Insurance platform Naked has introduced pet insurance for cats and dogs, with accident-only cover starting at R40 per month for cats and R55 for dogs, and automated processing that allows some claims to be paid within minutes.
“For many of our customers, their pets are part of their family. When a pet needs emergency treatment, you’re already worried about what might be wrong and whether they’ll recover,” says Sumarie Greybe, co-founder of Naked. “The last thing you want to worry about is how you’ll pay the vet bill or how long you’ll have to wait to get your money back. That’s why we set out to make claiming easy and pay customers back as quickly as possible.”
Naked’s early claims data shows a median of 1.3 days from submission to payment, with 60% of claims paid within 48 hours. Approximately 29% were paid within an hour of approval. Its fastest payment to date took 12 minutes from the time the claim was lodged.
A late night emergency, paid in 20 minutes
In one of the earliest pet insurance claims, a customer submitted an invoice at 22:30 after his dog, Max, swallowed a sock and needed emergency treatment. The claim was assessed and approved by 22:35. At 22:48, the customer supplied bank details. At 22:50, the money was in his account — 20 minutes after he submitted the claim (including 13 minutes between approval and the customer providing his bank details).
The customer later wrote in an in-app review: “I don’t know what angel was on duty tonight. I don’t even know if it was a real person… but I just have to say THANK YOU SO SO SO MUCH from the bottom of my heart. I was so worried about my baby and you guys made sure I had one less thing to worry about.”
“Our AI helps us to approve eligible claims automatically, even outside of office hours,” says Greybe. “Claims that need more information or judgement go to our team of experts for review. The aim is to make straightforward claims quick to resolve, with the reassurance of human oversight where it is needed.”
The financial pressure of a pet emergency
Dr Erika Pienaar, a veterinarian at Prime Pet Veterinary Day Clinic in Nelspruit, says a standard consultation costs R585 at her practice. A blood smear, needed in many cases, adds R230, bringing the bill to R815 before treatment or more complex tests.
Surgery to remove an object a dog has swallowed typically costs between R5,800 and R15,000. Pienaar emphasises that fees vary widely depending on the animal’s size, the complexity of the case and any complications. Costs can be substantially higher, particularly at specialist practices.
“Most pet owners never plan for an emergency, and when one happens they often have to make big medical decisions under intense time pressure, with a budget in mind as well,” says Pienaar. “Too often, owners are left carrying emotional guilt afterwards, wondering whether money decided their pet’s outcome. The right pet insurance takes that pressure off, so the choice can be about what’s best for the animal rather than what’s affordable on the day.”
Flexible pet cover, starting from R40
Customers can get a quote, buy cover and manage their pet insurance through the Naked app. Cover options include Basic accident-only cover (from R40 per month for cats and R55 for dogs); accident-and-illness cover; or more comprehensive coverthat includes physiotherapy and routine care such as preventative treatments, vaccinations and check-ups.
Customers can choose their annual limit of cover ranging from R15,000 to R120,000, and select an excess that suits their budget. They can use any registered vet in South Africa and submit claims through the app by uploading their vet invoice and answering a few questions.
No treatment-specific sub-limits
If a treatment is covered under the policy, it is subject to the customer’s selected annual and per-claim limits, rather than a separate cap for that particular treatment. Blood tests, scans, surgery, hospital stays, vet visits and prescribed medication are therefore not subject to separate treatment-specific limits.
“People need to understand and control what their cover will pay for before they’re faced with a vet bill,” says Greybe. “Giving customers a choice of cover and clear limits is as important as making the claims process quicker.”
Extending Naked’s platform into pet insurance
Pet insurance is the latest addition to Naked’s digital insurance platform, which also covers cars, homes, contents and standalone items. It forms part of Naked’s broader strategy to build a comprehensive insurance platform to simplify quoting, policy management and claims.
“We’ve been collecting feedback from customers to make sure the product works in the way pet owners and their pets need it to,” says Greybe. “We’re applying the technology and experience we’ve built across our other products to make pet insurance easier to understand and manage, and to help customers get their claims resolved quickly.”