4 Hidden Credit Card Perks You’ve Probably Never Heard About
Paying your credit card bill every month is a drag, we know. But surprise! Many credit cards come with little-known benefits that can put more cash in your wallet! Check out all the hidden credit card perks below.
Score price matches.
Hate when you buy an item, then a few weeks later the price drops? Your credit card might have your back! Some cards may offer retroactive price matching after making a purchase with your card.
Check with the card issuer for specifics: Some may ask you to file a claim while others will have you register your purchases online and then find better prices and automatically refund the difference.
Cash in on travel perks.
When you book a vacation, you’re often given the option of adding on trip protection for an extra $30 to $150— but wait: If you use the right card, you can decline that fee! Chase Sapphire Preferred cards, for instance, cover the cost of nonrefundable flights, hotels, rental cards and more if you change your plans because of reasons like severe weather or illness. And many Mastercards and American Express cards offer coverage for a lost bag, as long as you booked your air, bus, or rail fare with the card.
Make returns worry-free.
Want to return an item, but the store’s return window closed or you lost the receipt? One of our favorite hidden credit card perks can help!
Some issuers, like American Express cards and the Citi Prestige Card, extend that window to 90 days post-purchase and will refund your money. Just check with the issuer about any caps — for instance, it’s $300 per item and $1,000 per year for Amex, and $500 per item or $2,500 a year for Citi. Mastercard also offers a 60-day return window for products up to $250 and will even replace or refund certain items if they’re damaged or stolen within 90 days of buying.
Get paid for a broken or stolen cellphone.
Paying your cellphone bill with certain credit cards unlocks a host of surprising perks — from covering the cost of repairing a shattered screen to replacing the phone itself if it gets stolen.
For instance, the Wells Fargo Propel American Express Card, Uber Visa Card, and U.S. Bank Visa Platinum fix damages and replace stolen phones; all you have to do is cover a $25 deductible to take advantage of the payout, which maxes out at $600 per claim and two claims per year. (Consider that a new iPhone costs about $599, and a screen repair typically costs from $100 to $300.)
Have bad luck when it comes to phones? The Chase Ink Business Preferred has a $100 deductible but allows three $600-max claims per year.
A version of this article originally appeared in our print magazine, Woman’s World.
