American Express has one of the best purchase protection programs around, so consider using your Amex card for big-ticket items or those prone to theft, loss or breakage — like a new phone, a designer bag or fine jewelry.
Coverage is only for the first 90 days after purchase, and there are dollar limits, but your Amex purchase protection claim can be worth it if disaster strikes soon after buying something expensive.
When you use your eligible American Express card to make a covered purchase, you can receive protection for up to 90 days against theft, accidental damage and in some cases, loss.
The amount of coverage depends on the American Express card you have, but it will either be up to $1,000 per covered purchase and $50,000 per year, or up to $10,000 per covered purchase and $50,000 per year.
You can also receive coverage for natural disasters of up to $500 per covered event.
Items bought using your eligible card are protected up to the maximum amount. To get coverage, you must purchase the eligible item using a covered American Express card.
Amex purchase protection coverage only applies for 90 days after purchase, and you must notify Amex of the loss by calling or filing a claim online within 30 days of the incident.
Note that not all purchases are covered. Items not covered by Amex purchase protection include:
“When we were remodeling our home, finding a credit card that offered strong purchase protections was one of our top priorities. We decided on The Platinum Card® from American Express, because I knew that Amex provided some of the best purchase protections available1. I feel much more comfortable making large purchases using that card.”
Tracy Brackman, Senior Editor at LendingTree
You can start an American Express purchase protection claim online or over the phone. Be prepared to provide the following:
Once you gather the necessary information, you can initiate your American Express purchase protection claim over the phone by calling 800-228-6855 or online by following these steps:
To help make sure your claim is approved, be sure to notify Amex of the incident within 30 days of the loss (but the sooner the better). Submit proof of loss, which includes the signed claim form and all requested documentation, within 60 days of the date Amex gives you a claim form and instructions.
Documentation could include the original store receipt, a photo of the damaged item or a repair estimate, or a police report for theft or vandalism claims. If the item has been damaged, you may be required to send it to Amex for evaluation.
American Express offers purchase protection on most of its consumer rewards cards and business cards. The amount of coverage varies depending on the card.
For example, premium cards with higher annual fees usually provide a higher coverage level, while low and no-annual-fee cards and those with fewer benefits usually offer a lower one.
The following American Express cards provide coverage of up to $10,000 per item, up to $50,000 per calendar year (and up to $500 per natural disaster)1:
The annual fees for the above cards range anywhere from $250 for the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card (see rates & fees) to $5,000 (plus a one-time $10,000 initiation fee) for the Centurion® Card from American Express.
The following cards offer coverage of up to $1,000 per item, up to $50,000 per calendar year (and up to $500 per natural disaster)2:
The annual fees for these cards range from $0 with Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card (see rates & fees) to $350 for the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card (see rates & fees).
Most of the best credit cards offer some kind of purchase protection, but American Express’s purchase protection stands out compared to some of the other top issuers.
Along with providing the benefit on virtually all of its cards, it offers high payouts of $1,000 per item (up to $50,000 per year) on some cards, and up to $10,000 per item (up to $50,000 per year) on others.
Chase, on the other hand, only offers up to $500 per claim (up to $50,000 per account) for most of its cards, including the popular Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card card (see rates & fees). The exceptions are the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates & fees) and some Chase business cards, which also offer up to $10,000 per claim (up to $50,000 per year).
An advantage of Chase’s protection plan, however, is that eligible items are covered for 120 days from the date of purchase — except for New York residents, which are limited to 90 days.
Be aware that eligible items are only covered for up to 90 days from the date of purchase.
To see rates & fees for American Express cards mentioned on this page, visit the links provided below:
The information related to the Centurion® Card from American Express, Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express and American Express® Green Card has been independently collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.
The content above is not provided by any issuer. Any opinions expressed are those of LendingTree alone and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any issuer. The offers and/or promotions mentioned above may have changed, expired, or are no longer available. Check the issuer's website for more details.
