There are many little-known benefits that a credit card can bring to you when you use it to shop. With these little-known benefits, you are worry-free when you are faced with unwanted or broken merchandise.

1. Extended Warranty

Usually, most of credit card issuers offer free extended warranty service if you shop with their credit cards. But you have to bear in mind that you have to pay in full with that credit card. This benefit is especially useful when you shop for a laptop. The extended warranty will save you up to $100 per order. Before you put the extended warranty offered from manufactures in the cart, please pick up one credit card that can cover the extended warranty for you. Typically, American Express (MasterCard and Visa) doubles your manufactures’ warranty. (Maximum one year. Centurion card can have up to 3 additional years’ warranty.) That’s why I usually use credit card to pay for electronics instead of cash at checkout. Please note that most issuers require the purchase have to be charged entirely with their cards.

2. Return Protection

Sometimes you might buy some items that you actually don’t want to own. And you may can’t return them to the stores. How to handle it? No problem. Your credit card can help you. If you can prove you purchases the item and the store declined your request to return it, the credit card issuers can pay the money to you and buy it. For example, American Express’ return protection plan allows you to ask for money from American Express up to $300 per item and $1,000 per year if you try to return a designated item within 90 days of purchase and the merchant won’t take it. The Visa Platinum card will reimburse up to $250 instead.

3. Purchase Protection

This feature offers protection for your items within 90 days for any unexpected accident happened to them. If your item is stolen or accidentally damaged, you can get up to $1,000 per occurrence from American Express ($50,000 per year).

Visa purchase security offers similar benefit: Within the first ninety (90) days of the date of purchase, Purchase Security will, at the Provider’s discretion, replace, repair, or reimburse you for eligible items of personal property purchased entirely with your eligible Visa Signature card up to a maximum of $500 per claim and $50,000 per cardholder, in the event of theft, damage due to fire, vandalism, accidentally discharged water, or certain weather conditions. MasterCard also offers same benefit.

4. Price Protection

If you accidentally buy an item with a higher price, you can request to get a refund from your credit card issuers for the price difference within a certain time period.

Citi clearly indicates that: The Price Protection Program helps you get the best price you can find on most products you buy. If you buy an item with your MasterCard or Visa card, and if within 60 days after your purchase you see a printed advertisement for the same item (same model number and same model year) by the same manufacturer for a lower price, we will refund you the price difference, up to $250 per item (up to a maximum of $1,000 per cardmember per year) provided the printed advertisement was published on the same day as or within 60 days after your purchase. No registration is necessary. But internet purchase is excluded. American Express doesn’t put this in their benefits guide, you can still call their customer service for a refund.

5. Fraud Protection

Sometimes your credit cards might be lost or stolen by others. And some one might use your credit card to make purchases. Don’t worry! Our credit card issuers will not ask you to pay the money!

Visa: You can use your card to shop with confidence. That’s because Visa protects your card information 24/7 and you won’t be held liable for unauthorized purchases made with your card or account information. If your account is compromised, Visa is committed to setting things right without further aggravation or inconvenience to you. Visa’s cardholder protection policy requires all financial institutions issuing Visa products to extend provisional credit for losses from unauthorized card use within 5 business days of notification of the loss.

MasterCard, Discover Card, and American Express also offer same benefit.