American Express Purchase Protection Explained: Limits, Coverage and How to File in 2026

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Key takeaways

Amex purchase protection covers theft, accidental damage and sometimes loss, depending on which card you have.
Amex cards that have this benefit cover eligible items for the first 90 days after you pay for them.
Coverage is limited to up to $50,000 a year, and either up to $1,000 or up to $10,000 per purchase, depending on your card. Cards with higher fees often have a higher limit.
You must file an Amex purchase protection claim to get reimbursed.

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.

On this page

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On this page

What is AmEx purchase protection?
What purchases are eligible?
What you need to get started
How to file a claim
Which Amex cards offer purchase protection
How does it stack up against other issuers?
How to make the most of it

What is Amex purchase protection?¹

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 up to $50,000 per year, or up to $10,000 per covered purchase and up to $50,000 per year.

You can also receive coverage for natural disasters of up to $500 per covered event.

American Express purchase protection is secondary to any other coverage you have, including homeowner’s insurance, renter’s insurance and retailer’s, wholesaler’s or manufacturer’s warranty. For example, if your covered laptop is stolen from your apartment, American Express purchase protection would only kick in if your renter’s insurance doesn’t cover the entire purchase.

What purchases are eligible for Amex purchase protection?

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 or as soon as reasonably possible.

Note that not all purchases are covered. Items not covered by Amex purchase protection include:

Those covered by an unconditional satisfaction guarantee
Items damaged by alteration or modification
Animals and living plants
Antiques, artwork, furs and other one-of-a-kind items, as well as previously owned/used items (But items refurbished by the original manufacturer are covered)
Consumable and perishable items, such as food, perfume, light bulbs and batteries
Credit cards, securities, documents, tickets, gift cards and cash
Rented, leased or borrowed items
Motorized devices and parts
Items purchased for play (such as sports or recreation equipment) that get damaged
Items purchased for resale
Medical or dental devices and equipment
Items related to war or acts of war
Items confiscated by a government, customs or public authority
Items not reasonably being looked after, such as those stolen from an unlocked car
Damage related to normal wear and tear or a defect
Items voluntarily or involuntarily discarded

First-hand LendingTree Experience

“When we were remodeling our home, finding a card that offered strong purchase protections was one of our top priorities. We decided on the American Express Platinum Card^®, 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

What you need to get started

You can start an American Express purchase protection claim online or over the phone. Be prepared to provide the following:

Your personal information, including your email address.
Your receipt and other purchase information, including the date, amount and place of purchase.
Details about the item, such as the manufacturer’s name and model number if applicable.
Any other supporting documents to help explain your claim. For example, if your item was stolen, you should be prepared to provide the police report.

How to file an Amex purchase protection claim

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:

Log in to your American Express account.
Go to the claims center page and click the “File a Claim” button.
From the online claim form, select the card you want to file your claim with, enter the date of your purchase and hit the continue button. (Note that you can add more items to your claim later.)
On the next page, select “Purchase Protection” as the type of claim you want to file and hit “Continue.”
Next, you’ll have to review some basic details about filing a purchase protection claim, including which information you’ll need to provide and the terms and conditions.
Then supply the requested information related to your loss, such as the date, location and what happened to the item, followed by item details such as purchase date, item type, manufacturer, serial number, cost with tax, and merchant.
Finally, fill out the required personal information, including your name, address, phone number and email address.

Tip

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.

Which credit cards offer Amex purchase protection?

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:

American Express^® Gold Card ¹
Centurion® Card from American Express ¹
Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve American Express Card¹
Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express ¹
Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card¹
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card ¹
American Express Platinum Card^®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 information related to the Centurion® Card from American Express and the Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express has been collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.

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).

The information related to the 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.

How does Amex purchase protection stack up against other issuers?

Many 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 up to $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. The exceptions are the Chase Sapphire Reserve^® and some Chase business cards, which also offer up to $10,000 per claim (up to $50,000 per account).

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, who are limited to 90 days.

For more information on what coverage is offered by other issuers, check out our Credit Card Purchase Protection Guide.

How to make the most of American Express purchase protection

Review your card’s terms and conditions to see how much purchase protection coverage it offers (if any).
Know what items are covered before making the purchase.
Make all eligible purchases using your covered American Express card.
If an item gets damaged or broken, make sure the situation calls for purchase protection rather than trying to resolve the issue with the retailer or filing a credit card dispute (for example, with defective merchandise or an item that never arrives).
If you experience a covered loss, theft or damage, keep track of all documentation. This may include the receipt, a police report, photos of damage, a repair estimate and more.
File an Amex purchase protection claim as soon as possible. At minimum, notify Amex within 30 days of the loss and submit the signed claim form and all documentation within 60 days.

Be Aware

Eligible items are only covered for up to 90 days from the date of purchase.

Amex purchase protection disclosures

1. Purchase protection is an embedded benefit of your card membership and requires no enrollment. It can help protect covered purchases made on your eligible card when they’re accidentally damaged, stolen, or lost, for up to 90 days from the covered purchase date. The coverage is limited to up to $10,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per card member account per calendar year. Coverage limits apply. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

2. When an American Express card member charges a covered purchase with their eligible card, purchase protection can help protect their covered purchases for up to 90 days from the covered purchase date if it is stolen or accidentally damaged. The coverage is limited to up to $1,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per card member account per calendar year. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

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.

The information related to the American Express® Green Card, Centurion® Card from American Express, Chase Sapphire Reserve^® and Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express has been independently collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.

To see rates & fees for American Express cards mentioned on this page, visit the links provided below: