Walmart Pet Insurance Review 2026: Is the Nationwide Partnership Worth It?
No membership fee required, a genuinely unique pharmacy perk — but no confirmed price break over buying direct
Quick Answer: Walmart does not underwrite its own pet insurance — "Walmart Pet Insurance" is a standard Nationwide accident-and-illness policy, sold directly on Walmart.com through Walmart Insurance Services since April 3, 2023, per Nationwide's own press release. Unlike Costco (Figo) or Sam's Club (Spot), no paid membership is required to buy it. The standout Walmart-specific perk is Pet Rx Express, launched January 29, 2021, which lets Nationwide members get prescription claims processed at the Walmart pharmacy counter with preferred pricing — Nationwide's own release called it a first for the pet health insurance industry. We found no confirmed Walmart-specific discount on the premium itself. We rate it 3.5/5: real convenience and no membership fee, but no clear price advantage over buying Nationwide direct.
You can buy the same policy directly on Walmart.com's pet insurance page — no Walmart+ membership or in-store visit required.
Quick Overview
Walmart's pet insurance partner has actually changed twice in under three years, which is a more complicated history than the single-partner stories behind our Costco and Sam's Club reviews. Walmart first announced a pet insurance partnership with Petplan in November 2020. That deal was superseded within roughly three months by a new partnership with Nationwide, announced January 29, 2021, confirmed via Nationwide's own newsroom and PR Newswire — the same launch introduced Pet Rx Express, an in-store pharmacy claims-processing perk at Walmart pharmacy counters. Nationwide became directly purchasable on Walmart.com itself — not just an add-on perk for existing members — on April 3, 2023, per a second Nationwide press release.
One thing worth flagging plainly: some review sites cite a Fetch Pet Insurance "Walmart Insurance Services" partner page offering a 10% discount. We could not load that page directly to confirm it, and found no current Walmart or Fetch press release corroborating it, so we're not stating it as fact here. If you see a 10%-off claim quoted elsewhere, verify it against your own live quote rather than assuming it applies.
Coverage Details
Because this is a standard Nationwide policy, coverage and plan structure match what we documented in our own Nationwide Pet Insurance review:
Plan Lineup
- My Pet Protection: The mainstream accident-and-illness plan for dogs and cats, reimbursing a flat 50%, 70% or 90% of eligible vet bills.
- Whole Pet with Wellness: Reimburses 90% of eligible expenses including routine and preventive care, with no separate wellness add-on to buy.
- Avian & Exotic Pet plan: Accident and illness coverage for birds, reptiles and small mammals — one of the few major insurers to offer this, using a benefit schedule rather than percentage reimbursement.
What's Not Covered
- Pre-existing conditions
- Breeding, pregnancy and whelping costs
- Cosmetic and elective procedures (ear cropping, tail docking, declawing)
- Wellness/preventive care — unless you pick Whole Pet with Wellness
Pet Rx Express: The One Genuinely Distinctive Perk
This is the feature that actually sets the Walmart channel apart from buying Nationwide anywhere else. Launched alongside the January 2021 partnership, Pet Rx Express lets Nationwide policyholders get eligible pet prescription claims processed right at the Walmart pharmacy counter, with preferred drug pricing applied at checkout — Nationwide's own press release describes it as a first for the pet health insurance industry, and it later expanded to Sam's Club pharmacies too. Neither Costco/Figo nor Sam's Club/Spot has an equivalent in-store pharmacy tie-in.
Separately, Walmart+ members get a free Pawp 24/7 pet telehealth benefit, confirmed via Walmart's own corporate newsroom. That's a genuine Walmart+ perk worth knowing about — but it's telehealth, not pet insurance, and it isn't a discount on the Nationwide policy. Don't conflate the two when comparing options.
Pricing
NAPHIA's 2024 State of the Industry report puts the average accident-and-illness premium at $62.44/month for dogs and $32.21/month for cats. Nationwide's own mainstream My Pet Protection plan typically runs $35–$60/month for a young mixed-breed dog and $20–$35/month for a cat, per our existing Nationwide review — often at or above the NAPHIA average, and the Whole Pet with Wellness plan costs more on top of that.
| Plan detail | Range |
|---|---|
| Reimbursement (My Pet Protection) | 50% / 70% / 90% |
| Enrollment age | 8 weeks minimum |
| Membership fee required | None |
These figures describe Nationwide's standard policy architecture, sold as-is through the Walmart.com channel — we found no evidence Walmart negotiated custom reimbursement tiers, deductibles or limits distinct from buying Nationwide anywhere else. Get a live quote to see your real premium; it varies by pet's breed, age and ZIP code.
If Pet Rx Express has you thinking about the medication side of pet care, a weekly pet pill organizer from Amazon is a simple way to keep multi-medication routines straight between refills.
Claims Reputation
Satisfaction data isn't broken out separately for the Walmart channel — it reflects Nationwide's overall book of business, the same limitation our Costco and Sam's Club reviews noted for Figo and Spot. Nationwide holds a 4.4/5 on Trustpilot and an A+ AM Best financial-strength rating (confirmed via a November 2024 AM Best release). Worth flagging honestly: Nationwide's BBB accreditation grade is also A+, but its own BBB customer-review average sits at just 1.13/5 — a real disconnect between accreditation and reported customer sentiment that's worth knowing before you buy, whichever channel you use.
Pros and Cons
✅ Pros
- No paid membership required, unlike Costco or Sam's Club
- Pet Rx Express: a genuinely unique in-store pharmacy claims perk
- Buy directly on Walmart.com, no separate enrollment portal
- Only major insurer covering birds and exotics (Avian & Exotic plan)
- Nationwide's A+ AM Best financial-strength rating
❌ Cons
- No confirmed Walmart-specific discount on the premium
- Partner has switched once already (Petplan → Nationwide in 2021)
- Premiums often run at or above the industry average
- BBB customer-review average (1.13/5) lags its A+ accreditation grade
- Wellness coverage only on the pricier Whole Pet with Wellness plan
Walmart vs. Costco vs. Sam's Club
| Retailer | Underlying insurer | Membership required? | Confirmed discount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walmart | Nationwide | No | None confirmed |
| Costco | Figo | Yes | 15% flat |
| Sam's Club | Spot | Yes | Up to 15%, varies by state |
That's the real trade-off: Costco and Sam's Club require a paid membership but hand you a quantified discount in exchange. Walmart requires nothing to buy in, but we couldn't confirm you save anything either — you're mainly paying for convenience (no membership, one familiar checkout) and the Pet Rx Express pharmacy perk, not a lower price.
Who Should Choose Walmart Pet Insurance?
Good fit for:
- Shoppers who don't want a paid warehouse-club membership just to buy pet insurance
- Nationwide fans who'd rather check out on a familiar retail site
- Households that fill prescriptions at Walmart pharmacies and want Pet Rx Express
- Exotic pet owners, since Nationwide's Avian & Exotic plan is rare in the industry
Consider alternatives if:
- You're already a Costco or Sam's Club member — their discounts are confirmed, Walmart's isn't
- You want the lowest possible premium — Nationwide often runs above the NAPHIA average
- You want unlimited annual limits with fast digital claims — see our Lemonade review or Trupanion review
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Walmart actually sell its own pet insurance?
No. Walmart does not underwrite or administer a pet insurance product of its own. Walmart Insurance Services sells a standard Nationwide accident-and-illness policy directly on Walmart.com, a partnership Nationwide's own press release confirms went live April 3, 2023. Walmart is the distribution channel, not the insurer.
Is there a Walmart-specific discount on the premium?
We could not confirm one from a primary source. Some review sites mention a 10% discount tied to an older Fetch Pet Insurance partner page, but Fetch's own page returned an access error when checked and no current Walmart or Fetch press release corroborates it. Treat any 10%-off claim as unconfirmed, and get a live quote to see your actual rate rather than assuming a discount applies.
Who underwrites Walmart Pet Insurance, and has it always been Nationwide?
Nationwide underwrites and administers the current policy. Walmart's pet insurance partner has changed twice in under three years: Petplan (announced November 2020), replaced by Nationwide within about three months (announced January 29, 2021), which remains the partner today. That partner-switching history is worth knowing before you assume long-term stability in the arrangement.
What is Pet Rx Express?
Pet Rx Express is a pharmacy benefit launched alongside the 2021 Nationwide partnership that lets Nationwide pet insurance members get prescription claims processed at the Walmart pharmacy counter with preferred pricing — something Nationwide's own press release called a first for the pet health insurance industry. It's a claims-processing and pricing convenience, not extra insurance coverage.
Do I need to be a Walmart+ member to buy this policy?
No. Unlike Costco (Figo) or Sam's Club (Spot), which require a paid membership to unlock a member discount, Nationwide's policy is purchasable by any Walmart.com shopper with no membership fee. Walmart+ members separately get a free Pawp 24/7 pet telehealth benefit, but that's a telehealth perk, not a pet insurance discount — don't confuse the two.
Compare more providers: See our Nationwide Pet Insurance review for the full plan lineup this policy is built on, our Costco review and Sam's Club review for warehouse-club discount channels that require a paid membership, or our Chewy review for another no-membership-required retailer channel, or our PetSmart pet insurance guide for a Treats Rewards loyalty discount instead of a flat resale price.
Bottom Line
Walmart Pet Insurance earns a 3.5/5: it's an honest, no-membership-fee way to buy a real Nationwide policy, with a genuinely useful Pet Rx Express pharmacy perk that no other retailer channel on this site matches. What it isn't is a discount — unlike Costco's flat 15% or Sam's Club's up-to-15%, we could not confirm Walmart shoppers pay any less than buying Nationwide direct, and the partner-switching history (Petplan to Nationwide in 2021) is worth keeping in mind.
Our Verdict: Choose this if you want Nationwide's coverage without a membership fee or you fill prescriptions at Walmart. If price is your main driver, compare a live Nationwide quote against Costco or Sam's Club first.
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Disclaimer: PetInsuranceLab.com is an independent review site and not an insurer, agent or affiliated with Walmart Inc. We may earn a commission when you request a quote or shop through our links, but this never influences our ratings. Coverage details, pricing and discount terms vary by state and over time — always confirm the current terms on Walmart.com and in Nationwide's official policy documents before purchasing. Last reviewed August 2026.