The Most Valuable Cards for Active Duty Military Members
Tl;dr: The Amex Platinum and Chase Sapphire Reserve are great, but some other cards might surprise you.
Here at LazyPoints, we don’t mind annual fees, but generally prefer cards that pay for themselves, like the Capital One Venture X ($400 worth of annual credits/points for a $395 annual fee), Amex Gold ($240 in Uber and dining credits for a $250 annual fee), or solid hotel cards (a free hotel stay for a ~$100 annual fee).
But what if you’re a military service member and the bank will give you all of a card’s benefits without charging an annual fee? Today we’re ranking which cards offer the most bang for no bucks for active duty military service members. Although some individuals will get more benefits out of certain cards depending on their spending or travel habits, this ranking focuses on the most widely applicable bonuses.
Unfortunately, not all cards will waive their annual fee for service members–the Venture X, for example, only waives it for service members that joined after opening their accounts (we’ve taken it off the list for that reason), and some banks won’t waive fees at all on some or all of their cards. We recommend checking with the bank to ensure you know their policy before applying for a high-fee, high-reward card. But with that out of the way, on to the contenders:
#1 Amex Platinum
The Amex Platinum easily earns first place on this list with $440 in statement credits on expenses that most service members will use, many hundreds of dollars in useful credits, and incredible travel perks.
Platinum cardmembers receive $20 back monthly in statement credits for purchases at Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The Wall Street Journal. They also get $15 per month in Uber Cash, plus a $20 bonus in December (Uber Cash must be used in the month it is deposited). That’s a total of $200 in Uber Cash and $240 in digital entertainment credit annually.
You get $50 credits at Saks every 6 months, for a total of $100 each year, although you cannot use it towards gift cards, so you’ll have to buy an actual product from a Saks outlet. Still, this is a useful way to buy gifts for holidays or special occasions.
There are also a ton of credits on things that most people normally would not pay for, but are very nice to have. These include monthly credits on Walmart+, enough to make that service (and the Paramount+ service it comes with) free. You can receive a Clear+ membership to speed through airport security. There’s a $200 hotel credit, although it only applies to certain fancier (and more expensive) hotels booked via Amex. And there’s a $200 airline credit, but it only applies to incidental fees (with some well-known exceptions) and is limited to a single airline that must be chosen in advance.
When you take leave, your travels can be greatly enhanced by the Platinum card’s incredible suite of upscale travel perks. Most notably, you’ll have access to the Global Lounge Collection, which includes access to Amex’s own lounges, Priority Pass lounges (excluding restaurants, but including Minute Suites), Plaza Premium lounges, and Delta and Lufthansa lounges when flying those airlines.
If you stay at a Marriott hotel you booked directly you’ll get bonus points, priority late checkout, and room upgrades where available thanks to Bonvoy Gold Elite status. If you book directly with Hilton, you’ll get bonus points, free bottled water, a fifth night free when booking with points, space-available upgrades, and a daily food credit or breakfast thanks to Hilton Gold status with that chain. You can also receive a suite of similar benefits If you book a fancy Fine Hotels and Resorts or Hotel Collection property via Amex Travel. You’ll also receive elite status when renting a car (directly, in most cases) with Hertz (Gold Plus), Avis (Preferred Plus), and National (Emerald Club Executive).
#2 Chase Sapphire Reserve
The Chase Sapphire Reserve can’t compare to the depth, breadth, and luxuriousness of the Platinum’s benefits, but it has three big benefits that even the Amex Platinum can’t match that help it slot into second place on this list.
First, the card comes with $300 in statement credits toward travel each year. With Chase’s broad definition of travel (including flights and hotels but also things like parking and rideshare), virtually every cardholder will receive the full benefit of this credit without any thought or effort.
Second, while both cards include a Priority Pass lounge membership, only the CSR’s includes the Priority Pass restaurant benefit, offering major discounts (most often $28 off per guest) at restaurants in airports across the country.
Third, the CSR’s rewards are easier to earn and redeem. While the platinum only earns bonus points on hotels booked via Amex and flights (although 5x on each), the CSR offers 10x on hotels and car rentals booked via Chase, 5x on flights booked via Chase, and 3x on travel and dining. And these points can be redeemed with a 50% bonus in Chase’s travel portal, giving them an easy minimum value of 1.5¢ each.
#3 Delta Amex Platinum/Reserve
Thanks to some recent updates, Delta’s co-branded Amex cards jump up to #3 on this list, and might even be better than the CSR.
The Reserve gives you a $200 statement credit towards a hotel stay (though it must be booked via Delta’s Expedia-based portal), $10 monthly toward rideshare purchases ($120 annually), and $20 monthly toward purchases via Resy ($240 annually). You also get a companion certificate each year upon renewal, which can even be used at certain international destinations, potentially saving you hundreds if you book a 2-person trip with Delta. The card also offers access to the Amex Centurion lounge and Delta SkyClub when flying Delta.
The Platinum offers similar benefits: $150 toward a hotel, $10 monthly toward rideshare purchases ($120 annually), and $10 monthly toward purchases via Resy ($120 annually). It also has a companion certificate, but it is limited to economy-class flights. The Platinum card does not come with lounge access.
Both cards also come with a 15% discount when booking award tickets using Skyles, and give you a “headstart” toward elite status with 2,500 Medallion Qualification Dollars annually. It takes 5,000 MQDs to earn entry-level Delta Silver Medallion status, so if you picked up both cards, you would get Delta status automatically without even flying.
#4 Amex Hilton Aspire
You could make a strong argument that the Aspire deserves to be ranked higher on this list. Its credits are harder to take advantage of, but its main benefit is incredible.
That benefit is a free night at almost any Hilton property, including ultra-fancy ski resorts and legendary luxury hotels that can easily be worth $800 or more per night. If you have a spouse (who can also get their fee waived by Amex) with the card as well, you could put together two-night stays valued at well over $1,000. Because I would never pay more than $150 for a night in a hotel, I value this less than the CSR’s travel benefit, but your mileage will vary.
The Aspire also comes with a $50 credit for airfare purchases, once a quarter, for a total of $200 in credits if you can fly once every three months. You can get $200 back in statement credits at Hilton resorts, as well as a statement credit for Clear+ membership.
#5 Citi AA Executive
The AA Executive card offers great value thanks to its $120 annual statement credit on car rentals with Avis or Budget and $10 monthly (up to $120 annually) credit on Grubhub purchases: $240 in benefits from those perks alone.
On top of that, you receive an Admirals Club membership that includes access to AA’s lounges when flying AA, Alaska Lounges when flying with Alaska, and partner lounges when flying with one of AA’s OneWorld partners. You also receive VIP airport check-in and security screening where available.
#6 Amex Gold
The Amex Gold comes with $10 per month in Uber Cash along with a $10 monthly dining credit which applies at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and most Shake Shack locations, for a total of $120 in Uber Cash and $120 in dining credits. If you take Uber regularly or get pickup or takeout with Uber Eats and Grubhub, that’s $240 in benefits annually.
The Amex Gold is also a powerhouse earner, garnering 4 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on restaurants (including takeout) and US supermarkets and 3x when booking flights via Amex or directly with the airline.
#7 United Quest
If you are a regular United customer, the Quest card is a great option, offering a $125 statement credit for United purchases annually, along with a 5,000 point refund when you book an award flight using United miles, a perk available twice (once in the first six months and once in the last six months) each year. If you book one award flight each year, that’s another $50 or more in value, for a total of $175 in benefits. And although this card doesn’t offer lounge benefits, United’s generous military access policies means that the mid-grade Quest card may actually be more valuable for military members than the high-end Club Infinite card which offers relatively little beyond that lounge access.
Wrapping up
The statement credits and travel perks on these cards make them appealing even considering their hefty annual fees. Without the fees, the value can be incredible. But many other great cards with more modest benefits can still be useful in a service member’s wallet, especially when their annual fees are waived.