Cell phone protection: Pay your monthly bill with your card, get protected against damage and theft for free.

Cell phone protection is an essential benefit that can reimburse you if you damage your mobile phone or if your phone is stolen.

Many credit cards, including some no-annual-fee credit cards, offer this benefit when you pay your monthly cell phone bill with your credit card. In most cases, cell phone protection does not cover loss of a cell phone.

Here’s what you need to know about cell phone protection.

Cards that offer cell phone protection

Here are the popular cards that offer cell phone protection. Some cards are grouped into card families to simplify the table.

Card	Deductible	Per claim limit	Annual limits	Important other details
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card Annual fee: $395	$50	$800	$1,600 per year. 2 claims in a 12 month period.
Chase Freedom Flex℠ Annual fee: $0	$50	$800	$1,000 per year. 2 claims in a 12 month period.	Covers cracked screens only if it impacts the ability to make or receive calls.
Delta SkyMiles Platinum and Reserve cards Annual fees vary.	$50	$800	2 claims in a 12 month period.	Covers cracked screens.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card Annual fee: $99	$100	$600	$1,800 per 12 month period. 3 claims in a 12 month period.
U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card Annual fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95/year.	$100	$600	1 claim per 12 month period.	Benefit being eliminated from the card effective September 9, 2024.
Wells Fargo Visa Cards (All have $0 annual fees)	$25	$600	$1,200 per year 2 claims per 12 month period
Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Annual fee: $95	$25	$1,000	$2,000 per year 2 claims per 12 month period.	This is a new card and not yet available to new cardmembers.

What is cell phone protection?

Cell phone protection is a credit card benefit that can reimburse you for costs if your phone is damaged or stolen. To activate coverage, you need to pay your monthly cell phone bill with a card that offers this benefit. Cell phone protection is typically secondary to other insurance, such as your homeowners insurance or paid cell phone protection from your phone carrier.

What is typically covered by cell phone protection?

Cell phone protection typically covers repair or replacement of a phone if it is stolen or damaged. Most cell phone protection plans do not cover loss of a cell phone, but some will cover “involuntary and accidental parting” where you know the location of your mobile phone, but it is impractical to retrieve.

Here’s what is typically covered and excluded:

• Stolen phones – Stolen phones are usually covered by cell phone insurance. Be sure to file a police report within 48 hours after your phone is stolen.
• Damage that makes your phone unusable – If you damage your phone and your phone becomes unusable, you are usually covered.
• Cracked screens – Most cell phone protection benefits exclude cracked screens that do not affect your phone’s functionality. Some cell phone protection benefits require that your phone not be able to make or receive calls.
• Prepaid phones – Prepaid phones plans are frequently excluded from coverage. American Express and Chase exclude prepaid phones. Wells Fargo’s insurance does not exclude prepaid phones.
• Lost phones – Almost all cell phone insurance benefits exclude lost phones and phones that “mysteriously disappear.”
• Other devices – . If you have an iPad, smartwatch, or other device connected to your cell phone plan, it will usually not be eligible for any coverage under cell phone protection.

If your phone is stolen or damaged, you will typically be able to receive reimbursement for repair or replacement of your phone. In some cases, cell phone protection may replace your phone with an equivalent phone or provide you with a payment based on the current value of your phone.

Credit card cell phone protection is secondary insurance

Cell phone protection is usually secondary insurance, meaning that you must claim against other insurance first. Other insurance that could cover your cell phone might include:

• Cell phone protection plans offered by your cell phone carrier
• Purchased extended warranties that cover accidental damage, theft or loss (such as AppleCare+)
• Homeowner’s, renter’s, or automobile insurance
• Insurance policies that may cover you on a business trip

How to activate coverage

You generally activate cell phone protection by paying your monthly cell phone bill with a credit card offering this benefit.

Coverage usually does not start immediately. The cell phone protection benefits offered on many Visa, Mastercard and American Express credit cards only become effective in the month following your first monthly charge of your cell phone bill to your cards. In addition, you must continue to pay your monthly cell phone bill with your eligible card; coverage will stop if you stop paying your monthly cell phone bill with your credit card.

If you have a prepaid phone service that you pay for every few months or annually, you likely will not qualify for credit card cell phone protection. Most cell phone protection benefits require you to pay a monthly cell phone bill with your card to be eligible for coverage.

What to do if you need to make a claim

Your credit card’s benefits guide will have the details of how to file a cell phone protection claim. Generally, you must provide documentation to substantiate your claim, including:

• A copy of your wireless bill showing that you paid with your eligible credit card
• Proof that your claimed device was linked to your wireless account
• A police report if your cell phone was stolen
• Photos of your damaged phone
• A repair estimate or a receipt showing the purchase of a replacement phone

You must submit a claim within a reasonable amount of time after your phone damaged or stolen. Additionally, if your phone is stolen, you will typically need to provide a police report, filed soon after you discover your phone is stolen. Your guide to benefits will provide time limits for submitting your claims.

Frequently asked questions