Best Credits Card With Extended Warranty Coverage

If you’re like most people, when it comes to making a purchase, you probably don’t think too much about what could happen after you hand over your hard-earned cash.

But what if something does go wrong? What if that new television you just bought stops working a few months down the road?

You might be thinking that’s what warranties are for. And while that’s true, not all warranties are created equal. In fact, some extended warranties can be quite expensive.

That’s why it’s important to make sure you’re using a credit card that offers extended warranty coverage. With this type of coverage, you can rest assured knowing that if something does go wrong with your purchase, you won’t have to pay out of pocket to fix it.

What is extended warranty protection?

Extended warranty protection is one of the most common types of purchase protection offered by credit card issuers. Extended warranty protection typically mirrors the protection provided by the original manufacturer’s warranty. For some credit cards, store-purchased or store-provided warranties are also covered. However, the credit card’s extended warranty benefit only kicks in after the original warranty expires.

The length of time the extended warranty protection benefits extends beyond the manufacturer’s warranty varies by card issuer and credit card.

For example, say you purchase a brand new television that comes with a one-year manufacturer’s warranty. You use a credit card, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred, that extends the original warranty by one additional year. You now have two years of warranty coverage. If your television breaks between months 12 and 24, you can file a claim through Chase’s benefit administrator for reimbursement to cover repair costs or the replacement of the television.

How is extended warranty protection different from other credit card protections?

Extended warranty protection is different from other credit card protections, such as purchase protection, in that it effectively extends the manufacturer warranties or store warranties on eligible products purchased with the card.

These warranties cover product defects or malfunctions. Warranties may cover parts and, sometimes, the labor involved in repairing the item. Whatever is offered by the original warranty is what will be covered by the credit card’s extended warranty benefit.

In contrast, purchase protection provides reimbursement for the replacement or repair of stolen or damaged items.

Other, less common, credit card protections include cell phone protection, return protection, and price protection.

All of these credit card protections give consumers confidence in their purchases. Big purchases can be nerve racking, but credit card protections can give customers peace of mind knowing that they may be able to be reimbursed for the replacement or repair of an expensive item if something goes wrong.

While all of these protections are offered with various credit cards, their terms and coverage vary from card to card. It is important to read the terms and conditions of your card to ensure you understand the details of the protection offered.

What purchases are eligible for extended warranty protection?

In order for your purchase to be covered by your credit card’s extended warranty benefit, it must be purchased with an eligible card or a rewards account associated with an eligible card. Some coverages kick in when only a portion of the purchase is charged to the credit card or rewards account while others require that the full purchase price be charged to the credit card or associated rewards account.

In addition, in order for a purchase to be eligible for extended warranty protection, it must have a warranty to begin with. This will automatically exclude a lot of items, since most everyday purchases do not come with a warranty.

Types of warranties that are eligible typically include manufacturer warranties, store purchased warranties, and assembler warranties.

Credit Card	Maximum coverage amount	Warranties covered	Warranty coverage extension time
American Express Platinum/Gold	-$10,000 per covered purchase -$50,000 per eligible card	Manufacturer’s warranties	Up to 1 additional year on warranties of 5 years or less
Capital One Venture	-$10,000 per claim -$50,000 per cardholder	-Manufacturer’s U.S. repair warranties -Store purchased dealer warranties -Assembler warranties	Doubles warranty up to 1 additional year on warranties of 3 years or less
Capital One Venture X	-$10,000 per claim -$50,000 per cardholder	-Manufacturer’s U.S. repair warranties -Store purchased dealer warranties -Assembler warranties	Extends a warranty of 3 years or less by 1 additional year
Chase Sapphire Preferred	-$10,000 per claim -$50,000 per account	-Manufacturer’s U.S. repair warranties -Store purchased dealer warranties -Assembler warranties	Extends a warranty of 3 years or less by 1 additional year
Chase Sapphire Reserve	-$10,000 per claim -$50,000 per account	-Manufacturer’s U.S. repair warranties -Store purchased dealer warranties -Assembler warranties	Extends a warranty of 3 years or less by 1 additional year
Citi Premier	-Up to $10,000 per item	Manufacturer’s warranties	Extends a warranty for an additional 24 months up with total warranty (manufacturer + Citi) up to 7 years from purchase date

What purchases are excluded from extended warranty protection?

Items with a warranty of more than three years are excluded from extended warranty protection. In addition, each bank’s guide to benefits includes a list of exclusions. These exclusions typically include:

• 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’s 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 (a refurbished item will be covered as long as it has a warranty with it and would not be considered used or pre-owned)
• Losses caused by or resulting from a Cyber Incident

Registering your purchases

Registering eligible purchases is not required, but some banks offer the option to register your purchase online. When you register your purchase, you will send sales receipts and warranty information, which will be kept on file in the event of a claim.

If you choose not to register your purchase then you will need to make sure to keep all purchase and warranty documentation . These will be required if you submit a claim.

How to file an extended warranty protection claim through your credit card

Confirm your extended warranty coverage

In order to confirm extended warranty coverage, you need to check your credit card’s Guide to Benefits. This Guide can usually be found on the card issuer’s website (you can search the card name + “guide to benefits”) or by looking at the Guide to Benefits you received when you received the card.

Once you have read through the terms and conditions, you can check to see what purchases are excluded from the extended warranty benefit. Generally, the warranty benefit will cover most major purchases, such as electronics, appliances, and furniture, but it may not cover normal wear and tear.

In order to confirm your coverage, you can also call the number on the back of your card to make sure you understand what is covered. This step is important because certain card issuers may have different terms for their extended warranty benefits.

Notify your Benefits Administrator

You will need to contact the benefits administrator quickly. Different card issuers have different timeframes, but typically, you must contact them within 30-90 days of the product’s failure.

When you notify the benefits administrator, they will send you a claim form along with instructions for submitting your claim. There will be a time limit for submitting your claim form and documentation.

Credit Card	Notice of Claim Due	Claims Documentation Due
American Express Platinum/Gold	Within 30 days of incident, or as soon as reasonably possible	Within 60 days of being provided with instructions and/or a claim form
Capital One Venture	Within 60 days of product failure	Within 90 days of product failure
Capital One Venture X	Within 60 days of product failure	Within 90 days of product failure
Chase Sapphire Preferred	Within 90 days of product failure	Within 120 days of product failure
Chase Sapphire Reserve	Within 90 days of product failure	Within 120 days of product failure
Citi Premier	As soon as possible after incident	Within 180 days of incident

Collect any applicable documentation or evidence to support your claim

In order to file an extended warranty protection claim through your credit card, you will need to provide certain documentation and evidence to the payment network’s examiner.

Documentation you will need to make sure to include with your claim include:

• Original store receipt
• Account statement showing credit card purchase of the item
• Copy of applicable warranty
• A description of the item and its serial number
• Original repair estimate or repair bill
• Other documentation to substantiate your claim

Be sure to read the extended warranty benefits guide for your particular credit card and follow the instructions to ensure you are eligible for coverage. Additionally, be aware of any deadlines to report claims and submit the required documents.

Complete and submit the claim form

Follow the instructions you received from the benefits administrator for submitting your claim. Nowadays you should be able to upload all forms and documentation to the benefits administrators site.

An examiner will review your claim and documentation. They may request additional documents, such as repair quotes, if you are filing a large claim.

After you’ve submitted everything, you will need to wait for the benefits administrator to approve or deny your claim. In most cases, smaller claims will be processed quicker.

Wait for reimbursement

If your claim is approved, you will usually receive a check or statement credit reimbursing you for the repair costs, replacement costs, or the original purchase cost. This payment will be no more than the original purchase price charged to your eligible credit card, up to the coverage limit.

Our favorite cards offering extended warranty protection

Many cards offer extended warranty protection. Chances are, you already have one in your wallet.

While these are some of our favorite cards, note that Citi offers the best extended warranty protection. If you have a Citi card, you should check your Guide to Benefits and make large purchases on your Citi card. Citi’s extended warranty protection adds 24 months to the original warranty, up to a total of 7 years warranty protection from the purchase date.

When it comes to extended warranty coverage, it’s important to understand what’s covered and what’s not. This guide has hopefully provided some clarity on the subject. If you have any further questions, be sure to reach out to your credit card company for more information. And, as always, happy shopping!