Best Credit Cards With Purchase Protection of May 2026

If you have a premium credit card (usually one with an annual fee), chances are you have some form of credit card purchase protection with it — one of the best credit card perks you’re not using. 

It’s usually buried in a list of benefits, and you might not have ever noticed it. But if you need to use it, it can be well worth many times the card’s annual fee. And while premium cards (including the best rewards cards) usually have the best benefits, a handful of no-annual-fee credit cards have them as well. 

Detailed Overview: Best Credit Cards That Offer Purchase Protection

What Is Purchase Protection?

Credit card purchase protection usually covers new purchases against loss, theft and damage, although each credit card issuer defines its own particulars about what’s covered. Sometimes two cards from the same issuer can have vastly different protections, coverage amounts, limits and deductibles (as you’ll see below). 

If an item you recently bought meets a covered loss within a set amount of time and you can prove your purchase with a receipt or other document, you can file a claim up to limits that vary by item, year or card account. You can usually choose between a refund and repair — whichever is cheaper — though it’s case-by-case. 

How Does Credit Card Purchase Protection Work?

Credit card purchase protection is a built-in perk with cards that offer it. That means there’s nothing you have to do to activate the benefit — it’s automatically included when you make an eligible purchase using your card. 

Coverage begins on the date you purchase a covered item. For many of the best cards for online shopping, coverage begins the day the item ships. Each card has its own limits for how long items are covered and how much is covered. There are usually annual and per-item limits. 

For example, if your card offers $3,000 in purchase protection and your covered item costs $4,000, you’d only be able to get up to $3,000 back, but that’s still a significant amount. You also need to make sure you’re within the time limit. If your card covers items for up to 90 days, you couldn’t file a claim if something happens 91 days after purchase (or beyond). 

Here’s another wrinkle: Coverage is typically secondary to any other insurance you have. That means you’re required to make a claim with an existing policy, like homeowners, renters, umbrella or other kinds of insurance, before the credit card’s policy kicks in. If you have no such policies, then the card’s coverage would be primary. 

When you realize you have a covered loss, you must file a claim — the sooner, the better. Credit card companies usually refer you to a contracted insurance company, which will request documentation such as receipts, statements, photos or other information. 

Premium cards with annual fees tend to have more robust coverage, but again, a few no-annual-fee cards have the benefit, which could be plenty for smaller purchases. 

When Should You Use a Card With Purchase Protection?

In my opinion, you should use a card with purchase protection for anything and everything you can. You only get the benefit if you pay with your card, so use it for every purchase, especially when buying a lot of physical goods. 

Purchase protection is especially useful for big-ticket items. Electronics like TVs, fancy earbuds and smartphones are prime use cases. Also, use a card for anything that could be easily damaged or stolen, like toys for kids, bikes, scooters or items with lots of moving or delicate parts (machines, cameras and telescopes come to mind). 

I use my credit card for every purchase, mostly to earn valuable reward points. But knowing this benefit is in the background provides security — and you wouldn’t otherwise get that if you pay with cash, debit card, or a third-party payment service like Cash App or Venmo. 

What Does Purchase Protection Cover?

Each issuer has its own rules, and coverage can even vary by card, so review your Guide to Benefits that’s included with your particular card. Items that are usually covered include: 

• Purchase of new (not pre-owned or used) items
• Items purchased completely with rewards from the card or the issuer’s reward program
• Items with which you had an “accidental parting” or “involuntary separation” 
• An item that is impossible to recover, even if you know where it is 

For example, if you know you left your item at a foreign hotel or dropped it into a body of water, recovery may be impossible. Those items would potentially be covered. Or, if you split the payment by putting $1,000 on your credit card and paying the rest in cash, only the portion charged to your card is covered. 

Also, if you got a gift, you are usually covered, but it’s up to you to know which card was used and to substantiate your own claims. For example, Chase credit card protection includes “gifts purchased by the cardmember with an eligible Chase card,” but it would be up to you to ask the gift purchaser which card they used.  

What Does Purchase Protection Not Cover?

It’s equally important to know what is NOT covered. Here are some items that are usually excluded: 

• Pre-owned or used items 
• Antiques or collectibles 
• Non-physical items like software or services
• Perishable items like groceries or fresh foods
• Live plants or animals
• Vehicles, including cars, boats, jet skis and the like

So if you bought an old watch, a used laptop or a digital download, all of these would be excluded items. 

Credit Card Purchase Protection by Issuer

Here’s a quick overview of what’s offered by each of the major credit card issuers. 

American Express Purchase Protection 

Most cards from American Express, an advertising partner, come with some form of purchase protection. 

The American Express Platinum Card® and American Express® Gold Card, for example, offer coverage of up to 90 days, up to $10,000 per purchase, and up to $50,000 per year. Of course, both of these cards have high annual fees. 

An Amex card with no annual fee, the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, offers up to $1,000 per purchase in coverage with an annual limit of $50,000, and you must file a claim within 90 days from the date of the covered purchase. The benefit is the same as with the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, even though it has an annual fee, which illustrates that coverage varies by card. 

Chase Purchase Protection

Chase credit cards, like Amex, offer purchase protection at varying amounts, with the most coverage coming from the cards with higher annual fees. For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card covers items purchased within 120 days (90 days for New York residents), up to $500 per item and a maximum of $50,000 per account. You get the lesser of the cost to repair or replace the item and the amount charged to your card. 

Compare that with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, which covers up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per year up to 120 days from the purchase date. Many other Chase cards provide purchase protection as well. 

Citi Purchase Protection

Some Citi credit cards, including the Citi Strata Premier® Card and Citi Strata Elite℠ Card, our advertising partners, come with purchase protection. Those cards cover up to $10,000, or the amount charged to the card (whichever is less), and up to $50,000 per year. However, the Strata Premier covers items up to 90 days from purchase, while the Strata Elite covers them for up to 120 days (but still only 90 days for New York residents). 

Still, this is excellent coverage on par with the best cards available. 

Capital One Purchase Protection

Capital One credit card benefits vary by card and whether your card is issued as a Visa or Mastercard. Because of that, you’ll need to pay special attention to the benefits guide for these cards. 

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is typically issued as a Visa Infinite card, which comes with up to $10,000 in protection per covered item and up to $50,000 per cardholder (notice it’s not per year) within 90 days of purchase. 

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is often issued as a Mastercard and may offer up to $1,000 per covered loss and a total of $25,000 per cardholder account over a 12-month period, with up to 90 days of coverage.  

Wells Fargo Purchase Protection

Wells Fargo isn’t known for its suite of benefits, and its cards rarely come with anything beyond the basics. As such, you’re unlikely to find purchase protection with a Wells Fargo credit card — but always check your benefits guide just in case. 

Bank of America Purchase Protection 

Most Bank of America credit cards don’t offer purchase protection. The Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card is one of the few that offer 90 days of purchase security, up to $10,000 per claim. 

Again, you’ll need to check your benefits guide for particulars. 

Discover Purchase Protection 

Discover credit cards don’t offer purchase protection. 

U.S. Bank Purchase Protection

Only a few U.S. Bank cards offer purchase protection, so if it’s an important perk to you, you’ll want to verify whether any given card has it before you apply. 

A couple that include purchase protection are the U.S. Bank Shield™ Visa® Card and U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card, with 90 days of coverage. The Shield Card covers up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per cardholder, while the Shopper Cash Rewards has a maximum of $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per cardholder. 

This is another case where the wording matters. The Shield Card specifies coverage for “theft, damage due to fire, vandalism or accidentally discharged water or certain weather conditions,” while the Shopper Cash Rewards covers you “in the event of theft or damage.”

While not a strict rule, you can also guess that the card with better and broader coverage has an annual fee. 

How To File a Credit Card Purchase Protection Claim

Each issuer handles claims differently, but most of them have a dedicated online portal where you can initiate and track the progress of your claim. 

The best place to find the link to begin is in the benefits guide. But if, like me, you don’t know where it is or you threw it in an old box and can’t bear the thought of rifling through all those documents, you can simply call the number on the back of your card. The representative can guide you through the process. 

In general, you’ll need some proof of purchase, whether that’s a receipt, a copy of your statement showing the purchase or a shipping confirmation. In some cases, you may have a gift receipt. 

If you have any photos of damage, gather those as well. In the case of “accidental parting,” you may not have photos, but you could submit a police report in lieu of that. Basically, you’ll want to upload anything you have related to the item, the incident and the purchase. From there, the benefits administrator should be able to handle it. 

I’ve done this a time or two and was nervous about the process. However, the jitters were for naught, as each time it was a smooth experience. Do your best and provide everything you can up front. Also — big tip — file a claim as soon as you notice what’s happened. Do not wait. You don’t want to be faulted on a technicality, so it’s better to open a claim and upload your proof as soon as you can afterward. 

Other Cards With Purchase Protection To Consider

We’ve highlighted the top options, but of course, there are plenty of others to consider, including: 

• Chase Freedom Flex®
• Chase Freedom Unlimited®
• Prime Visa
• Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card (an advertising partner)

In general, Amex, Capital One, Chase and Citi have the most cards with purchase protection, while other issuers lag behind. 

Is a Card That Offers Purchase Protection Worth It?

Absolutely. If I know I’m making a big purchase, I’ll consider whether one of my cards has purchase protection, just in case anything happens. Because of that, I refer to the benefits guides every few months. The cards on this list are all excellent places to start. 

And while I usually go for rewards or welcome offers more than anything, these built-in perks can make a world of difference. If you pay an annual fee but have to file even a single claim, that could make the card worthwhile many times over. 

It’s a benefit that not many people think about, but one that can save the day if you ever need to use it. If you often make big purchases or shop online, it’s well worth having at least one card that offers it for your peace of mind.

The information related to the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, U.S. Bank Shield™ Visa® Card, U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card and Prime Visa was collected by CardCritics™ and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardCritics™ does not receive a commission for this product.

For the Purchase Protection on the American Express Platinum Card®, American Express® Gold Card, 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.

For the Purchase Protection on the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express and Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefit sguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.