Best credit cards for military members in 2026

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.

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.

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Who's this for? The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is loaded with luxury perks that you can easily share with others because 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 you make 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.

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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.

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.

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Who's this for? Service members who want to earn generous rewards on worldwide dining and at U.S. supermarkets will love what the American Express® Gold Card offers.

Standout benefits: Every year, you can earn over $400 in benefits for dining, Uber, Resy and Dunkin' purchases (enrollment required).

Benefits for military members: American Express provides SCRA and MLA relief for eligible active-duty service members, allowing you to save on fees such as annual membership fees, late fees and returned payment fees. You can submit a request for these protections online or by phone (1-800-253-1720), fax (623-444-3000) and mail.

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Who's this for? The Platinum Card® is a perfect option if you're looking for top-tier benefits like airport lounges, travel rewards and elite status perks.

Standout benefits: You can take advantage of statement credits each year on top of the card's generous airport lounge access and built-in insurance benefits.

Benefits for military members: American Express provides SCRA and MLA relief for eligible active-duty service members, allowing you to save on fees such as annual membership fees, late fees and returned payment fees. You can submit a request for these protections online or by phone (1-800-253-1720), fax (623-444-3000) and mail.

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Rewards

• 5X miles per dollar on hotel and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• 2X miles per dollar on every other purchase

Welcome bonus

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.

Annual fee

$95

Notable perks

If you're tired of being stuck in airport security lines, take advantage of the Capital One Venture Reward Card's Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fee credit of up to $120 every four years.

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Rewards

• 10X miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• 5X miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One Travel
• 2X miles on all other eligible purchases

Welcome bonus

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

Annual fee

$395

Notable perks

Capital One Venture X card members can have up to $120 in fees reimbursed for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® applications (once every four years). Primary cardholders and authorized users receive unlimited access to the growing Capital One Lounge and Landing network and can enroll for unlimited access to participating Priority Pass™ airport lounges.

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Rewards

• 8X points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠, including The Edit℠^*
• 4X points on flights and hotels booked direct*
• 3X points on dining worldwide
• 1X points on all other purchases

*After the first $300 in travel spending each year

Welcome bonus

Earn 150,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Annual fee

$795

Notable perks

After you've maximized your Chase Sapphire Reserve® card's up to $300 in annual travel credits, don't forget that you can have up to $120 in application fees reimbursed for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS (every four years). You'll also receive unlimited access to more than 1,300+ Priority Pass airport lounges worldwide and all Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club locations (enrollment required).

This card also offers some of the best travel and shopping protections. Eligible transactions are covered by purchase protection, extended warranty protection, return protection, primary rental car collision coverage, trip delay protection, trip interruption/cancellation insurance, baggage delay protection, travel accident insurance, emergency medical and dental insurance and more.

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Rewards

• 4X points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. (on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X)
• 4X points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X)
• 3X points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
• 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases

Welcome bonus

You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership*.

Annual fee

$325 (see rates and fees)

Notable perks

In addition to the American Express Gold Card's valuable statement credits, it also offers a variety of insurance coverages*, including:

• Baggage insurance*
• Extended warranty*
• Purchase protection*
• Trip delay insurance**
• Car rental loss and damage insurance (secondary) (Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.)

* Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

**Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/ benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

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Rewards

• 5X points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year)
• 5X points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel
• 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases

Welcome bonus

You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership*.

Annual fee

$895 (see rates and fees)

Notable perks

The Platinum Card® from American Express is an unreasonably valuable card for active duty members of the military because you can earn credits in so many ways, including:

• Hotel Credit: Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection* bookings through American Express Travel® using the Platinum Card® (minimum two-night stay).
• Airline fee credit: Up to $200 annual airline fee statement credits (enrollment required)
• Fitness credit: Up to $300 in Equinox credit per calendar year for membership fees (enrollment required)
• CLEAR+ Credit: Up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year when you use your card to pay for your CLEAR+ membership (subject to auto-renewal, excluding applicable taxes, enrollment required)
• Digital entertainment: Up to $300 in annual digital entertainment statement credits at participating partners (enrollment required)
• Walmart+ credit: Up to $155 annual Walmart+ statement credits (Up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes on one membership fee. Subject to auto renewal)
• Uber Cash: Up to $200 in annual Uber Cash ($15 per month and $20 in Dec.). Use your Uber Cash on rides and orders in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction. Enrollment required
• Trusted traveler program credit: Receive either a statement credit every 4 years after you apply for Global Entry ($120) or a statement credit after you apply for a five-year membership for TSA PreCheck^® (up to $85 through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider) and pay the application fee with your Platinum Card. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.

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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, 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.

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.

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). 
 
We also considered CNBC Select audience data when available, such as general demographics and engagement with our content and tools.  

For the cards that offer a rewards program, we considered consumer spending data forecasts from location intelligence firm Esri to determine where U.S. consumers are spending the most money, like on dining and travel. We used this to help determine what bonus categories are most useful for consumers. Since the value of a point or mile varies based on what they can be redeemed for, we also considered things like transferability and the ability to redeem for 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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For rates and fees of the American Express Platinum Card® click here.

For rates and fees of the Business Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.

*Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

*The American Express Platinum Card® and The American Express® Gold Card Welcome Offer: To view your personalized offer, you must first submit an application. If approved, you will: (1) receive your Welcome Offer details, (2) have the option to accept the Card with that offer, (3) be required to spend at least $6,000 ($12,000 for the Platinum) on eligible purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership, and (4) earn Membership Rewards® points. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.