The 5 best credit cards for extended warranty coverage

The benefits of using the top credit cards go far beyond the rewards you can earn. Many cards have insurance coverages that automatically apply to eligible purchases. Among these protections is extended warranty coverage.

A credit card’s extended warranty can add an extra year or more to an item’s original warranty. While you may not use this benefit very often, it can be incredibly valuable when you need it.

Below, CNBC Select shares how extended warranty coverage works and the best credit cards that offer extended warranties.

Who’s this for? The Citi Premier® Card is an excellent choice for anyone who wants to earn transferable points and access to one of the top extended warranty coverages that’s available with a credit card without paying a high annual fee.

Extended warranty limits: The Citi Premier Card adds 24 months to eligible warranties of five years or less. That’s double the coverage most other credit cards provide. The maximum coverage is $10,000 per item for repairs, replacement or reimbursement (up to the amount you charged to your card, including Citi ThankYou points redemptions).

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Who’s this for? The American Express® Gold Card is a points-earning powerhouse that’s also a great card to use for purchasing expensive items because it comes with both extended warranty and purchase protections.

Extended warranty limits: When purchasing eligible items with your American Express Gold Card, the original manufacturer’s warranty can be extended up to one year. Eligible warranties must be five years or less. You’re covered for up to $10,000 per item not to exceed $50,000 per 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.

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Who’s this for? The Citi Rewards+® Card is a solid option if you prefer not to pay an annual fee but still want extended warranty coverage.

Extended warranty limits: Eligible purchases you make with the Citi Rewards+ Card can have the warranty extended by 24 months. The original warranty must be for five years or less and the maximum coverage limit is $10,000 (up to the amount charged to your card, including ThankYou points redemptions).

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Who’s this for? If you have poor credit or a limited credit history, the Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card is a good card to consider because you can qualify with a reasonable security deposit.

Extended warranty limits: Eligible purchases you make with your Capital One Platinum Secured card can have the original warranty length doubled (up to 24 months maximum). If the original warranty is for longer than 24 months, this benefit doesn’t apply. The coverage limit is up to $10,000 or what you charged to your card (whichever is less).

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The Citi Premier® Card is one of the best travel credit cards for earning Citi ThankYou points, which transfer to many valuable travel programs. It has a modest annual fee and earns bonus points in a variety of common spending categories.

Rewards

• 3X points per dollar at restaurants
• 3X points per dollar at supermarkets
• 3X points per dollar at gas stations
• 3X points per dollar on hotels and air travel
• 1X points per dollar on all other purchases

Welcome bonus

Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening.

Annual fee

$95

Notable benefits

The Citi Premier® Card enables ThankYou point transfers to all 17 of Citi’s transfer partners. So if you have the Citi Rewards+® Card or the Citi Double Cash® Card, the rewards you earn instantly become more useful if you also have the Citi Premier card.

Once per calendar year, cardholders receive a $100 discount on hotel bookings (of $500 or more) made through Thankyou.com. You’ll pay no foreign transaction fees with this card and have access to Citi-specific perks, such as Citi Entertainment.

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There are few cards as rewarding for purchases as the American Express® Gold Card, which is one of the best options for dining and U.S. supermarket spending.

Rewards

• 4X points per dollar for dining at restaurants worldwide, and delivery and takeout within the U.S.
• 4X points per dollar for shopping at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per year, then 1X points
• 3X points per dollar on flights booked directly via the airline or through Amextravel.com
• 1X points per dollar for all other purchases

Welcome bonus

Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on eligible purchases within the first six months of account opening.

Annual fee

$250 (see rates and fees)

Notable benefits

Aside from the extended warranty, the American Express Gold Card offers other types of insurance benefits, including coverage for trip delays, rental cars and baggage. Cardmembers can also benefit from several valuable statement credit offers. You can receive up to $120 in dining credits each year (up to $10 back a month), which can be used with partners like Grubhub, Seamless and Goldbelly. The card also provides up to $120 in annual Uber Cash ($10 per month) that can be used for Uber Eats orders. Enrollment required. Terms apply.

Amex Membership Rewards points can be transferred to various airline or hotel partners or redeemed for gift cards, cash back and other rewards. This card also has no foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees).

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The Citi Rewards+® Card is a no-annual-fee credit card with several interesting perks, such as a 10% rebate on points redemptions (on the first 100,000 points you redeem each year).

Rewards

• 2X points per dollar at supermarkets and gas stations for the first $6,000 per year, then 1X points
• 1X points per dollar on all other purchases

The points you earn on purchases are also rounded up to the nearest increment of 10. For example, a $4 purchase earns 10 points and a $12 transaction would earn 20 points.

Welcome bonus

Earn 20,000 points after spending $1,500 in purchases on your card within three months of account opening.

Annual fee

$0

Notable benefits

One of the best features of Citi Rewards+ Card is its 10% rebate on points redemptions, which applies to the first 100,000 points you redeem each calendar year. This points rebate applies to transfers to Citi’s travel partners, so if you have a card that unlocks all of Citi’s transfer partners (like the Citi Premier® Card), you’ll receive up to 10,000 points back a year on transfer to ultra valuable programs, such as Turkish Airlines or Emirates.

New card members can also qualify for a 0% introductory APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers (then a variable 18.74% – 28.74% APR applies). For balance transfers completed in the first four months of account opening, there is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5). Balance transfers completed afterward will cost 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).

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The way extended warranty coverage works is, typically, it takes the terms of the original manufacturer’s warranty and extends the window those protections apply to. This benefit is available to eligible cardholders at no additional cost. To file a claim, you’ll usually need proof of purchase, proof that you used your eligible card to make the purchase and the original warranty.

For an item to be eligible, the original manufacturer’s warranty needs to fall under a certain length, which is typically two to five years depending on the coverage. You’ll also need to make the purchase with your credit that has this benefit or with rewards associated with that card.

Each card’s extended warranty coverage has a list of items that are excluded, this usually includes purchases such as:

• Boats
• Cars
• Anything purchased for resale
• Pre-owned for refurbished items
• Antiques
• Services
• Software

Many credit cards offer extended warranty coverage for eligible purchases. However, the value of this perk varies depending on the card. Original warranties are generally only extended for between one and two years, and additional restrictions apply. It’s important to read the fine print for your cards so you know when the coverage applies.

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best credit cards for extended warranty coverage.

To determine which credit cards are best for extended warranties, CNBC Select analyzed the most popular credit cards available to U.S. consumers. We compared each card on a range of features in addition to the card’s extended warranty benefit, including the annual fee, rewards, welcome bonus, introductory and standard APR and foreign transaction fees. We also considered additional perks and how easy it is to redeem points.

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For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.