Best Credit Cards for Cell Phone Insurance of August 2024
Updated: Jul 24, 2024
When you pay your monthly cell phone bill with certain credit cards, you get insurance coverage that can reimburse you for a damaged or stolen phone. You probably shouldn't choose a card based solely on this feature, and there are some cases where you might want to think twice before taking advantage of the perk. But if you're already paying separately for cell phone insurance, putting your bill on one of these cards can save you some cash each month.
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When you pay your monthly cell phone bill with certain credit cards, you get insurance coverage that can reimburse you for a damaged or stolen phone. You probably shouldn't choose a card based solely on this feature, and there are some cases where you might want to think twice before taking advantage of the perk. But if you're already paying separately for cell phone insurance, putting your bill on one of these cards can save you some cash each month.
250+ credit cards reviewed and rated by our team of experts
80+ years of combined experience covering credit cards and personal finance
100+ categories of best credit card selections (See our top picks)
Objective comprehensive ratings rubrics (Methodology)
NerdWallet's credit cards content, including ratings and recommendations, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in credit cards. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, USA Today, The New York Times, MarketWatch, MSN, NBC's "Today," ABC's "Good Morning America" and many other national, regional and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity.
250+ credit cards reviewed and rated by our team of experts
80+ years of combined experience covering credit cards and personal finance
100+ categories of best credit card selections (See our top picks)
Objective comprehensive ratings rubrics (Methodology)
NerdWallet's credit cards content, including ratings and recommendations, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in credit cards. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, USA Today, The New York Times, MarketWatch, MSN, NBC's "Today," ABC's "Good Morning America" and many other national, regional and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity.
Show summary
NerdWallet's Best Credit Cards for Cell Phone Insurance of August 2024
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card: Best for Simple cash back
Chase Freedom Flex®: Best for Bonus cash back
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Best for Elevated travel rewards
The Platinum Card® from American Express: Best for Premium travel perks
U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card: Best for 0% intro APR
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: Best for Small business
Choice Privileges® Mastercard®: Best for Hotel rewards
Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard®: Best for Hotel rewards + perks
Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card: Best for Travel rewards + no annual fee
Find the right credit card for you.
Whether you want to pay less interest or earn more rewards, the right card's out there. Just answer a few questions and we'll narrow the search for you.
Whether you want to pay less interest or earn more rewards, the right card's out there. Just answer a few questions and we'll narrow the search for you.
Simple cash back
Bonus cash back
Elevated travel rewards
Premium travel perks
0% intro APR
Small business
Hotel rewards
Hotel rewards + perks
Travel rewards + no annual fee
FULL LIST OF EDITORIAL PICKS: BEST CREDIT CARDS FOR CELL PHONE INSURANCE
Verify details on issuer's website before applying
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
Our pick for: Simple cash back
Among flat-rate cash-back cards, you'll be hard-pressed to beat the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card. It earns an unlimited 2% back on all purchases, which is excellent. But in addition, the card offers a rich sign-up bonus and a generous intro APR period on both purchases and balance transfers. That's an impressive, hard-to-find combination of features on a card with a $0 annual fee. Read our review.
Cell phone coverage is standard on Wells Fargo's consumer cards. In addition to the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card, you'll also get the benefit with the Wells Fargo Reflect® Card, which is a top choice for a long 0% intro APR period, and the issuer's "Autograph" rewards cards. See other Wells Fargo cards.
Chase Freedom Flex®
Our pick for: Bonus cash back
The Chase Freedom Flex® offers bonus cash back in quarterly categories that you activate, as well as on travel booked through Chase, at restaurants and at drugstores. Category activation can be a hassle, but if your spending matches the categories — and for a lot of people, it will — you can rack up hundreds of dollars a year. There's a fantastic bonus offer for new cardholders and an intro APR offer, too. Read our review.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Our pick for: Travel rewards
Capital One's premium travel credit card can deliver terrific benefits — provided you're willing to do your travel spending through the issuer's online booking portal. That's where you'll earn the highest rewards rates plus credits that can make back the bulk of your annual fee (see rates and fees). Read our review.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Our pick for: Luxury travel perks
The Platinum Card® from American Express comes with a hefty annual fee, but travelers who like to go in style (and aren't afraid to pay for comfort) can more than get their money's worth. Enjoy extensive airport lounge access, hundreds of dollars a year in travel and shopping credits, hotel benefits and more. That's not even getting into the high rewards rate on eligible travel purchases and the rich welcome offer for new cardholders. Read our review.
In 2021, American Express added cell phone protection on a variety of premium cards, in addition to The Platinum Card® from American Express. Terms apply.
U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card
Our pick for: Road tripping
The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card is one of the most generous cards on the market if you're taking to the skies or the road, thanks to the quadruple points it earns on travel and purchases at gas stations and EV charging stations. It's also a solid card for everyday expenses like groceries, dining and streaming, and it comes with ongoing credits that can offset its annual fee: $0 intro for the first year, then $95. Read our review.
U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card
Our pick for: 0% intro APR period
A lengthy introductory APR period for both purchases and balance transfers has made the U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card a NerdWallet favorite. Read our review.
Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card
Our pick for: Travel rewards + no annual fee
The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card offers so much value, it's hard to believe there's no annual fee. Start with a great bonus offer, then earn extra rewards in a host of common spending categories — restaurants, gas stations, transit, travel, streaming and more. Read our review.
Choice Privileges® Mastercard®
Our pick for: Hotel rewards
The Choice Privileges® Mastercard® earns a fairly high rate on stays at Choice Hotels, as well as on major everyday spending categories. It's a solid choice if you're a Choice loyalist, but a general-purpose travel card offers more flexibility. Read our review.
Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard®
Our pick for: Hotel rewards + perks
The $95-annual-fee Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard® earns a rich rewards rate at eligible Choice Hotels, plus a good rate on spending at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement store and on phone plans. Where it really shines, though, is with its perks, including automatic Platinum elite status and credits that can help offset the cost of its annual fee. Read our review.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Our pick for: Small business
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card starts you off with one of the biggest sign-up bonuses of any credit card anywhere: Earn 120k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,200 cash back or $1,500 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠. You also get bonus rewards on travel expenses and common business spending categories, like advertising, shipping and internet, cable and phone service. Points are worth 25% more when redeemed for travel booked through Chase, or you can transfer them to about a dozen airline and hotel partners. Learn more and apply.
• • •
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
To view rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, see this page.
Insurance Benefit: Cell Phone Protection
Coverage for a Stolen or damaged Eligible Cellular Wireless Telephone is subject to the terms, conditions, exclusions and limits of liability of this benefit. The maximum liability is $800, per claim, per Eligible Card Account. Each claim is subject to a $50 deductible. Coverage is limited to two (2) claims per Eligible Card Account per 12 month period.
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.
Last updated on July 24, 2024
Methodology
NerdWallet's credit cards team selects the best credit cards in each category based on overall consumer value. Factors in our evaluation include fees, promotional and ongoing APRs, and sign-up bonuses; for rewards cards, we consider earning and redemption rates, redemption options and redemption difficulty. A single card is eligible to be chosen as among the "best" in multiple categories. Learn how NerdWallet rates credit cards.
Frequently asked questions
If a credit card offers cell phone coverage, you must pay your monthly wireless bill with the card in order to enjoy the protection. If your phone is damaged or stolen, you'll file a claim with the company that administers the cell phone benefit, and you'll be reimbursed. (The company administering the benefit will usually be different from the bank that actually issued the card.)
In most cases, a deductible will apply. That means there's a certain amount you have to pay first before the coverage kicks in. For example, say you have a $50 deductible and $800 in coverage per claim. If your $600 phone gets smashed, your coverage would pay you only $550, since the first $50 is your responsibility. Learn more about credit card cell phone coverage.
Most cell phone coverage offered by credit cards applies only to phones listed on the monthly bill paid with the card offering the benefit.
Coverage generally applies only to instances of damage or theft. Simply losing your phone is not covered. Wells Fargo, for example, says on its website: "This benefit does not cover cell phones that are lost (i.e., mysteriously disappear)."
In order to get reimbursed, you may be required to obtain an estimate for a repair, send in the damaged phone if you're getting paid for a replacement, or provide a police report for an instance of theft.
If the cell phone coverage on your credit card is identified as "secondary," it means your benefit applies only after any other coverage has kicked in.
If you have coverage from your wireless carrier, for example, you're expected to make a claim there first, then use your credit card's coverage on whatever is left over. If your homeowner's or renter's insurance covers mobile phones, secondary coverage would require you to file a claim under that policy first.
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