While racking up unsecured debt is generally a bad thing, there can be hidden advantages to using your credit card for everyday purchases. Two benefits that we often recommend as weapons for consumer justice are chargebacks and warranty extensions, but here’s another one that you may not be aware of: return period extensions. Yes, buying with some credit cards can give you longer to return an unwanted item to the retailer.

The emphasis here should really be on the word “some.” CardHub recently evaluated return extension policies at the ten biggest card issuers, scoring the policies on their consumer-friendliness in different areas. There’s a good reason why you may have never heard of return period extensions: they aren’t a well-publicized benefit, and some of the biggest card issuers don’t offer them at all. You’re out of luck if your credit card is through Bank of America, Capital One, or U.S. Bank. Citi offers the benefit, but customers need to know about it ahead of time and sign up for it again every year.

CardHub found that most cards with these policies don’t require customers to sign up in advance at all. They scored the policies and features of different issuers’ programs, finding that Discover, Chase Sapphire, and Chase Freedom were the top scorers.

There are obvious limits and exclusions: often jewelry and cosmetics will be excluded. However, the policy extends the return period to as long as 90 days,

Credit Card Return Extension Report: Who Offers the Best Deal? [CardHub]

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