Best credit cards for extended warranties

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information. 

Did your phone die, smartwatch malfunction or jacket seam split just days after its warranty ended? Warranties always seem to end right before you need them, leaving you out of luck unless you purchased an extended warranty — or put the original purchase on a credit card offering extended warranty protection.

This guide describes how to utilize the extended warranty benefit offered by select credit cards as well as some of the best cards that offer extended warranty protection.

The best extended warranty cards of 2020

• Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: Best mid-tier travel card
• Chase Sapphire Reserve: Best for travel and dining
• Citi Premier® Card: Best Citi card
• American Express® Green Card: Best Amex card for modern travelers
• The Platinum Card® from American Express: Best for luxury travel benefits
• American Express® Gold Card: Best for foodies
• Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card: Best for flat-rate earning
• Chase Freedom Unlimited: Best for flat-rate earning with no annual fee
• Chase Freedom Flex: Best for rotating rewards categories
• Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express: Best cash-back card
• U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite® Card: Best for mobile wallet
• Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard: Best sub-$100 annual fee card for American Airlines travelers
• American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp℠ Card: Best no-annual-fee card for American Airlines travelers
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card: Best mid-tier card for Delta travelers
• United Explorer Card: Best sub-$100 annual fee card for United travelers
• Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card: Best low-annual-fee card for Southwest travelers
• British Airways Visa Signature Card: Best for British Airways travelers
• Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Best for Hilton loyalists
• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card: Best for Marriott loyalists
• The World of Hyatt Credit Card: Best for Hyatt loyalists
• Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi: Best for Costco members

The information for the Amex Green, U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve card, Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

What is a credit card extended warranty?

The extended warranty protection offered by select credit cards effectively extends the manufacturer’s warranty on eligible products purchased with the card. This protection mirrors the protection provided by the original manufacturer’s warranty, so damage that would have been covered by the original warranty will be covered by the extended warranty.

Some extended warranties match the original warranty up to a particular period of time, while others add a set amount of time to the end of the original warranty. However, there are usually exclusions and maximum coverage limits. Note that extended warranty protection covers a wide variety of items, whereas the cell phone protection offered by select credit cards only covers cell phones.

Related: Filing an extended warranty claim — Reader success story

Comparison of the best credit cards for extended warranty

It’s important to note that only some cards offered by these issuers or banks offer extended warranty protection. The following sections consider some of the best consumer cards from these issuers that offer extended warranty protection.

Other cards also offer extended warranty protection, so you shouldn’t assume that a card doesn’t offer this benefit simply because it is not listed in this guide. Check your card’s guide to benefits for details.

Related: The ultimate guide to credit card application restrictions

Comparison of the best Citi credit cards for extended warranty

The information for the Citi Prestige and the AT&T Access Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Although Citi removed many benefits from its cards in 2019, the Citi cards described in the above table still offer an extended warranty benefit. This benefit extends the manufacturer’s warranty by two years, with total coverage not exceeding seven years from the purchase date.

Citi doesn’t have a minimum manufacturer’s warranty required for coverage, so a one-month manufacturer’s warranty still would be extended by two years on covered items. If you purchase an extended warranty, Citi’s coverage begins at the expiration of that warranty.

Citi’s extended warranty coverage doesn’t apply to the following:

• Boats, cars, aircraft or any other motorized land, air or water vehicles and their original equipment (tires aren’t covered either)
• Services unless covered under the manufacturer’s warranty
• Used, antique or pre-owned items
• Items purchased for resale, professional or commercial use
• Land or buildings; housing properties
• Plants and live animals
• Items that don’t come with a manufacturer’s warranty

Additionally, Citi’s extended warranty coverage doesn’t apply when:

• You fail to care for or service the item appropriately as required by the manufacturer
• The item has a product defect, recall or experiences normal wear and tear where no failure has occurred
• The item is damaged because of an act of God, such as a flood, hurricane, lightning, wind or earthquake

Related: The best Citi credit cards

Comparing the best American Express cards for extended warranty

Currently, most Amex cards will match the manufacturer’s warranties of one year or less and extend manufacturer’s warranties of two to five years by one year. However, select no-annual-fee cards no longer offer any extended warranty coverage as of Jan. 1, 2020. You can see the current guide to benefits for each American Express card that offers extended warranty protection on American Express’ website.

The following items aren’t covered:

• Items covered by an unconditional satisfaction guarantee
• Items damaged through alteration or modification of any kind
• Animals or living plants
• One-of-a-kind items including antique, artwork, furs, or previously owned and used items (except when refurbished by the original manufacturer)
• Purchases that have a limited life span like food, perfume, light bulbs, batteries, etc.
• Credit cards, securities, documents and tickets, travelers checks and other negotiable instruments including gift certificates, gift cards, gift checks, food stamps, cash or its equivalent, notes, accounts, bills, currency, deeds, evidences of debt or intangible
  property, rare stamps or coins
• Items that are rented, leased or borrowed
• Motorized devices or motorized device parts, except for motorized devices and motorized device parts that are permanent residential or business fixtures that can be removed without damaging the structure
• Permanent residential or business fixtures, additions or built-ins that can’t be removed without damaging the structure
• Land or buildings
• More than one article in a pair or set. Coverage will be limited to no more than the value of any particular part or parts, unless the articles are unusable individually and cannot be replaced individually, regardless of any special value they may have had as part of a set or collection
• Downloadable services, application programs, computer programs, operating software, firmware and other software of any kind
• Items voluntarily or involuntarily discarded
• Indirect or direct damages to any other item or property resulting from a Covered Event
• Items purchased for use as resale (i.e., goods purchased as inventory for sale)
• Items purchased for professional or commercial use including education, training or skills, or to be used in professional competition.

No coverage is provided for:

• Charges for shipping, handling, installation, assembly, professional advice, maintenance or other service fees, warranties or memberships including costs or fees in addition to the replacement cost
• Rebates, discounts or money from lowest price programs
• Any legal defense costs or expenses
• Any request to return a covered purchase by a retailer, wholesaler, or manufacturer including product recall
• Additional service contract, extended warranty coverage or purchased service contract for a computer, computer component or part that is bought which already comes with an original manufacturer’s warranty and/or retailer’s warranty, unless such coverage is provided and administered by the original manufacturer
• Repairs not completed at an authorized repair facility or another repair facility acceptable under the original manufacturer’s warranty or using aftermarket parts not approved by the original manufacturer’s warranty
• Physical damage, including damage as a direct result of natural disaster or a power surge, except to the extent the original manufacturer’s warranty covers such physical damage
• Eligible beneficiary’s participation in a felony, riot, civil disturbance, protest or insurrection
• Items for which the combination of the original manufacturer’s warranty coverage and/or purchase service contract exceeds five years

Related: Choosing the best American Express card for you

Comparing the best Chase credit cards for extended warranty

Most Chase cards, including but not limited to all of the cards in the above table, will extend eligible U.S. manufacturer’s warranties of three years or less by one additional year. You’re covered up to $10,000 per claim and up to $50,000 per account.

Related: How I used Chase’s extended warranty benefit to get a new phone

The following items aren’t covered:

• Boats, automobiles, aircraft, and any other motorized vehicles and their motors, equipment, or accessories, including trailers and other items that can be towed by or attached to any motorized vehicle
• Any costs other than those specifically covered under the terms of the original manufacturer-written U.S. repair warranty, as supplied by the original manufacturer, or other eligible warranty
• Items purchased for resale, professional, or commercial use
• Rented or leased items
• Computer software
• Medical equipment
• Used or pre-owned items (refurbished items will be covered as long as they have a warranty and would not be considered used or pre-owned)

Related: Maximize your wallet with the perfect quartet of Chase cards

Other cards with extended warranty benefits

Visa Signature and Visa Infinite cards — such as the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card and the U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite Card — offer extended warranty protection. Both card types will extend warranties of three years or less and will cover up to $10,000 per claim and up to $50,000 per cardholder. Visa Signature cards will match warranties of less than one year and extend warranties of one to three years by one year, while Visa Infinite cards will extend warranties of up to three years by one year.

Related: The best Visa credit cards

USAA credit cards also offer extended warranty protection that will match warranties of less than one year and extend warranties of one to three years by one additional year. You can be covered up to $15,000 per claim and up to $50,000 per account.

How to utilize credit card extended warranty

When you buy something that has a manufacturer’s warranty and you use a credit card that features an extended warranty benefit, be sure to save the following items:

• Original store receipt
• Credit card statement for the month showing the charge
• Manufacturer’s warranty booklet or document

If something you own breaks and has a manufacturer’s warranty:

1. Check the manufacturer’s warranty. If the item is still covered, begin a claim with the manufacturer.
2. If it’s outside the manufacturer’s warranty, check the benefits guide for the credit card that you used to make the purchase.
3. Call a benefits administrator if you need to file a claim or have questions regarding the claim process or eligibility. Call before getting the item repaired in case you are required to send it to a particular repair facility.
4. Collect documentation — which may consist of a repair quote, photos of the damaged item, the original receipt and the credit card statement showing the charge — and submit the claim.

If approved, you’ll usually receive a check or statement credit reimbursing you for repair costs, replacement costs or the original purchase cost. In some cases, the benefits administrator may ask you to send back the item for inspection or repair.

What isn’t covered by credit card extended warranty

The extended warranty benefit offered by select credit cards doesn’t cover all purchases or all types of damage. Your purchase won’t be covered if it wasn’t originally covered by an eligible manufacturer’s warranty. Additionally, most extended warranty benefits have maximum coverage lengths and coverage limits per item, claim or account.

Most extended warranty benefits have set exclusions. Some types of items are commonly excluded, like cars, boats, software, plants, animals, antiques and products normally hard-wired into a house. Likewise, some types of damage like power surges, accidental damage, catastrophes, wear and tear and riots are usually excluded. You can find all of the exclusions in your card’s guide to benefits.

Related guides

• 9 things to consider when choosing a credit card for large purchases
• The best credit cards for price protection
• The best credit cards for purchase protection
• Maximizing online shopping portals for your purchases
• Amex’s shopping protections make them my favorite cards for purchases
• The best store credit cards
• The best credit cards with travel insurance

Additional reporting by Madison Blancaflor

For rates and fees of the Amex Green Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum Card, please click here.  
For rates and fees of the Amex Gold Card please click here.  
For rates and fees of the Hilton Aspire, please click here.  
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card, please click here.   
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Amex, please click here.  
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred, please click here.  

Feature image by Matthew Kane via Unsplash.