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Bankrate has partnerships with issuers including, but not limited to, American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi and Discover. SHARE: Tom Werner/Getty Images July 29, 2022 Meredith Hoffman is a personal finance writer covering credit card news and advice at Bankrate. She is originally from Columbia, S.C., and received her bachelor's degree from the Univ. of North Carolina at Wilmington. Before joining Bankrate in October 2019, Meredith worked as the news editor of Wilmington’s local newspaper, The Seahawk. Mariah Ackary is a personal finance editor who joined the Bankrate team in 2019, excited by the opportunity to help people make good financial decisions. Send your questions to Bankrate logo The Bankrate promise
At Bankrate we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. While we adhere to strict editorial integrity, this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here's an explanation for how we make money. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Bankrate logo The Bankrate promise
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You have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades. We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to succeed throughout life’s financial journey. Bankrate follows a strict , so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers. We’re transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money. Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and, services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service. So let’s say that you buy a lamp from an expensive store only to get buyer’s remorse when you get home. You may rush to return the over-priced purchase as soon as possible, only to find out that the store has a no-return policy. This is where return protection comes in. Credit card return protection is a notoriously fickle credit card perk that’s also increasingly rare. Despite its extensive fine print and exclusions, it can be beneficial for consumers who are having second thoughts about a purchase. What is credit card return protection
Credit card return protection is an added benefit of making a purchase with a credit card that allows individuals to return a purchase even if the retailer doesn’t allow returns. If the retailer allows returns, credit card return protection can extend the time a consumer has to return the item. It’s important to note that not all credit card issuers offer return protection, as it’s a dying perk in the credit card industry. Over the last few years, many issuers — such as Discover in 2018 — have phased out return protection benefits altogether. How does return protection work
The steps of processing a return request can be a cumbersome experience, and it varies based on the card, card issuer and purchase in question. Credit card issuers who still offer purchase return protection will often have rules that exclude some purchases. If the item is eligible for a return, most issuers will require the following to process the request: A credit card statement showing that the purchase was made with their card that offers return protection The original receipt of purchase Documentation that you tried to return the purchase to the original retailer Rules and restrictions for credit card return protection
Issuer Return eligibility window Limits Exclusions Full guidelines American Express 90 days after purchase Limit of $300 refund per return Limit of $1,000 in returns per calendar year Personal hygiene products Books and magazines Jewelry Formal wear Live animals For a full list of exclusions refer to the full guidelines Mastercard 60 days after purchase Limit of $250 per claim Limit of 4 claims per cardholder per calendar year Jewelry Computer software Animals and plants For a full list of exclusions refer to the full guidelines Visa () 90 days after purchase Limit of $300 refund per claim Limit of $1,000 in refunds in a calendar year The offers an increased limit of $500 per claim, though it is still subject to the limit of $1,000 in refunds per year Damaged items Medical equipment Plants and animals Holiday decorations Batteries For a full list of exclusions refer to the full guidelines Discover Does not offer return protection N/A N/A N/A The bottom line
Credit card return protection can offer peace of mind when shopping for an item that may not be refundable. However, the extensive fine print and exclusions make this more of a backup option to get a refund rather than a credit card perk you can use routinely. If you’re out of luck on return protection, check if your credit card offers purchase protection. SHARE: Meredith Hoffman is a personal finance writer covering credit card news and advice at Bankrate. She is originally from Columbia, S.C., and received her bachelor's degree from the Univ. of North Carolina at Wilmington. Before joining Bankrate in October 2019, Meredith worked as the news editor of Wilmington’s local newspaper, The Seahawk. Mariah Ackary is a personal finance editor who joined the Bankrate team in 2019, excited by the opportunity to help people make good financial decisions. Send your questions to Related Articles