I have over 50 credit cards. Some I got because of great sign up bonuses. Others I got for 5-6% cash back on basic purchases. With the right combo of cards you can easily get 5% cash back on: Gas, Groceries, Restaurants, Fast Food, Office Stores, Cable, Internet, Phone Bill, Drug Stores, Fitness Stores, Travel, Book Stores, Movies
MILITARY INFO: With SCRA Benefits many of these credit cards are amazing. For example, some of these cards have $500+ annual fees, but these are waived every year due to military status. Even though the annual fee is waived you still get great benefits like $200 credits and free priority pass membership or free hotel room nights every year.
Here are some of my credit cards:
Top 3 Credit Cards for Military Members
These are the credit cards that every military member should have in my opinion.
- American Express Platinum
- $600 sign up bonus. Free $200 in annual Uber credits. Free $200 airline credit. Free priority pass. Annual fee waived for military
- Sign up here
- Chase Sapphire Reserve
- 50,000k sign up bonus (worth $750 in travel). Free annual $300 travel credit
- Sign up here
- American Express Hilton Aspire
- 150,000 point sign up bonus. Free annual night. Free $250 airline credit. Free $250 annual resort credit. Free priority pass. Annual fee waived for military
- Sign up here
Other Military Credit Cards with Unique Benefits or Extra Cash Back
If you want to learn more about each credit card I use, I have numbered them above with the descriptions below. I have included three areas of breakdown for each card: 1.) Benefits, 2.) Annual Fees, 3.) Bonuses
American Express Cash Preferred
- Benefits: 6%(Groceries), 3%(Gas + Department Stores)
- Annual fee: $75 but you can get that waived via the SCRA benefits for being a military member.
- Sign up bonus: $250.
American Express Platinum
- Benefits: $200 Airline credit every year, Free Priority Pass membership.
- Annual fee: $495 but you can get that waived via the SCRA benefits for being a military member.
- Sign up bonus: $250. Email me and i’ll send you an email back with a member invitation and i’ll split the $75 referral bonus they give me so i’ll give you $40 in addition so your sign up bonus will be $290
Barclaycard Arrival World MasterCard®
- Benefits: 2.2 miles on all purchases.
- Annual fee: $89(waived for the first year!). Also, military members never pay an annual fee because Barclay will waive it with SCRA benefits
- Sign up bonus: 40,000 bonus miles
Citi Dividend
- Benefits: Has rotating 5% cash back categories (Now – Macy’s, Fitness stores, Drug stores)
- Annual fee: None
- Sign up bonus: $100 cash bonus
Chase Freedom
- Benefits: Has rotating 5% cash back categories (Now – Gas, Movies, Starbucks)
- Annual fee: Hone
- Sign up bonus: $200 cash bonus
Chase Ink Business
- Benefits: 5% back at Office Stores, Phone, Cable, Internet.
- Annual fee: None
- Sign up bonus: $200 cash bonus.
Discover it®
- Benefits: has rotating 5% cash back categories (Restaurants, Fast Food, Movies). Free Monthly FICO Score. 0% Intro APR* for 14 months on purchases and balance transfers.
- Annual fee: None
- Sign up bonus: $50
Fidelity Reward Credit Card
- Benefits: 2% back on EVERYTHING
- Annual fee: None
- Sign up bonus: $75 (LIMITED TIME ONLY)
IHG Rewards Club Card
- Benefits: One free night per year. 5points/$ at their hotels.
- Annual fee: $49 (waived the 1st year) but you can get that waived via the SCRA benefits for being a military member.
- Sign up bonus: 60,000 point bonus.
PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Visa Signature® Card
- Benefits: 4x Points on all Travel categories for PenFed Honors Advantage Members.
- Annual fee: $95
- Sign up bonus: 50,000 Bonus Points when you spend $3000 in the first 90 days
- Benefits: 5% Gas, 3% Grocery yearround
- Annual fee: None
- Sign up bonus: None
USAA Cash Back Rewards Plus
- Benefits: 5% cash back at gas stations and on-base purchase like the exchange/commissary. 2% cash back at other grocery stores.
- Annual fee: None
- Sign up bonus: None