How I tripled my AirPods guarantee with this bank card

AirPods are my most prized journey accent. They supply me with hours of leisure, join me with family members and filter out noise whereas on the go.

I had a very good run with my final pair, which I purchased greater than 5 years in the past. AirPods are inclined to final two to a few years earlier than needing to get replaced, so even with heavy day by day use, I used to be fortunate to have them working up till very not too long ago.

As with all know-how, upgrades are on the docket each few years or so (about as frequent as a free improve on a home flight), so I needed to be sensible about my subsequent AirPods buy.

Here’s a play-by-play of my analysis course of.

How I discovered one of the best worth on AirPods

Across the similar time I used to be seeking to improve, I noticed that Apple was providing an elevated 4 miles per greenback spent by way of airline buying portals.

I used to be seeking to purchase a brand new pair of AirPods Professional 2, which, on the time, price the common worth of $249 (plus taxes) when bought straight from Apple.

Nonetheless, as I used to be looking by way of know-how assessment websites like Tom’s Information, I noticed that Amazon and Walmart had been providing the identical product with a 20% low cost for $199.

I did the fast math, understanding I might:

• Earn as much as $15 price of miles with Apple by clicking by way of one of many airline buying portals
• Obtain a $50 low cost by way of Amazon or Walmart

The latter would give me greater than triple the return, so I made a decision to purchase them by way of a 3rd celebration. I selected Amazon as a result of I had a $46 Amazon present card useful, however this was a small mistake (as I will clarify afterward).

The buying protections that mattered to me

I then wanted to resolve which bank card to make use of. I needed to make sure my AirPods had been coated by two buying protections:

• Buy safety
• An prolonged guarantee

These buying protections have a tendency to supply as much as $10,000 of protection per declare (or $50,000 of protection per yr).

Buy safety

This insurance coverage profit covers the reimbursement, substitute or restore of a product from theft or injury inside the first 90 to 120 days from buy.

I am touring overseas for the subsequent six weeks, so I needed an additional layer of safety on prime of my journey insurance coverage coverage in case my AirPods had been stolen or I broken them in an airplane seat.

Associated: The most effective bank cards for buy safety

Prolonged guarantee

This profit is extra essential to me. Prolonged guarantee offered by a bank card normally extends the producer’s guarantee by:

• One to 2 years — if the producer’s guarantee is one to 5 years
• Matching it — if the guarantee is beneath a yr

This perk is particularly helpful for AirPods, which include a restricted one-year guarantee. On condition that issues typically floor within the second or third yr of getting them, I needed the longest prolonged guarantee doable.

Associated: The most effective bank cards for prolonged warranties

Why I selected my Citi Rewards+ Card

At the very least half of the 33 bank cards I at the moment have in my pockets supply buying protections. I did not need to go too deep in researching every particular person card’s advantages for a comparatively modest buy, so I referenced TPG guides to match which issuers supply probably the most beneficiant advantages — and I used to be shocked with what I discovered.

Buy safety is kind of normal

Ninety- to 120-day buy safety is the norm.

Nonetheless, the utmost declare quantities range considerably, from $500 on the Chase Freedom Limitless® to $10,000 on extra premium playing cards just like the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. My AirPods would simply match beneath both most.

Prolonged guarantee varies extra

Essentially the most beneficiant issuers on the subject of prolonged warranties are:

They have a tendency to supply as much as two years of protection for prolonged warranties, whereas American Categorical and Chase normally max out at one yr.

*Card examples embrace the Capital One Savor Money Rewards Credit score Card and the Capital One Quicksilver Money Rewards Credit score Card; the Visa-issued Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card and Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card supply the usual one yr.

Citi has not traditionally had one of the best fame amongst bank card issuers on the subject of buying protections. It eliminated them from lots of its playing cards in 2019 and has slowly been reintroducing them over the previous couple of years, so I used to be shocked to see it on the listing.

The Citi quick listing

I logged into my Citi account and navigated to the cardboard advantages part. I am glad I dove deep at this stage as a result of my Citi Customized Money® Card solely gives to double the guarantee (that means I would get two years in complete, together with Apple’s guarantee) and did not have buy safety in any respect.

The data for the Citi Customized Money Card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.

Conversely, my Citi Rewards+® Card (see charges and costs) gives a two-year prolonged guarantee (totaling three years with Apple’s guarantee included) and buy safety for the primary 90 days — I had discovered my winner.

Given I used to be planning on making my buy with a mix of my Amazon present card and the remaining on my bank card, I made certain to completely test the advantages information, which acknowledged:

“You could pay for the merchandise not less than partially with Your Citi® Card and/or ThankYou® Factors.”

Doing the maths

Once I reached the Amazon checkout display screen, I chosen my present card in addition to my Citi Rewards+ Card.

I would linked my Citi card beforehand, so it gave me the choice to redeem my paltry Citi ThankYou Rewards steadiness of 911 factors for $7.29. Whereas this 0.8 cents per level redemption worth is lower than half of what we imagine Citi factors to be price (in response to TPG’s March 2025 valuations), I don’t at the moment have a Citi card that turns these into totally transferable factors, so I took the bait.

The whole $215 buy worth (together with taxes) was coated by:

• $162 on my Citi Rewards+ Card
• $46 with an Amazon present card**
• $7 with Citi ThankYou Rewards factors

**In hindsight, I ought to’ve saved the Amazon present card for an additional buy. Within the occasion that I must submit an prolonged guarantee declare, it should solely cowl the portion paid with my Citi Rewards+ Card and Citi factors (i.e., $169 as a substitute of the total $215). Lesson discovered.

And whereas I solely earned 1 level per greenback spent on the $162 portion (half of what I might’ve earned if I had used my Enterprise X), I valued the buying protections above the factors earned.

Backside line

Incomes the very best variety of factors isn’t at all times the only real think about making a purchase order.

Whereas the AirPods worth was low — and definitely considerably cheaper than shopping for a brand new laptop computer or cellphone — useful buying protections (within the type of buy safety and an prolonged guarantee) had been the principle components in deciding on my fee technique.

Now I can relaxation straightforward realizing that if any defects come up with my AirPods over the subsequent three years, the restore or substitute price will likely be (largely) coated by both Apple or Citi. I’ve saved my buy e-receipt to my Google Drive, will hold my Citi Rewards+ Card open for the subsequent three years and can keep away from utilizing present playing cards as partial funds on essential purchases like this one sooner or later.

And I will relaxation much more peacefully on my upcoming journey now that my new totally practical AirPods can block out plane noise whereas I bop to Anitta on my flight to Brazil.

Associated: 9 tech gadgets I at all times pack with me — and 1 that is altering my routine at house

For Capital One merchandise listed on this web page, a number of the advantages could also be offered by Visa® or Mastercard® and should range by product. See the respective Information to Advantages for particulars, as phrases and exclusions apply.