Is your furry friend perpetually ill? If so, you likely know all too well that visits to the vet aren’t cheap.
But don’t worry: If you’ve got *amex platinum* or the *biz gold* in your wallet, you now get virtual access to a 24/7 team of veterinary professionals … for free. This new benefit is courtesy of the cards’ complimentary Walmart+ subscription and comes through a new partnership with Pawp, a telehealth platform for pet owners.
With this new perk, cardholders get unlimited access to a team of veterinary professionals, day and night, via text and video chat. Pawp’s care team can help diagnose your pet’s short-term health issues and provide a comprehensive care plan with ongoing guidance.
Considering a standalone Pawp membership goes for $99 per year, this new perk isn’t worthless. Still, one can’t help but laugh when a benefit like this is added to what have long been positioned as “premium” travel cards. But on the other hand, Amex’s CEO recently acknowledged that The Platinum Card is “morphing into more of a lifestyle card” and this perk certainly falls under the “lifestyle” category.
Here’s what you need to know if you plan to take advantage of this new perk.
An Overview of Walmart+
First things first, if you’re unfamiliar with Walmart+, think of it as the big box store’s version of Amazon Prime – a paid membership that provides additional benefits at Walmart and beyond.
With Walmart+, you get free next-day and two-day shipping with no order minimum, including items sold by third-party retailers through walmart.com. You’ll also get free same-day delivery for groceries and other in-store items with a $35 minimum order.
Plus, you can get a 10 cent per gallon discount on gas at over 13,000 stations nationwide, get a complimentary Paramount+ Essential plan, free auto care services … and most recently, free Whoppers from Burger King.
At $12.95 per month (or $98 per year), I probably wouldn’t pay out-of-pocket for Walmart+. But I don’t have to: I pay for the fee with my Platinum Card, which triggers a monthly credit to cover the entire cost. After a refresh late last year, the *biz gold* added an identical credit of up to $12.95 per month to cover the cost of membership as well.
Since I get it for “free” with my Amex Platinum Card, I use Walmart+ from time to time and enjoy the convenience.
What’s Pawp?
Pawp lets you bring the veterinary office to your living room with a round-the-clock team of veterinary professionals providing telehealth services for your pet through its mobile app (not available on desktop). Currently, the service is only available for dogs and cats.
Whether you’ve got a sick pet and need some quick advice or you’re looking for longterm guidance to improve your pet’s overall health, Pawp has you covered with a real person ready to answer your questions. Just know: Telehealth vets like Pawp are unable to prescribe medication for your pet.
The first step in the process is to build our your pet’s profile – you can get care for up to six dogs and/or cats with a single account. After that, you’ll request a visit to discuss your pet’s short and longterm health needs. Following your first visit, you can expect a comprehensive care plan with advice and instructions tailored to your pet’s needs. Since your visits are unlimited with Pawp, you can follow up with additional questions at any time.
In addition to providing 24/7 telehealth for your pet, Pawp’s “Emergency Fund” is a $19 per month add-on (not covered through the Walmart+ benefit) that provides up to $3,000 per year in coverage for emergency care. Think of it like health insurance … but for your pet. Just know: To be eligible for emergency fund reimbursement, you must get telehealth approval before seeking in-person care.
It’s worth noting that no one on the Thrifty Traveler team has actually used Pawp (yet). A quick Google search revealed some not so favorable reviews about the level of service provided and warned about unexpected recurring charges. If you’re taking advantage of this benefit through Walmart+ there’s little downside to giving it a try, but be warned before you purchase it outright or pay for anything extra.
How to Activate This New Benefit
If you’re all set to give Pawp a try, you’ll first need to log into your Walmart+ account. If you have *amex platinum* or the *biz gold* and haven’t yet signed up for Walmart+, you don’t need to activate this benefit with Amex before enrolling. Simply sign-up for a Walmart+ monthly subscription (not an annual plan) and Amex will automatically provide a statement credit of up to $12.95 per month (plus taxes) for the cost of your subscription.
Once you’re logged into your Walmart+ account, you’ll see a full list of benefits listed. Click on “Free online pet care” and then “Get started.” Next you’ll be prompted to enter your phone number and provide the verification code that gets texted to you.
After verifying your phone number, you’ll get a rundown of the benefits that are included for through the partnership with Walmart+: 24/7 live visits, preventative care, and access to your pet’s profile. After hitting continue, you’ll be brought to a screen asking if you want to add Pawp’s emergency protection (insurance) for $19 per month. Yes is pre-checked so be sure to select “No, leave my pet unprotected” unless you really do want to enroll in additional coverage.
The final step in the process is to review your plan and activate your Pawp account. Assuming you waived Pawp’s added emergency protection, you should clearly see that you’re not paying anything out of pocket due to the partnership with Walmart+.
Once you’ve activated Pawp you can build out your pet’s profile(s) and schedule a visit. It’s really that simple!
Bottom Line
Through Amex’s partnership with Walmart+, Amex Platinum and Business Gold cardholders can now get unlimited, 24/7 virtual vet visits from Pawp. This service can help diagnose your furry friend with short-term health issues and provide guidance on long-term care to improve your pet’s overall health.
For pet owners, a round of ap-paws is certainly in order for this new benefit.
