A vet wellness plan is a membership where pet owners pay a monthly, fortnightly or annual fee for routine, predictable care, such as health checks, vaccinations and parasite prevention, plus a discount on other services. It isn't insurance. Price it from the cost of the included services, test it against your heaviest users, and explain clearly what isn't covered.
Key takeaways
- Greencross Vets' Healthy Pets Plus costs A$660 a year (A$696 for seniors), payable fortnightly, monthly or annually.
- Banfield says members save at least 30% on average versus paying for each included service separately, if they use them all.
- CHOICE cautions owners to check they'll use the inclusions, and says a wellness plan isn't insurance.
- Model the senior or chronically ill pet, not the average one, especially if consults are unlimited.
- Vet services and pet products are taxable for GST, so price from the ex-GST figure.
A vet clinic sees two kinds of pet owners.
The first comes in every year for vaccinations and a check-up. They ask about the dog's teeth. They buy flea and worm treatment at the front desk.
The second turns up when something is obviously wrong. By then, a problem that could have been caught at a routine check has become a bigger, dearer one. The owner is stressed and hesitant about the bill.
Same clinic, same vets. Very different businesses.
Vet clinics have quietly become subscription businesses by turning the second owner into the first. The tool is the pet wellness plan: a monthly fee that covers routine care, so the pet comes in more often and the owner isn't surprised by the cost.
What do vet wellness plans look like in 2026?
The two best-known examples show the shape.
Banfield Pet Hospital (US). Its Optimum Wellness Plans are year-long preventive-care packages. They bundle two comprehensive exams a year, routine vaccinations, exam fees and diagnostic testing. Banfield says members save at least 30% on average compared with paying for each service separately, when they use everything included.
Greencross Vets (Australia). Its Healthy Pets Plus is a 12-month membership costing A$660 for Puppy & Kitten or Adult plans, or A$696 for the Senior plan, payable fortnightly, monthly or annually. Greencross promotes benefits including unlimited vet consultations, free vaccinations and microchipping, and 10% off vet services and products. Benefits can be used across Greencross clinics, partner emergency hospitals and Petbarn stores.
Consumer group CHOICE reviewed these plans and found they typically cost about A$50 to A$60 a month. It cautioned owners to check whether they'd actually use the inclusions, and noted that a plan is a membership for routine care, not insurance against big bills. (The vet wellness plan case study has more.)
Look at the payment options. A$660 a year is a hard sell at the counter. About A$25 a fortnight is easy.
Which subscription models fit a vet clinic?
| Model | Fit for vets | How it shows up |
|---|---|---|
| Bundled services | Strong | Health checks, vaccinations and parasite prevention in one fee |
| Insurance model | Partial | Peace of mind about routine costs. Only for predictable care you control |
| Member benefits | Strong | 10% off other services, priority appointments, nurse clinics |
| Consumables | Good | Monthly parasite prevention or prescription diets, delivered or picked up |
| Minimum commitment | Good | 12-month plans paid in installments, with clear exit terms |
In the book I described the insurance model as selling peace of mind. A wellness plan sells a particular kind: "I know what my pet's routine care will cost this year, and I'm not putting it off." That's a peace of mind you can deliver, because every item is something your own team provides.
A sample life-stage wellness plan
Illustrative only. Prices include GST.
| Puppy & Kitten | Adult | Senior | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fee (illustrative) | A$52 a month | A$45 a month | A$62 a month |
| Annual total | A$624 | A$540 | A$744 |
| Health checks | 4 in the first year | 2 a year | 3 a year |
| Vaccinations | Full primary course | Annual booster | Annual booster |
| Parasite prevention | 12 months included | 12 months included | 12 months included |
| Extras | Microchip, desexing discount | Dental check at each visit | Annual blood panel |
| Discount on other services | 10% | 10% | 10% |
| Term | 12 months, paid monthly or fortnightly | 12 months | 12 months |
Notice there are no unlimited consultations here. Large groups can afford to offer them because they spread the risk across thousands of pets. A single clinic usually can't. If you do offer unlimited consults, you need the stress test below.
How do you know if a wellness plan is profitable?
Annual plan margin = Annual fee ex-GST − Cost of included services − Discounts given − Payment fees
Worked example: the A$45 Adult plan
The fee is A$540 a year including GST, or A$490.91 ex-GST.
Included services at cost: - Two health checks: 15 minutes of vet time each at a fully loaded A$160 an hour (A$40) plus A$10 of consumables. A$100. - Annual vaccination: A$30 in vaccine and handling. - Twelve months of parasite prevention at a wholesale cost of about A$12 a month: A$144.
Included services: A$274.
Discounts given: if the average member pet has A$600 ex-GST of other services and products a year, 10% off is A$60.
Payment fees: about A$12 a year on monthly billing.
Margin: A$490.91 − A$274 − A$60 − A$12 = about A$145 a pet a year, before the extra treatment work regular visits bring in.
Now stress-test it. Add "unlimited consultations" and imagine an older dog with a chronic condition that comes in eight times a year. Six extra consults at A$50 each in cost is A$300, and your A$145 margin becomes a A$155 loss. That's the member most likely to join a plan with unlimited consults.
Run your own numbers through the subscription price calculator. Use your real drug costs and vet time.
Price your wellness plan from real costs
Enter the cost of the included services, GST and payment fees to find a monthly plan price that works.
How to launch a vet wellness plan
- List your routine care by life stage. What does a healthy puppy, adult and senior pet need each year?
- Cost each item at your real cost, not your retail price.
- Price the plan so the owner saves visibly against full price and you keep a margin. Banfield's "at least 30%" saving is a useful reference point for how owners judge value.
- Decide on consults. Capped or unlimited? If unlimited, model your sickest likely members.
- Offer installments. Fortnightly or monthly payments turn A$600 into a small, regular amount.
- Write plain terms: what's included, what isn't, that it isn't insurance, the term, renewal, and what happens if the pet dies or the owner moves.
- Track entitlements in your practice software so the team can see what each pet has used.
- Train the front desk and nurses. They'll sell most plans, ideally at a puppy or kitten's first visit.
- Review annually. Drug and vaccine costs move. Reprice at renewal, with notice.
Pitfalls to avoid
Unlimited consults at a single clinic. See the stress test. One chronic patient can wipe out the margin on several healthy ones.
Selling plans owners won't use. CHOICE's warning is fair. An owner who pays for a year and uses half of it won't renew, and may complain. Check usage at month six and remind members what's left.
Blurring the line with insurance. Never call it cover. Owners who assume their plan pays for surgery will be angry when it doesn't.
Forgotten entitlements. Staff who forget to apply the member discount, or apply it twice, erode trust and margin. Software fixes this.
A clumsy exit when a pet dies. Write a kind, simple policy before you need it.
My take
The best thing about a wellness plan isn't the fee. It's the extra visits. A pet seen twice or three times a year gets problems caught earlier, and the owner builds trust with your team. That's better care and a better business. Design for the visits, not the breakage.
What Australian vet clinics need to know
General information as at October 2026, not legal or tax advice.
It isn't insurance, so don't sell it as insurance. Pet insurance is a regulated insurance product. A wellness plan prepays defined routine services. Keep the inclusions to services you provide, avoid promising to pay for unknown future treatment, and get legal advice if your plan starts to look like cover.
GST. Veterinary services are taxable, and the ATO lists pet food and products not for human consumption as taxable too. Advertise GST-inclusive prices to owners and price from the ex-GST figure, as in the worked example.
Subscription rules from 1 July 2027. A 12-month plan that renews automatically is likely to be a subscription contract under the Unfair Trading Practices Act 2026. Expect to disclose key terms prominently at sign-up, send prescribed notices (likely before renewal), and offer an easy way to cancel, online if owners join online. The Act excludes some contracts paid in installments, so ask a lawyer how it applies to your plan's structure. See subscription trap laws and unfair contract terms.
Professional rules. Check your state veterinary board's code of conduct on advertising and inducements before you promote the plan.
The accountant's angle
Anyone buying a vet practice will look hard at how predictable its revenue is. A plan base answers that question.
- Predictable revenue. Members pay every fortnight or month regardless of how busy this week is.
- Pull-through revenue. The plan fee is only part of the value. Track members' spend on treatment, diagnostics and products separately. In many plans that's where the real return is.
- Prepaid plans are a liability. If owners pay annually upfront, you owe them the services. Recognize the revenue as you deliver it. See revenue recognition.
- Churn at renewal. Watch the share of plans that renew after 12 months. That's the number a buyer will ask about. The churn calculator helps.
Model the move from one-off visits to plans with the subscription profit calculator.
What to do next
Pick one life stage, probably puppies and kittens, and design a plan for it first. New owners are the easiest to sign up and the most likely to stay for years.
If you also run grooming or boarding, the pet services guide covers memberships for those.
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Frequently asked questions
How do pet wellness plans work?
The owner signs up for a 12-month plan for one pet, usually matched to life stage, and pays in installments or upfront. The plan covers listed routine care, such as health checks, vaccinations and parasite prevention, plus a discount on other services and products. Anything not listed, like surgery after an accident, is paid for separately or through pet insurance.
Are vet wellness plans worth it for owners?
They're worth it if the owner would buy the included care anyway. CHOICE found plans typically cost about A$50 to A$60 a month and cautioned owners to check whether they'd use the inclusions. A clinic should show the full-price value of the inclusions next to the plan fee, so owners can see the saving for themselves.
What's the difference between a wellness plan and pet insurance?
Pet insurance pays towards unexpected costs, like illness or injury, subject to limits, waiting periods and exclusions. A wellness plan prepays routine, predictable care from one clinic or group. Many owners have both. Never describe a wellness plan as insurance or cover, and say clearly what it doesn't include.
What happens if a pet dies during a wellness plan?
Decide this before you launch and put it in your terms. Many owners will want to stop payments immediately. A compassionate, simple policy, such as ending the plan and reconciling services used against payments made, avoids an awful conversation becoming a complaint. Handle it with care. That owner may have another pet one day.
Should a small independent vet offer a wellness plan?
Yes, if you have a loyal client base and can track entitlements properly. Large groups can spread plans across many clinics, but an independent practice can compete on relationship and continuity of care. Use software that tracks what each pet has used, or the plan will leak margin through forgotten discounts and double-counted services.
General information only, current as at October 2026. It isn't legal, tax or financial advice and doesn't consider your circumstances. Speak to a qualified adviser before acting.
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Robert Coorey, MBA
Robert is the author of The Subscription Playbook and Feed a Starving Crowd and a Director at BPAG Accountants in Sydney. More about Robert.
Sources
- Greencross Vets, Healthy Pets Plus (accessed October 2026)
- Banfield Pet Hospital, Optimum Wellness Plans (accessed October 2026)
- CHOICE, Are pet wellness plans worth it?
- ATO, Taxable food (pet food and products not for human consumption)
- Competition and Consumer Amendment (Unfair Trading Practices) Act 2026, Federal Register of Legislation
Facts and prices checked 27 October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.