I Filed a Purchase Protection Claim on My Amex Platinum — And It Was Surprisingly Easy

Taking advantage of those “nice-to-have” card perks can be more valuable than you might think. In my case, it was purchase protection. This is a benefit I have on several of my credit cards, but had never actually used.

With The Platinum Card^® from American Express, purchase protection is automatically included — no need to enroll. It can reimburse you for eligible items bought with the card that are accidentally damaged, stolen, or lost within 90 days of purchase. The coverage limits are super generous — up to $10,000 per claim and up to $50,000 per card member account per calendar year — but there are limitations to what’s covered.

When a new pair of running shoes I bought with the card got damaged — just 10 days before the 90-day window closed — I figured it was finally time to put this benefit to the test. Here’s how it went.

Amex Platinum Card Purchase Protection

Purchase protection on the Amex Platinum card is top of the line. The maximum coverage is up to $10,000 per item and $50,000 per year, and the claim must be filed within 90 days. Amex covers natural disaster losses up to $500 per purchase-protection-covered event.

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The Platinum Card^® from American Express

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The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

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The Platinum Card^® from American Express

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

Welcome Offer

You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after spending $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

As High As 175,000 Points. Find Out Your Offer.

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $3,850

Annual Fee

$695

APR

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Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than The Platinum Card^® from American Express.

Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• The best airport lounge access out of any card (by far) — enjoy access to over 1,400 worldwide lounges, including the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges (enrollment required), Plaza Premium Lounges, and many more!
• 5x points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year)
• 5x points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com

Cons

• $695 annual fee (rates and fees)
• Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)

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Card Highlights

• You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
• Earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel^® up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel^®.
• $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card^®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card^® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney+ bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
• Enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection, with over $500 of annual value if you visit Centurion Lounges and each of our partner lounges including Delta Sky Club^® lounges when flying an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations) , select Lufthansa lounges when flying Lufthansa, Plaza Premium lounges and Escape Lounges, and enroll in Priority Pass Select. See terms.
• A Walmart+ membership can get you free shipping with no order minimum on eligible items shipped by Walmart. Use your Platinum Card^® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) and receive one statement credit for up to $12.95 (plus applicable taxes. Plus Ups not eligible) each month. Free Shipping excludes most Marketplace items, freight & certain location surcharges. Paramount+ Essential plan only, separate registration required.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card^® Account. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
• $200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card^® Members can ride or dine in style with $15 in Uber Cash each month, plus a bonus $20 in December after adding their Card to their Uber account. Use your Uber Cash on rides and orders in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
• $199 CLEAR^® Plus Credit: CLEAR^® Plus helps get you to your gate faster by using unique facial attributes to verify you are you at 50+ airports nationwide. Receive up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for your CLEAR Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the Platinum Card^®.
• Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck^® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card^®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
• Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card^®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
• Use Global Dining Access by Resy to access premium dining experiences. Receive Priority Notify and unlock insider access to some of the world's most sought-after restaurants with Global Dining Access by Resy. Download the Resy iOS app or log into Resy.com and add your Platinum Card^® to your Resy profile to take advantage of your special benefits and discover restaurants near you.
• $695 annual fee.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: See Pay Over Time APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

Most credit cards offer much lower coverage limits, usually up to $500 or up to $1,000 per incident. The only exception is the Chase Sapphire Reserve^®, which offers the same coverage limits as the Amex Platinum card but with a longer window (up to 120 days).

What’s Covered by Amex Purchase Protection?

Amex Platinum card purchase protection covers the replacement cost of eligible items, including the cost and sales tax. Items that aren’t eligible include animals, plants, food, land or buildings, medical or dental equipment, and antiques and artwork.

While there are always exceptions to the rule, a lot of tangible items should be covered as long as you purchase them with your Amex Platinum card. These could range from a new standing desk to an expensive leather couch to a blender — the list goes on.

What Does ‘Damaged, Stolen, or Lost’ Mean?

To qualify for a purchase protection reimbursement, the item you bought with your Amex Platinum card must have been accidentally damaged, stolen, or lost within 90 days of purchase. American Express doesn’t cover normal wear and tear or defects on the item. They also exclude damage to sports and recreational equipment or remote-control items (other than drones).

If in doubt, it’s always worth filing a purchase protection claim, and it’s super easy to do so — as you’ll read below. In the worst-case scenario, your claim will be denied. But as with most things in life, you’ll never know if you don’t try!

My Experience With Amex Purchase Protection

I bought my boyfriend a new pair of Hoka running shoes from Zappos this spring using my Amex Platinum card. The total came to $123.25 with tax.

The purchase only earned 1x Membership Rewards points, but I like to use my Amex Platinum card for clothing and shoe purchases because of its strong insurance perks, including purchase protection, return protection, and extended warranty coverage.

We hit the gym a few times weekly, doing standard workouts like running and weightlifting (nothing too intense). He wore the shoes for 3 months, but during one workout, a chunk of the sole unexpectedly broke off. Given how durable Hokas usually are, this clearly wasn’t just normal wear and tear. I’ve owned several pairs and easily get a minimum of a full year of wear.

Luckily, we were still within the window for purchase protection coverage. It had been exactly 80 days since I purchased the shoes, so I started the online claims process.

Filing the Purchase Protection Claim

First, I logged in to my American Express online account. If you have multiple American Express cards like I do, select the card with which you purchased the item then head to the Rewards & Benefits tab.

Then, I hit “Benefits” in the upper right corner. The Amex Platinum card comes with a ton of travel and lifestyle perks, so I scrolled all the way down to the Shopping tab. Then I pressed “Learn More” where it said “Purchase Protection.“

From there, I saw a bright blue button that said “File a Claim.” This took me directly to the Amex Claims Center, which is also where you file return protection, baggage insurance plan, and extended warranty claims.

I chose my Amex Platinum card from a long list of cards I have with the bank and entered the purchase date. Under the Loss Information, I provided a brief explanation of what had happened, along with the date and location of the incident. I expected the form to request a photo of the damage at this stage, but surprisingly, it never did.

Under Item Information, I described the item specs and total cost.

I also had to confirm my personal information, including my name and address, before reviewing and submitting my claim. I submitted my claim on June 21, 2025, and jotted the claim number down, and Amex made it clear what the next steps would be.

Not even 24 hours later, I received an email regarding “the outcome of my claim.” It was approved for a full statement credit! I checked my online account and saw that the full retail value was posted to my Amex Platinum card.

It was great to get a full refund, and I didn’t necessarily have to buy the same shoes if I didn’t want to. However, I found the exact pair online and repurchased them for my boyfriend.

Final Thoughts

The purchase protection claim process with Amex was quick and straightforward — it took less than a day. It was a great reminder to actually use the perks that come with your cards.

For me, it’s reassuring to know that if something you buy gets damaged, lost, or stolen, you could be eligible for a full reimbursement. This is just one of the many valuable benefits I appreciate about my Amex Platinum card.

For the purchase protection benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, purchase protection is an embedded benefit of your card membership and requires no enrollment. It can help protect covered purchases made on your eligible card when they’re accidentally damaged, stolen, or lost, for up to 90 days from the covered purchase date. The coverage is limited up to $10,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per card member account per calendar year. Coverage limits apply. 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 return protection benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, with return protection, you may return eligible purchases to American Express if the seller won’t take them back up to 90 days from the date of purchase. American Express may refund the full purchase price excluding shipping and handling, up to $300 per item, up to a maximum of $1,000 per calendar year per Card account, if you purchased it entirely with your eligible American Express^® Card. Purchases must be made in the U.S. or its territories. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.

For the extended warranty 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 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.