The best cards for phone protection in April 2024

More details on our best credit cards for phone protection

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

The Venture X card comes with a number of attractive benefits, from a $300 annual travel credit for bookings made through the Capital One portal, Capital One lounge and Priority Pass lounge access for you and up to two guests and more.

What may really sell you on this card is its ample cellphone protection, covering theft or damage. By paying your monthly bill with your Venture X, you’ll not only earn 2 miles per dollar on all purchases, but cardholders can take advantage of phone protection.

Related: The most exciting premium card to come around in years: A review of Capital One Venture X

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Official application link: Capital One Venture X

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The Platinum Card® from American Express

On April 1, 2021, American Express added cellphone protection to a number of its premium consumer and small business cards, including The Platinum Card. What makes Amex’s protection stand out is that it includes screen damage, which is typically excluded from damage coverage. It also covers theft and any other form of damage. 

To be eligible, a cardmember’s cellphone line needs to be listed on the wireless bill and the prior month’s bill must be paid on the eligible Amex card account. Cardholders are eligible for up to two approved claims, for a maximum of $800 per claim or $1,600 per 12-month period. A $50 deductible applies to each approved claim.*

Related: Amex adds new cell phone protection benefit

Here’s the full list of Amex cards that will be eligible for cell phone protection:

• The Platinum Card® from American Express
• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
• Centurion® Card from American Express**
• Business Centurion Card®**
• The Platinum Card® Exclusively for Charles Schwab**
• The Platinum Card® Exclusively for Morgan Stanley**
• The Platinum Card® Exclusively for Goldman Sachs**
• The Centurion® Card Exclusively for Goldman Sachs**

*Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. 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.

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Official application link: American Express Platinum

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Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

On top of offering 3 points per dollar when you use the card to pay your monthly bill, the Ink Business Preferred from Chase gives your phone and any eligible phones listed on the same bill supplemental protection. That means damage may be covered, assuming the phone is not listed on any insurance policy from the provider or on your personal home/valuable property insurance.

This protection is subject to a $100 deductible per claim and a maximum of three claims per 12-month period. The maximum benefit limit is $1,000, for up to $3,000 annually per claim. The protection covers damage and theft. Per Chase, there are exceptions to this protection, including but not limited to: 

• Cellular wireless telephone accessories other than standard battery and/or standard antenna provided by the manufacturer.
• Cellular wireless telephone purchased for resale.
• Cellular wireless telephone under the care and control of a common carrier.
• Cellular wireless telephone that has been rented, leased and borrowed.
• Cosmetic damage to the cellular wireless telephone.
• Taxes, delivery and transportation charges, and any fees associated with the cellular service provider.

You must file a claim within 60 days of the incident and provide all required documentation for the claim within 90 days of the incident. You can go to page 48 of your Chase Ink Business Preferred benefits guide to read all the fine print.

Related: How to submit a cellphone insurance claim for the Ink Business Preferred

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Official application link: Ink Business Preferred

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Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

The Wells Fargo Active Cash (see rates and fees) is one of the few cards on the market with no annual fee and offers cell phone protection against damage and theft. Just pay your monthly cell phone bill with this card and receive up to $600 in protection (with a $25 deductible). Plus, you’ll earn 2% cash rewards on purchases, making this one of the most lucrative cash rewards cards on the market.

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Certain World Elite Mastercards 

If you happen to carry a World Elite Mastercard in your wallet, you may be eligible for cell phone protection that covers damage or theft up to $800 (with a $50 deductible), and up to $1,000 per 12-month period. This benefit protects your primary cell phone line and the first two secondary, additional or supplemental lines when you pay your cell phone bill every month with a World Elite Mastercard.

Here’s a list of World Elite Mastercards, but it’s currently not clear whether all come with cell phone insurance.

• Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
• Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees)
• Barclaycard Arrival® Plus World Elite Mastercard® (no longer open for applications)
• JetBlue Plus World Elite Mastercard
• Lufthansa Miles & More World Elite Mastercard
• Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard

The information for the Barclays Arrival Plus, JetBlue Plus, Lufthansa Miles, and Hawaiian Airline 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.

Citi Prestige® Card

This premium card offers a cell phone protection benefit above the usual Mastercard World Elite coverage maximum. The benefit is for up to five phones when you pay their monthly bill with the card. You’ll get up to $1,000 per claim and up to $1,500 per 12-month period, with a $50 deductible.

This coverage doesn’t apply to phones that are lost or mysteriously disappear (though theft is covered), and you won’t be covered if your cell phone’s damage is merely cosmetic, “including minor screen cracks and fractures less than 2 inches in length that do not prevent the ability to make or receive phone calls or to use other features related to making or receiving phone calls.” Log in to your Citi account to read all the fine print about this coverage policy.

The information for the Citi Prestige Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.          

U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card

Another Visa card to offer cell phone protection is the U.S. Bank Visa Platinum Card (see rates and fees). The benefit covers damage or theft up to $600, with a $25 deductible, for up to two claims ($1,200) per 12-month period. It protects your primary cell phone line and any secondary, additional or supplemental lines when you pay your cell phone bill every month with your U.S. Bank Visa Platinum Card. The secondary coverage provided by this card is similar to the coverage provided by the Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card and the Uber Visa Card, but check your guide to benefits for full details.

The information for the U.S. Bank Visa Platinum, Wells Fargo Propel Card and Uber Visa Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. 

What is credit card cellphone protection?

Cellphone protection is a benefit typically offered by credit cards to cover the cost of a new cellphone in the event of damage or theft. The amount that is covered, the extent of what is covered as well as the deductible will all vary from card to card. 

Related: Amex adds new cell phone protection benefit — check here to see if your card is eligible

What’s covered with credit card cellphone protection?

Most protection plans offered by credit cards will cover damage and theft. Protection amounts for the cards listed on this page vary from $600 to $1,000. In order to be eligible for the protection, most companies require that you pay for your phone bill with their credit card. Additional terms and conditions may exist. 

Is cell phone protection worth it?

If you have a credit card that offers cellphone protection, it’s a no-brainer to use that card to pay your cellphone bill. These days, phones can cost more than $1,000, so being totally on the hook for an unexpected replacement can be very painful.

By leaning into some built-in card protections, you’ll have coverage for you and others on your plan without needing to pay your phone company for device coverage. The Ink Business Preferred has a $100 deductible, but you’ll earn 3 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on cellphone bills. So if your family has a $200 cell phone bill each month, you’ll earn 7,200 Ultimate Rewards per year, which TPG values at $144.

Related: How I got my cracked iPhone replaced for just $54.20 by using the right credit card

Are credit cards with phone protection worth it? 

Knowing you have your phone protected could really pay big dividends if your expensive smartphone is damaged or stolen. Just make sure to set your monthly cell phone bill payment up to one of the cards that offer this coverage as it doesn’t kick in if you don’t use that card to pay your monthly bill.

Additional reporting by Christina Ly.

For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum card, click here.

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

Featured image by praetorianphoto via Getty Images.