Budget Direct Pet Insurance Review

Providing pet insurance for dogs and cats, Budget Direct is an award-winning insurer focusing on simplicity and keeping costs down.

Budget Direct Pet Insurance

Maximum Annual Limit: $12,000

Reimbursement Rate: 80%

You’ll get 80% of your eligible vet bills covered up to a a $12,000 yearly limit. 30 days waiting period. Plus you’ll also have to pay a $100 excess but get access to “Cover for Life” (with T&C’s of course)

Get Quote

Who is Budget Direct?

As a value-focused insurance brand of Auto & General, Budget Direct provides a wide range of different types of insurance, headquartered in Brisbane.

Aside from pet insurance, Budget Direct offers car insurance, motorcycle insurance, home insurance, travel insurance, life insurance, and even roadside assistance.

Having won a slew of awards, Budget Direct recently bagged the 2023 Mozo People’s Choice Award for Customer Benefits and, was named Canstar’s Insurer of the Year in 2022. It was also awarded Money magazine’s Insurer of the Year five years in a row (2017–21) and Mozo’s Insurer of the Year in 2019 and 2020.

Budget Direct Pet Insurance Cover

Budget Direct has 3 levels of cover. You can insure your dog or cat as long as your pet:

Belongs to you
Lives primarily at your home address
Is over 8 weeks and under 9 years old when you first take out the insurance
Is not a breed that is restricted or banned from ownership
Is registered where necessary
Is not used for commercial or occupational purposes (with the exception of assistance animals)

3 Levels of Cover

Budget Direct’s pet insurance policies have different annual limits and features. However, they all include:

Reimbursement of up to 80% of eligible vet bills.
A $100 or $200 excess per condition (for 2 instances of treatment).
Waiting periods: 2 days for accidental injury, 30 days for illness and tick paralysis, 6 months for cruciate ligament.

Annual Limits per Level

Essential cover
Annual policy limit: $12,000 per year
Sub-limits: $1000 for tick paralysis and snake attack, $2600 for cruciate ligament conditions and $4000 for orthopaedic conditions
Optional routine care: Not available

Comprehensive cover
Annual policy limit: $15,000 per year
Sub-limits: $1500 for tick paralysis and snake attack, $2600 for cruciate ligament conditions and $8000 for orthopaedic conditions
Optional routine care: $75 or $150

Plus cover
Annual policy limit: $25,000 per year
Sub-limits: $3000 for tick paralysis and snake attack, $3500 for cruciate ligament conditions and $25,000 for orthopaedic conditions
Optional routine care: $75 or $150

What We Love

Great Discount: If you sign up for Budget Direct pet insurance online, you can benefit from 15% off your premiums for the first year. No other insurer offers a discount this big simply for signing up.
Low Cost: Budget Direct prides itself on its low cost image. As such, it allows pet owners to keep costs down when they buy pet insurance. According to our survey of Australian pet insurance prices, Budget Direct’s premiums are $21.65 cheaper than the average pet insurance policy.
Flexibility: You can choose the level of cover that suits your pet and your budget.
Orthopaedic Conditions Covered: Budget Direct further sets itself apart by covering all orthopaedic conditions, including ones not covered by some other insurers.

Get a quote today

With sub-limits between $4,000 and $26,000 per period of cover (which lasts 12 months), common orthopaedic conditions covered in both dogs and cats include:

- Hip dysplasia
- Intervertebral disc disorders
- Patella luxation
- Elbow dysplasia

Former Pre-existing Conditions Covered: While current pre-existing conditions are not covered, Budget Direct does cover pre-existing conditions that have been fully cured. Fully cured means:
- Your pet has been free of symptoms for at least 12 months, and
- You can provide evidence, such as your pet’s medical notes or veterinary history.

Budget Direct pet insurance also covers hereditary and congenital conditions, as long as symptoms are not in evidence before the policy starts.

Visit Any Vet: When you have cover with Budget Direct pet insurance, you can visit any qualified and registered vet in Australia.
Cover for Life: Budget Direct states that pet owners can continue to benefit from cover for older pets, as long as they purchase the policy before their pet turns 9, and continue coverage with no gaps in the policy.

What To Consider

Low Cruciate Ligament Sub-Limit: The annual sub-limit on cruciate ligament conditions, set at $3,500, is also quite low. Other providers offer high sub-limits within this category.
No Accident Only Cover: While Budget Direct may be a simple option, some pet owners may want more. As an example, other pet insurance providers offer a wider range of cover options, such as accident only cover and indoor cat cover.
No Routine Care Cover on the Essential plan: Budget Direct doesn’t cover routine care on its lowest plan, which is often standard for other providers. That means, if you choose the Essential plan, you won’t be covered for routine or preventative care, such as:
- Regular check-ups
- Vaccinations
- Nail trimming
- Teeth cleaning
- De-sexing
- Parasite prevention (flea, worm and tick control)

There is also no cover for dental treatment, breeding, or elective or cosmetic surgery (such as tail docking, dew claw removal, stenotic nares correction, soft palate or skin fold resection).

Pay First, Claim Later: Unlike some pet insurance providers that offer real-time claims at the vet, with Budget Direct pet insurance, you have to pay the vet bill upfront, and then make a claim.