What are the best credit cards with cell phone protection?

The best credit cards with cell phone protection include the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card and the Ink Business Premier® Credit Card. These cards offer great cell phone protection insurance, along with excellent rewards on purchases.

Cell phone insurance isn’t commonly offered by major credit cards, but it’s certainly a welcome perk. Cell phones don’t come cheap, and some credit cards offer up to $1,000 in reimbursement for a stolen or damaged phone.

Just remember that all credit cards with cell phone protection have the same rule: You must continuously pay your cell phone bill with the credit card, or else your phone won’t get coverage. To make sure your phone is covered, it’s best to set up automatic monthly phone-bill payments with your card as the payment method.

Best Cards with Cell Phone Protection

Cell Phone Protection: up to $1,000 per claim

Number of Claims: up to 2 claims per year, with a $25 deductible per claim

Initial Bonus: 60,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months

Ongoing Rewards: 5 points per $1 spent on hotels, 4 points per $1 on airlines, 3 points per $1 on other travel and restaurants, as well as 1 point per $1 spent on other purchases

Annual Fee: $95

Min. Credit Recommended: Good

Cell Phone Protection: up to $800 per claim*

Number of Claims: up to 2 claims per year, with a $50 deductible per claim

Initial Bonus: 100,000 miles for spending $10,000 on purchases in the first 6 months (limited-time offer)

Ongoing Rewards: 10 miles per $1 spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5 miles per $1 spent on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel, 5 miles per $1 spent on Capital One Entertainment purchases through 12/31/25, as well as 2 miles per $1 on all other purchases

Annual Fee: $395

Min. Credit Recommended: Excellent

Cell Phone Protection: up to $800 per claim, per card**

Number of Claims: up to 2 claims per card per year, with a $50 deductible per claim**

Initial Bonus: You may be eligible to earn as high as 175,000 points for spending $8,000 on eligible purchases within the first 6 months (welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer; apply and, if approved, find out your offer amount and accept the card with your offer, spend $8,000 in 6 months, and receive the points)

Ongoing Rewards: 5 points per $1 spent on flights booked with airlines or with American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 spent per year), 5 points per $1 spent on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®, and 1 point per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases

Annual Fee: $895

Min. Credit Recommended: Good

Cell Phone Protection: up to $600 per claim

Number of Claims: up to 2 claims per year, with a $25 deductible per claim

Initial Bonus: $200 cash rewards after spending $500 on purchases in the first 3 months

Ongoing Rewards: 2% cash rewards on purchases

Annual Fee: $0

Min. Credit Recommended: Good

Cell Phone Protection: up to $1,000 per year

Number of Claims and Charges: up to 2 claims per year, with a $25 - $50 deductible per claim

Ongoing Rewards: 3 points per $1 spent on trips booked on the SoFi Travel portal, as well as 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases

Annual Fee: $0

Min. Credit Recommended: Good

Cell Phone Protection: up to $800 per claim

Number of Claims and Charges: up to 2 claims per year, with a $25 deductible per claim

Initial Bonus: 60,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months

Ongoing Rewards: 10 points per $1 spent at Choice Hotels, 5 points per $1 spent at gas stations, grocery stores and home improvement stores, 5 points per $1 spent on phone plan services, and 1 point per $1 spent on other purchases

Annual Fee: $95

Min. Credit Recommended: Good

Cell Phone Protection: up to $800 per claim per card**

Number of Claims: up to 2 claims per card per year, with a $50 deductible per claim**

Initial Bonus: 60,000 miles after spending $3,000 in the first 6 months

Ongoing Rewards: 3 miles per $1 spent with Delta, 3 miles per $1 on purchases made directly with hotels, 2 miles per $1 at restaurants worldwide (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.) and U.S. supermarkets, as well as 1 mile per $1 on all other eligible purchases

Annual Fee: $350

Min. Credit Recommended: Good

Cell Phone Protection: up to $1,000 per claim

Number of Claims: up to 3 claims per year, with a $100 deductible per claim

Initial Bonus: $1,000 for spending $10,000 in the first 3 months

Ongoing Rewards: 5% cash back on travel through Chase, 2.5% back on every purchase totaling at least $5,000, as well as 2% back on all other purchases

Annual Fee: $195

Min. Credit Recommended: Good

It’s important to note that none of these credit cards cover phones that are lost, as opposed to stolen. Some cards also have specific stipulations for what is and is not covered. So, make sure you’re up to speed on your card’s specific rules.

*For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

**Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

I strongly recommend Wells Fargo Active Cash. You can save 2% on cell phone bills, plus everything else, and get solid protection. If you’re like me (prone to dropping your phone and you don’t like jumping through hoops to earn rewards), it’s great.

Interesting that Wells seems to be the leader here - at least among reasonably priced cards. Guess they’re trying to clean up their reputation a bit. I’ll just reap the rewards!

I know Wells Fargo doesn’t have the best rep overall, but it’s the way to go here. I prefer Active Cash, but Autograph is good too.

Listen - if you want solid phone protection without paying annual fees, Wells Fargo is your best bet. Autograph and Actve Cash are both great, both for cell phone protection and for earning rewards. 

I've used this coverage myself - filed a claim when my kid dropped his phone, had a check in days. Always take photos of the damage immediately though - WF denied my first claim until I sent screen cracks close-up.

If you're looking for solid cell phone protection with no annual fee, go with Chase Freedom Flex. If you’re more of a premium person, Amex Platinum is good.

Wells Fargo Autograph - 3% back on cell bills plus coverage up to $600 per claim with a $25 deductible. I've heard the claims process is pretty straightforward too, as long as you remember to include photos of the damage.