RSPCA Pet Insurance has introduced a payment system that lets policyholders pay only the portion of their veterinary bill not covered.

Under the Direct2Vet platform, a vet clinic submits an invoice through a secure portal, the customer confirms via SMS, and the benefit is paid direct to the clinic. The customer then pays the balance.

Claims are handled within a few minutes if all required information is submitted, and clinics can track submitted claims and get updates through the portal.

“Direct2Vet is designed to be simple, fast and easy to sign up, helping reduce friction at the point of payment by lowering out-of-pocket costs for clients,” RSPCA Pet Insurance CEO Brad Smith said.

“Initiatives like this help make things a little easier for veterinary teams. When insurance works in real time, it helps shift conversations away from financial barriers and back to clinical outcomes.”

RSPCA-commissioned research has found many Australians delay veterinary care due to the cost, and 20% are not confident they could afford emergency treatment.

RSPCA pet cover is underwritten by Pacific International Insurance. There is no cost for clinics to add Direct2Vet and they can register here.