Banfield Optimum Wellness Plan Reviews: How It Stacks Up (2024)

Banfield’s wellness plans can help you manage your annual veterinary costs. But the company doesn’t offer additional coverages, and plans may cost more than routine annual care.

Erin Gobler
Written byErin Gobler
Erin Gobler
Erin Gobler
  • 5+ years of finance writing experience 

  • Certificate of financial planning from Boston University

Erin is a personal finance writer and journalist with work featured in major publications. Her writing explores investing, credit cards, mortgages, insurance, and more.

Featured in

media logomedia logomedia logo
Katie Powers
Edited byKatie Powers
Photo of an Insurify author
Katie PowersAuto and Life Insurance Editor
  • Licensed auto and home insurance agent

  • 3+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing

Katie uses her knowledge and expertise as a licensed property and casualty agent in Massachusetts to help readers understand the complexities of insurance shopping.

Featured in

media logomedia logo

Updated October 25, 2023

Why you can trust Insurify: Comparing accurate insurance quotes should never put you at risk of spam. We earn an agent commission only if you buy a policy based on our quotes. Our editorial team follows a rigorous set of editorial standards and operates independently from our insurance partners. Learn more.

If you’re a pet owner, you know the cost of veterinary care can really add up, especially if you have a high-needs pet or multiple animals at home. The Banfield Optimum Wellness Plan can help you manage those costs by covering routine preventative veterinary care throughout the year.

You can only use Banfield’s wellness plans at Banfield Pet Hospital locations. Additionally, Banfield doesn’t offer accident and illness or accident-only insurance. Before you sign up for a plan, make sure that you live near a Banfield location and that the coverage makes sense based on your annual veterinary costs.

Quick Facts
  • Banfield offers wellness plans for dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens.

  • The pet hospital offers virtual office visits.

  • Banfield has more than 1,000 locations throughout the country.

Banfield Optimum Wellness Plan: Our verdict

A Banfield Optimum Wellness Plan can be a good option for pet owners who get all their pet’s routine veterinary care through Banfield Hospital. Rather than paying one or two large veterinary care bills at once to Banfield, the wellness plan can help evenly spread out the cost of care for a dog, cat, puppy, or kitten over an entire year.

However, these wellness plans aren’t right for everyone. Depending on your pet’s needs, the plan’s cost may exceed the cost you’d pay out of pocket for routine preventative care each year. Additionally, Banfield’s plans don’t cover emergency care, accidents, or illnesses, which are the largest surprise veterinary costs that can arise. Most pet insurers offer these coverages.

Compare Pet Insurance Plans

Comparing takes less than two minutes, and could save you up to 57%

Secure. Free. Easy-to-use.
4.8/5 (3,806+ reviews)
Shopper Approved

Banfield pros and cons

Banfield’s Optimum Wellness Plans are a popular option for routine veterinary care and have some key selling points. However, it’s important to also consider the downsides.

Pros
  • Covers unlimited office and virtual visits

  • Designed to cover all routine preventative care for dogs and cats

  • Multiple plan tiers help you find one that fits your budget

Cons
  • No coverage for accidents or illnesses

  • Only for dogs and cats

  • Can only cover care at Banfield Pet Hospitals

Best Pet Insurance Companies and Plans for 2024

Best Pet Insurance Companies and Plans for 2024

Banfield Optimum Wellness Plans

Banfield has four Optimum Wellness Plans (OWPs). The right plan for you depends on the type and age of your pet. Each plan also includes two or three different tiers to choose from depending on your desired covered level.[1]

Puppy packages

The puppy package is for dogs 6 months and younger. It offers preventative care, including virtual visits, unlimited office visits, wellness coaching sessions, physical exams, vaccinations, diagnostic testing, and more. The plan covers common services for young pups, including DNA testing and spay or neuter surgery.

The puppy package offers two tiers: Early Care and Early Care Plus. The biggest difference between the two plans is that Early Care Plus includes spay or neuter surgery, while Early Care doesn’t. Additionally, Early Care Plus comes with a 10% discount on Banfield products and services, while Early Care offers only a 5% discount.

Kitty packages

The kitty package is for cats 6 months and younger. The package is almost identical to the puppy package, including the services offered and the two available tiers of Early Care and Early Care Plus.

The only real difference between the kitty package and the puppy package is that each package offers vaccinations and diagnostic testing tailored to that type of animal. Because cats and dogs have different needs, the kitty package includes a different set of covered vaccinations and tests.

Dog packages

For dogs older than 6 months, the dog package covers preventative care, including office and virtual visits, wellness coaching sessions, vaccinations, diagnostic testing, and fecal exams.

The dog package has three tiers: Active Care, Active Care Plus, and Special Care. The Active Care Plus and Special Care packages come with expanded preventative care, including dental care and urine testing, while the Special Care tier offers preventative X-rays, eye pressure tests, and electrocardiograms.

All three tiers offer discounts on other Banfield products and services at either 10%, 15%, or 20% for the Active Care, Active Care Plus, and Special Care plans, respectively.

Cat packages

The cat package is for cats older than 6 months. The package is nearly identical to the dog package regarding the care and discounts offered for each tier.

As with the puppy and kitten packages, the key difference between the dog and cat packages is the types of vaccinations and diagnostic testing covered because the two species have different needs.

What Optimum Wellness Plans don’t cover

The OWPs from Banfield only cover preventive care at Banfield locations. They don’t cover accidents or illnesses.[2] You’ll need to pay out of pocket for those or purchase a separate pet insurance plan through a different pet insurance company.

illustration card https://a.storyblok.com/f/162273/100x100/00dd026525/paw.svg

Keep in Mind

Wellness coverage from Banfield varies by tier, so you should pay close attention to what each tier covers if you’re considering purchasing a plan for your pet. For example, the lowest tier for puppies and kittens doesn’t include spay or neuter surgery.

How much do Optimum Wellness Plans cost?

The cost of a Banfield plan depends on several factors, including the type of pet you have, the age and breed of your pet, and the package tier you choose. You can expect your cost to range from $33 to $66 per month, depending on those factors. All plans also require an enrollment fee when you sign up, though Banfield doesn’t advertise the specific fee amount.

Cost of dog insurance

The table below shows the average monthly cost of a wellness plan for a dog for each coverage tier. The quotes reflect the cost of coverage for a 2-year-old mixed-breed male dog.

DogsActive CareActive Care PlusSpecial Care
Monthly cost$39$52$66
Annual cost$468$624$792
Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique profile.

Cost of cat insurance

Cats generally cost less to insure, and this is true for Banfield’s Optimum Wellness Plans. The table below shows the monthly cost of a wellness plan for a cat for each coverage tier. The quotes reflect the cost of coverage for a 2-year-old American shorthair female cat.

CatsActive CareActive Care PlusSpecial Care
Monthly cost$33$49$58
Annual cost$396$588$696
Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique profile.
How Much Is Pet Insurance in 2024?

How Much Is Pet Insurance in 2024?

How customers feel about Banfield Optimum Wellness Plans

Unfortunately, Banfield has received many negative reviews online. It has 447 customer reviews on Trustpilot, with an average rating of 1.3 out of 5 stars. The company received 658 reviews on the Better Business Bureau page for its headquarters in Vancouver, Washington, with an average rating of 1.12 out of 5 stars.

It’s important to note that Banfield’s online reviews are for the company collectively, not just its wellness plans. Some of the reviews reference Banfield’s wellness plans specifically, while others refer to the overall care their pet received. Common complaints cite poor customer service, difficulty canceling coverage, and poor communication regarding care expectations.

Here’s a review from someone who had a positive experience with the Banfield Optimum Wellness Plan:

And here’s a review from someone who had a negative experience with the Banfield Optimum Wellness Plan:

Customize Your Pet Insurance

Choose your own vet and tailor a plan to your furry friend's needs

Secure. Free. Easy-to-use.
4.8/5 (3,806+ reviews)
Shopper Approved

The bottom line: Is a Banfield Optimum Wellness Plan worth it?

Whether a Banfield Optimum Wellness Plan is worth it for you depends on your annual veterinary costs and the type of coverage you need. Banfield doesn’t provide accident or illness coverage. Wellness plans from Banfield can help you split up the cost of your pet’s annual routine veterinary care at Banfield Pet Hospital locations into monthly payments.

However, the cost of an annual plan may exceed the cost of routine veterinary care. Banfield’s wellness plans range from $396 to $791 annually for pets 6 months or older. The annual cost of routine medical care only amounts to an average of $225 for a dog and $160 for a cat, according to the ASPCA.[3]

You might decide it’s cheaper to pay out of pocket for care from Banfield or another veterinary provider. You can also decide to purchase pet insurance from another company that offers additional coverage options.

Banfield Optimum Wellness Plans FAQs

Deciding on a pet insurance or veterinary care plan for your pet can feel difficult. The following information should help you decide whether a Banfield Optimum Wellness Plan is right for you and your pet.

  • How do you cancel the Banfield Optimum Wellness Plan?

    Because Banfield designed wellness plans that spread your veterinary costs out over an entire year, you can’t cancel at any time with no additional costs. If you cancel your plan, you must either pay out of pocket for the covered services your pet has received or continue your monthly payments.

    Unfortunately, you may also have to continue your payments if your pet dies, which is the source of many of Banfield’s negative online reviews.

  • How do you contact Banfield customer service?

    If you need help with your Banfield wellness plan, you can contact the company at one of the following phone numbers or email addresses. For enrollment, you can call 1 (866) 277-7387 or email OWP@banfield.com. For billing and payment questions, you can call 1 (866) 935-5738 or email CST.inbox@banfield.com. You can call 1 (866) 649-2716 or email wellnessplanteam@banfield.com for general questions and information about plan cancellation.

    If you have questions about your pet’s veterinary care or need to schedule an appointment to see a veterinarian, you should contact your local Banfield Pet Hospital.

  • What are some good alternatives to Banfield?

    Several other companies offer pet wellness plans, including the ASPCA, Pets Best, and Figo. Some companies, like Banfield, offer stand-alone pet wellness care plans, while others offer preventative care as an optional add-on to pet insurance policies.

    Traditional pet insurance plans typically provide accident and illness coverage but don’t cover preventative care. You should make sure you find an insurer that offers coverage for preventative care as well.

Sources

  1. Banfield Pet Hospital. "Optimum Wellness Plans® for dogs, puppies, cats, and kittens." Accessed October 10, 2023
  2. Banfield Pet Hospital. "Optimum Wellness Plans® FAQ." Accessed October 10, 2023
  3. ASPCA. "Cutting Pet Care Costs." Accessed October 10, 2023
Erin Gobler
Erin Gobler

Erin Gobler is a personal finance writer and journalist based in Madison, Wisconsin. With more than five years of experience, Erin has covered topics such as investing, credit cards, mortgages, insurance, and more. Her work has been featured in major publications like Business Insider, Fox Business, and Time. Erin received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in 2013, studying journalism and political science. She also received a certificate of financial planning from Boston University in 2022.

Katie Powers
Edited byKatie PowersAuto and Life Insurance Editor
Photo of an Insurify author
Katie PowersAuto and Life Insurance Editor
  • Licensed auto and home insurance agent

  • 3+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing

Katie uses her knowledge and expertise as a licensed property and casualty agent in Massachusetts to help readers understand the complexities of insurance shopping.

Featured in

media logomedia logo

Latest Articles

View all