How does credit card purchase protection work? Here’s what you need to know before you make a claim (2024)

Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

Many credit cards come with perks beyond earning cash back or rewards points. Some include purchase protection, which helps cover the cost of repairing or replacing belongings bought with the card.

How much protection you have depends on the specific card: Most cover items for the first 60 or 90 days after purchase but the Chase Freedom Flex® card offers protection against damage or theft for 120 days, with a cap of $500 per claim and $50,000 over the lifetime of the card.

There's no annual fee and new cardholders enjoy a 0% introductory APR for the first 15 months on purchases and balance transfers (with a variable APR of 20.49% to 29.24% afterward).

Chase Freedom Flex®

  • Rewards

    5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate (then 1%), 5% cash back on travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards®,3% on drugstore purchases and on dining (including takeout and eligible delivery services),1% cash back on all other purchases

  • Welcome bonus

    Earn a $100 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Plus, earn 5% cash back on grocery store purchases (excluding Target® and Walmart®) on up to $12,000 spent in the first year.

  • Annual fee

    $0

  • Intro APR

    0% for the first 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers

  • Regular APR

    20.49% - 29.24% variable

  • Balance transfer fee

    Intro fee of either$5or3%of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, on transfers made within 60 days of account opening. After that, either$5or5%of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.

  • Foreign transaction fee

    3%

  • Credit needed

    Excellent/Good

  • Member FDIC. Terms apply. Information about the Chase Freedom Flex® has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.

If you want more coverage, the American Express® Gold Card is a great option: Cardholders can receive up to $10,000 per purchase and $50,000 per account for damage or theft that occurs within 90 days of purchase.

American Express® Gold Card

On the American Express secure site

  • Rewards

    4X Membership Rewards® points at Restaurants (plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.) and at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X), 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com, 1X points on all other purchases

  • Welcome bonus

    Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.

  • Annual fee

    $250

  • Intro APR

    Not applicable

  • Regular APR

    See Pay Over Time APR

  • Balance transfer fee

    N/A

  • Foreign transaction fee

    None

  • Credit needed

    Excellent/Good

  • See rates and fees, terms apply.

Read our American Express® Gold Card review.

Understanding how your card's purchase protection works before you need it is important. Here's what you should know before filing a claim.

What we'll cover

  • What is and isn't covered by purchase protection
  • How to file a purchase protection claim
  • Which credit card companies offer purchase protection
  • Bottom line

What is and isn't covered by purchase protection

Obviously, an item must have been bought with a credit card that offers a protection plan to be covered by it. Each plan has a set amount of time a purchase is covered, a set dollar amount that will be paid and a limit on how much the cardholder can claim in a calendar year or over the lifetime of the account. (Check your card's benefits guide to see which applies.).

Some cards only cover theft or damage and not loss. Items purchased abroad can often qualify for coverage.

These items are typically not covered by credit card purchase protection plans:

  • Vintage or antiquegoods
  • Plants and animals
  • Perishables
  • Cars
  • Boats
  • Software
  • Gift cards
  • Event tickets

How to file a purchase protection claim

Purchase protection is best used if you don't have homeowners or renters insurance or the item isn't covered by your policy. In some cases, it's not the right move to file a homeowners or renters insurance claim —generally, it's best to avoid claims that are equal to or less than the deductible.

Since the item is only covered for a limited time, you'll want to work quickly. You'll need the following documents to file a claim:

  • The receipt from the retailer you bought the item from
  • A credit card statement showing the purchase
  • A repair estimate if the item was damaged
  • A police report if the item was stolen

If you're required to file an insurance claim, you'll likely need to also provide a copy of the claim settlement and your insurance declarations page, as well as any other relevant paperwork.

Which credit card companies offer purchase protection?

While the timeframe and dollar amount covered varies depending on the individual card, American Express, Visa and Mastercard all offer purchase protection plans. Discover does not currently offer purchase protection.

  • You can manage Visa purchase protection claims on the card benefit services site or by calling 888-221-3289.
  • American Express claims can be made on the Amex website or by calling 800-228-6855.
  • Mastercard claims can be made through My Card Benefitsor by calling 636-722–8883.

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Bottom line

Credit card purchase protection can come in handy if an item is damaged or stolen soon after you buy it. But there are limits on what is covered, when you can file a claim and how much you can be reimbursed, so it's important to study your card's policy before you need it.

Why trust CNBC Select?

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.

Catch up on CNBC Select's in-depth coverage ofcredit cards,bankingandmoney, and follow us onTikTok,Facebook,InstagramandTwitterto stay up to date.

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For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.

Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.

How does credit card purchase protection work? Here’s what you need to know before you make a claim (2024)

FAQs

How does credit card purchase protection work? ›

Sometimes called damage protection, purchase protection ensures goods against theft or accidental damage for a limited time. Depending on the credit card, the coverage amount and the duration of the protection may differ.

How does credit protection work? ›

A Credit Protection Insurance premium is the amount of money that someone pays for insurance that will pay out a loan balance (up to the maximum specified in the certificate of insurance) or make/postpone debt payments on the customer's behalf in the event of death, disability, job loss or critical illness.

How does using a credit card provide you with protection? ›

Purchase protection is a benefit provided by credit cards to reimburse you if a transaction goes wrong. This can include repairing or replacing a damaged or missing item or even one that doesn't work as promised. It's especially valuable today, as so many purchases take place online.

How does a credit card purchase work? ›

A credit card is a type of unsecured borrowing under which a bank or NBFC agrees to offer you a predefined credit limit. You can make transactions up to the said limit and pay it back on the due date or convert the transaction into EMI and pay over a period of a few months.

How to use purchase protection? ›

Purchase protection covers theft of any eligible items. Major credit card networks generally require you to file a police report in the instance of theft. You must provide this supporting documentation along with your claims form. Lost items typically aren't covered under purchase protection.

How does credit card price protection work? ›

Price protection is a little-known but common feature offered by most credit card companies that allow cardholders to receive a refund if an item bought with that credit card drops in price within a specified period. This period is usually within 30 or 60 days though some cards allow claims to be filed within 90 days.

Is card protection worth it? ›

If you have a large amount of debt that you're working to pay down, it may not be a bad idea to have credit card protection insurance. In case of emergency, it would allow you to suspend your credit card payments for a time and prioritize debt that can't be suspended.

Is payment protection worth it? ›

Do I need payment protection insurance? Payment protection insurance is worth considering if you think you wouldn't be able to make your loan, mortgage or credit card payments if you have to stop working. However it might not be necessary if you have savings or other sources of income on which you can rely.

What is an example of credit protection? ›

Credit protection also includes policies and protections that come with your credit card account. For example, if you buy an appliance or electronic product with your credit card, your purchase may be protected with an extended warranty or return window or even against theft or damage.

How long does credit card protection last? ›

There's usually no minimum spend required for a debit card or credit card purchase to be covered by chargeback, but there are time limits. You'll typically have 120 days from the date of the transaction to contact your bank to make a claim.

In what circ*mstances would you recommend to a client to get credit protection? ›

Consumers may take on too much debt, or mis- understand the terms of their credit agree- ments, or be victims of fraud. In these cases, consumers may face serious personal and legal difficulties. For such difficulties, federal and state laws provide consumers with certain pro- tections.

What does credit card protection mean? ›

What you need to know about credit card protection. Credit card protection is important to protect yourself and your loved ones so that in the event of your death, disability or retrenchment, the outstanding balance on your credit card is covered. A credit card can be a key financial tool if used sensibly.

What are the five major steps in transaction authorization? ›

Five Steps of the Credit Card Transaction Process
  • Stage 1 | Authorization.
  • Stage 2 | Authentication.
  • Stage 3 | Batching.
  • Stage 4 | Clearing & Settlement.
  • Stage 5 | Funding.
Sep 15, 2022

How are credit card purchases processed? ›

The credit card issuer verifies customer identity and available credit, approves or denies the purchase, and responds to the payment network. The payment network relays this information to the credit card processing company. In return, your customer's transaction is approved or denied.

What is the settlement process of payment? ›

Payment settlement involves collecting the funds for the amount recorded for an order. For example, when using credit cards, the settlement process specifically involves contacting the payment system and collecting the required amount of funds against the credit card.

Am I protected if I pay by credit card? ›

Credit card payment protection

This means that if there's an issue with the product you've bought or the company you've bought from goes into administration, the credit card company has equal responsibility to make sure you're not left out of pocket.

How to use credit card purchase insurance? ›

How to submit a purchase protection claim. The claim submission process does vary from bank to bank. In some cases, you must first contact the card issuer over the phone and request for a claim form, while in other cases you can file a claim directly online.

Can I get a refund if I paid by credit card? ›

Claiming a refund on something you've purchased with your credit card should be straightforward, particularly if you haven't used the goods or services you bought. Contact the retailer and provide them with the details of the credit card you used to make the purchase. Have your receipt to hand.

What credit protection is covered by the Credit Card Act? ›

Credit CARD Act

Interest rate protections: Creditors must provide consumers with a notification 45 days before increasing interest rates and can only increase interest rates on existing balances in certain situations (such as when a 0 percent intro APR offer ends).

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