I iPhone 12 Pro Max I’ve only had my Apple device for a little over three years, but by the time it reached its third anniversary it was clear that the battery wasn’t holding the charge like it used to. For some, this could be a reason to buy a new phone, especially since Apple is likely to launch the iPhone 16 series with the iPhone 12 next year. September 9th Autumn EventsMy iPhone is otherwise still working fine.
Nearly four years after its launch in 2020, I’m still pleased with the quality of the iPhone’s 6.7-inch OLED display and 12-megapixel camera system. I’m also pleased that the phone can run just about any app in the App Store, barring some of the more demanding games that only the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max phones will run. iPhone 15 Pro Max Vastly improved camera, USB-C support, and more Apple Intelligence Feature SuiteBut I’m not desperate for those features right now, especially since I don’t want to pay $1,000+ for a new phone, and I don’t want to trade in my device for a grant and get another two years of T-Mobile service.
The decision to replace the battery was an easy one because it’s a repair that can be done at any Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider and is much cheaper than buying a new phone. This way, you can extend the life of your device with a much smaller investment than buying a new phone, and a new battery will give your phone another day of use. The only problem with this choice is that AppleCare plan or traditional mobile phone insurance plan It comes with the iPhone, which means you may have to pay the full $89 before tax price that Apple charges for battery service on this iPhone model.
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Instead of AppleCare, I was able to get a partial refund for the battery service through my credit card’s mobile phone insurance benefit. This feature, available on some credit cards, allows you to submit a claim and get a refund minus your deductible when your phone breaks. To qualify, you need to pay your phone bill every month with an eligible credit card and collect various documents during the repair process that you need to submit when you make a claim.
The exact rules vary by credit card, but here’s how I took advantage of this benefit with my Chase Freedom Flex®* card. Because this card counts as a World Elite Mastercard, the steps are similar for other credit cards with the same designation. Some World Elite Mastercards have annual fees, but Freedom Flex does not. This avoids the need to set up recurring payments for Apple’s AppleCare or your carrier’s cell phone insurance, making it a more passive method of cell phone insurance.
For a battery service to count as a repair, this message must appear on your iPhone’s Battery Health & Charging page.
The important first step in filing a claim
The first step in using this process was to purposefully wait for the battery capacity of the iPhone to drop below 80% of its maximum capacity. This was because the iPhone had to declare that it needed a battery repair in order to qualify as a repair. This is a bit frustrating because I certainly noticed a decrease in my phone’s battery life when the battery was below 85%. However, the phone was not considered to need a repair until the battery was below 80%.
To check your battery health, tap Settings, tap Battery, and go to Battery Health & Charging. This page will show you your iPhone’s current maximum capacity. If your battery capacity drops below 80%, this page will show the message “Your battery health is critically low” and an option to “Find service options.” If you see this page, take a screenshot of it. It will help you claim later.
If you tap “Find service options,” your phone will prompt you to make an appointment at an Apple Store Genius Bar or an authorized service provider. Or, you can arrange for a mail-in repair. This page will also show you the pre-tax price of the repair; mine was $89. Take a screenshot of this page, too.
When the battery degrades below 80% of its maximum capacity, a service message appears in Battery Health and Charging.
Take your iPhone to an Apple Store
I chose the in-person option and scheduled an appointment to have my iPhone battery repaired at Apple’s 5th Avenue store in New York City. If you choose the mail-in option, many of the following steps will still apply.
After arriving at the Apple Store, the Genius Bar representative instructed me to disconnect my phone from Find My for repair and emphasized that I would need my Apple ID password to access the phone or reconnect it to Find My after the repair. The representative will run diagnostic tests to see if the phone’s battery is dead and if there are any other issues with the device. You will then receive a repair estimate, which should match the price displayed earlier in this process and will also be sent to you by email. Keep a copy of this estimate – you will need it later.
The Genius Bar employee will ask you to agree to a repair fee, but you won’t be charged until you pick up the phone. You’ll then be told what time to come pick it up, and they’ll need to show ID to verify you own the device. I dropped off my phone around 5:30pm, and was given a 6:50pm pick-up time.
In the meantime, I was hoping to use my cellular-enabled Apple Watch SE to take calls and texts, but I ran into some unexpected issues. While cellular was off, the Apple Watch alone couldn’t answer calls or have SMS/MMS service. I was able to send texts via iMessage and make calls via FaceTime Audio. It was a bit frustrating, especially since the repair didn’t take long, but it’s worth planning for, especially if you’re hoping to cover your iPhone with other Apple devices like your iPad or MacBook while you wait. It’s probably best to schedule this repair on a day when you don’t have any important calls coming in.
When it was time to return to the Apple Store to pick up my item, I identified myself with my driver’s license and was shown to a table where a Genius Bar employee brought my phone to me. Before leaving, I received and paid a bill for $96.90 including tax, and my phone was returned to me with a brand new battery inside. Make sure you receive your invoice in email and save it for the next section.
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Submitting a claim
Now that I had a new battery, it was time to file a claim to get as much money back as possible. In the case of my Chase Freedom Flex, this meant going to the Mastercard rewards website, logging in and starting my application.
You’ll need to submit a series of documents, which are detailed in Mastercard’s Benefits Guide. If you’re having trouble finding some of the documents requested, you can save your application as a draft and return to the website when you’re ready to upload them. Required documents include:
A recent credit card statement showing that you paid your mobile phone bill with the applicable card
A copy of your wireless service provider invoice
A copy of the repair estimate (in this case provided by Apple)
Proof of purchase for the phone. I purchased my iPhone through a carrier, so I had to get it from the T-Mobile website.
Copy of repair invoice
If the settings menu indicates that your battery needs repair prior to repair, we recommend taking any other relevant screenshots that may help your case.
In my case, most of these documents were available online or emailed to me as PDFs, which meant I took screenshots of documents like my proof of purchase or downloaded the PDF they provided. If you have these documents as physical documents, you can easily create digital copies using your iPhone’s built-in scanner.
After I submitted my claim, I received an email response from the insurance adjuster a few days later telling me to correct some forms. I accidentally submitted a screenshot of my bank statement and was instead asked to submit my June card statement and the corresponding T-Mobile bill. After receiving these documents, I waited a little over a week before seeing a $46.90 credit applied to my credit card bill. Although I did not receive any communication informing me that my claim was approved, this is enough proof that I received the money.
For my card, the cell phone protection benefit has a $50 deductible per accident, so the reimbursement only covers what I paid above that amount. This is almost half of what I would get back, and it was certainly worth the effort of sending a few emails and documents to get it.
The benefit also covers other types of phone damage or accidents, like if you need to repair a broken screen or if your phone is stolen (unless it’s stolen from checked luggage). It doesn’t cover if your phone mysteriously disappears or gets lost, so if you’re prone to losing devices in that way, you’d be best off considering AppleCare or traditional phone insurance.
This was my first time using a credit card’s cell phone insurance benefit, and I found it to be a relatively easy way to recoup some of the repair costs without having to buy a full insurance plan.
*All information about Chase Freedom Flex was collected independently by CNET and has not been verified by publishers.
