The 6 Best Personal Credit Cards for Paying Cell Phone Bills [2024]

Cell phone bills are a fact of life in the 21st century. With smartphones basically a necessity for everyday activities, chances are high you’re paying a monthly cell phone bill.

Whether your device is totally paid off or you’re still making a monthly payment that has your device as a portion of the bill, you’d do well to make sure you’re making the most out of this recurring expense.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the top personal credit cards for paying cell phone bills. Let’s get started!

Using a Personal Credit Card To Pay Cell Phone Bills

When you pay for cell phone bills, you can generally optimize either the value of the rewards you earn or access the best cellular phone insurance plans.

Unfortunately, unless you have a business credit card, you might not be able to get the most out of both.

On the 1 hand, if you’re generally pretty clumsy with your cell phone, you should probably consider optimizing for the best cell phone insurance.

On the other hand, if you never lose or damage your phone, you might be better off amassing more credit card rewards and giving up cell phone insurance.

Whatever situation fits you, we’ll show you the best choices.

The 6 Best Personal Credit Cards for Paying Cell Phone Bills

Card Summary

Card	Welcome Bonus and Annual Fee	Benefits for Paying Cell Phone Bills
The Platinum Card® from American Express	Earn 80,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. Annual fee of $695 (rates and fees)	Excellent cell phone protection Access to 1,400 airport lounges; fantastic hotel and travel perks
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 (rates and fees)	Excellent cell phone protection Access to Capital One Lounges and Plaza Premium Lounges $300 annual Capital One Travel credit
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card	Earn 50,000 miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases in the first 6 months. Annual fee of $350 (rates and fees)	Excellent cell phone protection Perks on Delta, like free checked bags, annual companion certificate, and priority boarding
Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card	Earn 20,000 bonus points when spending $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $0	Great cell phone protection Rewards on phone plans
Citi Double Cash® Card	Earn $200 cash back after spending $1,500 in the first 6 months. Annual fee of $0	World Elite Mastercard benefits (including cell phone insurance)
Chase Freedom Unlimited®	Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases. Annual fee of $0	1.5% cash-back per dollar spent on all purchases (including your cell phone bill) 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 20.49% - 29.24%.

The Platinum Card^® from American Express

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 125k (or 150k) points with the Amex Platinum. The current public offer is 80,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)

Our favorite personal card to use for cell phone bills is the Amex Platinum card. Now, you might be wondering what this card is doing in this list — it has travel-related bonus categories and benefits as its focus.

Indeed, it earns 5x Amex Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with airlines or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year) or prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com.

However, we’re here to tell you that the Amex Platinum card also has, in our opinion, the best cell phone insurance from a personal card on the market.

You’re covered for up to $1,600 every rolling 12-month period. This comes in the form of up to 2 approved claims every rolling 12-month period, with a maximum of $800 per claim. Each claim comes with a $50 deductible, which means this insurance could reimburse you for $1,500 per year.

All you have to do is pay for your entire cellular bill with this card.

Now, let’s get to the more exciting features of this card. Here are some of the top benefits (terms apply and some benefits require enrollment through your American Express account):

• Access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, including Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs (when flying Delta the same day), Escape Lounges, International American Express Centurion Lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, select Virgin Clubhouses, select Lufthansa Lounges (when flying Lufthansa the same day), and Priority Pass lounges (upon enrollment)
• Access to American Express’ Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection
• Complimentary hotel and rental car status
• Access to the Amex International Airline Program, which offers exclusive airfare discounts
• Excellent travel insurance, including trip interruption and cancellation, trip delay insurance, baggage insurance, secondary rental car insurance, and emergency evacuation coverage

The Amex Platinum card also features over $1,400 in annual statement credits, including up to $200 in airline incidental fee credits, up to $189 in CLEAR Plus credits, up to $200 in prepaid hotel credits, up to $240 in digital entertainment credits, up to $200 in Uber Cash for Uber rides or Eats orders in the U.S., up to $300 in Equinox credits, and up to $100 in Saks Fifth Avenue credits. Note that some benefits require enrollment, so be sure to explore your Amex account to maximize your benefits.

You’ll also be able to access Amex Offers, and the card has no foreign transaction fees (rates & fees).

Why We Like Amex Membership Rewards Points

The rewards you earn from the Amex Platinum card happen to be the most valuable transferable points available, according to our valuations.

By our valuations, Amex Membership Rewards points are worth 2.2 cents each, but it’s actually possible to get 15 to 20 cents per point of redemption value if you redeem your points for luxury travel through the Amex transfer partners.

If luxury travel isn’t your style, you can also redeem your Membership Rewards points for cash-back, charitable donations, statement credits, Pay With Points via AmexTravel.com, or Shop with Points at Amazon.

Just remember, however, that the redemption value you’d get would be nowhere near what would be possible with transfer partners.

Hot Tip: Be sure to pay your entire cell phone bill with your Amex Platinum card, as you won’t qualify for cell phone protection insurance if you only pay for a portion of it using your card.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

The next card we’ll discuss is the Capital One Venture X card, which is Capital One’s ultra-premium personal credit card for rewards.

Start with the fact that you earn unlimited 2x miles on all your purchases with no caps.

In addition, earn 10x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel to multiply your rewards even quicker.

This card offers a $300 annual travel credit for bookings made on the Capital One Travel portal. You even get up to $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck! It also comes with a fantastic anniversary bonus of 10,000 Capital One miles.

The best part is that in addition to the top-shelf rewards, you get cell phone insurance, which covers claims of up to $800 each with a $50 deductible.

You can make up to 2 of these per year, and it applies if you charge your cell phone bill to your card for the billing cycle in the month prior to the month in which the event occurs. It also covers all lines on the bill, instead of just the primary.

You can access Capital One Lounges and Plaza Premium Lounges with 2 guests and even get a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership with this card.

This credit card also offers fantastic travel insurance, including roadside dispatch, lost luggage coverage, secondary car rental coverage, and travel accident insurance.

Other awesome benefits include extended warranty, purchase security, and no foreign transaction fees (rates & fees).

Why We Like Capital One Miles

Capital One miles, though not as valuable as American Express Membership Rewards points or Chase Ultimate Rewards points, are still a valuable transferable currency.

You can transfer your miles to a good list of transfer partners — just be cautious of transfer ratios that make some loyalty programs more attractive than others. These transfer ratios can fluctuate, and you may see rates of 1:1, 2:1.5, or 2:1.

We value Capital One miles at 1.8 cents apiece, which translates to a return on spend of 3.6% when you earn 2x miles per dollar spent.

Our favorite way to redeem Capital One miles is for award travel, including Lufthansa first class and SWISS business class.

Alternative redemption methods are gift cards, statement credits, travel booked via the Capital One Travel portal, and more.

Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum American Express Card

The Delta Platinum card is another American Express credit card that offers great benefits (especially with Delta Air Lines) overall.

You start off with a welcome bonus offer of Delta SkyMiles to pad your mileage balances. Then, enjoy the following earning structure:

• 3x miles on purchases directly with Delta and with hotels
• 2x miles at restaurants and at U.S. supermarkets
• 1x miles on all other eligible purchases

You don’t earn bonus SkyMiles with your cell phone bill, but you do get the same spectacular cell phone insurance as you would with the Amex Platinum card: $800 per claim with a deductible of $50 per approved claim, up to 2 approved claims per 12-month period.

In addition, this card offers your first checked bag free on Delta flights booked with your card for yourself and up to 8 traveling companions, Main Cabin 1 boarding, a 20% discount on inflight purchases of food, beverages, and entertainment, and more.

But what sets this card apart from the competition is the annual companion certificate for a domestic, Caribbean, or Central America Main Cabin round-trip flight every cardmember year, as well as the 2,500 Medallion Qualification Dollar (MQD) boost.

Why We Like Delta SkyMiles

Although Delta SkyMiles aren’t a transferable rewards currency, they can still be used for outsized value.

Worth around 1 cent each, these points can often be redeemed for even better value when you book international premium cabin flights.

For example, redemptions on Delta One Suites, Air France business class, and Virgin Atlantic Upper Class using Delta SkyMiles can often exceed 5 cents per mile!

In addition to award travel, you can use SkyMiles for seat upgrades, premium cocktails, change fees, gift cards, or magazines.

Hot Tip: See how these 2 cards compare in our head-to-head matchup of the Amex Platinum card and the Delta Platinum card.

Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card

The Wells Fargo Autograph card is great for those who want a card that offers cell phone insurance protection and earns rewards on phone plans, all with a $0 annual fee.

Phone plans aren’t the only bonus category on the Wells Fargo Autograph card. In fact, it offers 6, including:

• 3x points on phone plans (including cell phone and landline providers)
• 3x points on restaurants (including catering, delivery, and more)
• 3x points on travel (including flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises, and more)
• 3x points on gas (including electric vehicle charging stations)
• 3x points on transit (including subways, ride-shares, parking, tolls, and more)
• 3x points on popular streaming services (including Apple TV+, Disney+, Hulu, Peacock, and more)

When it comes to the cell phone insurance protection on the card, you receive up to $1,200 in coverage in a rolling 12-month period if your phone is damaged, stolen, or unrecoverable due to involuntary and accidental parting. Note that this policy does not include cosmetic repairs like a cracked screen.

You can receive up to $600 in coverage per claim, with up to 2 claims every 12 months, and you pay a $25 deductible per claim.

The card also offers perks like no foreign transaction fees, roadside dispatch, auto rental collision damage waiver, and more.

Why We Like Wells Fargo Rewards

Wells Fargo Rewards are great thanks to the flexible redemption options they provide. This includes redeeming your points through the Wells Fargo travel portal for a variety of travel purchases, for gift cards with your favorite stores, or as cash-back to offset purchases made with the card.

Citi Double Cash^® Card

The Double Cash card is one of the best cards to use for everyday purchases.

With this card, you earn 2% cash-back per dollar spent (1% when you purchase and 1% when you pay off your bill, earned as ThankYou Points).

You have access to a 0% balance transfer APR promotion, which could be valuable if you want to avoid interest fees and accrual from other credit cards. After the 0% period, regular APR, as mentioned above, applies.

Furthermore, the Double Cash card has fraud protection, World Elite Mastercard benefits (including cell phone insurance), zero liability for unauthorized purchases, flexible pay dates, and access to Citi Private Pass.

Why We Like Citi ThankYou Rewards Points

The 2x Citi ThankYou Rewards Points earned equates to a roughly 3.2% return on spending, which is fantastic for purchases outside of bonus categories.

Even though the Citi Double Cash card’s points are transferrable to limited travel partners, a ThankYou Rewards card like the Citi Premier^® Card lets you unlock access to Citi’s full list of transfer partners!

By transferring your points, you can redeem your Citi ThankYou Points for incredible value.

Other ways you can redeem your Citi ThankYou Points for reduced value are cash-back, gift cards, travel booked via ThankYou Rewards, checks, and direct deposit.

Chase Freedom Unlimited^®

The Freedom Unlimited card is an elite cash-back credit card for most — but, for many, it can be a card that effectively turbocharges your transferable rewards.

This card has a good welcome offer to entice you to add the card to your portfolio, plus up to 5% cash-back rewards:

• 5% cash-back on travel purchased through Chase Travel
• 3% cash-back on drugstores
• 3% cash-back on dining
• 1.5% cash-back on all other purchases

What makes this card special, in particular, is the ability to convert your 1.5% cash-back to 1.5x Ultimate Rewards points, as long as you have the right credit card pairing.

The Freedom Unlimited card also boasts benefits like a 0% introductory APR (regular APR, as indicated in the table above, applies after the introductory period), extended warranty, fraud protection, purchase protection, secondary car rental coverage, and zero-liability protection.

Why We Like Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

Chase Ultimate Rewards points are among the most valuable in the world — with the Freedom Unlimited card, you don’t need to settle for 1.5% cash-back.

If you have another Ultimate Rewards credit card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve^®, you can convert your 1.5% cash-back to 1.5x Ultimate Rewards points.

Earning 1.5x Ultimate Rewards points is equal to a 3% return on spend, which doubles the value of your rewards!

It doesn’t end there, because these points can be redeemed for first class and business class travel through the Chase transfer partners, and it’s easy to exceed the 2 cents per point redemption value using this method.

Final Thoughts

The best personal credit cards to pay for cell phone bills are the Amex Platinum card, Capital One Venture X card, Delta Platinum card, Wells Fargo Autograph card, Citi Double Cash card, and the Freedom Unlimited card.

The Amex Platinum card offers fantastic cell phone insurance, second-to-none travel perks, incredible lifestyle benefits, and is the absolute best card for luxury travel.

The Capital One Venture X card also offers excellent cell phone insurance, high-end Capital One Lounge access, and 2x miles on all purchases.

The Delta Platinum card has similarly terrific cell phone insurance, several Delta-centric benefits, and a lower annual fee than the Amex Platinum card.

With the Wells Fargo Autograph card, you not only receive great cell phone insurance coverage, but you also earn 3x rewards each time you pay your phone bill, all without an annual fee.

The Citi Double Cash card and Freedom Unlimited card all offer elevated rewards accrual on purchases outside of bonus categories, though the cell phone insurance is usually not as generous as the Capital One Venture X card or the Amex Platinum card.

Now, you have all the details you need to make an informed decision.

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For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

For the cell phone protection benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, coverage for a stolen or damaged eligible cellular wireless telephone is subject to the terms, conditions, exclusions and limits of liability of this benefit. The maximum liability is $800, per claim, per eligible card account. Each claim is subject to a $50 deductible. Coverage is limited to two (2) claims per eligible card account per 12 month period. Eligibility and benefit level varies by Card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

For the trip cancellation and interruption insurance benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

For the trip delay insurance benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

For the baggage insurance plan benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the car rental loss and damage insurance benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

For the cell phone protection benefit of the Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum American Express Card, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.