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Understand the Value of Your Credit Card's Extended Warranty Benefits

Credit card extended warranty coverage is a valuable benefit that can offer additional protection on certain purchases.

Updated Dec. 13, 2024
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If you compare credit cards, you’ll find that many of them offer different rewards and benefits. You may have to use your card to earn rewards, but the benefits are often automatically included with no additional action needed on your part. These benefits can range from purchase protection to extended warranty coverage, and more.

Here you’ll learn about what a credit card extended warranty benefit is, how it works, and which cards have this coverage included.

In this article

What is an extended warranty benefit?

If you know what a warranty is, you may have also heard of extended warranties. A warranty on a product typically includes coverage for that product if the product fails to accomplish what it was designed to do. For example, if a freezer fails to keep your food frozen because of a defect with the appliance itself, this is something that would likely be covered under the manufacturer’s warranty.

Manufacturer’s warranties usually last at least one year from the date of purchase but may last multiple years. If you purchase an extended warranty, expect the original manufacturer’s warranty to be extended by the length of time for which you purchased the extended warranty. Extended warranties don’t generally change anything about the original warranty other than extending the length of time it’s active.

A credit card extended warranty benefit extends the manufacturer’s warranty on eligible products. Keep in mind, you have to purchase the product with your credit card that has this benefit. In essence, the extended warranty benefit allows you to skip purchasing an extended warranty when you buy an eligible product. In turn, you get to save money and still get some extra peace of mind on certain purchases.

How does the extended warranty benefit work?

Credit card extended warranty benefits will vary depending on the credit card issuer, but they’ll all typically function the same way: Make a purchase with your covered card and the eligible product will have its manufacturer’s warranty extended.

Here are a few details to keep an eye out for, though:

  • Extended warranty length: Your credit card extended warranty benefit will often extend a manufacturer’s warranty by up to one year, though it may double the original warranty as well.
  • Length of manufacturer warranty: The extended warranty benefit may work only if the product’s manufacturer’s warranty is three years or less. Certain credit card extended warranties may only offer their benefits if the original warranty period is two years or less.
  • Items covered: Any item that isn’t explicitly listed as not covered by your card benefit’s terms and conditions, has been purchased with your eligible card, and has a valid manufacturer’s warranty. This may include refrigerators, washers, dryers, laptop computers, and more.
  • Items not covered: Not everything is covered by the extended warranty benefit. Boats, cars, and antique items aren’t typically covered. Computer software, medical equipment, motorized vehicles, purchases for commercial use, used or pre-owned items, and items purchased for resale would also normally be excluded from coverage.
  • Coverage amount: Your card will state how much coverage you’re entitled to per claim and/or per card account. A common maximum limit is $10,000 per claim on many credit cards.
  • Extended warranty claims: You must notify your card’s benefits administrator within a certain number of days of your product’s failure or your claim may be denied. Your benefits administrator will send you a claim form to fill out and let you know which supporting documentation, if any, is needed to successfully submit your claim. You may need to submit an original receipt and credit card statement with your extended warranty claim.

Which credit cards come with extended warranty benefits?

A wide variety of the best credit cards from major credit card companies offer an extended warranty benefit. This benefit isn’t solely found on one type of credit card, though, so you may find it included on some of the best travel credit cards, as well as some of the best cashback credit cards.

If you’re interested in cards from a certain credit card issuer, we’ve included many different options for you to choose from. The extended warranty perk is distinct from card to card, so consider each credit card to see which one might be the right fit for you.

American Express cards

Many American Express credit cards offer extended warranty coverage, including The Platinum Card® from American Express and the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express. Although some Amex cards may offer different terms than others, both of these cards offer the same exact extended warranty benefits.

With these cards, you may receive up to one additional year of coverage on eligible purchases with manufacturer’s warranties of five years or less. Plus, you can get up to $10,000 per covered purchase and up to $50,000 per eligible card in a calendar year.1

If you have a card like the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, it no longer offers extended warranty coverage on purchases made on or after Jan. 1, 2020.

Capital One cards

Capital One credit cards are on either the Visa or Mastercard payments networks, which affects the benefits available on each card. So the extended warranty benefit on the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, a Visa card, is different from the coverage found on the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card, a Mastercard.2

Here’s how the extended warranty benefit works on these two Capital One cards:

  • Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Receive up to one additional year on purchases with eligible warranties of three years or less. Get up to $10,000 per claim and up to $50,000 per cardholder.
  • Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card: Receive up to 24 additional months on purchases with eligible warranties of 24 months or less. Get up to $10,000 per claim.

Chase cards

Because Chase credit cards are primarily on the Visa network, their benefits can be very similar. In fact, both the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Freedom Unlimited® have the same extended warranty benefit.

With these two Chase cards, receive up to one year of additional coverage on purchases with eligible warranties of three years or less. Each claim can pay up to $10,000, though there’s a maximum limit of $50,000 per card account.

Citi cards

Citi has a valuable extended warranty policy that’s included on multiple Citi credit cards. Popular cards like the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi and the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card provide the same extended warranty protection.

These cards provide an additional 24 months on purchases with an eligible warranty. Your Citi extended warranty comes into effect whenever the manufacturer’s warranty is up, with total coverage up to a maximum of 7 years from the purchase date. You can receive up to $10,000 per claim.

Visa cards

Visa credit cards offer different levels of benefits depending on which type or level of Visa card you have. If you have one of the top Visa credit cards, a Visa Signature or Visa Infinite card, extended warranty protection is typically included with your card’s benefits.

This coverage provides up to one year of additional protection on purchases with an eligible warranty. You can receive up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per cardholder. Popular Visa cards with the extended warranty benefit include the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and The World of Hyatt Credit Card.

Mastercard cards

Some of the best Mastercard credit cards also offer an extended warranty benefit. Mastercard doesn’t include extended warranties as part of its automatic benefits package, so it’s up to each credit card issuer to offer it.

With the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card, you get extended warranty coverage on eligible items. The IHG One Rewards Club Premier card can extend eligible warranties by up to one extra year.

U.S. Bank cards

Because many U.S. Bank credit cards are part of the Visa network, it’s common to find extended warranty benefits included on them. Cards like the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card and U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card offer the same extended warranty coverage.

With this benefit, you can receive up to one additional year of coverage on purchases with eligible manufacturer’s warranties. Each claim can pay up to $10,000 and each cardholder can receive up to $50,000 total in claims.

The bottom line on credit card extended warranty

Credit card extended warranty coverage is a great benefit to have if you want a little more peace of mind with your important purchases. Not every card comes with this benefit, so the cards that do offer added value to their cardholders.

If you’re interested in applying for a credit card with extended warranty protection, consider the many fantastic options we’ve listed above. Keep in mind, the terms of the extended warranty benefit may be different on each card, so review them carefully to learn exactly what your credit card offers. Also, keep in mind that this coverage typically doesn't cover normal wear and tear.

Unlimited Cash Back

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Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Current Offer

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Annual Fee

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Rewards Rate

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Ben Walker, CEPF, CFEI®

Ben Walker, CEPF, CFEI®, is credit cards specialist. For over a decade, he's leveraged credit card points and miles to travel the world. His expertise extends to other areas of personal finance — including loans, insurance, investing, and real estate — and you can find his insights on The Washington Post, Debt.com, Yahoo! Finance, and Fox Business.