Does the extended warranty on my credit card cover cell phones?

Yes, cell phones are covered for the same coverage that is included in the manufacturer’s warranty. The cell phone must have been purchased with the eligible credit card. Phones that are leased, used, or borrowed may be excluded from coverage.

Which credit card has the best extended warranty coverage?

While you wouldn’t select a credit card based on its extended warranty coverage alone, Citi credit cards that offer the coverage may have some of the best coverage. Citi’s extended warranty benefit extends the manufacturer’s warranty of 5 years or less by 24 months. This results in as much as 7 years of protection. Most other card issuers limited extended warranty to 1 additional year beyond the manufacturer’s warranty.

How do I know if my credit card has extended warranty coverage?

There are several ways to find out if you card offers extended warranty coverage. You can call the number on the back of your credit card or access your card account online and review the information under the “benefits” tab. Additionally, you can reference the benefits guide that came with your card or access the same guide in your online account.

12 Best Credit Cards for Extended Warranty Coverage [2023]

Q: What is extended warranty?

An extended warranty that comes with your credit card extends the length of an eligible item’s manufacturer’s warranty. Coverage matches that of the manufacturer’s warranty with the same exclusions, terms, and conditions. Card issuers differ but you must either purchase the item entirely with your eligible card, partially with your eligible card, or with points associated with your card, depending on the card issuer’s requirements. The maximum benefit that is eligible for reimbursement may be limited to the amount you charged on your credit card should you have a claim.

It hardly seems fair that an item you purchased inevitably breaks or stops working just after the manufacturer’s warranty expires, but indeed it does happen.

Next time it happens to you, however, you may want to reference the credit card you used to purchase the item. You could find that there is coverage beyond what the manufacturer’s warranty provides.

Wouldn’t it be great to be made whole again as a result of coverage you didn’t realize you had? You bet.

While you wouldn’t decide to secure a specific credit card just for its extended warranty coverage, it’s good to know which cards carry such coverage so you can consider using those cards when you purchase eligible items.

We’ve studied the credit card landscape for cards that offer extended warranty coverage and will review how the coverage works. We’ll also share with you what’s generally covered, what’s generally excluded, and how much you can expect to receive should you need to file a claim for your applicable item.

Table of contents

What Is Extended Warranty Coverage?
- What Is Generally Covered
- What Is Generally Excluded
The 12 Best Credit Cards for Extended Warranty Coverage — Summary
The 3 Best Chase Credit Cards With Extended Warranty
The 3 Best American Express Cards With Extended Warranty
The 2 Best Citi Credit Card With Extended Warranty
- Citi Premier® Card
- Citi®/AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
The 3 Best Capital One Credit Cards With Extended Warranty
The Best Bank of America Credit Card With Extended Warranty
- Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Credit Card
Extended Warranty Coverage Comparison — Summary
How To File an Extended Warranty Claim
Other Credit Card Protection Coverages
Final Thoughts

Table of Contents

What Is Extended Warranty Coverage?
- What Is Generally Covered
- What Is Generally Excluded
The 12 Best Credit Cards for Extended Warranty Coverage — Summary
The 3 Best Chase Credit Cards With Extended Warranty
The 3 Best American Express Cards With Extended Warranty
The 2 Best Citi Credit Card With Extended Warranty
- 1. Citi Premier® Card
- 2. Citi®/AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
The 3 Best Capital One Credit Cards With Extended Warranty
The Best Bank of America Credit Card With Extended Warranty
- Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Credit Card
Extended Warranty Coverage Comparison — Summary
How To File an Extended Warranty Claim
Other Credit Card Protection Coverages
Final Thoughts

What Is Extended Warranty Coverage?

When you purchase an eligible item that has a manufacturer’s warranty, the extended warranty coverage that comes on your credit card extends the manufacturer’s warranty for an additional period.

The coverage that comes with your credit card will generally mirror the manufacturer’s warranty coverage, but there could be additional limitations and different claim procedures.

An extended warranty is offered by several credit card payment processing networks, including American Express, Visa, and Mastercard.

The card issuers that use those payment processing networks, such as Chase, American Express, Citi, Capital One, etc., subsequently decide which of their credit cards will offer the coverage. For this reason, not every card from each issuer will have the coverage.

The extended warranty protection on your credit card is also secondary to any other warranty coverage that might apply to the claim. For example, you must first file your claim with the manufacturer if that warranty is still active.

What Is Generally Covered

The first requirement for an item to be covered under your credit card’s extended warranty coverage is that the item must have a manufacturer’s warranty.

Examples of purchased items that might be covered for extended warranty include the following:

Cell phones
Clothing
Computers
Luggage
TVs and game consoles
Small appliances
Watches and some jewelry

This is not an all-encompassing list, of course, just a few examples of items that might be covered. Also, keep in mind that manufacturer’s warranties are not designed to cover the same perils as a normal insurance policy — they’re designed more to repair or replace an item that stops working or has a manufacturer’s defect. The extended warranty on your credit card will also reflect that limited scope of coverage.

What Is Generally Excluded

Items such as those mentioned below are examples of exclusions you might find for extended warranty coverage. The list is also not all-inclusive as coverage can differ depending on the card. Note that coverage on your credit card aligns with what is included in the original manufacturer’s warranty and generally doesn’t include theft, accidental damage, normal wear and tear, or losing the item.

Additionally, as with manufacturer’s warranties, extended warranties may include the option for the insurance company to have the item repaired versus replacement and/or reimbursement.

These are items normally excluded from credit card extended warranty coverage:

Antiques
Boats or vehicles
Computer software
Items that do not come with a manufacturer’s warranty
Living items
Medical equipment
Motorized devices
Real estate
Rented or leased items
Used or pre-owned items

In addition to excluding specific items, benefits may be limited to only the amount you charged on your eligible card. If you were to charge just a portion of an item’s cost to your card, the benefit could be limited to just that amount, depending on the actual terms and conditions.

Also, note that the credit card you used to purchase the eligible item must be active and in good standing to have valid coverage.

To find out if your credit card offers extended warranty coverage, you can call the number on the back of your card, access your online credit card account, or refer to the guide to benefits that came with your card.

Bottom Line: The extended warranty coverage offered by a credit card normally covers the same type of claims covered on the original manufacturer’s warranty and does not include accidental damage, theft, or the loss of an item.

iPad AirPods and iPhone And Various Apple Products on A Table — The extended warranty offers additional coverage over and above the manufacturer’s warranty, but limits apply. Image Credit: Alexandar Todov via Unsplash

The 12 Best Credit Cards for Extended Warranty Coverage — Summary

Card	Welcome Bonus and Annual Fee	Extended Warranty Coverage and Limits
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card	Earn 60,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $95	Manufacturer’s warranties of 3 years or less are extended by 1 year; $10,000 per item, $50,000 per account
Chase Sapphire Reserve®	Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $550
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card	Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $95
The Platinum Card® from American Express	Earn 80,000 points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. Annual fee of $695 (rates and fees)	Manufacturer’s warranties of 5 years or less are extended by 1 year; $10,000 per item, $50,000 per account
American Express® Gold Card	Earn 60,000 points when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. Annual fee of $250 (rates and fees)
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express	Earn 120,000 points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $695 (rates and fees)
Citi Premier® Card	Earn 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $95	Manufacturer’s warranties of 5 years or less are extended by up to 24 months, for a maximum of 7 years total; $10,000 per item
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®	Earn 75,000 miles after spending $3,500 in purchases within the first 4 months. $99, waived for first 12 months
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card	Earn 20,000 miles when you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $0	Manufacturer’s warranties of 3 years or less are extended by 1 additional year; $10,000 per item, $50,000 per account
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card	Earn 75,000 miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $95
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card	Earn 75,000 miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $395
Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card	Earn 50,000 online bonus points after you spend $3,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening Annual fee of $95	Manufacturer’s warranties are doubled up to a maximum of 1 additional year; $10,000 per item

The 3 Best Chase Credit Cards With Extended Warranty

Several Chase credit cards offer extended warranty coverage. The coverage applies to items with manufacturer’s warranties of 3 years or less and serves to extend the coverage for 1 additional year.

Benefit limits are $10,000 per item with a maximum of $50,000 per account.

Let’s look at some of the best Chase credit cards that come with extended warranty coverage.

1. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

We like that the Chase Sapphire Preferred card earns valuable Ultimate Rewards points that can be transferred to airline and hotel partners for great redemption value. We also like that the card boasts 2x earnings on travel and dining worldwide.

For these reasons, and more, it is one of our favorite personal travel rewards cards.

2. Chase Sapphire Reserve®

One of our favorite premium travel rewards cards is packed with benefits for the frequent traveler. Cardholders enjoy worldwide lounge access, a $300 travel statement credit, 50% more value at redemption time via the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal, and plenty of travel/shopping benefits.

We also like the added value of being able to transfer rewards to hotel and airline partners for greater potential value.

3. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Once again, a Chase-issued card tops our list as one of the best business credit cards. We like that it earns 3x rewards on common business purchases and then delivers 25% more value when redeeming points via the Chase travel portal, or even potentially more value when transferring points to travel partners.

Bottom Line: In addition to earning valuable Ultimate Rewards points, offering flexible redemption options, and travel/shopping protections, these Chase-issued cards offer extended warranty coverage that extends the manufacturer’s warranty by an additional year.

Luggage at airport — Did the zipper on your luggage give out right after the manufacturer’s warranty ran out? You may have coverage on your credit card under the extended warranty benefit. Image Credit: ImYanis via Shutterstock

The 3 Best American Express Cards With Extended Warranty

Purchase an item with your eligible American Express card or with points earned on an eligible card and receive extended warranty benefits for items purchased as a gift or for personal or business use.

Coverage is extended on items with manufacturer’s warranties of 5 years or less for 1 additional year.

Benefit amounts are limited to $10,000 per item and $50,000 per account.

Here are some of the best American Express cards that offer extended warranty coverage.

1. The Platinum Card® from American Express

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome offer of up to 150,000 points with the Amex Platinum card! (The current public offer is 80,000 points.)

Frequent travelers who appreciate making the journey in style will enjoy the premium benefits that come with the Amex Platinum card.

With worldwide lounge access to over 1,400 lounge properties, including the exclusive Centurion Lounge network, hotel and car rental elite status, hundreds of dollars in statement credits, and 5x earnings on eligible flights, the benefits of the card are many.

2. American Express® Gold Card

With 4x earnings on restaurants and U.S. supermarkets (limited to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; 1x thereafter), the Amex Gold card rewards your everyday purchases nicely.

It’s also a great travel rewards card, earning 3x Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with the airline or with Amex Travel and offering flexible travel redemption options.

3. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a huge welcome bonus offer of up to 150,000 points with the Amex Business Platinum card! (The current public offer is 120,000 points.)

Like the personal Amex Platinum card, the Amex Business Platinum card includes benefits designed for the frequent traveler who appreciates those high-end travel perks.

In addition to worldwide lounge access, hotel and rental car elite status, and statement credits, the card earns 5x on flights and prepaid hotels on Amex Travel and 1.5x on eligible purchases in key business categories, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else (up to $2 million in purchases per calendar year).

Additionally, when you redeem your points for premium flights you’ll receive a rebate of 35% of your points.

Bottom Line: Purchasing an eligible item with your American Express card that offers extended warranty coverage will add 1 additional year of coverage for items with manufacturer’s warranties of 5 years or less.

The 2 Best Citi Credit Card With Extended Warranty

Charge a portion or your entire purchase with your eligible Citi card and/or ThankYou Points and receive up to the amount charged should you have a covered claim.

Citi provides up to a maximum of 24 months of additional warranty coverage, not to exceed a total of 7 years, for manufacturer’s warranties of up to 5 years in length. For example, if you have an item with a manufacturer’s warranty of 4 years, you would receive an additional 24 months for the extended warranty.

1. Citi Premier® Card

With 3x earnings for dining, supermarkets, gas stations, airfare, and hotels, the ThankYou Points earned on the Citi Premier card will add up quickly.

To learn more about the card and its features, check out our breakdown of all of its benefits.

2. Citi®/AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®

We like that the AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite card offers perks for the American Airlines flyer such as a free checked bag, priority boarding, and discounts on inflight food and beverage purchases.

You’ll also earn a free flight faster with 2x earnings on American Airlines purchases. For more information on the best cards for American Airline travelers, we’ve put together a complete list.

Bottom Line: Select Citi credit cards offer extended warranty coverage that extends the manufacturer’s warranty of 5 years or less by 24 months. With a potential maximum of 7 years of total coverage, it is one of the best credit card extended warranty benefits.

The 3 Best Capital One Credit Cards With Extended Warranty

Purchase an eligible item with your Capital One card and the manufacturer’s warranty (or 3 years or less) will be doubled. The maximum extension time is 1 additional year.

Coverage is capped at $10,000 per item, $50,000 per account.

1. Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

Capital One is known for keeping its earning and redemption structures simple. That doesn’t mean the cards are lacking in value, however. You’ll find it easy to earn 1.25x miles on every purchase you make with the CapOne VentureOne card. Then, at redemption time, you’ll have the flexibility to redeem directly for travel, transfer to Capital One’s transfer partners, and more.

2. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Every purchase you make earns 2x miles on the CapOne Venture card and 5x miles when purchasing qualified travel via Capital One Travel. Like the CapOne VentureOne card, you’ll also have the option to transfer rewards to airline partners, redeem directly for travel with Capital One, and much more.

3. Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

The CapOne Venture X card earns 10x miles on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel and Turo rentals (through May 16, 2023). It earns 5x miles on flights purchased through Capital One Travel and 2x miles on all other purchases. Cardholders get up to a $300 annual travel credit on bookings made through Capital One Travel, access to Priority Pass Lounges, Capital One Lounges, and Plaza Premium Lounges, and 10,000 bonus miles awarded on your account anniversary each year.

The Best Bank of America Credit Card With Extended Warranty

Bank of America offers extended warranty coverage that doubles the manufacturer’s warranty of 3 years or less, up to 1 additional year.

Here is one of the best Bank of America credit cards that offers extended warranty coverage:

Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Credit Card

You’ll find lots of ways to earn rewards on the Bank of America Premium Rewards card. Your travel and dining purchases earn 2x points per dollar spent while all other purchases earn 1.5x points. The card also comes with up to a $100 statement credit for airline incidental fees and a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry statement credit of up to $100 every 4 years.

Redemption options are many — you can get a statement credit, transfer to an eligible bank account, purchase travel via the Bank of America Travel Center, and redeem for gift cards.

Extended Warranty Coverage Comparison — Summary

video game controllers flatscreen tv — If your manufacturer’s warranty has ended and your tech starts having problems, you may find coverage under your credit card’s extended warranty coverage. Image Credit: JESHOOTS.com via Pexels

Although there are dozens of cards that come with extended warranty coverage, not every card issued by a particular financial institution will have the coverage.

In this article, we’ve focused on some of the best cards that do offer this coverage, but the list is not all-inclusive.

You can find out if your specific card has extended warranty coverage by calling the number on the back of your card, accessing your online card account to review the Guide to Benefits, or reviewing the paper benefits guide that came with your card.

The following is an overview of the extended warranty period and coverage limits of the major card issuers.

Card Issuer	Extended Warranty Coverage	Coverage Limits
Chase	Manufacturer’s warranties of 3 years or less are extended by 1 year	$10,000 per item, $50,000 per account
American Express	Manufacturer’s warranties of 5 years or less are extended by 1 year	$10,000 per item, $50,000 per account
Citi	Manufacturer’s warranties of 5 years or less are extended by up to 24 months, for a maximum of 7 years total	$10,000 per item
Capital One	Manufacturer’s warranties of 3 years extended a maximum of 1 additional year	$10,000 per item, $50,000 per account
Bank of America	Manufacturer’s warranties of 3 years or less are doubled up to a maximum of 1 additional year	$10,000 per item

Bottom Line: Extended warranty coverage can be found on many popular credit cards. Coverage varies by card, but always adds an additional coverage period beyond that of the manufacturer’s warranty. Most credit cards limit coverage to $10,000 per item and some have a maximum limit per account.

How To File an Extended Warranty Claim

It’s always good to review in advance what might be needed should you need to file an insurance claim as it can be difficult to secure needed items after the fact.

For this reason, it’s best when you purchase an item to file away the original receipt, the manufacturer’s warranty, and any pertinent documentation (serial number, model description, etc.), to allow for easy access in the event of a claim.

If the item is still under the manufacturer’s warranty, you should, of course, contact the manufacturer first. Credit card extended warranty coverage does not apply when the manufacturer’s warranty is still valid.

If the manufacturer’s warranty is expired, call the number on the back of your credit card as soon as possible after the loss. Cards have limited periods in which you need to report the extended warranty claim.

Items you may be asked to provide:

The original store receipt
A copy of your credit card statement showing the purchase date and description of the item
A copy of the manufacturer’s warranty
Any purchased contract warranty agreement
A photo of the item
A repair estimate

Be especially aware of deadlines to report claims and to submit the required documentation.

Also, note that the credit card you used to purchase the eligible item must be active and in good standing in order to have coverage.

Bottom Line: When an eligible item is purchased with your credit card, be sure to file away all pertinent documentation you might need in case of a claim. Additionally, an extended warranty claim can only be filed after the manufacturer’s warranty has expired and the card used for the purchase is open and in good standing.

Other Credit Card Protection Coverages

If your purchase is accidentally damaged or stolen, there may be other coverage on your card that could apply during the manufacturer’s warranty period.

For example, if an eligible item you’ve purchased becomes damaged, you may find coverage on your card, such as cell phone protection or purchase protection, that could apply in that circumstance. Time limits and coverage conditions apply, of course, but it’s worth checking to see if you have coverage on your card.

Other shopping protections to look for on your card include price protection, which reimburses you if an item goes down in price after you purchase it, and return protection which refunds the purchase price if the merchant will not accept a return. Terms and conditions apply.

Final Thoughts

While an extended warranty conveniently serves the purpose of offering coverage beyond the manufacturer’s warranty, coverage is limited to the same found in your manufacturer’s warranty and does not include events such as accidental damage or theft. Your credit card may offer a variety of consumer protection benefits to take advantage of in the event of an incident within or outside of the manufacturer’s warranty coverage.

As we mentioned previously, you wouldn’t select a specific credit card based solely on whether it had extended warranty coverage. If you’re aware of the coverage offered on each card, however, you can make your eligible purchases knowing you’ll have the associated extended warranty coverage.

The information regarding the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Card, Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card, Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

For the extended warranty benefit of The Platinum Card® from American Express, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, and American Express® Gold Card, when an American Express® Card Member charges a covered purchase to an eligible card, extended warranty can provide up to one extra year added to the original manufacturer’s warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your card for the item, up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per card member account per calendar year. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, please click here.
For rates and fees of American Express® Gold Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, please click here.

6 comments

Correction March 10, 2020

American Express gives 2 years not 1

- Christine Krzyszton March 10, 2020
  
  Effective January 1, 2020, the coverage was changed. The new benefit guide states: “You can shop with less worry knowing the terms of the Original
  Manufacturer’s Warranty can be extended up to 1 additional year when you use your Eligible Card to make a Covered Purchase. Applies to warranties of 5 years or less on Covered Purchases in the
  United States or its territories or possessions.”
  
  - Henry June 19, 2020
    
    What about warranties on a golf car battery for 5 years initially and declines by 1/60 for each successive month.
    
    - Christine Krzyszton June 19, 2020
      
      Hi Henry. First, the credit card’s extended warranty is secondary to the manufacturer’s warranty meaning you must first file a claim with the manufacturer. So that leaves your battery covered with the manufacturer for the first 5 years, then extended for 1 year with a credit card that would have coverage for manufacturer’s warranties of 5 years or less. It makes sense that the extra year extended by the credit card would just extend whatever coverage you had in the 5th year of the manufacturer’s warranty. But quite frankly, I’m just having fun speculating. You would really need to call the number on the back of whichever card you have to find out how that would be covered. Thank you for your question, Henry, and for reading.
      
Cindi September 21, 2020

Does anyone have a copy of the actual Citi insurance contract for the extended warranty? They are making up reasons to deny my claim, based on things which are not stated in the “Guide to Protection Benefits”. They say they “don’t have room to list all the exclusions”, which is bull. But the Guide states that it is not the actual policy, and that you can snail mail the compliance department for a copy of the actual policy. I’d like to know if that actually says anything about my issue.

- Christine Krzyszton September 21, 2020
  
  Sorry you are having trouble, Cindi. Only found access to the “Your Guide to Protection Benefits” you mentioned. We’ll put this out there in case another reader might have access to the actual contract you’re searching for.