Issuer: Pacific International Insurance Pty Ltd ABN 83 169 311 193 AFSL 523921
Distributor
RSPCA Pet Insurance Pty Ltd ABN 26 685 406 973 AR 1318294
Effective date
1 April 2026
TMD version
1.0
Next review
No later than 1 April 2027
This Target Market Determination (TMD) is effective from 1 April 2026 and relates to RSPCA Pet Insurance within the RSPCA Pet Insurance Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) (RSP.0426).
This product is underwritten by Pacific International Insurance Pty Ltd (ABN 83 169 311 193, AFSL 523921) (‘Pacific’).
RSPCA Pet Insurance Pty Ltd (ABN 26 685 406 973, AR 1318294) (‘RSPCA Pet Insurance’) distributes RSPCA Pet Insurance as an Authorised Representative of Pacific.
This TMD provides distributors and customers with information about:
- the class of consumers for whom this product is appropriate (the target market);
- the class of consumers for whom this product is NOT appropriate;
- any distribution conditions attaching to the product;
- the reporting obligations of distributors; and
- the review period(s) and events which may trigger a review.
This TMD identifies the intended class of consumers for RSPCA Pet Insurance. This TMD does NOT consider a customer’s personal needs, objectives, and financial situation.
Customers should always refer to the PDS and any Supplementary Product Disclosure Statement (SPDS) that may apply, to ensure the product is suitable for their needs.
Any advice contained in this TMD is general advice only and has been prepared without taking into account individual objectives, financial situation or needs. You should consider the appropriateness of any such advice and the PDS available via www.rspcapetinsurance.org.au or by calling 1300 777 220 before making a decision to acquire, or to continue to hold, the product.
Customer Value Proposition and Product Key Attributes
There are expected costs of owning a pet that can be incorporated into a household budget — food, bedding, desexing, vaccinations, and other preventative care such as parasite protection. There are also unexpected costs associated with the risk of the pet being injured or becoming sick. Over the lifetime of a pet, these costs may be minimal for some, while for others they may be substantial.
RSPCA Pet Insurance is designed to reduce the risk of incurring unexpected veterinary expenses. By choosing a percentage of unexpected veterinary expenses up to a chosen Annual Limit, a pet owner can reduce the need to utilise savings, access mortgage offset accounts, borrow, or, in the most difficult of circumstances, say goodbye to their pet when there are financial constraints.
This product has 5 sections of standard cover and 1 section of optional cover, designed for consumers in the target market to provide financial protection as follows:
- Section 1 — Vet Costs if Your Pet is Injured
- Section 2 — Vet Costs if Your Pet Suffers an Illness
- Section 3 — Vet Costs for Essential Euthanasia
- Section 4 — Vet Costs — Overseas (while in New Zealand or Norfolk Island on a trip of no more than 60 days)
- Section 5 — Emergency Pet Boarding
Optional Extra Benefit (available on Comfort and Champion plans only):
- Section 6 — Routine Care
The Match Product is offered in four fixed plans. The plans are not individually customisable. Plan specifications are as follows:
Cover is subject to terms, conditions and exclusions, including waiting periods at policy commencement and the exclusion of pre-existing symptoms and conditions unless an exemption is provided.
Who is within the Target Market for RSPCA Pet Insurance?
Customers within the Target Market
(Customers are within the target market if all of the following conditions apply.)
The Product has been designed for consumers whose likely objectives and needs are to reduce the financial impact of unexpected veterinary expenses. The Product is designed for consumers who:
- are at least 18 years of age;
- own a domestic dog or cat of an acceptable breed that resides with them in Australia;
- want to be covered against financial loss caused by an injury, illness or other unexpected medical problem as listed in the 6 sections of cover applicable to their domestic dog or cat; and
- are seeking a type and level of cover commensurate with their personal circumstances.
This Product is only suitable for those consumers who have the financial capacity to:
- pay for the costs of veterinary treatment for their domestic dog or cat upfront, then seek reimbursement;
- budget and pay for the premiums, including future premium increases expected due to factors such as the pet ageing and veterinary cost inflation;
- pay for veterinary costs up to the applicable Annual Excess before receiving benefits;
- pay for veterinary costs above the applicable Benefit Percentage; and
- pay for veterinary costs above the applicable Annual Limit.
There are certain consumers who fall outside the target market (refer to “Customers NOT within the Target Market” below).
Customers NOT within the Target Market
(Customers are not within the target market if any of the following conditions apply.)
- Customers who are seeking cover for a companion animal which is not a domestic cat or dog;
- Customers who are seeking cover for a breed considered dangerous or banned in Australia;
- Customers who own cats or dogs participating in commercial or sporting activities such as breeding, obstetrics, working, fighting, racing, personal protection, gun sports, law enforcement or guarding;
- Customers who own a working or sporting cat or dog (note: this does not exclude show dogs or cats, search and rescue dogs, guide dogs, assistance dogs or customs sniffer dogs);
- Customers seeking cover specifically for a pre-existing symptom, condition or behavioural condition of their pet, unless acceptable proof of full recovery has been provided and accepted;
- Consumers who do not have the financial means to pay for the costs of veterinary treatment for their domestic dog or cat upfront and then seek reimbursement;
- Consumers who are unable to afford the premiums and expected yearly premium adjustments, or associated costs of obtaining this insurance;
- Consumers seeking direct payment from the distributor for treatment costs incurred to a service provider (for example, a veterinary clinic); and
- Consumers seeking cover for all costs related to the treatment of an accidental injury or illness, or for routinely expected costs such as annual health checks, vaccinations, parasite protection, food or pet merchandise.
The above criteria are designed to align with the likely needs, objectives and financial situation of the intended class of consumers. Those consumers are primarily seeking to safeguard their pet’s health while mitigating the risk of unforeseen veterinary expenses that may impact funds allocated for other essential purposes — such as maintaining savings, protecting mortgage offset accounts, preserving home purchase deposits, or avoiding the need to borrow. In the most extreme cases, this also involves making difficult decisions regarding their pet’s care when treatment costs are prohibitively expensive. By mitigating this financial risk, consumers can more effectively allocate their resources to meet their broader financial needs.
Distribution Conditions
RSPCA Pet Insurance distributes this product as an Authorised Representative of Pacific.
The application process, whether completed online or via phone, requires each applicant to answer a series of questions and provide attestations aligned to the description of the target market above. Only applicants who satisfy the target market criteria are eligible to be sold this Product.
For phone-based sales, the customer care team must receive adequate training and follow approved call scripts that ensure all required disclosures are made and all questions and attestations are put to the applicant to determine that they fall within the target market. Regular staff monitoring is in place, including a minimum quarterly audit of phone-based sales.
In addition, the following distribution conditions apply:
- A new policy cannot commence until the pet is at least 6 weeks of age. This condition exists because the pet is unlikely to have pre-existing symptoms or conditions (such as a congenital defect) before this age, and most breeders obtain a veterinary check at or around 6 weeks of age.
- A new policy cannot commence if the pet is older than 16 years.
These conditions make it likely that this Product will only be distributed to consumers within the target market, because RSPCA Pet Insurance representatives have knowledge of the policy terms and conditions, and distribution processes are designed to identify instances where a policy is not suitable for the applicant.
Reporting Obligations
Distributors of this product are required to provide Pacific with complaints information via the agreed complaints submission process, including:
- the number of complaints received about this product during the reporting period;
- a short summary of the nature of each complaint and any steps taken to address it; and
- any general feedback on this product.
Distributors should include sufficient detail about each complaint to allow Pacific to identify whether the TMD may no longer be appropriate for the class of consumers.
Reporting Period: Quarterly, and no later than 10 business days after the agreed complaints reporting date.
Significant Dealings
If an actual or possible significant dealing outside of the target market is identified, RSPCA Pet Insurance must notify Pacific as soon as practicable, and in any event within 10 business days. The notification should include the date (or date range) the dealing occurred, details of the dealing(s), and any steps or actions taken to mitigate the issue.
Distributors should have regard to current ASIC guidelines when determining what may constitute a significant dealing.
Notifications should address, but are not limited to, a consideration of the nature and degree of harm that may result from issuing this Product to a retail customer outside the target market.
TMD Reviews
Review Period
The initial review of this TMD will occur no later than 12 months from the date this TMD is first published, or within 10 business days if a Review Trigger (as defined below) occurs that would reasonably suggest the TMD is no longer appropriate. This TMD will then be reviewed at least every 24 months thereafter, unless agreed otherwise with Pacific.
Review Triggers
Review triggers are to be monitored by the distributor and reported to Pacific in quarterly reporting. A review will be initiated if any of the following events or circumstances occur:
- a significant dealing in this Product that is not consistent with this TMD is identified;
- a material change to the product, including the PDS or any underlying information or assumptions upon which the target market was based (for example, the introduction of a government-funded equivalent of Medicare for pets);
- a change in relevant law, regulatory guidance or industry code that has a material effect on the terms or distribution of the product;
- the distributor becomes aware of a significant number of consumers experiencing emotional, physical, financial or other vulnerabilities that are relevant to the issuance of this product;
- market changes or the introduction of government initiatives that materially change the likely objectives, financial situation and needs of consumers in the target market; or
- multiple systemic compliance incidents or breaches that may indicate an issue with the product or the appropriateness of this TMD.
A review will also be triggered by a material deterioration in customer value measures that indicate the Product may no longer be achieving its objective of reducing the financial impact of unexpected veterinary expenses, including:
- purchase, cancellation and lapse rates that indicate the product may become unsustainable as volume is negatively impacted;
- claims outcomes as measured by denial rates and the claims ratio; and
- customer feedback and complaint rates as a proportion of policies in force and as a proportion of denied claims.
This Target Market Determination does not form part of any policy.
