A microchip only works if it's registered. United Pet Club links your pet's chip number to your contact information at no cost, and keeps that record active for life.
When a vet or shelter finds a lost pet, the scanner reads a chip number, not your phone number or address. Staff then search that number in a database to find out who to call. If the chip was never registered, or was registered somewhere the shelter can't reach, it's just a number with nowhere to go.
United Pet Club keeps a free, searchable registry that stores your contact details against your pet's microchip number. We accept chips from any manufacturer, so it doesn't matter which brand your vet used. Our system also participates in the American Animal Hospital Association's universal microchip lookup tool, one of the first places shelters and clinics check when a stray comes in.
Registration takes a few minutes. Start with free microchip registration if your pet was just chipped, or follow our step by step guides for registering a dog's microchip and registering a cat's microchip. A pet without a chip can still get a free profile through pet registration, and anyone who has found a stray can run a microchip lookup to reach the owner.
Every pet gets a no-cost registration linking your contact information to the microchip number for as long as you own your pet. The free lifetime plan never expires and never needs renewal.
Owners who want more recovery tools, like a detailed pet profile or scan location, can move up to an upgraded plan.
Upgraded plans include a one-time payment option, so you pay once instead of renewing every year.
Call 1-800-AID-PETS any time, day or night, and a live agent will help a finder reach you.
We email you whenever your pet's microchip or tag is scanned, so you know someone is trying to reach you.
Our registry participates in the American Animal Hospital Association's universal lookup tool, the database shelters and vets check first.
A microchip is a small implant, about the size of a grain of rice, placed under a pet's skin between the shoulder blades. It carries a unique ID number that a scanner can read. A microchip isn't a GPS tracker. It has no battery, can't be located in real time, and only identifies your pet once someone scans it up close. That number means nothing without the registry behind it, which is why registration matters as much as the implant.
A pet ID tag works differently. It hangs on the collar in plain sight, so anyone who finds your pet can read your phone number directly, no scanner or database required. Tags fall off or get removed sometimes, though, which is where the microchip backs it up. A registered microchip and a legible tag cover both the fast, visible option and the permanent one that's harder to lose.
Yes. United Pet Club runs a free pet microchip registry: any pet's chip, from any manufacturer, registers free for life on the free lifetime plan. Upgraded plans add extra features like scan location and a 24/7 live agent line, but basic registration never expires and never costs anything.
Yes. Implanting the chip and registering it are two different steps. A vet places the chip, but you still need to submit your contact details to a registry before the chip can lead anyone back to you.
The scanner reads the chip's ID number and shows which registry it's recorded in. Shelter staff then look up that number to find your contact information and get in touch.
You need to update your address, phone number, and email as soon as they change. A registry only works if the contact information behind it is current, so outdated details can delay a reunion even when the chip itself is registered.
Yes. Pet registration and microchip registration with United Pet Club are available worldwide, and the registry is searchable 24/7 from any country. Because every chip we sell meets ISO 11784/11785, the standard scanners in most countries can read it, so a pet registered with us stays identifiable when you travel, move abroad, or rehome across a border.
Free registration covers the basics. See what upgraded plans add, like scan location or SMS alerts.
