Your complete guide to shopping protections on American Express cards

Numerous American Express cards offer shopping protections that can protect your purchases and the money you’ve spent on them. Coverage terms and limits vary by card. Rather than trying to remember all of this on your own, we’ll guide you through the various shopping protections offered by American Express cards.This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the shopping protections available across the American Express card portfolio. Each section outlines a type of coverage and the cards that offer it. Coverage limits are also included.Cellphone protectionSmartphones aren’t cheap. Cellphone protection covers a stolen or damaged phone. Note that cosmetic damage and phones that are lost (even during shipping) are not usually covered.All American Express cards with this benefit offer the same level of protection. If your phone is damaged or stolen, American Express’s maximum liability per claim is $800. Each claim is subject to a $50 deductible, and coverage is limited to two claims per eligible account in a 12-month period. Covered phones are restricted to cellphone lines listed on a mobile phone plan that’s paid with the eligible card during the most recent billing period.*NISIAN HUGHES/GETTY IMAGESHere are the cards that include this protection:American Express Platinum Card®American Express Platinum Card® for Schwab**The Platinum Card® from American Express for Goldman Sachs**The Platinum Card® from American Express for Morgan Stanley**The Centurion® Card from American Express**The Business Centurion® Card from American Express**The Business Platinum Card® from American ExpressDelta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express CardDelta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express CardDelta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express CardDelta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express CardAmerican Express® Business Gold CardThe American Express Corporate Platinum Card®**The Corporate Centurion® Card from American Express***Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.**The information for these cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.Extended warrantyWhen you use your eligible card to purchase items that have a manufacturer’s warranty, extended warranty protection can add up to one extra year to the manufacturer’s warranty. Coverage applies to warranties of five years or less. However, some purchases do not receive extended warranty protection from American Express, such as motor vehicles.SUNWOO JUNG/GETTY IMAGESAll Amex cards with this benefit provide the same level of protection. The extended warranty coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your card for the item, with a maximum of $10,000. There is an annual limit of $50,000 per cardmember account in a calendar year.*Here are the cards that include this protection when you use them to purchase travel:American Express® Gold CardAmerican Express® Green CardAmerican Express Business Gold CardAmerican Express Platinum CardAmerican Express Platinum Card for Schwab**The Platinum Card from American Express for Goldman Sachs**The Platinum Card from American Express for Morgan Stanley**The Business Platinum Card from American ExpressThe Plum Card® from American ExpressDelta SkyMiles® Blue American Express CardDelta SkyMiles® Gold American Express CardDelta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express CardDelta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express CardDelta SkyMiles Platinum Business American Express CardDelta SkyMiles Reserve American Express CardDelta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express CardHilton Honors American Express CardHilton Honors American Express Surpass® CardHilton Honors American Express Aspire CardThe Hilton Honors American Express Business CardMarriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® CardMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® CardMarriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® CardBlue Cash Preferred® Card from American ExpressThe American Express Blue Business Cash™ CardThe Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American ExpressBusiness Green Rewards Card from American ExpressAmazon Business Card**Amazon Business Prime Card**Lowe’s Business Rewards Card**Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card**SimplyCash® Plus Business Credit Card**American Express® Gold Card for Ameriprise Financial**Schwab Investor Card® from American Express**Blue for Business® Credit Card**SimplyCash® Business Card**The Centurion Card from American Express**Business Centurion Card from American Express**One from American Express®**American Express® Business Purchase Account**American Express® Executive Business Card**American Express® Business Debit Card**Morgan Stanley Blue Cash Preferred® American Express Card**Morgan Stanley Credit Card from American Express***Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.**The information for these cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.Return protectionHave you ever tried to return an item and the store or seller wouldn’t take it back? In these instances, you can return eligible purchases to American Express for up to 90 days from the date of purchase.NEUSTOCKIMAGES/GETTYWith return protection, American Express may refund the full purchase price (excluding shipping and handling) up to $300 per item and up to a maximum of $1,000 per calendar year per card account. To be eligible, you must pay for the entirety of the item with your eligible American Express card, and purchases must be made in the U.S. or its territories.*Here are the cards that provide return protection when using them for purchases:American Express Platinum CardAmerican Express Platinum Card for Schwab**The Platinum Card from American Express for Goldman Sachs**The Platinum Card from American Express for Morgan Stanley**The Business Platinum Card from American ExpressThe Business Centurion Card from American Express**The Centurion Card from American Express**Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express CardDelta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express CardHilton Honors American Express Aspire CardMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express CardBlue Cash Preferred Card from American ExpressThe Plum Card from American ExpressAmazon Business Card**Amazon Business Prime Card**Amex EveryDay Preferred Credit Card**Zync from American Express**Morgan Stanley Blue Cash Preferred American Express Card***Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details.**The information for these cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.Purchase protectionWhile the return protection allows you to return items, purchase protection is for items you want to keep but which have been accidentally damaged, stolen or lost during a period extending for up to 90 days from the purchase date. Purchase protection is an embedded card benefit and does not require enrollment.EVA-KATALIN/GETTYThis benefit has two different “levels” of coverage, depending on the card you carry.Level 1: Higher-end cardsCards at this level offer coverage with a limit up to $10,000 per occurrence and up to $50,000 per cardmember account per calendar year.*The following cards provide this benefit:American Express Gold CardAmerican Express Gold Card for Ameriprise Financial**American Express Platinum CardAmerican Express Platinum Card for Schwab**The Platinum Card from American Express for Goldman Sachs**The Platinum Card from American Express for Morgan Stanley**The Centurion Card from American Express**Business Centurion Card from American Express**The Business Platinum Card from American ExpressDelta SkyMiles Reserve American Express CardDelta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express CardHilton Honors American Express Aspire CardMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express CardLevel 2: Mid-tier cardsOther American Express cards offer purchase protection with a limit of up to $1,000 per occurrence and up to $50,000 per cardmember account per calendar year.*Here are the cards that include this protection when you use them to pay for your items:American Express Business Gold CardAmerican Express® Green CardDelta SkyMiles Blue American Express CardDelta SkyMiles Gold American Express CardDelta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express CardDelta SkyMiles Platinum American Express CardDelta SkyMiles Platinum Business American Express CardHilton Honors American Express CardHilton Honors American Express Surpass CardThe Hilton Honors American Express Business CardMarriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express CardMarriott Bonvoy Business American Express CardBlue Cash Preferred Card from American ExpressThe Plum Card from American ExpressThe Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American ExpressThe American Express Blue Business Cash CardBlue Cash Everyday Card from American ExpressBlue Cash Preferred Card from American ExpressBusiness Green Rewards Card from American ExpressAmazon Business Card**Amazon Business Prime Card**Lowe’s Business Rewards Card**Cash Magnet Card**Amex EveryDay Credit Card**Amex EveryDay Preferred Credit Card**Blue from American Express®**SimplyCash Plus Business Credit Card**American Express® Platinum Credit Card**American Express® Credit Card**One from American Express®**Zync from American Express®**Marriott Bonvoy™ American Express® Card**Schwab Investor Card® from American Express**Morgan Stanley Credit Card from American Express**Blue Cash® from American Express**American Express® Cash Rebate Credit Card**Blue Sky from American Express®**Clear from American Express®**Platinum Optima® Card**Optima® Card**Bluebird® American Express® Reloadable Prepaid Card**Blue for Business® Credit Card**SimplyCash® Business Card**Serve® American Express® Reloadable Prepaid Card**American Express® Executive Business Card**American Express® Business Purchase Account**American Express® Business Debit Card**Morgan Stanley Blue Cash Preferred American Express Card**American Express® Debit Card***Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.**The information for these cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.Bottom lineUnderstanding your card’s shopping and purchasing benefits will help you know what to do if something goes wrong. American Express provides multiple shopping protections across its family of cards, protecting items you want to keep and those you want to return.Coverage limits within the same benefit can vary by which card you have, so consult your card’s detailed benefits at americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for full details.Related: How an often overlooked credit card benefit put $1,400 back in my walletEditorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.