You don’t have to buy cell phone insurance! There are several popular credit cards that offer cell phone protection and will pay to replace your stolen or damaged cell phone.
In this post, I’ll explain how this benefit works and the best options that I’ve found.
What You Need to Know About Credit Card Cell Phone Protection
The free mobile phone insurance offered by credit card issuers is similar (but not identical) to what Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and other wireless providers sell for $10 a month or more.
Why pay $120 a year for cell phone insurance when you can get it for free from your credit card company?
How Credit Card Cell Phone Protection Works
Not all credit cards that offer cell phone insurance are created equal.
The credit cards on my list offer a maximum benefit of either $600 or $800 per claim. That typically covers cell phone damage or theft. The cards have deductibles of either $25 or $50, plus they’re just great credit cards overall.
The only requirement is that you must pay your monthly cell phone bill with the credit card to keep active coverage.
To make sure that I’m always covered, I set up my Visible cell phone service bill on auto pay with my credit card to take advantage of the free mobile phone insurance.
Best Credit Cards With Free Cell Phone Protection
More credit cards are starting to offer complimentary cell phone protection, including the rewards cards with no annual fee that made my list.
Think about it this way: If you’re going to apply for a new card to get cell phone protection, you might as well select a card that you’ll want to use for everyday purchases.
Read on for my favorite credit cards that have free cell phone insurance:
| Card name | Maximum coverage per claim | Deductible |
| Chase Freedom Flex | $800 | $50 |
| Wells Fargo Active Cash Card | $600 | $25 |
Chase Freedom Flex
Why I like it: The Chase Freedom Flex offers up to $800 per claim and $1,000 per year in cell phone protection. However, it has a higher deductible than the other cards that I mentioned — $50 for every claim.
- $200 cash back bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months
- 5% cash back in rotating bonus categories
- 3% cash back on dining and drugstores
- $50 deductible and $800 benefit limit per claim for cell phone protection
- First year only: 5% cash back on grocery store purchases (not Walmart or Target) on up to $12,000 spent
Learn more about this card here.
Wells Fargo Active Cash Card
Why I like it: Launched in July 2021, the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card is a simple rewards card that offers 2% cash rewards on all purchases with no limits. Its cell phone protection provides up to $600 per claim minus a low $25 deductible.
- $200 cash rewards bonus when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months
- Unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases
- No annual fee
- $25 deductible and $600 benefit limit per claim for cell phone protection
Learn more about this card here.
Alternatives to My Top Picks
U.S. Bank, Fifth Third Bank and First Citizens Bank also have cards with free cell phone protection, but I ruled them out for one or more of these reasons:
- Maximum coverage per claim is less than $600
- Deductible is higher than $50
- Few other card benefits or perks
If you know about a credit card that offers cell phone protection and should be on my list, leave a comment below. I’ll be happy to check it out.
Credit Card Cell Phone Insurance Fine Print
This is important: Credit card cell phone protection is supplemental to other types of insurance, so it only kicks in once any other policies have been exhausted.
That’s why I really encourage you to read the terms and conditions to understand what’s covered and what’s not.
For example, I learned from my research that credit card cell phone protection generally covers devices that are stolen or damaged, but phones that are lost with no explanation may not be covered.
I haven’t had to file a claim yet. I’ll update this article if that happens to detail that process.
Final Thought
If you don’t already have a credit card that offers cell phone protection, check out one of the $0 annual fee cards on my list.
My cell phone provider, Verizon-owned Visible, charges $12 a month for its cell phone protection plan — so I’m saving $144 a year by using my credit card instead.
Leave a comment below if you have anything else to add about free cell phone insurance!
I just called Capitol One and they will be starting insurance coverage on their MC and Visa cards in October, I think. Since I am hard of hearing, I didn’t hear precisely the terms. But $1000 and $800 was mentioned as well as a $50 deductible. I would be happy to receive more information in print.
I had my Barclay Arrival pay for a $600 claim when my affordable Xfinity data device aka cell phone couldn’t be repaired. It is was pretty easy to get them to pay. One tip to get them to pay the full amount is to find a phone for more than the max and deductible. You also get reward points for charging that can be cashed in or turned into a statement credit. I will be applying for Chase Freedom Flex as I could use the 5% cashback for certain quarters. You can apply for it at https://cards.barclaycardus.com/. Sorry, no referral credits.
According to the BarclayUS website, it provides secondary coverage for eligible damage or theft of your eligible cellular wireless telephone. To be eligible for the benefit, you must charge your monthly cell phone bill to your eligible card. You are eligible for secondary coverage the first day of the calendar month following the payment of your cell phone bill to your eligible card. Provides supplemental coverage for eligible damage to, or theft of your cellular wireless telephone. The maximum liability is $600 per claim and $1,000 per covered card per 12 month period. Each claim is subject to a $50 deductible. Secondary coverage is limited to 2 claims per covered card per 12 month period. Restrictions, limitations and exclusions apply. See your Guide to Benefits for complete details https://www.barclaycardus.com/servicing/img/base/guideBenefits/BAR-7268-9.pdf
Wanted to mention that I have the Wells Fargo Cash Wise card and have phone service through Republic which is listed as a “prepaid” plan. Even though this was the case filed a claim when the phone broke and they paid it. I can pay the plan for the whole year and save but don’t think it’s worth the risk of the insurance possibly not covering damage since the language reads a “monthly bill”
Thanks for replying. Good info for everyone reading this. Yes, I have a prepaid carrier (Visible) but Wells Fargo will cover it. They told me they’re talking about “pay as you go” phones in that fine print. I wish it were more clear. I have had Republic in the past and think the service is great. Hopefully, you’re a light data user and the difference between the monthly and annual plan is minimal.
The links to the cards with plans have all expired. Any idea how to find cards with good protections plans? Thanks
Try entering the cards into Google or going directly to the issuer’s website. The links from my partner may not be working due to campaigns being paused. If you go directly to the issuer’s website, you’ll be able to tell if the card is still available.
Also, consider this card that launches in a couple of weeks. It’s called Chase Freedom Flex: https://media.chase.com/news/new-chase-freedom-flex-credit-Card-and-more-cash-back-Opportunities-for-freedom-unlimited-cardmembers
Has Visible improved its customer service? Last Winter I tried to switch to them and after nearly a month they still hadn’t ported my existing number. Always the replies to my inquiries were, “it takes “X” number of days” or “your present provider won’t release phone numbers to us”, or “it is the customer’s responsibility to contact the present provider” or crap to that effect. A quick check of the FCC website told me all of these answers were contrary to FCC rules and regulations. Finally I gave up, requested a refund of my first month’s service, and walked away. If I wasn’t so pleased with Verizon service I wouldn’t even consider giving Visible a second chance.
I haven’t had any issues with Visible, but if anyone reading this comment can help, please leave your customer service experience as a reply.
Enjoyed your article about Verizon Wireless vs Comcast Mobile and now about phone insurance. Question though, what about these new phones costing $1,000? A $600 max coverage doesn’t seem so good then. Also I just ordered directly from Samsung an upgrade from my Note 8 to the Note10+. My Note 8 was unlocked but I ordered the Verizon version Note 10+. Should I have ordered the unlocked version instead to be able to switch to Comcast Mobile? I know you can now bring your own Android phone (certain models) and keep same number, but does the Android phone need to be unlocked or can it be the Verizon version Note 10+ since they use Verizon towers? I got conflicting answers while speaking with Comcast. Final question, are Comcast techs familiar with troubleshooting mobile issues since it’s relatively new for them?
Unlocked phone is the safest bet for bringing to any carrier, but perhaps a Verizon model will work. You can use Xfinity’s website to check. As for phone insurance, yes $600 is the maximum coverage. So that’s going to be up to you. If you bought a $1,000 phone and something happened the next day, the insurance would only cover $600.
Great article. After reading the posted comment and response, this brings up a brand-new question for us. Does this mean if we own our own phones outright that they cannot be covered under the insurance plan you mentioned? They were not rented or purchased through our carrier rather we brought our own phones to the plan. Thank you.
I own my phone outright and brought it to a carrier, but I’m covered. To stay covered, you have to pay your cell phone bill every month using the credit card. It doesn’t matter what card you used to pay for the phone itself.
Have you tested the Wells Fargo cards on Visible or called them about it. From their FAQ it seems MVNO and prepaid plans are not covered. Not sure about Uber card but I am in the same situation and now thinking about switching.
Yes, I did call Wells Fargo and addressed this in my YouTube video that’s in the article. I suggest that you also call them to confirm. The FAQ doesn’t mention MVNO, but it does say *cell phones* which have been rented, borrowed or are part of prepaid or “pay as you go” plans. The representative (who previously had a low-cost cell phone service) told me that I am covered as a Visible customer. I purchased a device through Visible and pay my bill monthly with the Wells Fargo Propel card.
You are correct I really credit cards on your list offer up to $600 for cell phone damage or theft and have either a $25 or $50 deductible, plus they’re just great credit cards overall.