I had my credit card for three years before I found out it included free rental car insurance, extended warranties on electronics, and purchase protection against theft or accidental damage. I had paid for rental car coverage at the counter at least four times. I had bought extended warranties on a laptop and a vacuum cleaner. The card already covered all of it and I had no idea.

Credit card perks are buried in fine print and banks do not advertise them aggressively because they cost the bank money if you use them. Here are the benefits hiding in most cards that are worth checking for.

Purchase Protection

If you buy something with the card and it is stolen or accidentally damaged within ninety to one hundred twenty days, the card issuer may reimburse you — typically up to five hundred or a thousand dollars per claim. I used this once when a new phone screen cracked the second week I had it. Filed a claim online, uploaded the receipt and a photo of the damage, and had the repair cost refunded in about two weeks.

Extended Warranty

Many cards double the manufacturer’s warranty on electronics and appliances — up to an extra year, sometimes two. If your laptop has a one-year warranty and the card doubles it, you have two years of coverage. When something breaks after the manufacturer’s warranty expires but within the extended period, the card covers the repair or replacement. You need the original receipt and the warranty terms, so save both.

Rental Car Insurance

Most travel and cashback cards include a collision damage waiver for rental cars. Decline the rental company’s insurance at the counter — the card’s coverage kicks in automatically when you pay for the rental with the card. This saves fifteen to thirty dollars per day. The coverage is usually secondary, meaning it pays what your personal auto insurance does not, but some premium travel cards offer primary coverage.

Price Protection (Rare But Worth Checking)

A handful of cards still offer price protection — if you buy something and the price drops within sixty days, the card refunds the difference. This feature has been cut from most cards in recent years but a few still have it.

How to find out what your card covers: Log into your account online, look for a section called “Benefits” or “Card Benefits,” and read the guide to benefits PDF. It is usually a dense legal document but the first page of each section summarizes what is covered. Or call the number on the back of the card and ask directly — “What purchase protections and extended warranty benefits does my card include?”

I do not pay for rental car insurance or extended warranties anymore. The card handles both. The only cost was the ten minutes it took to read the benefits guide.