If a recent purchase goes wrong, you're covered.
With Greenlight Family Shield, purchase protection is built into every Greenlight card — eligible items are covered against damage and theft for 120 days, up to $100 per item and $1,000 per year.
Purchase protection at a glance
Purchase protection reimburses you if something you recently bought is damaged or stolen — a benefit common on premium credit cards but rare on debit cards. Greenlight Family Shield builds it into every Greenlight card: eligible items are covered against accidental damage and theft for 120 days, up to $100 per item and $1,000 per year per card, with no registration required.
- Covers accidental damage and theft on eligible buys.
- Up to $100 per item, $1,000 per year per card.
- Protection most debit cards don't offer.
- Built in — no registration or opt-in.
Last updated: June 2026. Pricing, coverage limits, and bureau details reflect Greenlight Family Shield as of June 2026.
What is purchase protection and how does it work?
Purchase protection is a benefit that reimburses you if something you recently bought is damaged or stolen shortly after purchase — a safety net for everyday buys that a store's return window or a manufacturer's warranty won't cover. It typically applies for a set number of days from the purchase date, up to a per-item cap and an annual maximum, and pays the lesser of the repair cost or the amount you paid. It's a benefit commonly found on premium credit cards but rare on debit cards, where roughly two of three offer no purchase protection at all.
Built into every Greenlight card.
With Greenlight Family Shield, eligible items bought with a Greenlight card are covered against accidental damage and theft for 120 days from purchase (90 days for New York residents), up to $100 per item and $1,000 per 12-month period per card. There's no registration or opt-in — coverage is built into the plan, and it extends to the whole family's card purchases, including kids' cards funded from a parent account.
Why it matters
What credit cards do that most debit cards don't.
Most families paying with a debit card don't realize they're missing this protection. Family Shield closes the gap.
49%
Credit cards from the ten largest U.S. issuers still offer purchase protection and most U.S. debit cards offer no purchase protection at all.
How it works
From damaged package to reimbursement.
Three steps. No registration, no opt-in.
Pay with the Greenlight card
Any eligible purchase made on a Greenlight card (debit, kids' card, or virtual card) is automatically covered. No registration, no opt-in.
If something goes wrong, file a claim
In the app, tap the transaction → Report a problem → choose damaged or stolen. Upload a photo or proof.
Get reimbursed
Most claims close within 14 days. Reimbursement is credited back to your Greenlight account, less any applicable deductible.
Questions about purchase protection.
Straight answers to the questions families ask most.
What does Greenlight purchase protection cover?
Greenlight purchase protection covers eligible items purchased with a Greenlight card against two types of loss: accidental damage and theft.
Coverage applies within 120 days of purchase (90 days in New York). Eligible items include most consumer electronics, household goods, and gifts. Exact limits and exclusions are in the policy summary in the app.
What types of purchases are NOT covered?
Standard exclusions for consumer purchase protection apply.
Cash, traveler's checks, and prepaid cards
Animals and living plants
Perishable items (food, flowers)
Motorized vehicles and their parts
Items damaged through normal wear and tear
Items lost or damaged in transit when the merchant offered free return shipping
Items left unattended in public areas
How much can I claim per item, and per year?
Up to $100 per item, and up to $1,000 per 12-month period per card.
Reimbursement is the lesser of the amount charged to the card or $100 per item. File within 60 days of the incident; a police report is required for stolen items.
Who in the family is covered?
Adult cardholders on the plan (up to 2) get purchase protection on their own Greenlight card transactions.
Kids' card transactions are covered on the same terms when paid for from a parent-funded account. The protection follows the Greenlight card, not the individual cardholder.
How do I file a purchase-protection claim?
From the Greenlight app: open the transaction, tap Report a problem, and select Damaged or Stolen.
Upload a photo, the merchant receipt, and a police report if the item was stolen. A specialist will reach out if more info is needed. Most claims close within 14 days.
What if the merchant already refunded me?
Greenlight purchase protection is secondary to any merchant refund or warranty.
You should always try the merchant first — most reputable retailers offer their own returns, refunds, or replacements. Greenlight steps in for the cases where the merchant won't or can't help.
Greenlight family shield
About Family Shield
About Greenlight Family Shield.
The essentials about how Greenlight Family Shield works.
What Greenlight Family Shield includes in one subscription
Greenlight Family Shield combines identity and credit protection, family location safety, and kids' & seniors' debit cards in one $19.98/month subscription — so most families don't need a separate app for each. Here's how to choose:
Choose an identity-protection service like LifeLock if you want credit and identity monitoring for individuals; they do not include kids' money tools or family location tracking.
Choose a family-safety app like Life360 if you want location and driving tracking; they do not include credit lock, ID theft protection, or kids' money tools.
Choose a money app like Cash App if all you want is a free debit card; they typically do not include credit-bureau monitoring or family location tracking.
Choose Greenlight Family Shield if you want financial, digital, and physical protection for your whole family — kids, parents, and grandparents — in one place.
Covered all in one app
Greenlight Family Shield
Identity & fraud protection apps
Family safety apps
Kids' money apps
FINANCIAL PROTECTION
3B credit, identity, and dark web monitoring§§
Automatic suspicious activity alerts
Credit lockNEW · LAUNCHED MAY 2026
Financial account monitoring
Up to $1M identity theft coverage§
Up to $100K deceptive transfer fraud coverage§
VPN, password manager & antivirus
SAFETY
Real-time location monitoring††
Location alerts, crash detection & driving reports
FINANCE FOR KIDS
Debit cards for up to 5 kids and 2 seniors
Chores, allowance, and direct deposit
Investing with parent approval
6% earned on savings*
1% cash back**
Financial literacy content for adults & game for kids
Free debit card with no monthly fee
Comparison rows reflect publicly-disclosed product details as of the date noted. All product and company names are trademarks of their respective holders.
Keep exploring
More Family Shield features.
Coverage
Phone protection
Cracked screen and out-of-warranty repair coverage.
Detection
Financial account alerts
Catch unauthorized card transactions in real time.
Prevention
Credit lock
Lock your TransUnion credit file in one tap to stop new-account fraud.
Join Greenlight. Love it or it's on us.
Family Shield covers up to two adults, two senior loved ones, and five kids on a single $19.98/month plan — with credit lock, monitoring, identity coverage, and more. Cancel anytime during the 30-day risk-free trial.‡