Best credit cards for military members
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Key takeaways
- Qualified military members are supported by the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, which provides legal and financial protections that can make a big difference while shopping for a credit card.
- Eligible military personnel can get waived annual fees on top rewards cards, allowing them to enjoy robust perks and benefits at no additional cost.
- The best credit cards for active-duty military offer flexible rewards and travel perks, lucrative rewards on groceries and gas, valuable redemptions options and low rates and fees — all while allowing you to take advantage of the benefits provided by the SCRA.
Choosing the right credit card for your financial needs isn’t always easy, and being a member of the U.S. military can sometimes make it more complicated. While on duty, members of the military are protected by the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act — commonly called the SCRA — a federal law designed to provide financial and legal protections to active-duty military members, reservists and members of the National Guard.
Among those protections is a 6 percent limit on the interest you can be charged on credit card debt and personal loans taken on prior to your active duty. Many top card issuers also waive annual fees for military members on robust rewards credit cards, allowing you to score valuable miles, points and cash back on travel and everyday spending — like groceries, gas and on-base purchases — without a hefty upfront cost.
We bring together a list of cards that can serve you well while you serve the country, with top benefits that can save you money — and worry — even after you come back home.
Top credit cards for active-duty military members
The best credit cards for active-duty military members offer credit card perks and benefits like flexible rewards and travel benefits, boosted rewards for everyday purchases like groceries and gas, as well as lucrative cash back. But depending on your financial situation, you might prefer a cash back card that trades in a high rewards structure for low fees, a low introductory annual percentage rate (APR) for 12 months and a low ongoing APR after. Still, no matter what you’re looking for, one of these cards will likely be right for you.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
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- Welcome bonus: 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months — that’s worth $900 in travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Rewards: 10X total points on Lyft purchases (through March 31, 2025); 10X total points on Chase Dining purchases through Ultimate Rewards; 10X total points on hotel stays and car rentals through Ultimate Rewards; 5X total points on air travel through Ultimate Rewards (after earning your $300 travel credit); 3X points on general travel and restaurant purchases (after earning your $300 travel credit); 1X points on all other purchases
- Highlighted perks: An annual $300 travel credit after spending $300 in travel purchases, Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership, an application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, no foreign transaction fees
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The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is an excellent option for eligible military members due to the lucrative benefits available without an annual fee, which is typically $550 for non-military cardholders. You can earn a generous bonus for starters, but you’ll also earn rewards for each dollar you spend.
Also, note that the points you earn with this card fall within the Chase Ultimate Rewards program and are redeemable for gift cards, statement credits, travel or entertainment experiences, merchandise or a 1:1 transfer to Chase airline and hotel partners. You can also redeem your points for travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal and earn 1.5 cents per point in value when you do.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
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- Welcome bonus: 80,000 points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new card in your first 6 months
- Rewards: 5X Membership Rewards points on up to $500,000 spent on directly-booked airfare and flights and prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel (per calendar year); 2X points on prepaid car rentals through American Express Travel; 1X points on all other purchases
- Highlighted perks: Airport lounge membership (Priority Pass Select, Centurion and Delta Sky Clubs when you fly Delta), up to a $200 airline fee credit each year for incidentals with a select airline, up to $200 in Uber Cash each year, premium status with complimentary car rental programs, complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status and Hilton Honors Gold Status, no foreign transaction fees
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The Platinum Card® from American Express offers luxury travel perks like airport lounge access, airline fee credits and hotel status without an annual fee charged to military members. For non-military members, this card’s annual fee is a whopping $695, but it offers generous travel benefits to make up for it. In addition to luxury perks like airport lounge access, it offers a range of travel protections, such as trip cancellation and interruption insurance, trip delay insurance and emergency evacuation and transportation coverage.
Since you can earn a high level of rewards points on airfare and hotels, this card also lets you rack up points quickly if you travel often. Plus, points in the American Express Membership Rewards program are extremely flexible. You can redeem them for gift cards, merchandise, travel through AmexTravel.com, transfers to Amex airline and hotel partners and more.
American Express® Gold Card
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- Welcome bonus: 60,000 points after spending $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of card ownership
- Rewards: 4X Membership Rewards points on restaurants (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.); 4X points for Uber Eats purchases; 4X points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases per year, then 1X points); 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or via American Express Travel; 1X points on all other purchases
- Highlighted perks: Up to $120 in annual dining credits (split as up to $10 per month in statement credits), up to a $100 experience credit with The Hotel Collection when booked through American Express Travel ( 2-night minimum stay), up to $120 in annual Uber Cash (automatic $10 month in statement credits), no foreign transaction fees
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The American Express® Gold Card is a valuable everyday card for military members, offering top rewards on U.S. supermarket purchases. The $250 annual fee is waived for military personnel or their families, and a generous welcome bonus sweetens the deal.
The Amex Gold Card also offers statement credit-earning opportunities surrounding food, as well. So if you’re big on takeout (yes, you can get food delivered to a military base), this card is sure to bring a lot of value.
USAA® Cashback Rewards Plus American Express Card®
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- Welcome bonus: None
- Rewards: 5 percent cash back on your first $3,000 in combined gas station and military base purchases each year (then 1 percent back); 2 percent cash back on the first $3,000 spent at grocery stores each year (then 1 percent back); 1 percent back on other purchases
- Highlighted perks: Auto rental coverage, travel accident insurance, trip cancellation and interruption insurance and baggage delay reimbursement, no foreign transaction fees
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The USAA® Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® Card* offers a solid cash back rate on gas station, military base and grocery store purchases, although annual limits on bonus rewards apply. This card also comes with no annual fee and is only available to military members and their families. You’ll also get USAA’s award-winning customer service and cardholder support when you sign up for this card.
Some cash back credit cards only allow you to redeem your cash back when you hit specific thresholds, such as $5 or $10 in cash back rewards. This card, however, allows you to redeem your cash back in $1 increments starting at as little as $1. You can redeem cash back as a statement credit, direct deposit or as a charitable donation, or redeem it for travel rewards, merchandise and gift cards.
Navy Federal Platinum Credit Card
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- Welcome bonus: None
- Rewards: None
- Perks: Intro APR offer for balance transfers and low variable APR with no fees
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The Navy Federal Platinum Credit Card* doesn’t offer any rewards, but it does offer a low APR that can make it less expensive to carry a balance when you need to. New cardholders can qualify for a 0.99 percent introductory APR on balance transfers for 12 months from account opening, followed by a variable APR of 11.24 percent to 18 percent.
In addition to the intro APR offer for balance transfers and the low APR thereafter, this card also comes with no annual fee, no balance transfer fees, no foreign transaction fees, no cash advance fees (if performed at Navy Federal ATM or branch) and no hidden fees.
How we chose the best cards for military members
Bankrate’s methodology differs by category when it comes to choosing the best cards, but what doesn’t differ is the care and thoughtfulness we put into each analysis. For military servicemembers, we analyzed the best credit cards offering rewards and cash back where military families tend to spend the most, including groceries, gas and travel.
Because the SCRA allows card issuers to waive their annual fee for servicemembers, we prioritized cards that let you take full advantage of that perk. And we included cards that might benefit military members in other ways besides everyday spending. We included cards that have low APRs and minimal or no fees, including balance transfer fees, for servicemembers who might need to carry a balance month to month or are looking to pay down debt with a balance transfer.
How to compare cards for military members
When you’re ready to find the right card for you and your family but are not sure which one to pick, start by following these simple steps.
1. Understand your financial situation and credit score
Before you decide on a new card, get a firm overview of your financial health. Do you carry any debt? Do you already have other credit cards? Will adding another credit card to your wallet be helpful, or is another product like a personal loan a better fit right now? By answering these questions, you’ll have a better picture of whether a new credit card is right for you.
Your credit score will then help you find out what kind of cards are available to you. This score signals to issuers how risky it is for them to let you borrow their money, so the higher the score, the more financial opportunities you’ll have.
2. Analyze your spending habits
Your credit card should make it easier to manage your budget and save money, not harder. By building out a budget and seeing where you spend your money the most — whether that’s on travel, dining, groceries or some other category — you can narrow down your list to cards that will reward you for the way you already spend.
3. Try to get prequalified or preapproved for cards you want
This step can save you time and protect your credit score from hard inquiries. Getting prequalified or preapproved by an issuer doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to get the card you want, but your chances would be higher. Plus, you might score a lucrative card offer that you can look into at the same time.
You can get prequalified or preapproved for cards by going to an issuer’s website or by using a free tool like Bankrate’s CardMatch.
4. Decide what type of card you need
Now that you understand your finances and spending habits and have narrowed down your choices with prequalifications, it’s time to figure out which card will be best for your wallet. Do you want a strong cash back credit card that’s easy to use? Or are you looking for a travel rewards card that will net you plenty of points for all of the traveling you do while in the service? Maybe something in between would better suit your needs.
Either way, thinking about the cards you already carry, if any, can help you see whether there are gaps you can fill. For example, if you already have a cash back card that’s good for gas, you might want to find one that gives you boosted rewards for grocery spending. If you’re still not sure which of your top picks to go with, consider using Bankrate’s Card Comparison Tool to help you see each card’s benefits side by side.
The bottom line
Military members can benefit from interest rate caps and waived fees on many of the top rewards credit cards, which is more than enough reason to sign up. With cards offering high welcome bonuses or more and lucrative perks like airport lounge access and travel credits, military personnel stand to gain a lot.
But it’s important to remember that the SCRA protections apply to debt incurred before being deployed, not after. So if you want to take advantage of these benefits, make sure you apply before your period of active duty.
Like other consumers, though, military members should try to avoid racking up debt they can’t afford to pay off. Once active-duty military service ends, those credit card military benefits will eventually come to a halt.
Issuer-required disclosure statement
*Information about the USAA® Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® Card and the Navy Federal Platinum Credit Card have been collected independently by Bankrate. Card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.