Southern Cross Pet vs AA Pet Insurance: how do they compare?
Financial advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). QuoteHub is a trading name.
AA Pet Insurance and Southern Cross Pet Insurance price cover on different mechanics rather than one simply costing more. AA's excess is deducted "per condition, per policy period" (AA Pet Insurance Policy Document, p.7), so two unrelated conditions treated in the same year can each carry their own excess, while Southern Cross's excess is a single amount for the whole policy year: "once we've deducted this from claims you make, there will be no more excess payable for the rest of your policy year" (Southern Cross Questions page). Both insurers publish full policy wording, so this page compares the two fact for fact rather than by brand impression.
The comparison table
Figures are each insurer's own published entry-plan-to-top-plan range for a healthy adult dog or cat, current as at 17 September 2026, drawn from each insurer's own policy document unless the last column names a different page. Disclosure: QuoteHub does not sell these policies on this page. Its licensed advisers may receive commission from an insurer if you take out cover through them.
| Insurer | Underwriter | Plans | Annual limit | Excess | Co-pay | Illness wait | Cruciate wait | Entry age | Direct-to-vet | Dental | Multi-pet discount | Primary source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 AA Pet Insurance |
The Hollard Insurance Company Pty Ltd, FSP480747, distributed by the AA and administered by PetSure (p.3, p.25) | One customisable "Accident and Illness Cover" plan, no named tiers (p.10) | $5,000 / $10,000 / $15,000, customer's choice (p.10) | $0 / $100 / $250 / $500, per condition per policy period (p.7; Dog Insurance page) | 20% co-pay (80% benefit percentage), fixed, not selectable (p.10) | 14 days (p.12) | 6 months, waivable with a signed vet exam form submitted within 14 days of the exam (p.12) | 8 weeks to 9 years for new applications (p.10) | No by default; reimbursement model, with a "GapOnly" point-of-care gap payment at participating vets only (p.4; main page) | Accident-caused fractures under core cover; disease-related dental bundled automatically as an Additional Benefit, $600 limit, 80%, 6-month wait (p.13) | 10% on additional policies, published on the main marketing page only, not in the policy document (main page) | AA Pet Insurance Policy Document |
 Southern Cross Pet |
Southern Cross Pet Insurance Limited; FSP number not published on the pages checked (PetCare Policy Document, p.3) | PetCare (accident and illness, 4 tiers), AcciPet (accident-only, fixed), FreeCover (free 6-week bridge for puppies/kittens) | $2,500 to $15,000 across PetCare's four tiers; AcciPet fixed at $5,000 (p.8) | $100 / $250 / $500, selectable, per policy year not per claim or condition (Questions page; p.9) | 10% / 20% / 30%, selectable on PetCare and AcciPet (p.10) | 21 days (p.16) | 90 days on PetCare and AcciPet (p.16) | 8 weeks to under 7 years on PetCare; AcciPet has no published maximum (p.6) | Only via the Pet Easy-Claim vet network; "we will pay claims to you, not to your vet, unless we agree otherwise" everywhere else (p.24; Questions page) | Accident-caused dental under base cover; optional "dental care extra" on PetCare only, 80% to $300, 90-day wait (p.13) | 5% per additional pet, stacks with a 2.5% Health Society member discount and a 2.5% direct-debit discount (p.31) | PetCare Policy Document |
Where the wordings genuinely differ
The excess mechanic itself. AA's per-condition-per-year excess means a pet treated for an ear infection and a separate leg injury in the same period pays the chosen excess twice; Southern Cross's is paid once a year, however many conditions arise, "unlike other insurance, this is not payable per claim or per condition" (Southern Cross Questions page). Neither insurer publishes an example premium on the pages checked, so this page compares structure, not price; see pet insurance excess explained and QuoteHub's vet bill calculator.
Whether a pre-existing condition can ever become coverable again. AA writes an explicit reset: a "temporary" pre-existing condition (not cruciate ligament, IVDD, hip or elbow dysplasia, patella luxation, endocrine disease, or any other chronic condition) stops being excluded once it "hasn't existed, occurred or shown noticeable signs, symptoms or an abnormality in the 18-month period immediately prior to your claim treatment date" (AA Pet Insurance Policy Document, p.18). Southern Cross's documents contain no comparable time-based reset; the only reconsideration path found is diagnosis-based, where a vet's later, conclusive diagnosis shows the treated condition was not the excluded one (AcciPet Policy Document, p.18). Both insurers apply a bilateral-condition clause, treating the same condition on a pet's other side (both knees, both ears) as one exclusion, not two (AA Pet Insurance Policy Document, p.6; PetCare Policy Document, p.15). More at pre-existing conditions and pet insurance NZ.
Direct-to-vet payment is an opt-in network for both, not a universal feature. AA's "GapOnly" settles the gap at the point of care, but only "at participating Vets" (main pet insurance page), and Southern Cross's Pet Easy-Claim works the same way through its own vet network (Questions page). Outside those networks, both insurers reimburse the policyholder after the vet has been paid. Check whether your own vet is actually in the relevant network before assuming either insurer pays at the counter; see pet insurance that pays the vet directly NZ.
Entry age. AA lets a new applicant enrol any pet from 8 weeks up to 9 years old (AA Pet Insurance Policy Document, p.10). Southern Cross's PetCare cuts new enrolment off under 7, though accident-only AcciPet has no published upper limit, and existing PetCare policyholders keep cover for life as long as the policy started before the pet turned 7 (PetCare Policy Document, p.6). Neither publishes a maximum continuation age for a policy already in force. More at pet insurance age limits NZ.
Dental is covered by both for accident damage, but gated differently for disease. Both cover an accident-caused broken tooth under base cover with no extra needed (AA Pet Insurance Policy Document, p.11; PetCare Policy Document, p.7). For disease-related dental, AA bundles it in automatically, capped at $600 and 80% after a 6-month wait; Southern Cross gates the same cover behind an optional "dental care extra" on PetCare only (not on AcciPet), capped at $300 at the same 80% rate after a 90-day wait. See does pet insurance cover dental NZ.
Southern Cross Pet Insurance Limited is its own dedicated insurer, carrying an A (Strong) S&P financial strength rating in its own name (PetCare Policy Document, p.3). AA is a three-party arrangement: underwritten by The Hollard Insurance Company Pty Ltd (also A Strong-rated), administered by PetSure, and distributed by the AA (AA Pet Insurance Policy Document, p.3, p.25). Compare both against the rest of the market at compare pet insurance NZ, or see how Southern Cross compares to PD Insurance and Petcover.
Questions people ask
Which insurer has the higher annual limit, AA Pet or Southern Cross Pet?
Both insurers' top published tier reaches $15,000: AA's single plan lets any customer choose that limit, while Southern Cross's $15,000 BlueRibbon is the highest of PetCare's four selectable tiers (AA Pet Insurance Policy Document, p.10; PetCare Policy Document, p.8). At entry level, AA's lowest option is $5,000 against Southern Cross PetCare's lowest tier, BronzeRibbon, at $2,500.
Does AA Pet Insurance or Southern Cross Pet Insurance pay the vet directly?
Neither pays every vet directly as standard. Both run their own opt-in network for point-of-care payment (AA's GapOnly, Southern Cross's Pet Easy-Claim), and both fall back to reimbursing the policyholder outside that network (AA Pet Insurance Policy Document, p.4; Southern Cross Questions page).
Can a condition that was pre-existing ever become covered under either insurer?
Under AA, a non-chronic pre-existing condition can stop being excluded once it has shown no signs, symptoms or treatment for 18 months, on request and subject to vet certification (AA Pet Insurance Policy Document, p.18). Southern Cross's published wording does not contain an equivalent symptom-free timeframe; its only documented reconsideration route is a fresh, conclusive vet diagnosis showing the treated condition was not the excluded one (AcciPet Policy Document, p.18).
Is AA Pet Insurance or Southern Cross Pet Insurance cheaper?
Neither insurer publishes an example premium on the pages checked, so this page cannot state a price difference. Premiums are set per pet by age, breed, excess, co-pay and limit, so the only way to compare cost is to get a quote.
Do both insurers cover cruciate ligament surgery?
Both cover it once the waiting period has passed: AA after 6 months (waivable with a certified vet exam) and Southern Cross after 90 days, on both its PetCare and AcciPet products (AA Pet Insurance Policy Document, p.12; PetCare Policy Document, p.16). AA sub-limits the condition at $3,200 per policy period; Southern Cross's sub-limit varies by tier, from $2,500 on SilverRibbon and BronzeRibbon to $5,000 on GoldRibbon and BlueRibbon. See cruciate ligament surgery cost for a dog in NZ.
A licensed NZ adviser can compare the pet insurers on your pet's details. Get pet cover quotes.
Adviser's view
QuoteHub's read is that AA's per-condition excess and 18-month pre-existing reset cut against its lower selectable co-pay range, while Southern Cross's per-year excess and choice of co-pay trade off against a lower entry-plan limit and no published symptom-free reset, and which difference matters more depends on the condition, not on which insurer looks bigger.
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Cite this page QuoteHub NZ (2026). Southern Cross Pet vs AA Pet Insurance: Compared. www.quotehub.co.nz/pet-insurance/southern-cross-pet-vs-aa-pet-insurance. Updated 2026-09-17.
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