Buying a new appliance? The retailer will probably give you the hard sell for an extended warranty. But your credit card may already have you covered. American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa Signature offer extended warranties on eligible purchases you make with their cards, according to a study from credit card research site CardHub.com. You don’t have to register your purchase, and the warranty provides up to $10,000 in coverage per claim. (Visa Signature cardholders have a lifetime limit of $50,000 in coverage for all claims; Amex and Discover cardholders get up to $50,000 per year. MasterCard has no limit.) Caveat: The card network decides whether you qualify for a replacement or reimbursement for the purchase price, or whether you will have to get the item repaired.
CardHub rated the card warranty programs, and it gives its highest overall marks to American Express. According to the study, Amex will add an extra year to a manufacturer’s warranty that runs as many as five years, compared with one year added to a maximum of three years for the other card networks. (MasterCard World cards extend the original warranty by as many as two years.) Amex and Visa provide coverage for wear and tear and will also extend the warranty on a refurbished item.
If you carry a mix of credit cards, use the one that provides the best extended warranty for a particular item -- for example, use an Amex or Visa Signature card to purchase a refurbished tablet. You’ll need to hold on to your receipt to make a claim. Visa’s Warranty Manager Service lets you send Visa a copy of your receipt and manufacturer warranty information to keep on file in case you make a claim later.
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