Capital One purchase protection benefits

Purchase protection and extended warranty coverage are two lesser-known, but extremely useful, credit card benefits. Compared to flashy perks like lounge access, these benefits may be easy to overlook, but if something happens to an item you’ve purchased, they can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Many Capital One credit cards come with these types of benefits. Read on to find out what your Capital One card offers and how to make the most of purchase protection coverage.

Purchase protection

One advantage of using a credit card to make everyday purchases is you can receive purchase protection.

Capital One purchase protection – called Purchase Security on Capital One Visa cards or Purchase Assurance on Capital One Mastercards – covers eligible purchases in case of damage or theft up to the original purchase price for 90 days after the purchase date. Claim limits range from $500 to $10,000 per occurrence and $25,000 to $50,000 per cardholder.

Purchase protection isn’t provided on all Capital One cards, and whether you have it is based not on the card you carry, but on its network (Visa or Mastercard) and tier.

To find out which kind of Capital One card you have, check the back of your card or your latest account statement.

See the table below to see which tiers are eligible for purchase protection.

Capital One purchase protection limits

Note that the policy doesn’t cover certain items and circumstances. For example, antiques and collectible items aren’t included in the coverage, nor are vehicles, computer software, lost items and more. Check your benefits guide to find the full list.

How to file a purchase protection claim with Capital One

To file a claim, call the benefit administrator within 60 days of the theft or damage of your item (the number can be found in your benefits guide). You will need to provide some preliminary information about the incident, after which the benefit administrator will send you the appropriate claim form.

Note that if the item is stolen or damaged, you’re also required to file a police report or other type of report sufficient to substantiate the claim within 48 hours of the occurrence.

Extended warranty coverage

Extended warranty on your Capital One credit card can match or exceed the warranty offered by a manufacturer on eligible purchases, providing you with extra peace of mind.

As with purchase protection, the terms of extended warranty coverage that you get depend on your Capital One card’s network.

If it’s a Visa card, extended warranty coverage doubles the length of the original manufacturer’s warranty up to one additional year on eligible warranties of three years or less for items paid for entirely with your eligible Visa card. The extended warranty covers your eligible purchase up to the original price of the item, up to a maximum of $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per cardholder on some cards.

All Capital One Visa credit cards offer this benefit.

If you have a Capital One Mastercard, extended warranty coverage also extends the original manufacturer’s warranty on eligible purchases if the item is bought entirely with the card. The benefit is limited to the amount charged on your MasterCard card or $10,000, whichever is less.

See the table below for the extended warranty coverage terms for Capital One Mastercard products that include this benefit.

Capital One Mastercard extended warranty coverage

Certain items can’t be covered using extended warranty. For example, boats and vehicles are excluded, as well as antique items. Check your benefits guide to find the full list of items excluded from the policy.

How to file an extended warranty claim with Capital One

If you have a Capital One Visa card, you can use warranty registration to send the benefit administrator the item’s sales receipt and warranty information ahead of time. This information will be kept on file for you, so you won’t have to worry about providing these documents should you need to use this type of coverage.

If you haven’t registered your warranty, you can still file a claim. You’ll just need to have documents on hand to verify the claim, including copies of your Visa card receipt, your store receipt, the original manufacturer’s warranty and others.

Call the benefit administrator within 60 days of the item’s failure to start the filing process. The benefit administrator will send you the claim you’ll need to complete and sign within 90 days of the product failure.

You can find the numbers to register your warranty or file a claim in your benefits guide.

If you have a Capital One Mastercard, you’ll need to report the item’s failure within 60 days and submit the supporting documents within 90 to 180 days of the date of failure, depending on the card. Find the terms, as well as the contact information to file a claim, in your benefits guide.

Best Capital One cards for purchase protection

What is not covered in Capital One’s purchase protection

Certain purchases bought using a Capital One credit card aren’t protected by Capital One’s purchase protection, including:

• Animals and living plants
• Antiques and collectible items
• Boats, aircraft, automobiles and other motorized vehicles
• Motorized vehicle accessories such as motors or equipment
• Items that can be towed by or attached to any motorized vehicle
• Broken items (unless damage is the result of a covered occurrence)
• Computer software
• Items damaged by weather other than lightning, wind, hail, rain, sleet or snow
• Items purchased for resale or professional/commercial use
• Items stolen from vehicles or common carriers
• Lost items

Bottom line

Capital One cards offer purchase protection and extended warranty coverage that can come in handy when an item you’ve purchased gets stolen, damaged or broken. The benefit terms differ by card network and tier, so make sure to check your benefits guide to learn about the coverage rules and exclusions.