My Experience With Return Protection on the Amex Platinum Card [Success!]

We’ve all been there: you want to return an item to the store but barely miss the return window. However, not all hope is lost. Rather than eating the cost altogether, you should check if your credit card comes with return protection. With this benefit, you might be able to file a claim through your issuer within a certain time frame and get reimbursed for the item you can no longer return.

While credit card return protection is an incredibly useful perk, it’s also becoming increasingly hard to find cards that offer it. Fortunately, American Express is one of the only issuers to offer this handy benefit across several of its cards, including one of our favorite luxury heavyweights, The Platinum Card^® from American Express.

Recently, I found myself unable to return a pair of shoes and tapped into my Amex Platinum card to get reimbursed instead. Upon filing a claim through Amex Assurance Company, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was approved and my purchase was reimbursed within 24 hours. Keep reading to learn more about return protection and how it may end up rescuing the day for you, too.

Amex Platinum Card — Overview

BEST LOUNGE ACCESS

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

The Platinum Card^® from American Express

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

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The Platinum Card^® from American Express

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

Welcome Offer

Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

80,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,760

Annual Fee

$695

APR

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Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than The Platinum Card^® from American Express.

Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• The best airport lounge access out of any card (by far) — enjoy access to over 1,400 worldwide lounges, including the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, and many more!
• 5x points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year)
• 5x points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com

Cons

• $695 annual fee (rates and fees)
• Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)

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Card Highlights

• Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
• Earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
• $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card^®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card^® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
• The American Express Global Lounge Collection^® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market. As of 03/2023.
• $155 Walmart+ Credit: Save on eligible delivery fees, shipping, and more with a Walmart+ membership. Use your Platinum Card^® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and get up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes back on one membership (excluding Plus Ups) each month.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card^®.
• $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Terms Apply.
• $189 CLEAR^® Plus Credit: CLEAR^® Plus helps to get you to your gate faster at 50+ airports nationwide and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card. CLEARLanes are available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues.
• Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 year period for TSA PreCheck^® application fee for a 5-year plan only (through a TSA PreCheck^® official enrollment provider), when charged to your Platinum Card^®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
• Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card^®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
• Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card^® to your Resy profile.
• $695 annual fee.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: See Pay Over Time APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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Return Protection on the Amex Platinum Card

With return protection on the Amex Platinum card, you may be able to file a claim if the merchant won’t take back the item for an eligible item within 90 days from the date of purchase. Here are several details you should know before filing a claim:

• There are many items ineligible for reimbursement, including (but not limited to): animals and living plants, jewelry, watches, memberships, books, medical equipment, personal hygiene items, seasonal items, and more.
• If approved, Amex may refund the full purchase price (excluding shipping and handling) up to $300 per item, with a maximum of $1,000 per calendar year per card member account if you purchased it entirely with your eligible Amex card.
• Be prepared to send over an original store receipt, a record of the charge on your Amex statement credit, and any other supporting documentation.

Once you verify that your merchant will not accept the eligible item and it meets the issuer’s terms above, call Amex Assurance Company at 800-228-6855 to begin the claims process.

My Experience Filing a Return Protection Claim

If you’re an avid runner you know that buying new sneakers is a common occurrence. Every 3 to 6 months, I end up buying a new pair of running shoes.

I have a few pairs of HOKA shoes, but in April, I decided to try a different style compared to what I normally purchase. For weeks, I kept trying to convince myself that I would break in my new kicks. But after a dozen or so runs, reality sunk in. The soles were downright uncomfortable and I wished I stuck to my classic pairs.

While HOKA has a 30-day return guarantee that allows you to receive a refund or exchange your shoes, I was well outside this window. Luckily, I remembered that I had paid with my Amex Platinum card, which comes with some of the most generous purchase protection perks of any rewards card on the market. Not only does the card offer return protection, but you’ll also receive purchase protection (for accidentally damaged, stolen, or lost items within 90 days of purchase) and extended warranty benefits (adds up to an additional year of coverage for the original manufacturer’s warranty of 5 years or less).

Of course, if you’re looking to file a claim, it can take some effort to call in and gather the right documentation. But for shoes that cost me nearly $175, I was willing to put this benefit to the test.

Before I started my claim, I gathered the necessary information. First, I took a screenshot of the charge on my Amex Platinum card and Hoka’s 30-day guarantee policy. However, to be extra certain, I got a statement in writing from a Hoka customer service agent to confirm that I was no longer eligible for a return.

On Wednesday, June 14, 2023, I called Amex Assurance Company (800-228-6855), which seemed to be a general line covering all of Amex’s travel and purchase protections. It took a few minutes to connect with an agent, to whom I informed that I’d like to start a return protection claim.

He asked me for background for my claim, noting the item type, purchase date, and return limitations from the manufacturer. Afterward, he discussed the necessary disclosures and let me know that I would hear back from a claims agent within 7 to 10 business days for more information.

I thought this was a reasonable turnaround time, but to my surprise, I received an email from Amex Assurance just 24 hours later. The document stated, “Your claim has been reviewed and has been approved for payment as detailed below. Your claim is now considered closed.” Best of all, I didn’t even have to send over the screenshots I had prepared.

It really was as easy as that. I checked my statement and found that I was refunded the full amount — $172.77 — that same day.

In some cases, the claims company may request that you send the item back to them. If so, you’ll also be reimbursed for the shipping cost. However, in this case, no such action was required of me.

Best Credit Cards With Return Protection

Below, we’ve detailed some of our top cards that offer return protection across various issuers. Before filing a claim, you’ll want to double-check the coverage limits and eligibility for each return protection benefit.

While return protection isn’t offered by many cards, it’s certainly a valuable benefit that can put real money back in your pocket.

Final Thoughts

Before this experience, I had never filed a claim with my credit card issuer, whether that be for trip insurance or cell phone protection. I always felt that the process was cumbersome, but filing for return protection with Amex was surprisingly easy and saved me nearly $200 in the process.

In my opinion, lesser-known perks on the Amex Platinum card like return protection are just as important as airport lounge access or no foreign transaction fees (rates & fees). Since my claim was approved within 24 hours, I can now go buy the right pair of shoes that work best for me!

If you don’t currently own the card, i’d recommend checking out this fantastic Amex Platinum upgrade 100k offer.

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.

For the return protection benefit of the Amex Platinum card, with return protection, you may return eligible purchases to American Express if the seller won’t take them back up to 90 days from the date of purchase. American Express may refund the full purchase price excluding shipping and handling, up to $300 per item, up to a maximum of $1,000 per calendar year per Card account, if you purchased it entirely with your eligible American Express^® Card. Purchases must be made in the U.S. or its territories. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.

For the extended warranty benefit of the Amex Platinum card, when an American Express^® card member charges a covered purchase to an eligible card, extended warranty can provide up to one extra year added to the original manufacturer’s warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per card member account per calendar year. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the purchase protection benefit of the Amex Platinum card, purchase protection is an embedded benefit of your card membership and requires no enrollment. It can help protect covered purchases made on your eligible card when they’re accidentally damaged, stolen, or lost, for up to 90 days from the covered purchase date. The coverage is limited up to $10,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per card member account per calendar year. Coverage limits apply. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the cell phone protection benefit of the Amex Platinum card, 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.

For the return protection benefit of the Delta Reserve card, with return protection, you may return eligible purchases to American Express if the seller won’t take them back up to 90 days from the date of purchase. American Express may refund the full purchase price excluding shipping and handling, up to $300 per item, up to a maximum of $1,000 per calendar year per Card account, if you purchased it entirely with your eligible American Express^® Card. Purchases must be made in the U.S. or its territories. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.

For the return protection benefit of the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card, with return protection, you may return eligible purchases to American Express if the seller won’t take them back up to 90 days from the date of purchase. American Express may refund the full purchase price excluding shipping and handling, up to $300 per item, up to a maximum of $1,000 per calendar year per Card account, if you purchased it entirely with your eligible American Express^® Card. Purchases must be made in the U.S. or its territories. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.