Active duty military can have the top rewards credit cards in every category without worrying about annual fees. This is because Chase, American Express, and Capital One waive annual fees for active-duty military as part of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act and the Military Lending Act. This is an amazing perk for active-duty military!
Best Credit Cards For Military By Category
When looking for the best credit cards for military we kept several factors in mind:
- Sign-up bonus
- Ongoing benefits
- Earning rates
Sign-up Bonus
The best bonuses are worth at least $500 or more. Sign-up bonuses are used as an incentive to attract customers to apply for their card over the competition and they can be quite lucrative. Typically, you have to spend a certain dollar amount in purchases in a set amount of time in order to receive the sign-up bonus. They are definitely worth planning your spending to make sure you hit the spending requirements.
Ongoing Benefits
Many cards offer ongoing perks that make them valuable to hang on to–especially when you don’t have to pay the annual fee. Perks like travel credits, checked bag fee waivers, and free hotel nights are just some of the ongoing benefits that cards can offer.
Earning Rates
Some cards offer increased earning rates for spending in specific categories. For example, you may earn double points on gas or at the grocery store. Those are great to have when not working toward a sign-up bonus.
Best Sign Up Bonus—Chase Chase Sapphire Reserve®
| The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is Chase’s top-tier transferable point rewards card. |
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- Earn 125,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Potentially get more than $2700 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve including: An easy to use annual $300 travel credit, Priority Pass (TM) Select lounge access, dining credit, Apple TV+ and Music subscription credits, DoorDash membership and promos, StubHub credits, Lyft and Peloton credits. For all details on each credit, see Chase's page on the Sapphire Reserve before you apply!
- 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠
- 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct
- 3X on dining worldwide and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority Pass(TM) Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge(R) by The Club with two guests.
- TSA Pre-Check/Global Entry/'NEXUS' statement credit, up to $120 once every four years
- Comprehensive Travel Insurance coverage
- $795 annual fee
SCRA or MLA benefits may apply for active-duty military.
In addition to being able to book flights, hotel, rental cars, cruises, and activities with Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, they are also transferable.
Chase Ultimate Rewards® points may be transferred to over a dozen different travel partners for potentially even more value.
While other credit cards may offer sign up bonuses similar in value, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® includes additional benefits that push it to the top.
The $300 travel credit is automatically reimbursed and easy to use. Normally, the annual fee for the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is $795, but for military eligible for MLA benefits, the fee is waived. The $300 travel credit is essentially free money.
Of special interest to active duty military is the Chase Sapphire Reserve®‘s trip cancellation/trip interruption insurance. This provides coverage in the event of changes in military orders for you, your spouse, or domestic partner when the travel is purchased with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Learn how to apply for the Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Best For Travel Benefits—The Platinum Card® from American Express
| In military circles, American Express Platinum Card® is frequently recommended as the best card to have. It’s definitely one that tops our list as well. |  |
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Benefits include:
- As High As 175,000 points. Find Out Your Offer. You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
- $200 annual incidental fee credit on selected airline*
- 5 Membership Rewards points earned per dollar spent on flights and prepaid hotel bookings through American Express Travel(R) or directly from the airlines (up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year)
- Access to the Global Lounge Collection*
- Many additional credits and benefits available, so check them all out
- $895 annual fee
- Terms Apply
* Enrollment is required for select benefits
Airport Lounges
Civilians fork over $895 each year to have this card in their wallet. It’s easy to see why. American Express Platinum Card® is hands down the best card to have for its airport lounge benefits. No need to search for a seat at crowded gate, pay for an over-priced muffin at the food court, or stalk the outlets so you can charge your phone. Airport lounges are a quiet and relaxing location to wait prior to boarding. Many have nice selections of free food and drink, and outlets are available everywhere.
With American Express Platinum Card®, you have access to more than 1400 airport lounges in 140 countries.
Lounges include:
- The Centurion Lounge
- The International American Express Lounges
- Priority Pass
- Escape Lounges
- Delta SkyClubs (when flying Delta)
- Plaza Premium
- Air Space
Traveling with others? No problem. Bring guests into the lounge with you. With the exception of the Delta Sky Clubs, a limited number of traveling companions may accompany the cardholder into the lounge.
Airline Fee Credit
Airlines are charging for almost everything these days. Thankfully, most airlines will waive baggage fees for active-duty military. If not, American Express Platinum Card® will offset the cost. With this card, receive up to $200 in statement credits each calendar year for incidental charges made to your selected airline.
What are incidental charges?
- Checked baggage fees
- Oversize baggage fees
- Change fees
- Phone reservation fees
- Pet fees
- Airport lounge day pass and membership purchases
- Seat assignment fees
- In-flight refreshments and amenities
- In-flight entertainment (excluding internet)
Uber Cash Credit
Ridesharing is a super convenient way to get around a city or to and from the airport. American Express Platinum Card® has you covered. Cardholders can earn $15 per month in Uber Cash credits. In December, there’s an extra $20 for a total value of up to $200 per year. Terms apply.
Hotel Status
Hotels like to reward loyal customers with little perks during their stays. Status can mean upgrades, late checkouts, free breakfast, and other perks. Having status also earns additional bonus points on each dollar spent. But reaching those higher tiers takes a lot of nights or stays. Get status without all the stays. American Express Platinum Card® offers Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite and Hilton Honors Gold status just for having the card.
Increased Earnings on Travel Purchases
Besides the benefits American Express Platinum Card® provides during travel, cardholders also earn 5x points on flights booked directly with the airline or with American Express Travel. Need a hotel? Hotels booked through American Express Travel also earn 5x Membership Reward points.
Best For Everyday Purchases—Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
| As good as some high-annual fee cards are, many aren’t very compelling for everyday spending. For your everyday purchases, you can do better than earning just one point or mile per dollar. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card doubles the value other cards typically offer on everyday spending. |
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Learn how to apply for the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Benefits include:
- 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
- 5 Venture Miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars that are booked through Capital One Travel
- 2 Venture Miles per dollar spent on all other purchases
- Up to $120 credit on Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Transfer points to over a dozen airline transfer partners
- $95 annual fee.
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is an excellent choice for your everyday, non-bonus category, expenses. Not only does it offer a healthy 75,000 Miles, the $4,000 within the first three months of account opening to earn the bonus is quite reasonable. Better yet, it earns two Venture Miles per dollar on every purchase.
The versatility of Venture Miles is another reason the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a great choice for everyday spending. Miles may used for flights, hotels, rental cars, etc., or transferred to one of the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card‘s 15+ travel loyalty programs.
Learn how to apply for the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Great For Cash Back—Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
| Transferable rewards points are great, but cash is king. A good cash back card rounds out your portfolio. Use earnings for a multitude of travel or financial goals. The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express has bonus categories with earning rates that top all the competitors. |  |
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- As High As $300 Cash Back. Find Out Your Offer. You may be eligible for as high as $300 cash back after spending $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in the first 6 months. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Cash back is received as Reward Dollars, redeemable for statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout. Terms Apply.
- 6% cash back at US supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then you'll earn 1%)
- 6% cash back on US streaming subscriptions
- 3% cash back on transit (rideshares, tolls, parking meters)
- 3% cash back at US gas stations
- 1% back on all other purchases
terms and conditions apply
That 6% cash back on your first $6,000 in US supermarket purchases is incredible and equals $360 each year. That’s a huge savings! Using public transit is already economical, and becomes even more so when using this card to pay for tickets and fares. And just like with the American Express® Gold Card, the 6% earning applies for purchases at US-based military commissaries. The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express card has a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. annual fee.
Why Annual Fees Are Waived For Military?
There’s no doubt military life comes with a range of challenges. But the primary focus of service members must always remain on the mission. To ensure that financial hardships at home do not become a distraction, Congress has implemented Federal laws that provide various financial protections to the military.
The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA)
SCRA has been around for a number of years and is widely known within the military ranks. It provides the service member with a broad range of protections involving issues such as:
Lease terminations Evictions State residency rights Interest rates Under SCRA, interest rates are capped at 6%. However, SCRA provisions only apply to debt incurred prior to entering active duty and only when requested by the service member. Unfortunately, new loans or lines of credit obtained while on active duty are not eligible for the protections or interest rate limits set forth by SCRA.
Though the law does not require it, several companies kindly apply SCRA benefits to accounts opened while on active duty. It’s a nice way to thank members of the military for their service and sacrifice. Specifically, American Express has been the most generous applying SCRA benefits to both its personal and business cards.
Capital One also waives annual fees under SCRA regardless of when the account was opened.
Military Lending Act (MLA)
The most recent benefit for military became law just a couple of years ago. In 2017, Congress expanded MLA to include additional interest rate protections. The key difference between SCRA and MLA is that MLA protections apply to loans and credit cards obtained after its effective date, October 3, 2017.
Additionally, the protections afforded to military under MLA include dependents of active duty service members.
Interest rates under MLA are capped at a whopping 36%. That’s a huge number when compared to SCRA’s mere 6% cap. However, MLA incorporates fees in the interest rate calculation. The exception is bona fide fees. That’s a key term and one that is open to the card issuer’s interpretation. Therefore, not every credit card company calculates interest rate the same. Consequently, the implementation of MLA is not consistent across companies.
Chase is one issuer great about applying MLA benefits to its personal credit card products. But adhering to the law, Chase only applies MLA benefits to accounts opened after the Oct over 3, 2017 effective date.
Considering which issuers apply SCRA or MLA benefits, what are the best cards for members of the military? Here’s some more info on SCRA and MLA.
Bottom Line
There are a number of credit cards that offer incredibly valuable rewards and ongoing benefits.
Because of Federal laws designed to provide financial protections to service members, annual fees on many of the most lucrative cards can be waived. Members of the military can take advantage of these benefits to save money and travel better.
All the recommended cards are eligible for annual fee waivers under either SCRA or MLA.
For cards issued by American Express or Capital One, make the request for SCRA benefits online or by calling the number on the back of your card. With Chase, MLA apply automatically when selecting “Military” as the source of income. Or request MLA benefits by calling the number on the back of the card.
Regardless of the issuer, it never hurts to call and ask if any special benefits or considerations are available to service members.