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The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
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How an often overlooked credit card benefit put $1,400 back in my wallet
Richard Kerr is a veteran naval officer and founder of the Award Travel 101 Facebook community. He’s one of the foremost experts in points and miles strategy, featured in Forbes, US News, Money Magazine, Kiplinger Personal Finance and presented at #SXSW 2017. Richard has visited over 45 countries, lived in England and Japan, and spends his spare time dissecting loyalty program award charts to maximize the value of points and miles. Richard holds a BBA in International Business and has his wife and two small children in tow for his travels as often as possible.
November 15, 2024 • 7 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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Quick summary
Extended warranty protection is a valuable but often overlooked benefit available with select rewards cards.
This coverage can reimburse you for eligible purchases that break after the manufacturer’s warranty expires, potentially saving significant amounts over time.
Filing a claim is typically straightforward, requiring minimal documentation and prompt processing.
Not all cards offer this benefit, and eligibility, coverage limits and exclusions vary by card.
What to consider
Extended warranty protection usually adds one year to the manufacturer’s warranty and requires claims to be filed within 30 days of the incident.
Certain items, such as live plants, software, gift cards and jewelry, are excluded from coverage.
Coverage limits apply per item and per calendar year, and you may need to pursue manufacturer or store warranties first.
What you'll miss from the article
Detailed real-life examples of how extended warranty protection can save you money and tips for maximizing this benefit.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Those big welcome bonuses that can come with new credit cards after you hit a spending threshold can really accelerate you to a great vacation courtesy of your points and miles. But, after you get past that glitzy reason to add a new credit card to your wallet, there’s more that rewards cards can do for you and your family’s bottom line.
In fact, there’s one valuable card benefit that’s saved me more than $1,000 over the years. It’s also quickly resolved some situations that could definitely have developed into big time-sucking headaches.
Extended warranty protection is one of those sometimes overlooked benefits available with certain credit cards that has saved me more times than once. It shouldn’t be an overlooked perk as it can put money back in your wallet quickly and easily when something goes wrong with an item you charged to the card.
You won’t find it on every credit card, but it’s a benefit you’ll find on a wide variety of American Express cards (terms apply).* In this article, I'll share the time one American Express card helped keep money in my family’s pocket, this time to the tune of $120.
*Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
A few years ago, we purchased a cordless vacuum cleaner from Amazon for $119.99. The vacuum worked fine for a handful of months, but in December, it stopped working completely.
Under normal circumstances, this would have gotten me pretty hot under the collar since I hate wasting cash on things that quickly break. On top of that, I don’t have time to chase down some never-ending customer service loop on the off chance of maybe getting a refund.
KRISANPONG DETRAPHIPAT/GETTY IMAGES
Luckily, a few minutes of work with American Express solved the issue before it became a problem.
In early January, I opened an extended warranty* claim with American Express for the recently departed vacuum. I purchased the vacuum cleaner using my Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, which turned out to be a very good decision when it quickly broke.
I didn’t have to submit any pictures of the broken vacuum or other documentation beyond completing a simple form on the American Express website. The next morning, on a Sunday no less, I received an email from American Express with a letter attached stating my claim had been approved for the full amount of my purchase.
Sure enough, the credit appeared on my account shortly after, and we were able to purchase a replacement vacuum without taking a financial hit.
AMERICAN EXPRESS
How many times have you heard a story from someone who purchased an item from Amazon or another online retailer and ended up having to throw it in the trash a few months later? I have to wonder how many of those folks had a credit card in their wallet that would have protected their purchase, and they didn’t even know it.
This isn’t my first positive experience with American Express' extended warranty coverage.
American Express' extended warranty program* saved me a ton of money three years after I purchased a TV. A while back, I purchased a brand-new flat-screen TV from Costco using The Platinum Card® from American Express to the tune of $1,200.
I’ve held that card in my wallet for a decade, ever since my days in the military. It remains in my wallet now because it proves its worth year after year.
Three years of blissful and frustrating Sundays watching my beloved Atlanta Falcons were interrupted when the television suddenly stopped working. I called a television repair company, only to have them tell me the TV was dead-dead and, of course, we were just beyond the manufacturer's included warranty.
Luckily, I held on to the purchase receipt. I submitted the report from the repair company along with my receipt to Amex, and they credited me the entire purchase amount, including taxes.
ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY
The Amex warranty* had picked up for one additional year when the built-in warranty dropped off. It didn’t take long for me to purchase the replacement television and get back to the important business of rooting for the Falcons and Georgia Bulldogs from the couch.
This sort of protection doesn’t cover you on every sort of purchase or in perpetuity. Generally, American Express steps in when other warranty options won’t cover you up to a certain length of time — in this case, one year beyond the included warranty.
So, if you’re covered by a “satisfaction guarantee” or built-in warranty from a store or manufacturer, you’ll probably need to pursue that first. Amex also won’t cover you for live plants, software, gift cards, jewelry and a handful of other items. Additionally, you’ll need to file your claim within 30 days of the incident.
WESTEND61/GETTY IMAGES
Extended warranty protection on the Amex Platinum can cover claims of up to $10,000 per item and up to $50,000 in a calendar year within five years of your purchase date. You can see the full list of Amex cards that offer various ways to protect your purchases here.
It’s safe to say that the various protections American Express offers also make them a great choice for holiday shopping or any time you have a large expense.
If you are in the market for a card like this, know that new Amex Platinum cardmembers can find out their offer and see if they are eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $12,000 on purchases on the card in the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
Bottom line
Those two claims saved me over $1,400 in cold hard cash.
To put it another way, that’s the same as over two years of annual fees on my beloved American Express Platinum Card (see rates and fees), and that’s before you consider all the other perks that card has to offer.
I got a bit lucky holding on to that Costco TV receipt for three years. I highly recommend choosing an email receipt from any local store when you purchase big-ticket items. That way, you can just search your email for the receipt when things go haywire.
Don’t leave yourself high and dry on big purchases. Make sure you’re getting all the value you can out of those credit cards you carry around in your wallet every day.
For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum, click here.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
