Meet Nibbles, A New Austin-Based Pet Rewards Card With Free Pet Insurance
With summer in full-swing, pet owners now have a free option to keep their pets safe in the heat
This article is produced by TRIBEZA as sponsored content.
In 2024, Rafael Lopez, CEO of Nibbles, became a pet parent to his corgi, Hodu, and started researching pet insurance. In doing this, he noticed a whitespace in the market: vet care costs have increased by 60 percent since 2014, and 52 percent of pet parents have skipped or declined necessary vet care in the past year — with 71 percent of them attributing it to cost. For Lopez and his co-founders, who are all pet owners and the majority Austin residents, they thought there had to be a better solution. So, they created Nibbles.
Nibbles is the first all-in-one pet rewards credit card with pet insurance built-in to the card, which means that any licensed vet claims can be filed and processed automatically after you tap your card. No more looking for receipts, uploading PDFs or waiting on hold to figure out what documentation you need to submit. Nibbles also offers unlimited 3x rewards on pet and vet purchases and 1x rewards on all other purchases.
The card is launching its services completely complimentary with no annual fee this month — meaning free pet insurance for all those times your pet gets themselves into a bit of too much fun this summer. The average annual cost of pet insurance in the United States for dogs was $749 and $386 for cats in 2024. Plus, 65 percent of pet parents say if their pet required life-saving treatment, the maximum they could pay for treatment would be $1K.
Needless to say, complimentary pet insurance for those who qualify for the Nibbles card could be a massive financial saving and truly help put pet health first without straining Austinites’ wallets. Plus, the timing couldn’t be better with the start of summer. Pet insurance is essential for the summer months when Austinites are more active than ever on the trails, lakes and hills — not to mention the extreme heat.
As a Public Benefit Corporation, Nibbles isn’t only helping you make a difference in the lives of the pets in your home, but also around the city. The company has already donated to Austin Pets Alive! to help vaccinate 600 puppies and provide 4,200 meals for kittens and is actively working to partner with more shelters in the city.
The company is also partnering with other beloved Austin businesses and organizations that share their key values of care and connection, so you can feel good about the card that’s in your wallet. Nibbles collaborates with Walk! ATX, a one-stop shop for top-notch pet care. Founded by Britton Danton in 2012, the business serves over 1,000 Austin families with services like dog walking, daycare, boarding and training. In the spring, Nibbles partnered with KUT and KUTX Radio on the Rock the Park concert series in Mueller, where they offered pet-friendly fun, giveaways and live music for the Austin community. Homelove, a fellow Austin start-up that offers non-urgent veterinary care in the comfort of your own home and brings peace of mind to local pet parents, has also become a trusted partner of Nibbles. Lastly, the company has partnered with The Great Outdogs, an iconic pet store on Barton Springs Road founded by Matt Edwards in 2011, known for its deep-rooted connection to the local dog-loving community.
With a focus on community, connection and care, Nibbles truly is the smarter way to be a pet parent.