch and Patch would pay £700. Here’s a breakdown:

• Starting Vet Fees: £1,000
• Your compulsory excess: £125
• Your 20% co-payment (20% of the remaining £875): £175
• Scratch & Patch pays: £700
• Pet owner pays: £300

By contributing 20% towards the cost of each claim, we are able to reduce the price of your premiums.

An excess is a compulsory contribution you are required to pay towards the cost of your pets treatment you are claiming for and applies to each separate illness or injury (condition), per policy year. If your claim is accepted, the excess will be deducted from any settlement amount we pay to either you or your vet.

A co-payment is what you have chosen to include when purchasing a new policy, or at renewal stage as a contribution towards the cost of your pets treatment should you ever need to claim. It is applicable to every claim you make and is calculated as a percentage (chosen by you when purchasing or renewing your policy) of your claim after other deductions.

Any applicable excess and/or co-payment will be deducted from the claim settlement amount paid to either you or your vet for accepted claims.

Currently we are not able to change the date on which we collect your Direct Debit. Your Direct Debit date is set to 8 days after the date on which you purchased your policy. So, for example, if you purchased your policy on the 10th of the month, your first and subsequent Direct Debit payments for the remainder of the policy year will come out on the 18th of each month.

In the scenario that you set your cover to commence more than 8 days after your policy purchase date, we will take your first payment in the subsequent month you come on cover. The 8 days between your policy purchase date and your Direct Debit date allows for our pay monthly provider to set up and process the Direct Debit instruction.

We will send you your monthly Go Cardless payment schedule in your Welcome email when you purchase your policy. We will also send you this schedule when you renew your policy with us. If for any reason you mis-lay these documents and wish to re-clarify your monthly payment dates, please contact our customer service team by calling 0330 102 6839.

Pet insurance providers have a duty to protect their policyholders from premium increases that would otherwise become unsustainable by including condition limits and caps on variable charges. The costs vets can charge for items such as medication can vary significantly from one practice to the next, as there is no current regulation of these charges.

Therefore, by limiting the mark-up on medication wholesale or manufacturer costs up to a maximum of 100%, we are able to have some control over the impact to our policyholders and the premiums we charge. We also encourage our customers to shop around for medication items, as these can often be found cheaper – for example through online medication providers.

If you have included the 20% co-payment option on your policy then this will be deducted from the final settlement value of each claim you make. For example, let’s say you have a policy with a £125 compulsory excess alongside a 20% co-payment and you are submitting a claim for a £1,000 vet bill. You would pay £300 against the cost of the claim and Scratch and Patch would pay £700. Here’s a breakdown:

• Starting Vet Fees: £1,000
• Your compulsory excess: £125
• Your 20% co-payment (20% of the remaining £875): £175
• Scratch & Patch pays: £700
• Pet owner pays: £300

By contributing 20% towards the cost of each claim, we are able to reduce the price of your premiums.

We are unable to confirm if your premium will be the same each year due to changes that may have happened during the policy period. We will review your cover each year before offering to renew your policy. This means that we may change the terms and conditions of your cover, your premium, or not offer to renew your policy based on:

• The information you have provided to us.
• Your pet’s age and medical history.
• Any claims made and future expected treatment and claims costs.

Please be aware that the chances of your pet getting ill increases as they age and this means your insurance premium will also increase. This increase could be significant if you have made a claim.