The Competition and Markets Authority made the Veterinary Services Market Investigation Order 2026 on 22 September 2026. The CMA vets Order requires vet practices across the UK to publish standard price lists, and it sets 22 December 2026 for the large groups. Its rules cover vet prices and practice conduct. For pet publishers, retailers and breed communities, it puts the cost of care in front of owners before treatment.
What does the CMA vets Order require of vet practices?
A large veterinary business has 15 or more first opinion practices and/or out-of-hours centres, and the Order sets 22 December 2026 for those groups to have standard price lists in place. For smaller businesses the date is 22 March 2027.
The CMA’s guidance on what vets need to do is specific about where prices go. A list must sit“a maximum of one click from the homepage without scrolling”, and booking confirmations must link to it.
When the CMA began its work, just 16% of vet practices had any prices on their websites, and in 2025 it observed that over 40% of first opinion practices still displayed none.
What changes for pet owners in 2027?
The Order sets 22 June 2027 for written estimates and itemised bills at large groups, and 22 September 2027 at smaller ones. Where treatment is reasonably likely to cost £500 or more including VAT, the practice must give the owner a written estimate.
In insurance claims data used by the CMA, around 20% of treatments for which insurance claims were made over a 12-month period were for £500 or more.
The Order caps the fee for a written prescription at £21.40, with £12.70 for each additional medicine in the same consultation, both including VAT. For the cap, the Order dates are 22 March 2027 for large groups and 22 September 2027 for smaller ones.
The Order also requires practices to supply data, including pricing, to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to enable comparison between practices. The RCVS will use it for an enhanced Find a Vet website and share it with approved third parties who might offer a comparison site for vet practices (subject to certain restrictions).
For pet publishers and pet brands
The Order’s dates run to September 2027
Price lists arrive in December 2026 and March 2027, the prescription cap in March and September 2027, and estimates and itemised bills in June and September 2027. Each date gives a pet publisher a reason to write about vet costs again.
A pet insurance link fits where those costs come up: price list explainers, breed health guides, new-owner checklists and estimate guides. The Order also applies in Northern Ireland, where readers can be referred to CompareNI, and the guide to the Northern Ireland insurance market has more.
Where does pet insurance sit in the CMA vets Order?
The Order does not regulate pet insurance. Its one direct reference is the“Insurance administration fees” line on the defined price list. The CMA’s final report adds that a practice applying different insurance administration fees in different situations“must publish all of those as separate line items”.
The CMA found that between January 2016 and December 2023, average prices at veterinary businesses grew by 63% and average first-year treatment expenses by 53%, against general inflation of 32%. Pet owners spent over £6.7 billion on veterinary and other services in 2024, around £390 per pet-owning household.
UK Pet Food’s 2026 pet population survey estimates that 62% of households own one of the UK’s 36.5 million pets. In ABI figures for 2024, which cover participating member firms, a record 4.6 million pet owners took out insurance. Those insurers paid a record £1.23 billion in claims, with an average claim of £685.
Why choose Seopa?
Pet insurance is compared on Quotezone across the UK and on CompareNI for owners in Northern Ireland.
Seopa operates the FCA-regulated comparison platform behind Quotezone and CompareNI, and behind hundreds of partner front ends. The platform runs over 9 million quotes annually for 4 million UK customers, drawing on direct relationships with more than 300 providers. It covers more than 60 insurance, utilities and financial products.
Seopa is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority, firm reference 313860.
Talk to the partnerships team
A useful place to start is the article you plan to publish when the large groups’ price lists appear in December.
The affiliate scheme page explains how a referral is tracked, and the white label page covers the co-branded route. Tell the partnerships team how you plan to cover the CMA vets Order between now and September 2027. The team can then suggest where pet insurance fits in that coverage.
Frequently asked questions
When do vets have to publish price lists under the CMA vets Order?
The Order sets 22 December 2026 for large veterinary businesses, those with 15 or more first opinion practices and/or out-of-hours centres. For smaller businesses the date is 22 March 2027. Prices must include VAT and sit no more than one click from the practice homepage.
Does the CMA vets Order change pet insurance?
No. The Order covers vet prices and the conduct of veterinary businesses. Its one insurance item is the“Insurance administration fees” line on a practice’s published price list, and a practice charging different fees in different situations must list each one separately.
Does the vets Order apply in Northern Ireland?
Yes. Article 1(3) says the Order extends to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and the CMA investigated veterinary services for household pets across the UK. CompareNI compares pet insurance for owners in Northern Ireland.
How does a pet publisher earn from pet insurance comparison?
Through the affiliate route. A tracked link sends readers to Quotezone or CompareNI, where a pet owner fills in one form and compares quotes. Commission is paid monthly on the quotes and leads that convert, on terms agreed directly with the partnerships team.