By Sarah BradyWhat Is Credit Card Purchase Protection?
By Sarah Brady
If a package is stolen from your front porch, or you purchase an item that breaks as soon as you use it, you could unfortunately be stuck with the bill.
But certain credit cards offer a benefit that protects you against having to eat the cost. Credit cards with purchase protection can help you get your money back, or get a replacement, if your purchase ends up damaged or stolen.
Best credit cards of 2026
Compare cards from our partners with intro bonuses, cash back or points offers, and annual fees as low as $0.
Offers from our partners
Citi Double Cash® Card
Intro APR:0% for 18 months on Balance Transfers
Ongoing APR:17.49% - 27.49% (Variable)
Rewards:2% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
Intro bonus:As High As $200 Cash Back. Find Out Your Offer.
Intro APR:0% on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:1% - 3% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0
Wells Fargo Reflect® Card
Intro APR:0% intro APR for 21 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers
Ongoing APR:17.49%, 23.99%, or 28.24% Variable APR
Rewards:N/A*
Annual Fee:$0
American Express Platinum Card®
Intro bonus:As high as 175,000 points. Find out your offer.
Ongoing APR:See Pay Over Time APR
Rewards:1x - 5x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$895
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
Intro bonus:$200
Intro APR:0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers
Ongoing APR:18.49%, 24.49%, or 28.49% Variable APR
Rewards:2% (Cash Rewards)
Annual Fee:$0
Discover it® Cash Back
Intro bonus:Cashback Match™
Intro APR:0% intro APR for 15 months on Purchases and Balance Transfers
Ongoing APR:17.49% - 26.49% Variable APR
Rewards:1% - 5% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0
FIT™ Platinum Mastercard® - $400 Credit Limit
Ongoing APR:35.90% Fixed
Rewards:N/A*
Annual Fee:$99 first year; $125 thereafter
Avant® Cashback Rewards Mastercard®
Ongoing APR:29.99%*
Rewards:2% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0*
The opensky® Secured Visa® Credit Card
Ongoing APR:23.89% Variable
Rewards:10% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$35
Credit One Bank American Express® Card for Rebuilding Credit
Ongoing APR:29.74% Variable
Rewards:1% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$75 First year. $99 thereafter, billed monthly at $8.25
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Intro bonus:As High As $300 Cash Back. Find Out Your Offer.
Intro APR:0% on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 12 months
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:1% - 6% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Card
Intro APR:0% for 15 months on Balance Transfers
Ongoing APR:19.49% - 29.49% (Variable)
Rewards:2x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
Ongoing APR:18.74% - 26.74% (Variable)
Rewards:1% - 5% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0
American Express® Gold Card
Intro bonus:As high as 100,000 points. Find out your offer.
Ongoing APR:See Pay Over Time APR
Rewards:1x - 4x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$325
Avant® Cashback Rewards Mastercard®
Ongoing APR:35.99%*
Rewards:1% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$75*
Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard®
Ongoing APR:19.49% - 29.49% (Variable)
Rewards:1x - 6x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$350
Avant® Cashback Rewards Mastercard®
Ongoing APR:35.99%*
Rewards:1% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$39*
First Progress Select Secured Mastercard® Cash Back Rewards
Ongoing APR:17.49% Variable
Rewards:1% - 10% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$39
Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa®
Ongoing APR:29.74% Variable
Rewards:1% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$39
Credit One Bank® Wander® American Express® with Dining, Gas & Travel Rewards
Ongoing APR:29.74% Variable
Rewards:1% - 10% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$95
Hilton Honors American Express Card
Intro bonus:70,000 Points
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:3x - 7x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Intro bonus:200,000 Points
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:2x - 6x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$650
Discover it® Miles
Intro bonus:Discover Match®
Intro APR:0% intro APR for 15 months on Purchases and Balance Transfers
Ongoing APR:17.49% - 26.49% Variable APR
Rewards:1.5x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
Intro bonus:As High As 100,000 Bonus Miles. Find Out Your Offer.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:1x - 3x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$650
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Intro bonus:As High As 80,000 Bonus Miles. Find Out Your Offer.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:1x - 2x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150.
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card
Intro bonus:10,000 Miles
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:1x - 2x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0
PREMIER Bankcard® Mastercard® Credit Card
Ongoing APR:See Rates & Fees
Rewards:N/A*
Annual Fee:See Rates & Fees
One Key™ Card
Intro bonus:$300
Ongoing APR:18.49%, 23.49%, or 28.49% Variable APR
Rewards:1.5x - 3x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0
One Key+™ Card
Intro bonus:$350
Ongoing APR:18.49%, 23.49%, or 28.49% Variable APR
Rewards:2x - 3x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$99
Avant® Cashback Rewards Mastercard®
Ongoing APR:35.99%*
Rewards:1% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0*
See all our best credit cards for 2026.
How Does Purchase Protection Work?
If your credit card comes with purchase protection, you may be eligible for repair, replacement or reimbursement of lost or stolen items that you purchased with the card.
Coverage varies a lot between card issuers and specific cards, but generally it includes new items that are damaged, defective or stolen within 60 to 120 days of your purchase. Used items and objects that can expire, like antiques or batteries, are not generally eligible.
Purchase protection is secondary coverage, meaning it can only be used after you've exhausted all of the other coverage you have available. That could include renters insurance, homeowners insurance, car insurance and any reimbursement available from the vendor.
To take advantage of purchase protection, make sure you made your purchase with an eligible credit card. If you need to file a claim, you'll have to contact the creditor and file within a set timeline. You may also need to submit additional documentation, like receipts, photos of the damaged item or a police report for items that were stolen.
Who Offers Purchase Protection?
Purchase protection may be offered as a benefit through your credit card network, such as Visa or Mastercard. The amount of coverage for each card can vary, and certain credit cards may even be excluded, but here's what's generally available from major networks.
| American Express | Discover | Mastercard | Visa | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Which Cards Are Covered? | Most | None | Some | Most |
| Duration of Coverage | 90 days | N/A | 90 days | 180 days |
| Coverage Limit Per Incident | $1,000 | N/A | Varies | $1,000 to $10,000 |
| Coverage Limit Per Year | $50,000 | N/A | Varies | $1,000 to $20,000 |
Choosing Your Next Credit Card
When you're shopping for your next credit card, check and see if purchase protection and other benefits are available. Just like rates and fees, benefits will vary from one card to the next. Note that credit cards with lots of rewards and benefits usually require higher credit scores.
Not sure what your score is? Take a look at your free credit score and report from Experian before applying. Most applications for a new credit card can cost your credit scores a few points, but you can limit the impact by comparing card features using comparison tools like those from Experian before you start applying.
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About the author
Sarah Brady
Sarah Brady is a personal finance consultant, content writer and all-around money nerd. A former credit counselor (NFCC) and housing counselor (HUD), Sarah's passion is financial literacy and education. Sarah teaches financial literacy workshops all over the San Francisco Bay Area, and she's written for CreditKarma and LendingTree.
Read more from Sarah