Figo vs Trupanion Pet Insurance

Both Figo and Trupanion are reliable pet insurance companies, however, their policies differ in quite a few ways. In most cases, Trupanion will offer slightly more coverage, but it might be significantly more expensive.

Figo vs. Trupanion

If you’re stuck between Figo and Trupanion, consider some of their primary differences to help make your decision:

	Figo	Trupanion
Deductible Options	Between $100 and $1,500	Between $0 and $1,000
Reimbursement Options	70%, 80%, 90%, or 100%	90%
Wellness Add Ons?	Yes	No
Customizable Coverage?	No	No
Waiting Periods	1 day for accidents, 14 days for illnesses, 1 year for cruciate ligament events	5 days for accidents, 30 days for illnesses
Range of Customer Reviews	1.1 to 3.6 out of 5	1.2 to 4.3 out of 5
Average Reimbursement Timeframe	2.6 working days	24 hours to 2 days
Accepted By Every Vet?	Yes	Yes
Pays the Vet Directly?	No	Yes

Coverage Comparison

Figo offers three standard plans — the Essential Plan, the Preferred Plan, and the Unlimited Plan. All three of these plans cover standard expenses, such as:

• Common illnesses
• Accidents
• Emergency care
• Hospitalization
• Diagnostic testing
• Surgery
• Medications
• Hereditary conditions

Trupanion, on the other hand, offers one pet insurance plan that covers the same expenses, plus prescription supplements and food. They also offer two optional add-ons, one that covers non-clinical procedures and care like acupuncture and physical therapy, and another that covers care outside the vet like cremation and burial.

	Figo (Standard Plans)	Trupanion (Standard Plan)
Accidents	✓	✓
Illnesses	✓	✓
Emergency Care	✓	✓
Hospitalization	✓	✓
Diagnostic Testing	✓	✓
Hereditary Conditions	✓	✓
Medications	✓	✓
Cancer	✓	✓
Hip Dysplasia	✓	✓
Euthanasia	✓	✓
Prescription Pet Food	X	✓
Prescription Supplements	X	✓
Spaying/Neutering	X	X
Pre-Existing Conditions	X	X
Cosmetic Surgery	X	X
Alternative Treatments	X	X

Wellness Coverage

Figo offers three optional wellness add-ons, which they call “Powerups,” each with different coverage:

• Wellness: Covers preventative care like vaccines, exams, dental care, and the cost to spay/neuter your pet
• Extra Care Pack: Covers the cost of cremation and burial, lost pet advertising and awards, pet theft or loss, boarding fees, and more
• Veterinary Exam Fees: Covers exam fees not covered by your standard plan

Trupanion, on the other hand, does not offer specific wellness coverage. However, their standard optional add-ons do provide care for what is typically covered under some wellness plans, such as prescription food and euthanasia.

Age Restrictions

In some cases, pet insurance companies will exclude pets below or above a certain age from coverage. With Figo, pets under 8 weeks are not eligible for coverage, however, they do not have an upper age limit. Trupanion, on the other hand, has no minimum age requirement but doesn’t allow pets to enroll after the age of 14.

Customization/Flexibility

While Figo offers more policy options, neither allow you to fully customize your coverage. With both Figo and Trupanion, you’ll have a set number of insurance plans to choose from with specific levels of coverage.

Cost Comparison

Both Figo and Trupanion plans come with a deductible, reimbursement level, and annual maximum that impacts the premium you’d pay.

	Deductible Options	Reimbursement Levels	Annual Maximums
Figo	Between $100 and $1,500	70%, 80%, 90%, or 100%	Essential Plan: $5,000 Preferred Plan: $10,000 Unlimited Plan: No limit
Trupanion	Between $0 and $1,000	90%	No limits

Here’s how rates for a male pet in Dallas, Texas would stack up against each other.

	Figo Preferred Plan, with a $10,000 annual limit, 80% reimbursement rate, and $200 deductible	Trupanion Standard Plan, with no annual limit, 90% reimbursement rate, and $200 deductible
8-week-old Labrador Retriever	$47.41	$102.60
8-week-old German Shepherd	$45.38	$102.27
5-year-old French Bulldog	$84.57	$266.90
5-year-old Poodle	$34.84	$108.79
Senior Golden Retriever	$91.85	$228.88
Senior Exotic Shorthair Cat	$53.56	$183.89

While Trupanion offers a bit more coverage and a higher reimbursement level than Figo in this case, their rates are significantly higher. It’s important to note that Figo also offers a 5% multi-pet discount, while Trupanion does not.

Enrollment, Waiting Periods, and Submitting Claims

Purchasing a policy with either insurance provider is fairly easy — simply get a free quote on their website and follow the onboarding process from there.

Once enrolled, you’ll be subject to specific waiting periods, which are as follows:

	Figo	Trupanion
Injuries	1 day	5 days
Illnesses	14 days	30 days
Cruciate Ligament Events	1 year	N/A

Both Figo and Trupanion have similar claims processes, which are:

• Figo: Log into Figo’s Pet Cloud, and select the Claims icon. Then, follow the prompts to complete the form, and upload the receipt from your vet visit.
• Trupanion: Log into Trupanion’s online claims tool to submit an itemized receipt from your visit.

After submitting the claim with Figo, you’ll need to wait for reimbursement. They estimate that this takes close to 2.6 working days, on average.

With Trupanion, in most cases, they’ll pay the vet directly. This can be invaluable if you wouldn’t be able to afford a large vet bill up-front and then wait for reimbursement If they don’t, you’ll need to wait for reimbursement. While they don’t explicitly state how long their process is, customers report anywhere from 24 hours to 2 days.

Customer Reviews

Before purchasing a pet insurance policy, always read customer reviews. Here’s how Figo and Trupanion stack up against each other based on popular review websites:

	Figo	Trupanion
Trustpilot	3.6/5	4.3/5
Better Business Bureau	1.11/5	1.2/5
Yelp	3/5	2.5/5

Keep in mind that customers are more likely to leave reviews when they have either a terrible or spectacular experience — middle-of-the-road reviews are less common, so these metrics may be exaggerated.

Additional Differences to Consider

In some instances, pet insurance companies will throw in exclusive bonuses to add value to their offerings. Figo, for example, offers all policyholders access to their Pet Cloud, which provides you with:

• 24/7 vet access
• An online community of local pet parents
• A place to store your pet’s medical records digitally
• Reminders for when important “pet stuff” is due
• A claims assistant to guide you through filing a claim
• A custom Pet Tag that tracks your pet’s location and allows you to find them via the Pet Cloud if they happen to go missing

Trupanion, however, doesn’t offer this benefit or anything comparable.

Bottom Line: Which is Better?

The pet insurance policy that’s best for you will depend on your pet’s needs and your preferences as a pet owner. If you’d prefer unlimited annual payouts  and the option for the insurance to pay the vet directly, Trupanion might be worth splurging for. However, if the coverage offered by Figo’s plans is sufficient, it might be better to save a few bucks and opt for one of their policies.

The Banfield Wellness plans are on the costly side compared to some, but they are extremely comprehensive. Regular pet insurance is recommended to cover those unexpected veterinary bills, but pet owners often underestimate the cost of routine care which is not covered by traditional pet insurance. All dogs are recommended to have certain preventative treatments, such as vaccinations and parasite prevention, which are hugely important to health and wellbeing. The expenses can mount up, however, so a wellness plan such as the Banfield options can give more financial certainty and allow the provision of optimal care without monetary constraint.

Dr. Lizzie Youens, Veterinary Surgeon