An extended warranty can be one of the most valuable ways that using a credit card can protect the things you buy. And it can often be worth foregoing earning more rewards to get a superior credit card extended warranty for larger purchases. American Express offers extended warranty protection as a benefit of many of its premium credit cards.
While the American Express extended warranty isn’t the longest credit card warranty available, the company does have a reputation for being consumer-friendly. In most cases, if you need to claim an item under a credit card extended warranty, you’re going to experience the least hassle with American Express.
Here’s what you need to know about Amex extended warranty benefits.
What is an extended warranty?
Some credit cards offer an extended warranty benefit which extends the manufacturer’s warranty for items you purchase with your card. Extended warranty benefits are frequently under-appreciated and underused, but can save you a ton of money if an expensive item fails shortly after the original manufacturer’s warranty expires. An extended warranty benefit won’t cover a shattered phone screen or a dropped laptop, but it can provide for a repair or replacement of many items if they fail under normal usage.
For most people, it can make sense to forego some rewards in order to purchase items that have warranties with a credit card that offers an extended warranty benefit. Here’s what you need to know about the extended warranty benefits provided by Amex.
Amex extended warranty at a glance
| Additional coverage | Doubles the manufacturer’s warranty, up to one additional year. | |
| Maximum total coverage | Six years of coverage—5 years of original manufacturer’s warranty coverage, plus 1 year of Amex warranty | |
| Purchase location | Inside the U.S., its territories and possessions. | |
| Coverage limits | Per covered purchase: $10,000 Per eligible card: $50,000 |
How get American Express Extended warranty coverage
To get American Express extended warranty coverage, you must purchase an eligible item that has a U.S. manufacturer’s warranty using your card.
- You must make your purchase using a card that has a Amex extended warranty benefit.
- Your purchase must come with an original manufacturer’s warranty.
- Your purchase must be made within the United States, its territories or possessions.
- The original manufacturer’s warranty must be valid within the United States.
Which cards offer American Express extended warranty coverage?
All premium credit cards offered by American Express feature the Amex extended warranty benefit. It’s a common misconception that only Amex cards with an annual fee carry the extended warranty benefit; there are several business and personal Amex cards that give you the benefit with no fee. Here are the cards that offer the Amex extended warranty benefit.
American Express cards with an extended warranty benefit
- The Platinum Card
- Business Platinum Card®
- American Express® Gold Card
- Business Gold Card
- Blue Cash Preferred® Card
- Blue BusinessSM Plus Credit Card
- Blue Business Cash
- Plum Card®
Delta SkyMiles credit cards with an extended warranty benefit
- Delta Reserve® Credit Card
- Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card
- Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card
- Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card
- Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card
- Gold Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card
- Blue Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card
Hilton credit cards with an extended warranty benefit
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
- Hilton Honors American Express Card
- Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
Amex-issued Marriott Bonvoy credit cards with an extended warranty benefit
Amex-issued retailer credit cards with extended warranty benefits
- Amazon Business Card
- Amazon Business Prime Card
- Lowe’s Business Rewards Card
If you want to be sure that your Amex card offers an extended warranty benefit, American Express makes that easy; all of its credit cards offering an extended warranty can be found here.
More about Amex extended warranty benefits
Here’s a deeper dive into the American Express extended warranty benefit.
What does the Amex extended warranty cover?
The American Express extended warranty covers the repair or replacement of items you purchase with your card that fail in a way that would be covered under an original manufacturer’s warranty. The Amex extended warranty covers a period equal to your original manufacturer’s warranty, up to one year and covers your item for that period after your original warranty expires. Amex extended warranty applies only to items that have a manufacturer’s warranty of five years or less.
What kinds of items are excluded?
Extended warranty benefit terms usually list items that are excluded from coverage. Typically extended warranty benefits exclude large purchases like automobiles, items that can be copied like computer software, perishable items and consumables. Here’s what American Express excludes from its extended warranty coverage.
- Cash and cash-like instruments. Credit cards, securities, documents, tickets, travelers checks, gift certificates, gift cards, gift checks, food stamps, notes, accounts, bills, currency, deeds, evidences of debt or intangible property, rare stamps, and coins.
- Consumable items like food, perfume, light bulbs, and batteries.
- Items that you intend to lease, rent, borrow or resell
- Motorized devices and parts, except that are part of a permanent residential or business fixture.
- Residential or business fixtures that can’t be removed without damaging the structure.
- Land or buildings.
- Items in a pair or set unless the items cannot be used individually.
- One-of a kind or unique items like antiques, artwork, and furs.
- Software, downloadable apps, computer programs, or firmware.
- Items that have been discarded.
- Damage to any item or property caused by a covered item’s failure.
- Items purchased for professional or commercial use.
- Used and previously-owned items. (Items refurbished by the original manufacturer are covered)
What you need to do when you purchase an item
You don’t need to register an item to take advantage of Amex extended warranty coverage, but you will want to remember to save your receipts and record which American Express card you used to purchase the item. If you ever need to file a claim, you will need a copy of your purchase receipt and to know which Amex card you charged your item to.
A best practice is to take a picture and save your receipts in an online photo album or in a note-taking app like Evernote or OneNote. You will also likely need to provide evidence of your warranty, so if you can’t easily find your item’s warranty policy online, it can be worthwhile to save documentation of this as well.
How to file a claim
If you need to file an extended warranty claim with American Express, you can start your claim online or over the phone. The easiest way to start a claim is online at https://americanexpress.com/onlineclaim. You can also initiate a claim via telephone at 1-800-228-6855. If you are located outside the United States, you can place a collect call to 1-303-273-6498.
Click on the link above only after you have logged into your account. If you are not logged into your account, you will be prompted to log in and you’ll be taken to your account overview page, rather than the online claim center. Here’s what the online claim center looks like.
Another way to access the online claim center is to navigate to your benefits page through the Amex online account portal. Click on “Rewards & Benefits* at the top of the screen, then click on “Benefits” on the next page. Scroll down until you see a panel that says “Extended Warranty” within the list of benefits. Click “Learn More” and you’ll see the screen below. The “File a Claim” link will take you to the benefit center page.
Completing the online form
The online claim center is where you’ll start your extended warranty claim. To begin your claim, click on “File a Claim” at the top of the main page of the online claim center. On the next page, select the card you used to purchase the item and your date of purchase.
Once you’ve selected your card and date of purchase, you’ll choose which type of claim you are making. From this screen, select “Extended Warranty.”
The next several screens will guide you through the process of submitting your claim. To submit your claim, you’ll need to provide information about yourself and the item you are claiming. Here’s what American Express advises you’ll need to make your claim:
- Your personal information, including your email-address
- Purchase information, including receipt, date, amount and place of purchase
- Item information, including manufacturer name and model number (if applicable)
Filling your claim extended warranty claim form: Claiming your item
Once you start the process of filing your extended warranty claim, Amex will ask you for information about the item you are claiming. One of the first screens you’ll see when filing your claim will ask for information on your loss. For an extended warranty claim, this usually means the date on which the item broke. On this same screen, describe how the item malfunctioned. A simple explanation of what broke is usually sufficient.
On the next screen, you’ll be asked for detailed information about the item you are claiming under your extended warranty benefits. American Express will want a fair amount of information on the item you are claiming, including the following:
- Item name. A few word description of what the item is.
- Purchase date of the item. When you purchased the item.
- Item type. Appliance, electronics, PC or others.
- Item description. This might be a drop-down or a free-text entry. Describe what the item is if it is not clear from the item name.
- Merchant. Where you bought the item
- Manufacturer. Who made the item.
- Model number.
- Serial number.
- Item cost with taxes, excluding shipping fees.
- Warranty or extended warranty company name. If you do not have an extended warranty, this is usually the manufacturer.
- Length of the manufacturer’s warranties for parts, labor and any extended parts or labor extended warranties in days.
If one of the items doesn’t apply or you don’t know it, putting “NA” (not applicable) or “Unknown” on the form is usually acceptable. Fill out the form accurately and to the best of your ability.
After adding your item to your claim form, you’ll provide your address, read some required disclosures, and submit your claim. You’ll receive a confirmation number and the claim will displayed in a list of claims on the main page of the online claim center.
What happens next
Within a few days, American Express will send an acknowledgement of your claim submission. Usually the letter you receive will simply be an acknowledgement and let you know that there is no action required.
A few days later, you might receive another letter requesting you provide additional information so that Amex can assess your warranty claim. This additional documentation usually includes filling out a claim form and providing additional documentation like the following:
- Paper claim form, including more details about the item.
- Copy of the itemized sales receipt.
- Copy of the original manufacturer’s written U.S. warranty, and any other applicable warranty.
- Photos of the item being claimed showing the defect.
For items like appliances and PCs, you may also be asked to get a repair estimate or have a technician examine the device to determine its cause of failure.
After you submit the required information, Amex will evaluate your claim. A claim adjuster may reach out for additional information, but if your claim is approved Amex will usually provide a payment to cover the repair or replacement of your item.
Frequently asked questions
The American Express extended warranty coverage applies to items that are refurbished by the original manufacturer.
The American Express extended warranty does not cover used items. Items that come refurbised from the original manufacturer are eligible for coverage.
If your item needs to be repaired, Amex will usually request that you find an authorized repair shop to fix your item.