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Once-Rare Cell Phone Protection Now a Common Credit Card Perk
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Cell phone insurance is the kind of perk that can benefit both the cardholder and the card issuer. Here’s why and what to know about it.
By
Erin Hurd
Erin Hurd
Assigning Editor | Credit cards, rewards, personal finance
Erin is a credit card and travel rewards expert at NerdWallet. She has spent nearly two decades showing readers unique ways to maximize their investments and personal finances. Prior to joining NerdWallet, Erin worked on dozens of newsletters and magazines in the areas of investing, health, business and travel with Agora Publishing. Her love of travel led to a passion for credit card and loyalty rewards to subsidize trips, and she thrives on teaching others how to harness the power of credit card rewards. When she’s not writing or editing, Erin is planning her next adventure for her family of four using points and miles. She is based in Baltimore, Maryland.
Updated
Edited by Kenley Young
Kenley Young
Assigning Editor | Credit cards, credit scores
Kenley Young directs daily credit cards coverage for NerdWallet.
Previously, he was a homepage editor and digital content producer for Fox Sports, and before that a front page editor for Yahoo. He has decades of experience in digital and print media, including stints as a copy desk chief, a wire editor and a metro editor for the McClatchy newspaper chain.
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If you’re like many Americans, your cell phone has essentially become another appendage. And if you’ve ever broken — or shattered — that appendage, you know full well the panic that can set in.
That might be why you decided to pay extra for insurance from your wireless carrier, typically at a cost upward of $20 each month, on top of your bill. But what if you could get similar peace of mind for free? If you have an eligible credit card, you can.
Cell phone protection used to be a rare side perk found on only a select few credit cards. But in recent years, it’s begun to show up as a standard benefit for many customers.
Here’s why, and how it can help.
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Create a NerdWallet account for personalized recommendations, and find the card that rewards you the most for your spending.
Phones > showering?
It’s hard to find an American who doesn’t own a cell phone these days. According to the Pew Research Center, a staggering 97% of Americans have a mobile phone, with 85% owning a smartphone — up from just 35% of Americans carrying a smartphone in 2011.
And our phones aren’t just something we carry around cavalierly. We’ve become positively attached to and dependent on them. One in 3 millennials would rather give up showering for a month than spend a day without their cell phone, per an American Express Trendex survey in early 2021.
Yet while many have experienced cell phone damage, like water logging or cracked screens, Americans are waiting longer to replace their phones.
According to Daniel Research Group, which offers market research services, Americans wait an average of 3.17 years to get a new one, 25% longer than they waited in 2015.
Part of that reluctance may be the cost involved, especially if a phone is uninsured. A new iPhone 12 might set you back $800 out of the box. So if your current phone has a few screen cracks? You can maybe live with those until your next scheduled device upgrade.
🤓Nerdy Tip
If you have an iPhone, you can pay for Apple Care protection, but pricing varies depending on coverage, and you’ll still be on the hook for any applicable deductibles.
A credit card trend that’s a ‘win-win’
Up until a few years ago, cell phone insurance was not a common perk for cardholders. You could find it on several Wells Fargo credit cards and a smattering of individual products from other issuers, and that was about it.
But in 2019, Mastercard unveiled cell phone protection as an added benefit for World and World Elite cardholders.
Mastercard does not issue credit cards; it’s a payment network that services many, many credit cards, regardless of what bank issues them. As such, this change had far-reaching effects, from old-guard cards to fresh products rolled out by new startups.
American Express — which is both a card issuer and a payment network — followed suit in early 2021, announcing the addition of cell phone insurance to many of its premium credit cards. Terms apply.
Experts say it’s a trend that makes sense. “Promoting these benefits to cardholders can encourage spend on the card, and provide a win-win for the issuer and the customer,” says Megan Cipperly, senior director of insights at Competiscan, a firm that analyzes how companies communicate with customers. “The customer gets access to free cell protection by using their card to pay their monthly cell phone bill, and the issuer ensures their card is used monthly.”
Even several retail credit cards are starting to offer the perk, which Cipperly says can help encourage customers to use those cards outside those store brands.
It might also serve as a differentiator among travel credit cards, too.
“Many of the ancillary benefits associated with credit cards are tied to travel,” Cipperly says. “Cell phone protection provides a way for the issuer to diversify their benefits, especially since during COVID-19, travel benefits may not have felt as attractive to customers as they once did.”
What you need to know about credit card cell phone protection
“This can be a great cost savings for consumers if it is offered by their credit card and if they understand the terms,” says Linda Sherry, director of national priorities at Consumer Action, a national nonprofit advocacy and education organization. “Make sure you understand what exactly is covered and the requirements for coverage, like loss, theft and damage.”
Here’s what you should know:
-
You’ll need to pay your cell phone bill with the credit card: In most cases, just holding a credit card that offers cell phone protection isn’t enough.
-
You’ll owe a deductible: That amount varies by card, usually ranging between $25 and $50 per claim. Plus, each card has limits of how much it’ll cover for each claim and how many claims are allowed.
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You’ll have to file paperwork: Terms may vary, but be prepared to submit documents like a claims form, a billing statement from your wireless provider, a copy of a receipt for any repairs, etc.
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Coverage may not be primary: In some cases, cell phone protection from your credit card is supplemental to other insurances, like home insurance, car insurance or cell phone insurance you might have purchased separately. That means it doesn’t kick in unless all other insurance options have been exhausted.
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Typically, a “lost” phone doesn’t qualify for coverage: Theft or damage? You’re generally covered. But if you just misplaced it? Probably not.
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The definition of “damage” varies: While most smartphone holders have had the misfortune of dealing with a dreaded cracked screen, screen repair is not universally covered with this perk.
-
Even cards that appear similar may not share the same benefits: Chase has a popular family of Ink Business credit cards, but only one of these similarly branded cards comes with cell phone protection. “I was paying my cell phone bill with my Ink Business Cash® Credit Card to earn 5x rewards on the bill, not realizing that it’s actually only the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card that comes with cell phone protection,” says Angie Sparks of Tampa, Florida.
-
The perk may come from different places: Payment networks, like Visa and Mastercard, can make coverage available on certain card types. Mastercard, for instance, says cell phone protection is a core benefit that it will provide to all eligible World and World Elite cardholders, no matter the issuer. On the other hand, while Visa makes cell phone coverage an option on all its Signature cards, it’s up to the card issuer (the bank) to decide which cards it applies coverage to.
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Erin Hurd is a credit card and travel rewards expert at NerdWallet. Her work has been featured in Yahoo, Nasdaq, TheStreet, International Living, the Daily Reckoning, Personal Finance and FinanceBuzz. Previously the director of strategic growth at a large financial publishing company, Erin is passionate about harnessing the power of credit card and loyalty rewards to travel the world. When she’s not writing, she’s planning the next adventure for her family of four using points and miles. Twitter: @ErinHurd1. Read more
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Mobile insurance: is it worth overpaying?
Did you accidentally break your new phone or lose it? It’s a shame, but … if he was insured, there is a chance to get the money back. How to act correctly in order to get insurance, and is it worth it to overpay for it initially, when buying a phone, says our expert – lawyer Roman Chernenko
When selling a phone, the seller usually gives the buyer a warranty card from the manufacturer, less often – a guarantee from the store. This will make it possible to repair the equipment or return the money if a defect is detected during operation.
But besides this, sellers also offer an “extended” warranty, which in fact is the usual insurance against loss, theft or breakage (when the owner breaks his phone himself). Many consumers would be happy to insure themselves, but do not understand how to prove to the insurance that you have lost your phone. Sellers also can not always enlighten the client in these matters.
Let’s say you buy insurance. What to do if an insured event occurs?
What to do if your phone is stolen or lost?
Go to the police. To the district police officer or to the duty unit. Write a statement, how and under what circumstances you lost your equipment.
Law enforcement agencies should consider your application. There are requirements of Art. 144-145 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation, providing for a 10-day period for consideration and the obligation to make a procedural decision. After this period, you will be issued a decision to refuse or to initiate a criminal case.
As a consumer, you shouldn’t care if you’re denied or prosecuted. This decision proves the fact of the loss of your thing. And that is exactly what you need.
Go to the insurance company. Write a statement about the occurrence of an insured event.
The insurance company cannot take a word – it will require confirmation by relevant documents.
Attach to the application a certified copy of the decision to refuse or to initiate a criminal case.
Get the insurance either a mark on the copy of the application, or a notification of receipt of the application (depending on the internal regulations of the insurance company).
After reviewing the application, the insurance company must pay you the money within 30 days. Has the payment been made within this period? Write a claim to the insurance company. As a rule, this encourages the internal bureaucratic processes of the insurance company itself to quickly close the issue.
In accordance with Art. 22 of the Law of the Russian Federation “On Protection of Consumer Rights”, the period for considering a claim is 10 days. If the claim remains unanswered, file a lawsuit.
In case of theft, you received insurance compensation, but … the police found the criminal who stole your mobile. The phone itself was also found. Do I need to return the money to the insurance company?
No.
In this case, the insurance company puts forward a counterclaim against the offender. And you are left with compensation, and theoretically with a mobile phone, which will be returned to you by law enforcement agencies after sentencing the kidnapper (what condition the equipment will be in is a separate issue). However, do not rush to rejoice: even after returning to the rightful owner, the mobile phone will be listed in the police database as stolen. It will not be easy to remove this status from him.
What to do if your phone is broken?
If you broke (broken, drowned) the insured phone, first contact the service center and record the fact of the breakdown.
Employees of the center will draw up an act, indicate what kind of damage the equipment received, whether it can be repaired. If yes, what exactly can be done.
With this act, the owner of the broken phone again goes to the insurance company and writes a statement about the occurrence of an insured event, not forgetting to attach proof – an inspection report from the service center.
The insurance company will either pay for the repair of the device, or return the money in the amount of the cost of the phone if the repair is not possible.
Want to know which phone is better? Check out the results of the smartphone study.
Do you really need insurance?
The seller insistently offers to purchase insurance. Especially when the phone costs a lot of money. The arguments are very convincing. But whether it’s worth the extra cost is up to you. If you lead a fairly calm lifestyle and take care of things, there is a good chance that insurance will not be useful to you.
Please note that the store / seller offering you insurance for equipment is usually financially interested in this. As an insurance agent, he receives an agency fee for each client (for example, 10% of the insurance amount).
Compare the cost of the phone to your willingness to “run” around the authorities and spend time filing applications.
Expedient? Then insure. And of course, before you sign the documents, carefully read the terms of insurance!
Mobile phone insurance in Kazakhstan from Beline
Useful Mobile phone insurance in Kazakhstan from Beline — Nomad
Useful
Rinat Kotyrtauov—11.10.2019 90 003
Residents of cities in Kazakhstan are increasingly becoming victims of cell phone theft. It is not always possible to protect yourself from theft, but you can receive monetary compensation if you take care of it in advance by insuring your phone. Since 2018, the mobile device insurance service has been operating for Beeline users.
Which insurance package to choose?
[attention type=yellow]Beeline and NOMAD insurans provide users with several insurance options. The subscription fee depends on the price of the phone.[/attention]
If the phone was purchased at a cost of up to 50,000 tenge, the insurance fee will be 160 tenge per month, from 50,000 to 15,000 tenge – payment of 300 tenge per month.
At a cost of 150,000-350,000 tenge, the payment will be 660 tenge.
Users can arrange insurance themselves.
How to pass the insurance procedure?
- Follow the link of the company nomad.beeline.kz
- Click the “Buy insurance” button
- Read the terms of the contract who and when issued, place of residence, device code and phone number.)
- To get the IMEI code, dial the combination from your phone: * # 06 #
- When filling out the questionnaire, be sure to indicate the current e-mail
- Click the “Pay” button and activate the subscription to the insurance service
[attention type=green]After the registration procedure, an insurance certificate will be sent to your email. The insurance will take effect in 24 hours.[/attention]
If there are funds on the subscriber’s account, the payment will be debited monthly, automatically.
The phone was stolen. What action should the owner take?
- You must contact the police and report the theft. Submit an application, complete the necessary documents.
- Report the event to the Insurance Company within three days. If you have any questions, please contact the call center at 2233.
- You must provide the Company with the supporting documents required to process the insurance payment.
Submit an application, complete the necessary documents. Receipt of payment. What documents are required for registration?
- Owner’s ID.
- Statement from the owner of the phone that an insured event has occurred.
- Documents confirming the value of the stolen device (purchase receipts, warranty card).
- Copies of documents issued by the police confirming the theft.
The insurance company reviews the submitted documents within 15 days, then is obliged to make the due payment. The amount of the payment is calculated taking into account the price of the mobile phone and its depreciation (wear and tear).
[attention type=red] The provided insurance is valid only on the territory of Kazakhstan.