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Update: American Express has confirmed to me that you must pay your entire monthly bill on one eligible card in order to qualify for this policy. Unfortunately that means you can’t take advantage of the 2021 monthly wireless credits on a card like Hilton Business, Delta Gold Business, or Marriott Business and put the rest of the bill on an eligible card, as the split payment would invalidate coverage.
AMEX is adding cell phone protection to select cards starting on 4/1.
Eligible cards include the:
- Consumer Platinum Card, including co-brand variants from Ameriprise, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Schwab.
- Business Platinum Card
- Delta Platinum Consumer Card
- Delta Platinum Business Card
- Delta Reserve Consumer Card
- Delta Reserve Business Card
- Consumer Centurion Card
- Business Centurion Card
It’s a curious portfolio of cards, as it leaves out comparable premium co-brand options like the Hilton Aspire card and the Marriott Brilliant card. Also excluded are premium cards like the Consumer Gold Card and the Business Gold Card.
You are eligible for $800 of coverage for a damaged or stolen phone if you paid the previous month’s cell phone bill on your eligible card.
Screen cracks are covered under this policy. Small cracks are something typically excluded from other cell phone protections offered by credit cards.
A $50 deductible applies and you can make up to 2 claims per 12 month period, per eligible card.
Coverage won’t apply if you have other cell phone insurance that will cover the phone.
If you charge your cell phone bill to your card, coverage kicks in on the 1st day of the subsequent month and continues until the last day of the subsequent month.
The language says that “You must charge your monthly Eligible Cellular Wireless Telephone bill to your Eligible Card Account.” However it’s unclear if you have to charge the full monthly bill to your card, or if a partial payment would also qualify. We may have to wait until someone tries it out to know for sure. I reached out to American Express for clarification but have not yet received a response.
Unfortunately these cards don’t normally offer bonus points on wireless spending, so there’s an opportunity cost to taking advantage of this insurance.
However the Delta Platinum Business AMEX is currently offering a $15 monthly wireless credit and the Delta Reserve Business Card is currently offering a $20 monthly wireless credit through the end of 2021, so that helps make up for the loss of points.
Additionally, the Business Platinum Card has an AMEX Offer to earn at least 5 points per dollar spent on wireless services, up to 80K bonus points, through 6/30.
The Chase Ink Preferred Card offers 3 points per dollar on wireless spending and offers cell phone protection, though coverage on that card is limited to $600 per claim and a $100 deductible applies.
Usage of that card also comes at an opportunity cost, as the Chase Ink Cash Card offers 5 points per dollar on wireless spending, though it doesn’t come with cell phone protection.
Either way, it’s great to see AMEX continue to add protections in an era where banks like Citi are stripping them away.
Will you use your AMEX card for cell phone insurance?
Is it written in the terms anywhere if the full bill has to be paid with the card or partial is fine?
https://www.americanexpress.com/content/dam/amex/us/credit-cards/features-benefits/policies/NAC-Benefit-Guides/Cellular_Protection_Guide_To_Benefits.pdf
Hmm I wonder. It doesn’t mention about it anywhere, but it does say they’ll want to see my bill if I file a claim. I wonder if they can use that against me.
It’s vague. I asked for clarification, but we may have to wait and see what actually happens when someone tries it.
This is very applicable to me. Thank you Dan
See post update 🙁
She’elat kitbag…
How would that work with plans like those of mint mobile where you pay for 3, 6 or 12 months at a time – in advance?
I am also wondering this- I went all in on Mint Mobile back in October when I had multiple AMEX Offers at $45 off $90, and am now paid up for a year. Any way to take advantage of this? Mint doesn’t issue monthly phone bills.
Is the limit per card or per Complete Amex Relationship. Let me explain, if I pay with my Amex Consumer Platinum Card and then use 2 claims in lets say 2 months. Then could I switch and start paying my bills with the Business Platinum Card and then qualify for another 2 claims in the same year?
2 claims per eligible card per 12 month period, so that would work.
I think per card not per SSN like AO but you will you loose coverage for a month.
Why will you lose coverage for a month?
Coverage starts the 1st of following month.
And the previous month will be covered from the other card.
I’m with VZW and they remove the autopay discounts if paid using credit card. don’t know why VZW does that. why not to take credit card.. if they charge for legit services they should not do that. these wireless benefits are not of any use for me.
T-Mobile and AT&T are strong competitors these days.
Consider switching and let VZW know why you switched.
Have Fios for home internet so $20 combined discounts for both services. Plug, I have VZW visa card which offers 4% Gas / Grocery . I’m able to earn rewards / cash back which can cover most of my monthly bill if not all. I don’t think VZW would care.
Dan, I thought you have VZW, the grandfathered plan $30/line for 10+ lines. are you grandfathered in the payment using credit card as well?
Same issue. There’s a $20 discount if using your bank account on auto pay which you lose if you pay by cc.
While having bank account auto pay set up, I have made multiple cc payments over the phone with no issue.
You have to decide if you prefer $20 vs. coverage, points and not having a company stick their hands into your checking account
Why don’t you have a bank linked to the auto pay and pay with a cc 1 day before the auto pay day.
I did that and lost my autopay discount
Min Ha’Stam they do it because they avoid paying the processing fees of credit card payments. That’s part of why they are giving you the discount- because you saved them money by not using a credit card. It’s the same reason why AMEX DOES want you to use a credit card to pay your phone bill and makes that a condition to giving you the insurance- they GET that money from Verizon when you use your AMEX to pay your Verizon bill.
Wonder if this worked if you paid your bill with an Amex card that is eligible that is tied to a PayPal account, this way you can take advantage of the PayPal credit and the insurance
Wondering how this plays out if I don’t have my phone itself being paid on the plan (I own the phone outright because I paid full price, but monthly service is paid with the eligible card). Or, visa versa, the monthly service is being paid via debit card via auto pay, but the phone charge ($30/mo) is paid via eligible credit card.
There’s no need for the phone itself to be paid for on the plan. The monthly bill itself must be charged to the card.
This is definitely at the very least strongly implied based on their definition of Eligible Cellular Wireless Telephones and the exclusions in section D.
Which part specifically?
Hey Dan
My Biz platinum has 4X for wireless until 6/30
Was wondering why you didn’t mention it
Added, thanks.
Amazing!
Dous the company of Amex card, and the company of the bill need to mach?
Thanks Dan
No.
Does it work on pre paid plans too?
?
https://us.mycardbenefits.com/Home/AboutCellPhoneProtection?cd=en&prog=cel
mastercard has had this for a while
Doesn’t cover screen cracks less than 2 inches and can have a lower cap.
No because it excludes phones not purchased from my carrier.
Crap benefit for me again.
Where do you see that?
Either way, it’s great to see AMEX continue to add protections in an era where banks like Citi are stripping them away.
amex took away purchase protection etc . so i would not quite say they are continuing to add protections
AMEX still has purchase protection.
He might have meant return protection
Does his also cover LTE tablets?
This seems like another way Amex is getting consumers to use their card on a monthly basis and not just keep it in the drawer .
I have a tablet with sprint with no cellphone on the bill, will it cover my tablet ?
Does this work for both prepaid plans and contract plans?
No.
What makes you say so?
From what they posted it looks like, it’s only not covered if you received the phone as part of the plan.
Is this better or worse than the Citi Prestige coverage?
Any idea if this would apply to foreign cell phone plans too, or does it have to be with a US carrier? The terms don’t seem to say…
I have a $15/month credit on the Marriott bonvoy business
“There’s no need for the phone itself to be paid for on the plan. The monthly bill itself must be charged to the card.”
In general, I don’t quite understand this. How do they know *WHICH* phone is on the plan? I mean, you can move the SIM card from photo to phone pretty easily. So, let’s say you have a few phones, and one of them develops a cracked display. If you place the SIM card (from a plan paid with an eligible card and therefore covered) into the damaged phone, is that damage then covered?
They usually ask to upload both the “device summary” page and the “wireless bill” for the month “before” the damage incident. The phone number of the device “should match” on both the summary page and the wireless bill statement.
Monthly wireless bill usually lists the phone make and model next to the phone number under the tab “equipment” (only if purchased directly from the service provider).
My T-Mobile website sometimes does not list phone make and model if purchased unlocked from eBay (says unknown device) and I usually go the local T-Mobile store and they can print a device summary page to upload for the claim.
I had great experience with 3 Samsung galaxy note 10 claims (each one for $360-460) in the last 2 years with Uber VISA with only $25 deductible.
What if part of my bill includes monthly payments for the phone itself, can I pay that part with a different card and then use my plat card for the actual cell service bill part?
Dan,
Still unclear how it works for multi-line plans and/or phone+phone line combos – what part must be charged to the card.
Are tablets also covered ?
How long will the 120K bonus be available?
Also, how much is 120K points worth?