American Express Purchase Protection Guide

If you’re planning to make a large purchase, you should consider doing so on a credit card that offers purchase protection. Purchase protection can provide reimbursement in the event the item is stolen, damaged and sometimes even lost. American Express offers this benefit on a broad range of its personal and business cards — up to $10,000 per covered purchase (up to $50,000 per calendar year)¹.

There are a few caveats, though. For example, coverage only applies to the first 90 days of purchase, there’s a maximum coverage of $50,000 per calendar year and not all purchases are eligible. Still — this can be an extremely valuable benefit if you ever need to file a claim.

What is American Express 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 sometimes loss. The amount of coverage you can receive depends on the American Express card, but will either be up to $1,000 per covered purchase (up to $50,000 per calendar year) or up to $10,000 per covered purchase (up to $50,000 per calendar year). You can also receive coverage for natural disasters of up to $500 per covered event.

What purchases are eligible for American Express purchase protection?¹

Items that are purchased using your eligible card are protected up to the maximum amount. To receive coverage, you must purchase the eligible item using a covered American Express card. Coverage only applies for 90 days after purchase, and you must file the claim within 30 days of the incident.

It’s important to know that not all purchases are covered, including the following:

• 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 and used items (note, this does not include items refurbished by the original manufacturer)
• Consumable and limited life span items, such as food, perfume, light bulbs and batteries
• Credit cards, securities, documents, tickets, gift cards, cash and more
• Rented, leased or borrowed items
• Motorized devices and parts
• Items purchased for resale
• Medical or dental devices and equipment
• Issues related to war or acts of war
• Confiscation of the item by a government, public or customs authority
• Issues that arise while the item is under the temporary care or control of a third party (other than the eligible beneficiary), such as a common carrier
• An item that isn’t reasonably being looked after, such as an item that’s stolen from an unlocked car
• Damage related to normal wear and tear or a defect

What you need to get started

You can file an American Express purchase protection claim online or over the phone. When getting started, you should be prepared to provide the following:

Personal information about yourself, including your email address.
Your receipt and other purchase information, including the date, amount and place of your purchase.
Details about the item, such as the manufacturer name and model number if applicable.
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 American Express purchase protection claim

Once you gather the necessary information, follow these steps to initiate your claim:

1. Log in to your American Express account, or call 800-228-6855.
2. Once you’re logged in, go to the claims center page and click the “File a Claim” button.
3. From the online claim form, select the credit card you want to file a claim with, enter the date of your purchase and hit the continue button. (Note, you can add more items to your claim later.)
4. On the next page, select “Purchase Protection” as the type of claim you want to file and hit “Continue.”
5. Next, you’ll have to review some basic details about filing a purchase protection claim, including what information you’ll need to provide.
6. Finally, supply the requested information related to your purchase, such as the amount of the purchase and the receipt.

Tip:

To help ensure your claim is approved, be sure to submit your purchase protection claim within 30 days of the loss (but the sooner the better).

You should also submit proof of loss within 60 days, which could include the original store receipt, a photo of a repair estimate form or other documentation.

Which credit cards offer American Express purchase protection?¹

American Express offers purchase protection on most of its consumer and business cards. The amount of coverage varies depending on the card. For example, premium cards with higher annual fees typically provide the most coverage, while cards with low or $0 annual fees and fewer benefits usually offer less coverage.

Find your perfect card in 30 seconds. Check your approval odds so you can shop smarter.

How does American Express purchase protection stack up against other issuers?

Compared to other credit card issuers, American Express offers some of the best purchase protection coverage available. Along with providing the benefit to 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 other cards¹.

Chase, on the other hand, only offers up to $500 per claim, up to $50,000 per account, for most of its cards. The exception is the Chase Sapphire Reserve^®, which offers up to $10,000 per claim, up to $50,000 per year. (Note, the same coverage is also available for several of its business cards.) Where Chase stands out is that eligible items are covered for 120 days from the date of purchase, rather than 90 days.

How to make the most of American Express purchase protection¹

The American Express purchase protection benefit adds a lot of value to American Express cards. To ensure you’re able to take advantage of this coverage, keep these tips in mind:
→ Review your card’s terms and conditions to see how much purchase protection coverage it offers (if any).
→ Know what items are covered prior to making the purchase.
→ Make all eligible purchases using your covered American Express credit card.
→ If you experience a covered loss, theft or damage, keep track of all relevant documentation. This may include the receipt, a police report, photos of damage and more.
→ File a claim as soon as possible (within 30 days of the loss).
→ Be aware that eligible items are only covered for up to 90 days from the date of purchase.

¹American Express insurance footnote:

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 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.