As part of its 2026 Guidewire Insurance Customer Attitudes report, there are new insights into how UK pet insurance customers perceive the value of their products and how innovations in self help apps and services could be harnessed by pet insurers.
Key UK findings are:
- · Close to one in three UK pet owners turn to online health search and symptom checkers instead of visiting a vet (31.5 percent). This becomes a more popular choice among younger age groups with 46 percent of those aged 18-24 claiming to use such digital channels and more than half (54.5 percent) of those aged 25-34 agreeing in doing the same.
- · UK consumers are divided on the use of AI and smart technology for pet care. For example, while more than one in four (28 percent) said they would trust an AI-powered mobile app to scan their pet and provide an instant health check, 50 percent disagreed while 21.5 percent were unsure. This presents a clear opportunity for insurers to shift perceptions about digital tools, supporting consumers to better manage their pets’ health needs while also driving innovation within the pet insurance market.
- · With vet fees increasing across the UK, consumers are looking for more robust support from their insurers. The survey found that more than half of UK pet owners seemed satisfied with the pet insurance claims process (58 percent), but were less satisfied than customers in other European markets. By contrast, France scored most satisfied (76 percent), followed by Germany (70 percent) and Spain (64 percent).
Commenting on the survey’s findings, Sebastia Company-Mas, Product Marketing Manager, Guidewire said:
“The UK stands out as having lower satisfaction with the pet insurance claims experience largely because it is a highly mature and competitive market operating under significant cost pressure. Veterinary fees have risen sharply in recent years, outstripping general inflation, even taking into account the cost of living crisis. This is increasing pressure on insurers and sensitivity around premiums, exclusions, and claims outcomes. At the same time, pet insurance products can be complex, with limits and exclusions that are not always fully understood until a claim is made, which is particularly challenging in such an emotional line of business. As a result, dissatisfaction is often driven less by whether claims are ultimately paid, and more by communication, delays, and overall trust in the process.”
The full report is here https://www.guidewire.com/about/press-center/european-insurance-consumer-survey