How Much Does Microchipping a Puppy Cost?
Most puppies leave the breeder already chipped, so what you pay usually comes down to the database's transfer fee, or nothing at all on the right one.
If you’re collecting a puppy from a breeder, the puppy should already be chipped, so the chip itself should cost you nothing. The cost that may fall to you is moving the chip record into your name, and whether that costs anything depends on the database. If your puppy isn’t chipped yet, you’ll pay for the chip.
Your puppy should already be chipped
In England, the “keeper” of a puppy that hasn’t left its mother is the mother’s owner, which in practice means the breeder. It’s the breeder’s job to have the puppy microchipped and registered before it’s handed over. In Scotland and Wales, a dog can only be transferred to a new keeper once it has been microchipped.
So if you’re buying from a breeder, a chipped puppy is what you’re paying for already. A breeder asking you to pay separately for the chip, or handing over an unchipped puppy, is a reason to ask questions. Once your puppy is home, apply for a transfer of keepership and register the chip to your own details. The breeder may already have done this for you but don’t assume, and check.
If your puppy isn't chipped yet
If your puppy has come to you without a chip, getting one fitted is on you. A vet typically charges between £10 and £30 for microchipping, varying from clinic to clinic. If cost is the sticking point, free and low-cost chipping schemes exist, and our guide to free microchipping in the UK rounds them up.
Ask one thing when you book: whether the price includes registration on a Defra-compliant database. In England, “microchipped” in law means both a compliant implant and the details recorded on a compliant database. A fee that stops short of registration hasn’t bought compliance. Our guide has more on getting your dog chipped, and wider dog prices are in our page on how much microchipping a dog costs.
What it costs to transfer the record to you
The chip belongs to the puppy, but the record on the database needs to move from the breeder’s name to yours, and databases charge for this in different ways. Two dated examples show the spread. Microchip Central’s terms list a £15 plus VAT transfer fee payable by the new owner, as published in September 2026. Animal Tracker requires a subscription to complete a transfer from a breeder account: its Connected plan is £15 a year, or £30 for Lost & Found, though a transfer code from a welfare organisation lets the new owner register free. Prices change, so check what your puppy’s database charges before you start.
On Pet Database, updates are free for the life of the pet. If you’re comparing providers across the board, see our guide to microchipping costs at vets, charities and retailers.
Once the chip is in, the last step is making sure the record holds your details. Our free chip checker tells you which database holds the record, so you can log in there and see that the details read back to you. You can register your puppy’s microchip online, or add your puppy to Pet Database under your own name.
