Your credit card likely offers a number of valuable benefits that can protect you when traveling and protect the things you buy. But what coverages do you have and when do they apply? You’ll find the answers in your card’s guide to benefits.
Here’s what you need to know about your card’s guide to benefits.
What is your card’s Guide to Benefits?
The Guide to Benefits or Cardholder Benefits Guide is a document that details most of your card’s benefits. If your credit card offers benefits like extended warranty, purchase protection, trip delay reimbursement, or travel insurance, the details will be in this document. It’s important to read and understand your guide to benefits so that you know what benefits your card offers and when
You’ll usually get your benefits guide with your credit card when it arrives in the mail. Some issuers make benefit guides available online
Where to find your credit card’s guide to benefits
In most cases, you’ll be able to find your credit card’s guide to benefits online, either on your bank’s public website or through your online account management portal. Though not all banks make this easy. In some cases, you’ll need to know your card type and in other cases your card’s benefit guide may not be available online at all.
While you might be able to find a copy of your card’s guide to benefits on third-party websites, be wary of relying on this information. Many benefit guides posted on online forums are outdated and some may have been altered to contain illegitimate phone numbers and websites as a way to steal your identity. If you can’t find your card’s Guide to Benefits on your bank’s website, you can always call the number on the back of your card and request a copy.
Here is a bit more about where popular card issuers keep their benefit guides.
American Express: Benefits info online and many benefit policies publicly available by card
If you are a current cardmember, American Express makes it easy to find your benefits on its website and mobile app. On the website, simply log in to manage your account and navigate to the “Rewards & Benefits” section of the website using the main menu at the top of the page. Once you’ve clicked on “Rewards & Benefits,” click on “Benefits” to bring up a page that will show you most of your card benefits.
Within each tile on the benefits page, you can learn more about each of your card’s benefits. This page is also where you can enroll in your enrollable card benefits.
You can also find your card’s benefits on the Amex mobile app. Select your card from the home screen and click on “Membership” at the bottom of the screen. On the Membership screen, you’ll see a section for your benefits that will let you scroll through a few tiles with a few featured benefits. Click on “View All” to bring up the full list of card benefits.
From the card benefits page (pictured on the right) you’ll be able to access more information about all of your card’s benefits. You can also enroll in enrollable benefits.
For certain benefits, Amex lists all cards that have the benefit along with links to the current benefit terms and conditions. If you’re interested in which Amex cards have specific benefits, these links might be useful:
- Amex extended warranty policies by card.
- Amex purchase protection policies by card.
- Amex return protection policies by card.
- Amex cell phone protection policies by card.
- Amex baggage insurance plan policies by card.
- Amex card rental loss and damage insurance policies by card.
- Amex global assist policies by card.
- Amex trip delay insurance policies by card.
- Amex trip cancellation and interruption insurance policies by card.
Bank of America: No benefit guides online. You must request a paper copy.
Bank of America doesn’t post its guides to benefits online. You won’t find them on Bank of America’s public website, nor will you find them on your account online. If you have a Bank of America credit card, you can call the number on the back of your card to request your card’s Guide to Benefits.
All of the information we post about Bank of America card benefits comes directly from card benefit guides provided directly to us or someone we know by Bank of America. We don’t source information from third-party sites.
Capital One: Benefit guides online by card type.
Capital One posts its Visa and Mastercard benefits guides online at its website. Unfortunately, looking up your card’s benefits guide isn’t as simple as looking up the name of the credit card you hold. You must find your card type to look up your card’s benefits guide.
What is a card type? Let’s look at Visa as an example. Capital One issues several different account types of Visa cards. Visa Professional, Visa Signature, Visa Business, and Visa Infinite are just a few examples. At the top of your online or paper statement, you’ll see something like “Venture X Card | Visa Infinite ending in 1234.” That line on the statement will tell you what type of card you have. You can reference your card’s benefit guide by the card type.
When we post information about the benefits of Capital One cards, we are referencing either advertised benefits or benefits guides based on what we know about what type of card Capital One is currently issuing for a given product. Capital One may choose to change the type of card it issues for any product at any time.
Chase: Easily find benefit info on the website or the mobile app
You can find benefit information for all of the Chase cards you have easily on the Chase website. To find your benefit information, log into Chase.com. From the list of credit cards that appears after you log in, click on your credit card and then navigate to the “More” menu on the panel that pops up. Within the More menu, you’ll find an option for “Card benefits” that will take you to a web page that offers information about all of your card’s benefits.
Your card benefit information can also be found within your mobile app. Click on “Benefits & Travel” in the main navigation menu in the app to go to the benefits page. Choose the account you want to access from the dropdown at the top of the screen and scroll to the “Credit card benefits” tile. Clicking on the top part of this tile will take you to a screen that details all of the benefits available on your card.
Finally, of course, you can always call the number on the back of your card and request that a guide to benefits be mailed to you.
Popular Chase cards with online guides to benefits
Here are the links to some popular Chase card benefit guides. All of these links are direct links to either Chase.com or Chase’s content delivery network.
- Chase Freedom®, Chase Freedom Unlimited® and Chase Freedom® Student Visa Platinum® and Visa Signature® guide to travel and purchase protections.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card guide to benefits.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® guide to benefits.
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card guide to benefits.
Bottom line
Your card’s Guide to Benefits details the perks and benefits offered on your credit card. In many cases, you can find your card’s benefit guide online, but you can always get a copy by calling the customer service number on the back of your card.