Which Credit Cards Have Mobile Device Insurance?

Phones are among the most expensive things most of us carry every day, and they’re also among the easiest to drop, crack, or leave behind in a taxi.

Before you pay for a separate protection plan, it’s worth checking your wallet. Many Canadian credit cards now include mobile device insurance, which covers a new phone against damage and theft when you buy it, or pay for it through your carrier plan, with the card.

I’ve never had to make a phone claim myself, mostly because I’m careful with my phones. Still, to refresh this guide, I went through the certificates of insurance for more than 30 Canadian credit cards so you don’t have to.

The fine print varies more than you’d expect, from when coverage starts to whether a lost phone counts at all.

What Is Mobile Device Insurance?

Mobile device insurance reimburses you to repair or replace a phone that’s accidentally damaged or stolen, and on many cards one that’s lost, after you buy it with your credit card.

You’re covered whether you pay for the phone in full or finance it through a fixed-term plan with a Canadian carrier. If you finance it, many cards also want every monthly wireless bill charged to the card, and missing one can end your coverage.

Some certificates also cover smartwatches, while others exclude them, so check the definition of a mobile device in your card’s certificate if you’re buying more than a phone.

It isn’t a full replacement for AppleCare+ or a carrier protection plan. Credit card coverage pays out a depreciated value minus a deductible, and it usually ends two years after the purchase date.

Since you’re already carrying the card, it costs nothing extra, and it can cover a large share of a new phone if something goes wrong.

How Credit Card Mobile Device Insurance Works

Every card in this guide follows the same basic formula, but the inputs change from one certificate to the next. These are the five details worth comparing.

• Maximum coverage: most cards cap a claim at $1,000 or $1,500, a couple of business cards go to $2,000, and some basic cards stop at $500
• Depreciation: your phone’s insured value usually drops 2% for each completed month after purchase, though National Bank uses 3% and Wealthsimple doesn’t depreciate at all
• Deductible: either 10% of the depreciated value, a flat amount, or a $25 to $100 sliding scale based on the phone’s price
• Start date: coverage often begins 30, 60, or 91 days after purchase, often because the card’s purchase security handles the first few months
• Claim limits: the most common rule is one claim every 12 months and two every 48 months

The start date is the detail people miss most often. On several cards, a phone that breaks in the first few months falls under purchase security instead, which generally only applies if you paid for it in full on the card.

The claim limit matters too. If you’re hard on phones, a card that allows more than one claim a year can be worth more than a higher dollar limit.

A worked example

Say you buy a $1,400 phone, taxes included, with the RBC® Avion Visa Infinite^† and drop it eight months later. That card depreciates at 2% per month and uses a 10% deductible.

• Depreciation: 2% × 8 months × $1,400 = $224
• Depreciated value: $1,400 minus $224 = $1,176
• Deductible: 10% of $1,176 = $117.60
• Maximum payout: $1,176 minus $117.60 = $1,058.40

You’d receive the lesser of your repair cost or $1,058.40 toward a replacement. On a card with a $1,000 limit, the same claim would top out at $1,000.

Canada’s Best Credit Cards for Mobile Device Insurance

These 10 cards stand out for higher limits, friendlier terms, or a card that’s worth holding long after the phone is paid off. All figures come from each card’s current certificate of insurance.

Where a card lists two start dates, coverage begins on whichever comes later. If you finance the phone through a plan, several cards start coverage with your first charge to the card instead.

RBC® Avion Visa Infinite^†

The RBC® Avion Visa Infinite^† pairs a $1,500 limit with Avion points, which you can convert to several airline loyalty programs. That makes it a card worth keeping in your wallet long after the phone purchase.

Coverage starts on day 91, with the card’s purchase security handling the first 90 days if you paid in full. Depreciation is 2% per month, the deductible is 10%, and you can make one claim every 12 months and two every 48 months.

CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card

The CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card has the most generous claim allowance I found, with up to four claims in 24 months. It also covers phones bought with buy now, pay later financing.

There are two trade-offs. If you pay for the phone in full, coverage doesn’t start until day 181, since purchase security covers the first 180 days, and smartwatches aren’t included.

The limit is $1,500, with 2% monthly depreciation and a 10% deductible. If you finance the phone instead, coverage starts with your first charge to the card.

Tangerine® Rewards World Elite®* Mastercard®*

Tangerine’s newest card, the Tangerine® Rewards World Elite®* Mastercard®*, brings a $1,500 limit to a card that earns Scene+ points, with a higher rate in three spending categories you choose.

Coverage starts on the later of day 30 or the date your first wireless bill is charged to the card, so it’s worth moving your phone bill over too. The deductible runs from $25 to $100 depending on the phone’s price.

You get one claim every 12 months and two every 48 months, counted per account rather than per card.

Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard®

The Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard®, issued by Brim, also covers up to $1,500 and earns Flying Blue miles on everyday spending.

Brim moved this card to a new certificate in May 2026, and a few terms tightened. Refurbished phones are now excluded, buy now, pay later purchases don’t qualify, and you have 30 days to report a claim.

The new wording is also unclear on lost phones. It lists loss as covered in one place and excludes lost devices in another, so I’d treat this card as theft and damage coverage only.

Coverage starts on day 91, or with the first charge if you finance the phone. Depreciation is 2% per month, and the deductible is 10% with a $25 minimum.

American Express Cobalt® Card

The American Express Cobalt® Card has the fastest start of any card here. A lost phone is covered from the day you buy it, while theft and damage coverage starts on day 91, or with your first charge if you’re financing.

It also covers smartwatches and buy now, pay later purchases. The limit is $1,000 with 2% monthly depreciation and a 10% deductible, and the claim limits apply across all of your Amex cards combined.

Since the Cobalt earns 5x MR points on groceries, restaurants, and food delivery, it’s an easy card to keep in rotation once the phone is paid for.

Wealthsimple Credit Cards

The Wealthsimple Visa Infinite +* Credit Card and the Wealthsimple Visa Infinite Privilege* Credit Card take a different approach. There’s no depreciation at all, and the deductible is a flat $50.

That makes them the best fit on this list for a claim late in the coverage period. On a $1,000 phone, a claim in month 20 could pay up to $950, while a card with 2% monthly depreciation would start from $600 before its deductible.

The limits deserve a careful read, though. Wealthsimple covers theft and damage but not loss, and coverage starts the month after you pay a phone bill with the card. You can make two claims in 12 months, with a $1,000 limit.

Scotia Momentum® Visa Infinite +* Card

If you’d rather earn cash back, the Scotia Momentum® Visa Infinite +* Card earns 4% back on groceries and recurring bill payments, which include your monthly phone bill.

Its mobile coverage lines up with Tangerine’s, which makes sense since Tangerine is part of Scotiabank. Expect a $1,000 limit, 2% monthly depreciation, and a deductible of $25 to $100.

Coverage starts on the later of day 30 or the date your first phone bill is charged to the card, with one claim every 12 months and two every 48 months.

Tangerine® Money-Back World Mastercard®*

If you don’t want to pay an annual fee, the Tangerine® Money-Back World Mastercard®* is the strongest no-fee option I found. You choose your 2% cash back categories, and recurring bill payments are one of the choices.

The terms match the Scotia Momentum® Visa Infinite +* Card, including the $1,000 limit and the $25 to $100 deductible. Keep in mind that the claim limit applies across all of your Tangerine accounts, not to each card.

TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card

The TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card covers lost and stolen phones as well as accidental damage and mechanical breakdown, up to $1,000.

TD is a little more flexible about how you pay. You only need to charge at least 75% of the phone’s cost to the card, though the payout is then based on the portion you charged.

The deductible scales with the phone’s pre-tax price, from $25 for a phone under $200 to $100 for anything over $600. Coverage starts on the later of day 30 or your first wireless bill charged to the card.

National Bank® World Elite® Mastercard®

The National Bank® World Elite® Mastercard® has the steepest depreciation here at 3% per month, so its coverage is strongest early in the phone’s life.

Coverage starts 60 days after purchase, or on your second monthly plan payment if you finance the phone and that comes later. Used and refurbished phones aren’t covered. You get one claim per year and two every four years, with a $1,000 limit and a $25 to $100 deductible.

The card’s broader insurance package is the bigger draw. It includes coverage on award travel charged to the card, which not every card offers.

Other Cards with Mobile Device Insurance

The 10 cards above aren’t the only options. These cards also include mobile device insurance, listed by their maximum coverage.

All of the personal cards at $1,000 and $500 have no annual fee. A few details stand out in this group, too.

• RBC® Avion Visa Infinite Business and WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard for Businessǂ: both cover up to $2,000, the highest limit on any Canadian card I could find, and the WestJet card also covers phones bought with WestJet points
• RBC® Avion Visa Infinite Privilege^†: coverage doesn’t start until day 121
• RBC® Cash Back Preferred World Elite Mastercardǂ: mobile device insurance was added with the card’s October 2026 refresh
• National Bank® mycredit™ Mastercard®: depreciation is 3% per month, the same as its World Elite sibling

If you’re buying phones for a business, the RBC® Avion Visa Infinite Business and the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard for Businessǂ are worth a look. At $2,000, their coverage is $500 more than any personal card offers, and the WestJet card’s coverage starts on day 91.

It’s also worth knowing which premium cards don’t include it. The American Express® Gold Rewards Card and the The Platinum Card® have no mobile device insurance, while the American Express® Business Gold Rewards Card ($1,000) and the Business Platinum Card® from American Express ($1,500) do.

How to Make Sure You’re Covered

Each certificate has its own rules, but most of them come down to how you pay for the phone and how quickly you report a claim. A few habits will keep you on the right side of the fine print.

• Pay with the right card: charge the full price to the card, or the upfront amount plus every monthly plan payment if you’re financing
• Move your phone bill over: on cards like the Tangerine, Scotiabank, and TD cards above, coverage only starts once a monthly wireless bill is charged to the card
• Keep your paperwork: hold onto the receipt, your carrier contract, and your card statements showing the payments
• Report quickly: deadlines vary, and the Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard® now asks for notice within 30 days
• Check your other coverage: if you also have AppleCare+ or a carrier plan, read how your card’s certificate treats other insurance before you file

It’s also worth reading the exclusions once, before you need them. They vary by card, and some, including the National Bank® World Elite® Mastercard® and the new Brim certificate, exclude refurbished phones.

For a broader look at what your cards cover beyond phones, our credit card insurance guide walks through travel, rental car, and purchase coverage in more detail.

Conclusion

If you want the highest limit on a personal card, four cards cover up to $1,500. The Tangerine® Rewards World Elite®* Mastercard®* gets you there with the earliest start, while the RBC® Avion Visa Infinite^† and the CIBC Aventura® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card suit you if you pay outright and don’t mind waiting.

If you tend to keep a phone until the coverage runs out, the Wealthsimple cards’ no-depreciation terms will pay the most late in the term. If you’d rather skip an annual fee, the Tangerine® Money-Back World Mastercard®* is the one I’d pick.

Whichever card you choose, how you pay usually decides the claim. Put the phone and every monthly bill on the card, and read the certificate once before you ever need it.

^† Terms and conditions apply. Please refer to the card issuer’s website for up-to-date information.