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Do you tend to be a little clumsy when it comes to taking care of your cell phone? Chances are you’ll probably damage or break your cell phone at some point, and with how pricey these phones can get nowadays, damaging your phone can cost over a thousand dollars each time.
Luckily, you can offset the bulk of that financial loss by having the right credit card. That’s right — you can get cell phone protection insurance as a free benefit from certain credit cards.
And for the clumsy cell phone user, this will likely save you tens of thousands of dollars in the long run.
One of the cards that offer cell phone protection is the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, which also happens to be one of the most elite credit cards in the world.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the ins and outs of this the Capital One Venture X card’s cell phone protection policies, including coverage limits, exclusions, claim submission processes, and everything in between.
Let’s get right into it!
Capital One Venture X Card Overview
At a glance, the Capital One Venture X card is one of the best ultra-premium credit cards available, even when compared to offerings from Chase and American Express.
In fact, this is probably the cardto get if you were to pick just 1 rewards credit card from Capital One.
With the Capital One Venture X card, you’ll earn miles according to the following structure:
10x miles per dollar spent on hotels and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel
5x miles per dollar spent on flights booked through Capital One Travel
2x miles per dollar spent on all other purchases
Beyond the ability to earn up to 10x miles on travel-related purchases, you’ll see that earning 2x miles per dollar spent on all other purchases makes racking up miles simple but very rewarding.
So when you pay your cell phone bill with the Capital One Venture X card, you can rest assured that you’re getting a return on spending of around 3.6%, which is calculated based on earning 2x miles per dollar.
Since paying for your cellular bill is a requirement to enjoy cell phone protection, you’re actually doubling up on getting awesome rewards and having cell phone insurance.
Why We Like This Card for Cell Phone Protection
Image Credit: Tiko via Adobe Stock
Although the complete details of the cell phone protection policy are available in the guide to benefits (in the Cellular Telephone Protection section), we’ve broken down a lot of the confusing parts into something a little more digestible.
One of the requirements to qualify for this coverage is that you charge your monthly cellular wireless phone bill to your Capital One Venture X card for the billing cycle before the month in which the incident occurs.
Of course, you can’t predict when your phone will be damaged or stolen, so it makes sense to just put your recurring cell phone bill payment on your Capital One Venture X card.
What’s Covered
Your cell phone protection kicks in as long as you’ve paid 1 billing cycle already with your Capital One Venture X card. You don’t need to buy the phone with the card, though, just paying the monthly bill with it will suffice.
If you don’t make your payments on time, however, your coverage will be suspended and will only resume on the first day of the calendar month after the date that your bill was paid with your credit card.
In general, this policy covers damage to, theft of, or involuntary and “accidental parting” from your cell phone. Accidental parting is generally defined as the unintended separation from your phone when its location is known but recovery is impractical to complete.
We’ll discuss what isn’t covered below.
Who’s Covered
Essentially, any device that’s on the cell phone bill is covered, as long as you pay for the full bill with the Capital One Venture X card.
So if you have employees or family members on your cellular bill and you pay the bill in full every month, there’s technically no limit to how many phones can enjoy the coverage.
Coverage Limits
It’s important to note that the protection is supplemental, which means that if you have a separate insurance policy for your phone, the protection from the Capital One Venture X card covers the deductible portion of your separate insurance policy only.
But as long as you don’t have another insurance policy, you are covered for the full, allowed amount.
You can get up to $800 per approved claim or the retail value of your phone (the lesser amount applies) with a $50 deductible for each claim. You can make up to 2 claims for every rolling 12-month period.
That means you can get up to $1,500 every year in cell phone protection.
What’s Not Covered
The benefits guide outlines an inclusive but not exhaustive list of events that are not covered:
When your phone is lost or mysteriously disappears
When your phone is stolen from baggage (unless hand-carried and under personal supervision from yourself or your traveling companion)
Cosmetic damage that doesn’t impact the phone’s capabilities and functionalities
Damage or theft resulting from abuse, intentional acts, fraud, hostilities of any kind, illegal activities, confiscation by the authorities, wear and tear, flood, earthquake, radioactive contamination, or damage from inherent product defects
Losses caused by or resulting from a cyber incident
Rented, borrowed, or prepaid phones
Cell phone accessories other than standard battery and/or antenna provided by the manufacturer
Cell phones purchased for resale, professional, or commercial use
Bottom Line: The Capital One Venture X card comes with $800 in cell phone protection per claim, has a $50 deductible per claim, and 2 claims are allowed for every 12-month period. To qualify, the full monthly cellular bill prior to the covered event must be paid using the card.
Additional (Limited) Cell Phone Protection
Another way to enjoy cell phone-related protection beyond the protection policy is to maximize some of the other benefits you get with the Capital One Venture X card.
These come at no additional cost, so let’s walk through them quickly.
Purchase Protection
Certain new purchases (cell phones included) can get an additional coverage period of 90 days beyond the date of purchase for damage and theft.
In this case, purchase protection offers up to $10,000 in coverage per item and a total of $50,000 over the lifetime of the credit card account.
Extended Warranty
Another great way to beef up your cell phone protection game is to use your Capital One Venture X card’s extended warranty coverage when possible. If your phone’s warranty is 3 years or less, you can get 1 extra year of warranty coverage.
With this coverage, you can be reimbursed for the original price of your purchased cell phone. Generally speaking, this extended warranty coverage can reimburse a maximum of $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
It’s also important to note that it covers purchases made inside and outside the U.S.
How To File a Cell Phone Protection Claim
Filing for a Capital One cell phone protection claim online is easy and fast. Image Credit: Card Benefit Services
As soon as the covered event has occurred (e.g., as soon as your phone gets stolen), you’ll need to visit the Card Benefit Services website to start the claim process. In fact, you must report the incident within 60 days of occurrence in order to qualify, but the best move is to do it immediately.
Hot Tip: If your claim is due to crime or theft, you’ll also need to provide a police report filed within 48 hours of the event occurring.
If you haven’t already, you’ll want to create an account by entering your email address and your card number.
After that, click this link to start filing a claim. You’ll be asked to enter your credit card number. Be sure to select the option that says I want to file a claim for my damaged or stolen cell phone.
Fill in the purchase date and bill-pay date prior to the incident for the cell phone involved, and click the option that says Cell Phone Stolen/Damaged under the What Happened? area.
Fill in the required product information and incident details, provide the necessary monthly billing statements, a repair estimate (if applicable) from an authorized cell phone repair facility, and any other documents needed to submit the claim.
If your cell phone has been damaged, you’ll need to keep it until the claim has been fully resolved.
Remember that if you have another insurance policy such as AppleCare+, the credit card’s travel coverage only kicks in to cover the deductible from that policy.
After you’ve submitted all of the needed information, the next step is to wait to hear back from the benefits administrator and follow up as needed.
Final Thoughts
The Capital One Venture X card is one of the few credit cards out there that offers a respectable cell phone protection policy.
And while smartphones nowadays can cost well over a thousand dollars, using the cell phone protection from this card can nullify most of the cost, if not all of it.
The other benefit of the Capital One Venture X card is that you’ll earn 2x Capital One miles on your monthly cell phone bill, effectively netting you a return on spending of 3.6%.
Best of all, this cell phone protection covers any other family members or individuals who are on your cellular plan.
The information regarding the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
Featured Image Credit: Priscilla Du Preez via Unsplash
Frequently Asked Questions
The Capital One Venture X card has a great cell phone insurance benefit. It covers theft, accidental damage, and involuntary parting from your phone. There’s a $50 deductible per claim, an $800 benefit maximum per claim, and up to 2 approved claims every rolling 12-month period.
Cellular telephone protection provides coverage for damage to, theft of, or involuntary and accidental parting from your cell phone.
To claim cell phone insurance on the Capital One Venture X card, visit the Card Benefits Services website and follow the prompts to create an account and fill out a claim form for your cell phone incident.
Yes! The Capital One Venture X card has purchase protection covering a period of 90 days after your purchase, up to $10,000 per item, and up to $50,000 per account.
Stephen is an established voice in the credit card space, with over 70 to his name. His work has been in publications like The Washington Post, and his Au Points and Awards Consulting Services is used by hundreds of clients.
Disclaimer: Any comments listed below are not from the bank advertiser, nor have they been reviewed or approved by them. No responsibility will be taken by the bank advertiser for these comments.
11 comments
TSR
August 07, 2022
In this same article, it says at the end that it covers loss or stolen but earlier in the same article it says that is NOT included?
The line you are referring to says it is not covered if your phone is stolen from your baggage, but other instances of theft should be covered.
MB
September 22, 2022
Is coverage only applicable for post-paid monthly billed payment phones? What about those using Venture X to pay for prepaid plans, e.g., Mint Wireless, when there’s only a single payment for a 12-month plan?
The card terms do not seem to state that it must be a monthly bill in order to receive coverage, but if I were you I would contact Capital One to be on the safe side.
Ryan
June 20, 2023
It specifically states that phones part of a pre-paid plan or “pay as you go” type plan is not included.
“Cell phones which have been rented, borrowed or are part of pre-paid or “pay as you go” type plans”
BT
December 26, 2022
Did you get a response, MB?
Kunal Goel
March 19, 2023
Is the cost of the phone stolen covered or the cost to replace it (i.e. cost of the new phone) covered?
You would receive up to $800, less the $50 deductible. So, in some cases, it may not be enough to cover the full cost of a new phone.
Hannah
June 14, 2023
Do you know how it works if I have a family plan and we split the bill and pay with different cards? Can I use my Venture X card for my portion of the bill and be covered?
Hi Hannah. The Guide to Benefits is not totally clear on how family plans are handled but it states that at the time of a claim, you’ll need to provide: “A copy of Your cellular wireless service provider billing statement demonstrating that the entire monthly payment for the cellular wireless phone bill was made the month prior to the date of the damage or theft” and “a copy of the device summary page from Your cellular wireless phone bill or other sufficient proof of the claimed cell phone model linked to Your cell phone account”. So, things might get complicated at the time of a claim. You can call the number on the back of your card for a more definitive answer.
Derek
September 13, 2023
The BIGGEST deal breaker for me is that if I pay for my T-Mobile service with a credit card, I do not get the $20 per month billing discount for my family of three. So you need to determine if this coverage is worth more than the autopay discount.
Any thoughts or questions? Comment below!
Email needed if you'd like comment updates. It will NOT be published.
This bonus value is an estimated valuation calculated by UP after analyzing redemption options, transfer partners, award availability and how much UP would pay to buy these points.
11 comments
TSR
August 07, 2022
In this same article, it says at the end that it covers loss or stolen but earlier in the same article it says that is NOT included?
Jarrod West
August 29, 2022
Hi TSR,
The line you are referring to says it is not covered if your phone is stolen from your baggage, but other instances of theft should be covered.
MB
September 22, 2022
Is coverage only applicable for post-paid monthly billed payment phones? What about those using Venture X to pay for prepaid plans, e.g., Mint Wireless, when there’s only a single payment for a 12-month plan?
Jarrod West
September 22, 2022
Hi MB,
The card terms do not seem to state that it must be a monthly bill in order to receive coverage, but if I were you I would contact Capital One to be on the safe side.
Ryan
June 20, 2023
It specifically states that phones part of a pre-paid plan or “pay as you go” type plan is not included.
“Cell phones which have been rented, borrowed or are part of pre-paid or “pay as you go” type plans”
BT
December 26, 2022
Did you get a response, MB?
Kunal Goel
March 19, 2023
Is the cost of the phone stolen covered or the cost to replace it (i.e. cost of the new phone) covered?
Chris Hassan
March 20, 2023
You would receive up to $800, less the $50 deductible. So, in some cases, it may not be enough to cover the full cost of a new phone.
Hannah
June 14, 2023
Do you know how it works if I have a family plan and we split the bill and pay with different cards? Can I use my Venture X card for my portion of the bill and be covered?
Christine Krzyszton
June 16, 2023
Hi Hannah. The Guide to Benefits is not totally clear on how family plans are handled but it states that at the time of a claim, you’ll need to provide: “A copy of Your cellular wireless service provider billing statement demonstrating that the entire monthly payment for the cellular wireless phone bill was made the month prior to the date of the damage or theft” and “a copy of the device summary page from Your cellular wireless phone bill or other sufficient proof of the claimed cell phone model linked to Your cell phone account”. So, things might get complicated at the time of a claim. You can call the number on the back of your card for a more definitive answer.
Derek
September 13, 2023
The BIGGEST deal breaker for me is that if I pay for my T-Mobile service with a credit card, I do not get the $20 per month billing discount for my family of three. So you need to determine if this coverage is worth more than the autopay discount.
Any thoughts or questions? Comment below!
Email needed if you'd like comment updates. It will NOT be published.
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