The best rewards credit cards are loaded with benefits, like statement credits, airport lounge access and purchase protection. You'll often have to pay steep annual fees for these premium credit cards. However, that may not be the case if you're an active-duty member of the U.S. military.
Many card issuers waive annual fees and cap other charges for active-duty service members, thanks to the Service Members Civil Relief Act (SCRA) and the Military Lending Act (MLA). Eligible active-duty military service members can earn a welcome bonus and take advantage of valuable ongoing benefits without having to consider the card's annual fee.
Below, CNBC Select details how to take advantage of what these cards offer and why they are such good deals for active-duty service members.
Best for welcome bonus
Who's this for? The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card features one of the best credit card welcome offers, which is worth at least $750 in travel.
Standout benefits: The Capital One Venture Rewards Card earns at least 2X miles on every purchase, so you don't have to worry about navigating restricted bonus categories to earn an above-average return.
Benefits for military members: During eligible active-duty service, Capital One waives credit card annual fees (and other fees) and caps interest rates at 4% on eligible balances for accounts opened before your active duty started. You can register for these benefits by completing this online form. For more information, call the Capital One Military Service Department at 1-855-227-1645.
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has a reasonable annual fee and earns flexible travel rewards, which makes it a great travel card for beginners or heavy travelers.
- Valuable welcome offer worth at least $750 in travel
- You can transfer miles to over 15 Capital One partners, including Emirates Skywards, Choice Privileges and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- No foreign transaction fees
- Lacks ongoing travel benefits such as statement credits or lounge access
- Limited bonus spending category that only applies to certain Capital One Travel bookings
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app
Balance transfer fee
$0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you
Foreign transaction fee
None
Best for families
Who's this for? The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is loaded with luxury perks, and you can add up to four authorized users for no additional fee.
Standout benefits: Every year, you receive $300 in Capital One Travel credit for purchases made through Capital One Travel. In addition, you'll receive a 10,000-mile bonus every account anniversary (worth at least $100 for travel).
Benefits for military members: During eligible active-duty service, Capital One waives credit card annual fees (and other fees) and caps interest rates at 4% on eligible balances for accounts opened before your active duty started. You can register for these benefits by completing this online form. For more information, call the Capital One Military Service Department at 1-855-227-1645.
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a premium credit card with a myriad of benefits and a lower annual fee than other high-end cards with similar features.
- Annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Travel
- 10,000 bonus miles after every card anniversary
- Unlimited complimentary access to 1,300+ airport lounges, including Capital One Lounge and Landing locations
- Long list of valuable travel and shopping protections, including return protection, rental car coverage and trip delay reimbursement (Benefit(s) only available to accounts approved for the Visa Infinite card. Terms apply.)
- Limited bonus spending categories compared to other premium credit cards
- High annual fee
- High credit score requirement (excellent credit)
Highlights
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Enjoy access to 1,300+ lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge and Landing locations and participating Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Top rated mobile app
Balance transfer fee
$0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you
Foreign transaction fees
$0
Best for travel
Who's this for? The Chase Sapphire Reserve is ideal if you want to maximize your rewards on travel purchases. It earns flexible Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, which are exceptionally valuable as they can be transferred to various airlines and hotels.
Standout benefits: The Sapphire Reserve has an easy-to-use annual $300 travel credit, which automatically applies to any eligible travel purchase, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more. You can also take advantage of over $1,500 in credits for hotels, delivery, rideshares, events and more.
Benefits for military members: Chase waives the annual fee on all credit cards during active duty service and for up to one year after active duty ends. It also caps APRs on eligible balances at 4%. You can request these benefits through a secure message or by contacting Chase Military Services at 1-877-469-0110.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a standout premium credit card with luxury perks including, hotel credits, complimentary hotel elite status, travel credits, dining credits, rideshare and delivery benefits and much more.
- Access Priority Pass lounges, including unlimited access to Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club locations.
- Up to $300 in annual travel credit each account anniversary year
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Top-tier travel and shopping protections
- High annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
- Complicated list of benefits
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Get $3,000 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
- Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase TravelSM, including The EditSM and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
- $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority PassTM Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every 4 years
- Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
- Get complimentary subscriptions to Apple TV and Apple Music for a minimum of one year when activated by June 22, 2027, a value of $288 annually.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Offers in this section are from affiliate partners and selected based on a combination of engagement, product relevance, compensation, and consistent availability.
$0
With over 4,700 branches, Chase has the largest branch network in the U.S. plus access to more than 15,000 ATMs.
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Bank from anywhere with access to more than 15,000 Chase ATMs, more than 4,700 Chase branches, the Chase Mobile® app and Chase.com.
Best for bad credit
Who's this for? The Chime Card1 doesn't require a credit score, so it can be helpful if you're working to establish your credit or rebuild your credit score. To qualify, you simply need to open a Chime® Checking Account.
Chime® Checking + High-Yield Savings
Annual Percentage Yield (APY)
Chime® Checking (no interest), required to enroll in Chime High-Yield Savings 3.75% APY * with qualifying direct deposit
Minimum balance
$0, no minimum deposit or balance
Fees
No monthly maintenance or overdraft fees. SpotMe® service with eligibility for no-fee overdraft up to $200.*
Perks
Paycheck available up to two days early with direct deposit. Automatically save part of your direct deposits of $1 or more. Round Ups feature transfers spare change from purchases to savings. Early access to direct deposit funds depends on the timing of the submission of the payment file from the payer. Generally, these funds are available on the day the payment file is received, which may be up to 2 days earlier than the scheduled paymedate.
Maximum transactions
Cash withdrawals from checking up to $515 per day at any ATM or as an over-the-counter bank withdrawal. $2,500 maximum daily spend, including any withdrawals, purchases and incurred fees.
ATMs
47,000+ in-network no-fee ATMs.*
Out-of-network ATM withdrawal and over the counter advance fees may apply except at MoneyPass ATMs in a 7-Eleven, or any Allpoint or Visa Plus Alliance ATM.
Mobile check deposit
Yes
Terms apply.
ATMs: Out-of-network ATM withdrawal and over the counter advance fees may apply except at FCTI® ATMs in a 7-Eleven® or Speedway, or any Allpoint® or Visa® Plus Alliance ATM participating in the Allpoint network. SpotMe: SpotMe® on Credit is an optional, no interest/no fee overdraft line of credit tied to the Secured Deposit Account. SpotMe on Debit is an optional, no fee service attached to your Chime Checking Account (individually or collectively, ""SpotMe""). Eligibility for SpotMe requires $200 or more in qualifying direct deposits to your Chime Checking Account each month. Qualifying members will be allowed to overdraw their Chime Checking Account and/or their Secured Deposit Account up to $20 in total, but may be later eligible for a higher combined limit of up to $200 or more based on member's Chime account history, direct deposit frequency and amount, spending activity and other risk-based factors. Your SpotMe Limit will be displayed to you within the Chime mobile app. You will receive notice of any changes to your SpotMe Limit. SpotMe for Credit and SpotMe on Debit share a single SpotMe limit. Your SpotMe Limit may change at any time, at Chime or its banking partners' discretion. Although there are no overdraft fees, there may be out-of-network or third-party fees associated with ATM transactions or OTC cash withdrawal fees at retailers. SpotMe won't cover non-card transactions, including ACH s, Pay Anyone s, or Chime Checkbook transactions. SpotMe terms and conditions. APY: 3.75% Annual Percentage Yield ("APY") applies if you maintain Chime Prime status, otherwise 3.00% Chime Plus APY (if eligible) or 0.75% standard APY will apply. APYs are effective as of 01/29/2026, are variable and subject to change. No min. bal. required.
Pros
- 3.75% APY on Chime High-Yield Savings with a qualifying direct deposit
- No minimum deposit or balance required
- No monthly service fee
- No overdraft fee, transactions for unavailable funds are denied; SpotMe® for overdraft up to $200 with $200 or more in qualifying direct deposits over previous 34 days and an activated Chime debit card.
- Paycheck funds available up to two days early with direct deposit
- Automated transfer 10% of direct deposits of at least $200 to savings
- Purchases with Chime Visa® Debit Card rounded up to the next dollar and difference automatically transferred to savings
- Access to over 47,000 in-network ATMs for no fee, including MoneyPass ATMs in 7-Eleven and Allpoint or Visa Plus Alliance ATMs
- Mobile check deposit
- Security features include blocking transactions for a lost card, providing daily balance updates, sending real-time transaction alerts and protecting from unauthorized charges with Visa *Zero Liability. *You must notify your financial institution immediately of any unauthorized use. For specific restrictions, limitations and other details, please consult your issuer.
Cons
- Chime checking account required to opening Chime savings account
- No APY on Chime Checking; Chime High-Yield Savings APY above national average but lower than other high-yield savings accounts
- Can't withdraw money directly from savings, must transfer to checking
- With checking, $2.50 fee for out-of-network ATMs and over-the-counter bank withdrawals
- Checking withdrawals limited to $515 per day at any ATM or as over-the-counter bank withdrawals using Chime Visa® Debit Card. $2,500 daily max spend, including incurred fees, withdrawals, funds withdrawn at a point of sale and purchases.
Standout benefits: The Chime Card has no annual fee and no interest. If you qualify for Chime Prime2 (which requires $3,000+ in monthly direct deposits), you'll receive additional perks such as a Priority Pass airport lounge membership with two free visits per year, a 3.75% APY3 on your Chime Savings account and Visa Signature perks.
Benefits for military members: Since the Chime Card has no annual fee and doesn't charge interest, there aren't necessarily military-specific benefits. But it has no foreign transaction fees, which means you can use it when you're stationed overseas without incurring extra charges.
- 5% cash back rewards on category of choice each month for **Chime Prime members. Prime eligibility is unlocked with $3,000+ in qualifying direct deposits.
- No annual fee
- No credit check or minimum security deposit
- Prime members get **3.75% APY with qualifying direct deposits on a **Chime savings account
- Card access paused if statement balance is not paid within 24 hours.
Senior reporter Jason Stauffer can answer your questions about how to make the most of your credit cards in his weekly Points Pro column. Submit yours here.
What are the SCRA and MLA?
Active duty service members are eligible for interest rate caps and waived fees (from certain issuers) because of two laws: The Service Members Civil Relief Act (SCRA) and the Military Lending Act (MLA). Both of these laws provide financial protections in different situations.
The SCRA generally applies to financial commitments service members made before beginning active-duty service. It caps interest rates at 6% for pre-service loans during active duty and up to 180 days after. It also provides additional benefits, including protections against foreclosure, repossession of property and more.
The MLA offers slightly different protections for eligible financial commitments made during active duty. It limits interest rates to a 36% Military Annual Percentage Rate (MAPR), which includes finance charges, certain fees and other lending costs.
While neither of these laws explicitly requires credit card issuers to waive annual fees, many will waive or limit annual fees for eligible active duty service members. So if you're on active duty, it's worth reaching out to your bank and other financial institutions to see what relief they offer.
Pros and cons of military credit cards
- Reduced costs: Eligible military members can take advantage of waived fees and capped interest rates.
- Benefits stay the same: Even if you qualify for waived fees, the credit card benefits you receive remain the same. That means you can take advantage of every available benefit and much lower costs.
- Eligibility requirements: The credit cards with the best benefits typically have the highest credit score requirements, which don't change while you're on active duty military service.
- Limited-time fee waivers: Once your active duty service ends, card issuers typically start charging all of the standard credit card fees, although when that happens varies by issuer.
FAQs
Is it easier for members of the military to qualify for credit cards?
Credit card issuers generally don't change their approval requirements for military members; however, active-duty service members are entitled to protections such as capped interest rates. There are several card issuers that typically only serve current and former military members and their families, including USAA and Navy Federal Credit Union.
Which American Express card is best for military members?
If you're an active duty military member, you can't go wrong applying for an American Express card because you can get SCRA and MLA relief. This perk makes the Platinum Card® from American Express one of the best options because eligible active-duty military members can get annual fee relief.
Why trust CNBC Select?
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best credit cards for military members.
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Our methodology
To determine which cards offer the best value for military members, CNBC Select analyzed over 250 major credit cards issued through FDIC-insured banks and NCUA-insured credit unions that are widely available in the U.S.
We compared each card on a range of features, including rewards, annual fees, welcome bonuses, introductory and standard APR and balance transfer fees and foreign transaction fees. We also considered additional perks (e.g., ongoing travel or merchant statement credits), cardholder protections (e.g., purchase protection, $0 liability protection and travel insurance), the application process when available (e.g., is there a credit pull or required credit score) and how easy it is to redeem points (e.g., are rewards are tied to a specific brand; if transferable, to how many/which partners, can you redeem for straight cash back).
When considering the best credit cards for members of the military, we focused on card issuers that offer the best benefits to active duty service members. While it's not required by law in every situation, all of the issuers on this list waive eligible credit card annual fees (in some situations) for eligible active-duty military members.
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1To apply for a Chime Card™, Chime® Checking Account is required to apply.
2To be eligible for Chime Prime status, receive $3,000+ in qualifying direct deposits to your Chime Checking Account in the past 34 days. To be eligible for Chime Plus status, receive either 1) a single $200+ qualifying direct deposit; or 2) $400+ in cumulative qualifying direct deposits to your Chime Checking Account in the preceding 34 days. Certain products marketed as perks have additional eligibility requirements. While some perks may have associated fees, none of these fees are mandatory to access the perks or to maintain the applicable status. See the Chime Membership Tiers Terms and Conditions for details.
33.75% Annual Percentage Yield ("APY") applies if you maintain Chime Prime status, otherwise 3.00% Chime Plus APY (if eligible) or 0.75% standard APY will apply. APYs are effective as of 01/29/2026, are variable and subject to change. No min. bal. required.
