Lemonade sells pet insurance online through its user-friendly website and app. It offers accident and illness coverage, plus wellness plans that help cover the costs of routine vet visits and vaccinations. But some types of coverage cost extra, and Lemonade doesn't operate in every state.

Lemonade takes a flat fee from each premium as its profit, then it uses the rest to pay claims. If there's anything left over at the end of the year, the company donates it to nonprofit organizations chosen by policyholders.

Note: Coverage options and availability may vary depending on where you live and the age and breed of your pet.

Lemonade pet insurance
4.0NerdWallet rating 
Lemonade earned 4 stars out of 5 for overall performance. NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account consumer experience, coverage options and financial strength ratings.

» MORE: The best pet insurance companies

State availability
Lemonade sells pet insurance in the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington state, Washington, D.C., and Wisconsin.

Lemonade pet insurance plans
Lemonade offers these pet insurance plans for cats and dogs.

Base Accident & Illness
This comprehensive plan covers care for health conditions like diabetes, urinary tract infections, arthritis and cancer, plus injuries like cuts and broken bones. Care may include diagnostics such as blood tests and MRIs, specific procedures and surgeries, hospital stays and medication.

Extended Coverage
Policyholders can choose various add-ons, including coverage for vet visit fees, physical treatments and end-of-life costs.

Preventative Care
With one of Lemonade's wellness plans, you'll get discounts on routine vet visits without needing to reach a deductible. Lemonade will pay up to 90% of the cost of treatments like wellness exams, vaccines, boosters, heartworm tests or flea medication. There's a base plan and a more inclusive one, plus an option specifically designed for puppies and kittens.

» MORE: What is pet insurance, and what does it cover?

What Lemonade pet insurance covers
Lemonade's Base Accident & Illness covers:

Diagnostic tests, such as blood tests, urinalysis, MRIs, X-rays, lab work, CT scans and ultrasounds.

Outpatient, specialty and emergency care procedures.

Hospitalization.

Surgery.

Injections to treat a covered condition.

Prescription medications.

Lemonade's add-ons include coverage for:

Vet visit fees for eligible accidents or illnesses.

Physical therapy treatments like acupuncture and chiropractic care.

End-of-life and remembrance costs, such as euthanasia, cremation and memorial items.

Dental illness like gingivitis, plus procedures such as extractions and root canals.

Therapy and medications for behavioral conditions.

Lemonade's Preventative Care package for adults covers:

One wellness exam.

One fecal or internal parasite test.

One heartworm or FeLV/FIV test.

Bloodwork once a year.

Up to three vaccines or boosters.

The Preventative+ Care package for adults covers all of the above plus flea, tick or heartworm medication and routine dental cleaning.

Lemonade's Puppy/Kitten Preventative Care package covers:

Two wellness exams. 

Two fecal or internal parasite tests. 

One heartworm or FeLV/FIV test. 

Bloodwork once a year. 

Up to six vaccines or boosters.

Flea, tick or heartworm medication.

Spaying/neutering.

Microchipping.

What's not covered
Lemonade's plans don't cover:

Incidents that occur before the end of your plan's waiting period.

Costs related to your pet's pre-existing conditions.

Bilateral conditions (conditions that affect two sides of the body). If your pet has a condition such as cataracts or hip dysplasia before you buy a policy, it won't be covered if it develops on the other side after the policy is in place. However, bilateral conditions are covered if the first occurrence is after you've purchased a policy.

Recurring conditions that you could have prevented. (For example, if your puppy gets sick more than once after nibbling on a poisonous house plant that you failed to keep out of reach.)

Experimental treatments.

» MORE: Is pet insurance worth it?

Lemonade coverage options
Deductibles: $100 to $500 per year.

Reimbursement amounts: 70%, 80% or 90%.

Coverage limits: $5,000 to $100,000 per year.

Restrictions and waiting periods
Age restrictions: Lemonade doesn't insure pets under 2 months old. The maximum age limits for enrollment vary by breed.

Waiting periods: This is the time between when you buy your policy and when your coverage starts. Lemonade's coverage kicks in after two days for injuries, 14 days for illness or six months for cruciate ligament injuries.

Discounts
You can get a 10% discount on your pet insurance plan by bundling it with a Lemonade home, renters or car insurance policy.

Lemonade also offers a 5% discount for insuring two or more pets and a 5% discount if you opt to pay your premium annually instead of monthly.

» MORE: How much is pet insurance?

Consumer experience
Website: The website is sleek and user-friendly; it only takes a few minutes to get a quote. You can buy a policy online if you're happy with the offered price.

App: Lemonade's app is compatible with Apple and Android devices. It makes purchasing and managing your pet insurance policy easy.

Claims: You'll file claims on the app. The company says it pays about 50% of them immediately.

Customer service: The quickest way to get a response is by launching the chatbot feature on the app or website. Otherwise, you can send an email to help@lemonade.com or call 844-733-8666.

» MORE: Lemonade renters insurance review

Lemonade vs. competitors
Here's how Lemonade stacks up against three other popular pet insurance companies.

Lemonade vs. Pumpkin
Like Lemonade, Pumpkin insures cats and dogs age 2 months or older; however, Pumpkin operates in all 50 states plus Washington, D.C. Lemonade's coverage caps out at $100,000 in some cases, while Pumpkin has unlimited plans available.

Policy-wise, these insurers keep it simple with varying levels of accident and illness coverage as well as preventative care. Pumpkin stands out for having a reimbursement rate of 90% on all plans and a 14-day waiting period for all conditions, including cruciate ligament injuries. For Lemonade, the waiting period for some conditions is six months.

Both insurers support online claims. However, Pumpkin doesn’t have a mobile app, while Lemonade’s robust app is the main place where many customers manage their policy.

Coverage options

Lemonade

Pumpkin

Deductible

$100 to $500 per year.

$100 to $1,000 per year.

Reimbursement

70%, 80% or 90%.

90%.

Annual limit

$5,000 to $100,000 per year.

$10,000 to unlimited for dogs; $7,000 to unlimited for cats.

Lemonade vs. Healthy Paws
While Lemonade's top annual payout limit is generous at $100,000, Healthy Paws offers unlimited coverage. Available for cats and dogs, its policies have no annual or lifetime maximums, and the company processes most claims within a couple of days.

If you're interested in coverage for preventative care to keep your pet healthy, Lemonade is the better fit. Healthy Paws offers only accident and illness policies, which cover alternative therapies and hereditary conditions but don't pay for routine vet visits.

In most states, Healthy Paws' waiting period for cruciate ligament injuries is 15 days — much shorter than Lemonade's six months. However, Healthy Paws won't cover hip dysplasia for the first 12 months of the policy. For pets enrolled at age 6 or older, Healthy Paws won't cover hip dysplasia at all.

For expensive treatments, Healthy Paws may be able to work with your vet to authorize direct payment, so you don't have to pay the full amount upfront.

Coverage options

Lemonade

Healthy Paws

Deductible

$100 to $500 per year.

$100 to $1,000 per year. (Not all deductible options are available for every pet.)

Reimbursement

70%, 80% or 90%.

50%, 60%, 70%, 80% or 90%. (Not all reimbursement options are available for every pet.)

Annual limit

$5,000 to $100,000 per year.

None.

Lemonade vs. Trupanion
Lemonade and Trupanion cover cats and dogs, though Trupanion doesn't have a minimum age requirement. For Lemonade, your pet needs to be at least 2 months old before you can insure them.

Trupanion sells unlimited coverage in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. In most states, the insurer takes a unique approach to deductibles compared to other pet insurance companies, including Lemonade. It charges deductibles per condition rather than per year. Once you've met each deductible, you won't have to cover any further costs related to those conditions over the life of your pet.

Trupanion sells only accident and illness coverage. While Lemonade has wellness plans for purchase, Trupanion offers a Pet Owner Assistance package, which covers things like a reward for a lost pet and boarding fees if you're hospitalized.