It's that time of year when shopping becomes part of the daily routine, whether it's buying a stocking stuffer for your brother after work or indulging in seasonal sales for yourself on the weekend.

After the shopping frenzy subsides, however, you may be feeling some buyer's remorse. Fortunately, some credit cards and debit cards offer protection on purchases.

"It's one of those hidden benefits that everyone is not always aware of," says Joe Ridout, manager of consumer services at watchdog group Consumer Action. "And some of the high-end cards have some surprisingly advantageous features."

MasterCard and Visa cards offer certain programs to gird against buying gone bad -- such as return protection, purchase protection and extended warranties -- but it's up to the issuer to extend all these benefits to cardholders. American Express also offers several protections for its cardholders, while Discover, among other issuers, provides extra protection for a fee.

Bankrate outlines the shopping protections offered on major credit cards.